I've had not so wonderful results with previous Trader Joe's chocolates, but I was intrigued when I came across the "Chocolate Palette" at our local T.J.'s. Eight bars, all from different origins: Venezuela, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, Dominican Republic, Peru, Ghana, Ecuador and São Tomé. The cocoa content ranges from 60% to 73%, so no extra-strong bars. I'll give each bar a taste and let you know what I find.
More successful, I think, in achieving the "fruity" taste that identifies this bar. Kiwi fruit. Cherry. Maybe even pear. Nice flavor journey from beginning to end. No bitterness, but a memorable aftertaste. 8
I'm not really getting the "citrus" aspect of this chocolate -- there's a little tang to the taste, but no lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime or even tangerine. There's a good amount of bitterness, more than I want for a casual bite of chocolate, but enough to keep me interested when I'm up for a challenge. Good snap. Smooth aftertaste. 7
Nice aroma from the bar. Strong nutty taste, has almost a coffee bean flavor. Bitterness is present, but not persistent -- eases off in the aftertaste. I'm not a fan of chocolate with nutty flavors, so points off for that. 6.5