Republic Del Cacao Manabi 75% cacao

Well this is a first. I took a bite into this bar of Republica Del Cacao chocolate and was startled to find a piece of plastic embedded within the chocolate itself. The picture shows the plastic in place. Fortunately I did not consume the plastic as I noticed it almost immediately.  This is the first time I've ever experienced this sort of a defect in a chocolate I have tasted for this blog.  Of course accidents can happen. However this sort of potentially hazardous defect is inexcusable.

Therefore I will not further review this bar.

Charles Chocolates Bittersweet 65% cocoa

This is a respectable chocolate, which is to say it is not spectacular.  Tasty, though no wow factor.  This is "down the middle" bittersweet chocolate, with little excitement, side flavors, bitterness or any other remarkable aspects.  At the same time it is very comfortable, cocoa-rich and lip-smacking, so there's that! 7.2

www.charleschocolates.com

This bar was made in San Francisco -- however I'm sad to see on their website that they are now closed for business.  The bar I reviewed above was quite well made and tasty.  Searching the web, it looks like the end came just a couple weeks ago.  This article has the story and links to other information:   Charles Chocolates' Big Expansion Plans Hit A Wall

Fine & Raw Ecuador 78% Cacao

Very bitter from beginning to end. Instead of sugar, this bar has "agave nectar" to provide sweetness, but what sweetness there is is difficult to find.  Some faint citrus flavors are present, but these hardly rise above the bitterness, which runs from first taste to last aftertaste. 4.5

So what is the maker hoping to accomplish with this bar?  Checking out the company's www.fineandraw.com website we find:  "FINE & RAW’s mission is to save the world through silliness and chocolate!"  Okay, well, a noble mission, but the means may come up a little short.

Patric Rio Caribe Superior Venezeula 70% cacao

This is a flavorful chocolate with many layers of taste.  Most prominent is the fruit layer -- cherry and prune  flavors dominate, but there may be some citrus notes as well.  The next layer is a peppery tang -- not strong, just an undercurrent.  Last, some rum flavor -- perhaps a dimension of the prune flavor that's on top.  8.9

When I unwrap a bar and see the type of effort that was put into the look of the bar matching the work that went into the chocolate itself, I like to include that in my notes.  This bar has the Patric logo emblazoned across it, making it hard to know where to start in breaking it up for consumption. No problem working that out, though!

patric-chocolate.com