Review: Lindt Excellence 70% Smooth Dark

Richard's Rating: 5.0

chocolate maker Lindt bar Excellence 70% region unknown plantation blend cacao trees unknown year unknown size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring bourbon vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $3.95

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown appearance smooth, imprints, scoring aroma roast (smoke, tobacco), sweet, vanilla, earth, nut snap hard taste sweet (butterscotch), roast (cocoa), vanilla, nut, tannin, acidic, bitter melt smooth length short finish tannin, somewhat bitter, somewhat acidic

It's been several years since we reviewed Lindt's Excellence line, and since that time Lindt has changed the ingredients of these chocolates.

Lindt added soy lecithin to the 70% bar. Other ingredients of this 70% cocoa solids chocolate are sugar, cocoa butter, and bourbon vanilla beans.

The 100 gram bar came enclosed in foil inside a paper box. The best before date was April 30, 2014. The bar was scored into 10 pieces, each with imprints of the cursive Lindt name above six diagonal lines.

The chocolate had a medium brown Dark Brown (PANTONE 19-1012) color. The bar looked great, with a smooth surface and only a few adhered bits. The snap was hard.

The aroma was mostly roast, with smokiness and tobacco scents, and vanilla. It smelled sweet, and I noticed some earth and nuttiness as well.

Excellence 70% tasted sweet, with a dominant flavor of butterscotch. Flavors of cocoa roast, vanilla, and nut were also present. The taste was tannin, acidic, and bitter.

The melt was smooth. The length was at the far end of short, with the flavor lasting almost 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was tannin, somewhat bitter, and somewhat acidic.

Overall, this iteration of their 70% bar is an improvement over the one we reviewed in 2010. The taste changed substantially and the formerly strong bitter finish was substantially reduced. This chocolate remains a great value, and can frequently be found on sale for as little as $2.00 at groceries and pharmacies.

You can purchase Excellence 70% online for $3.95 directly from Lindt or for $3.50 from World Wide Chocolate.