Review: Valrhona Grand Cru Caraїbe 66%

Lindy's Rating: 7.0

Richard's Rating: 7.5

chocolate maker Valrhona bar Caraїbe region Caribbean plantation (blend) cacao trees Trinitario year (unknown) size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 66% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla extract other ingredients (none) list price $6.99

color medium brown PANTONE 18-1314 Acorn texture matte, smooth flower, asymmetric scoring lines aroma roast (cocoa), earth, spice, hint of vanilla snap hard taste sweet, roast (cocoa), nut (almond), vanilla melt more smooth length medium finish very slightly chalky, very slightly sweet

Caraїbe is another bar in Valrhona's Grand Cru line of chocolates. Using Trinitario cacao beans from the Caribbean, this chocolate was made with 66% cocoa solids from cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and natural vanilla extract. Caraїbe was molded into Valrhona's standard Grand Cru form: a thin 70 gram bar with asymmetric score lines, giving 25 pieces of varied sizes. The surface had a matte texture with smooth imprints of a flower and the Valrhona name. The best before date on the bar we reviewed was August 2011.

The color of Caraїbe was a medium brown Acorn (PANTONE 18-1314). The bar had a hard snap. Aromas included a cocoa roast, earth, some spice, and a hint of vanilla. The chocolate tasted sweet and the roast reminded Lindy of rich hot chocolate. We also noticed a nutty almond flavor and the vanilla that was hinted in the aroma.

The melt was more smooth. The flavor lasted 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone, at the short end of a medium length. The finish seemed very slightly chalky to me, and Lindy experienced the final aftertaste as a suggestion of sweetness.

You can purchase Valrhona Caraїbe 66% online for $6.99 directly from Valrhona or for $5.65 from Chocosphere for delivery in the U.S. For delivery in the U.K. (and Europe), you can purchase it online for £3.55 from Chocolate Trading Co.