Review: Pascha Organic Dark 70% Cacao

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker (unknown) bar 70% Cacao region Peru plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients cocoa powder list price $5.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown appearance smooth, imprints, scoring, scuffing, adhered bits aroma roast (smoke), vanilla, earth, spice, sweet snap medium hard taste sweet (butterscotch, honey), vanilla, fruit (citrus, grapefruit, berry), roast, nut, chalk melt smooth length medium finish tannin, somewhat acidic, slightly chalky, slightly sour

As you probably read in our review of their 85% Cacao bar, Pascha began selling chocolate this year that is completely free of exposure to any of the eight food allergens recognized by the U.S. F.D.A.

70% Cacao was made in Peru from local cacao. The bar was certified organic, verified non-GMO, certified fair trade, and certified kosher.

The ingredients were cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla, all of which were organic. Cocoa solids totaled 70%.

The bar was the traditional size for chocolate bars: 100 grams. It came sealed in plastic inside a paper box. The bar was scored into 24 pieces, half imprinted with parallel lines and half imprinted with the image of someone carrying a basket of cacao pods. The best before date was May 21, 2014.

The color of the chocolate was a medium brown Dark Brown (PANTONE 19-1012). The surface was smooth, with a little scuffing and some adhered bits of chocolate.

70% Cacao had a medium hard snap. The aroma contained scents of smoky roast, vanilla, earth, spice, and sweetness.

The chocolate tasted sweet, with vanilla, fruit, roast, and nut flavors. The sweetness seemed to be a combination of butterscotch and honey. The vanilla flavor was strong. The fruit included citrus, grapefruit, and berry. I also tasted some chalkiness.

The melt was smooth. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 35 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was tannin, somewhat acidic, slightly chalky, and slightly sour.

This chocolate bar surprised me. While not perfect, this was a very good chocolate, which would be an accomplishment for anyone, but is especially noteworthy for a new company.

You can purchase Organic Dark 70% Cacao online directly from Pascha in packs of 5 bars for $25, or from Chocosphere for $5.30 individually, $24.65 for five, or $46.60 for ten.