Review: Trader Joe's Fair Trade Organic 72% Belgian

Richard's Rating: 5.5

chocolate maker (unknown) bar Fair Trade Organic 72% Belgian region (blend) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 72% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $1.99

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, slight scuffing, slight adhered bits aroma roast, earth, sweet (molasses), nut snap hard taste roast (cocoa), ashy, nut, fruit (berry), sweet (brown sugar) melt smooth length short finish somewhat bitter, slightly sour, slightly acidic

Trader Joe's doesn't reveal which chocolate maker crafts this chocolate bar for them. Fair Trade Organic 72% Belgian was socially responsible and fair trade certified by IMO and USDA certified organic by QAI.

The chocolate was made from cocoa mass, cane sugar, and cocoa butter. Cocoa solids made up 72% of the bar. The 100 gram bar came wrapped in foil inside a paper box. The best before date was August 2013.

The color was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface was smooth, with minimal scuffing and a few adhered bits of chocolate. The bar was scored into eight large pieces. The snap was hard.

The aroma contained scents of roast, earth, sweetness, and nut. The sweetness smelled similar to molasses.

The chocolate tasted of a cocoa roast, along with flavors of nut and a berry fruit. The taste was ashy with a sweetness that reminded me of brown sugar.

The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted about 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a short length. The finish was somewhat bitter, with slight sourness and acidity.

Trader Joe's sells this bar in their stores for only $1.99. It's another good inexpensive chocolate, and worth checking out along with their Swiss 72% and Dark Chocolate Lover's.