Review: Meadowlands Wild Harvest Bolivia

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker Meadowlands bar Wild Harvest Bolivia region Bolivia plantation blend cacao trees unknown year unknown size 71g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $9.50

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken appearance smooth, scoring, uneven sheen, bubbles aroma roast, floral (lavender, jasmine), fruit, earth snap hard taste earth, spice (anise), fruit (date), sesame, roast (smoke, tea), nut, tannin, sweet melt smooth length medium finish tannin, somewhat acidic

This is the fourth Meadowlands unflavored single origin chocolate bar we've reviewed. You can read reviews of their other three bars here: Dominican Republic, Peru, and Venezuela.

As with the others, the only ingredients in Wild Harvest Bolivia were 70% cacao beans and 30% cane sugar.

Inside a pink paper sleeve, the 2.5 ounce Bolivia bar came wrapped in gold foil-sided waxed paper. It was scored into 24 pieces.

The surface of the chocolate was smooth, with an uneven sheen and tiny bubbles in some corners. Its color was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The bar had a hard snap.

The aroma was strongly floral, with scents of both lavender and jasmine. I also smelled roast, fruit, and earth.

After an initial earthy and tannin start to the taste, spices came forth, with a particularly strong anise flavor. Several other flavors developed as well: fruit, primarily date, sesame, roast with smoke and tea, and some nuttiness. It also tasted sweet and the tannin was evident throughout.

Meadowlands described Venezuela as "hints of lavender, toasted sesame & dates".

Wild Harvest Bolivia had a smooth melt, with a bit of fudginess. The chocolate flavor lasted 35 to 40 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a length on the far end of medium. The finish was tannin and somewhat acidic.

Best Prices Online
$9.50 directly from Meadowlands
$45.00 for five-pack from Chocolate.org