Snake and Butterfly Madagascar 67% cocoa

This is a classic Madagascar bar, with bright citrus flavors. The aftertaste is clean, though there's a slight bitterness on the way to the finale. At 67% cocoa content, the taste is a little softer than the more common 70% bars. 8.5

I mentioned tapering in the corner of the Venuzuela bar, and this bar also has a little tapering at one end. Interesting!

Snake And Butterfly Venezeula 76% cocoa

Interesting flavors -- citrus and cherry.  But there is a lingering bitterness throughout the experience, including in the aftertaste.  7.9

The bar I tasted was tapered in only one corner -- I wondered whether it had been damaged, but it looked like it was molded that way.  The bar had swirls on the bottom, presumably from the pour into the mold.  The company's website says that the bars are hand-poured.

This is another local chocolate maker, located in Campbell, California.

SnakeandButterfly.com

Dandelion Madagascar 70% cacao

This is a classic Madagascar bar -- fruity and tart, some cherry flavor.  Well made, crisp snap when pieces are broken off.  The flavors give the bar a sweet aftertaste.  8.8

www.dadelionchocolate.com

Fearless Raw Organic Dark Midnight 75% cacao

Clean taste, very rich chocolate. An almost root beer flavor in the background. Some bitterness, but it fades fast in the aftertaste. Some small nibs are exposed when the chocolate fully melts. 7.4

www.fearlesschocolate.com

François Pralus Tanzania 75% cacao

There is a lot going on with this bar. Cherry and honey, with a hint of coffee apparent. It is also a bit bitter, but the aftertaste is pleasant. Well made and well done, François Pralus! 9.2

See also:
François Pralus Fortissima 80% cacao
François Pralus Madagascar 75% cocoa
François Pralus Trinidad 75% cocoa

Hmm, I see a pattern in these reviews: I am consistently tasting cherry.

Article: Heart of Dark Chocolate

A friend passed this article along to me. A good read!

Heart of Dark Chocolate

Valrhona Abinao "Puissant & Tannic" 85% cacao

The bar has a strong presence. "Puissant," for those without a dictionary handy, means "powerful; mighty; potent," so it is appropriately characterized. The tannic angle provides a bitter aftertaste, but it tails off quickly and is clean. A slight floral undertone is about the only side flavor I notice. 8.1

Jahrgangs Schokolade 2009 Chocolat Noir Amer 85% cacao

One more bar of chocolate from the German part of my trip to Europe in August. I have not

often found "vintage" chocolate, but this bar is vintage 2009.

The most prominent flavor is nutty. The chocolate is quite bitter (which is what the "Amer" in the title said would be the case!) and that carries through to a long aftertaste. A bit of chalkiness accompanies this aftertaste. This is a bracing bar. 7.2


www.leysieffer.com

Sarotti No. 1 aus Ecuador 72% cacao

This another bar I purchased during my August trip to northern Europe. Sarotti is a German manufacturer and this bar is made from Ecuador cacao. We shared this at last week's poker game at work, and it was consumed quickly with great comments.

Very flavorful chocolate, with a citrus-almond flavor. Low bitterness, and an easy aftertaste. 8.0

www.sarotti.de

Marabou Premium 86% cocoa

This is the big brother of Marabou Premium 70% cocoa, and it does have a bolder cocoa flavor.  This seems to help the overall effect -- I am still tasting a metallic aspect, but it is much less than with the 70% bar. The extra richness also is adding an earthiness and nuttiness to the flavor, making it a more interesting bar. 6.5

Marabou Premium 70% cocoa

Quite bitter for a 70% cocoa bar with some metallic edge to the taste. Strong cocoa flavor, no background flavors. 5.8


I bought this bar in a chocolate store in Stockholm. The label indicates that Marabou is owned by Kraft Foods.

Eldorado Mörk Choklad 50% cacao

This bar was acquired during my recent trip to Sweden. "Mörk" is the Swedish word for "dark." The bar is not high-end chocolate. It is a respectable mass-market chocolate, but not distinctive. Clean cocoa flavor with a modest level of bitterness and chalkiness. 6.1

Caffarel Grands Crus Ghana 70% cacao

We tasted this bar while sailing on Arwen Evenstar in the Baltic Sea. Tom is the skipper and owner.

Steve: Bitter initial taste. Resolves into smooth rich cocoa with little aftertaste. No noticeable side flavors. 7.5

Tom: Mild after taste that levels out and fades away. Good! Some anise side flavor, maybe a touch of rose hip. 7.5

Cadbury Bournville 39% Cocoa

This big bar of chocolate was a match for the weekly poker game players -- often when I bring chocolate to the game it disappears quicly, but this bar lasted most of the night. There was a lot of it (200 grams is seven ounces, over twice the size of most bars I have tasted).

I found this bar in a British grocery store here in San Francisco (see www.yousaytomato.biz).

The taste of this bar is not remarkable. It tastes similar to other mass-market semi-sweet bars, heavy cocoa flavor, no bitterness and no additional flavors noticeable.  5.9

Leonidas 70% cocoa

A very clean taste and a well made chocolate. Strong chocolate flavor and almost no bitterness. 7.0

www.leonidas.com

Seattle Chocolates Truffle 65% cacao

I do not usualy venture into the area of "truffle" chocolates, but since this bar calls itself "extreme dark" I thought I would give it a try. On closer examination of the label, the cocoa content is a mere 65%, which rates as "middling" dark, hardly extreme. Yet the bar is indeed quite strong in cocoa flavor. Some bitterness, but this is balanced by a sweetness. I suspect that the "truffling" of the bar brings out the sugar's contribution. No notable flavors beyond the cocoa. 6.3

www.seattlechocolates.com

Cote d'Or Noir Brut 86% cacao

This is an approachable 86% cocoa bar, with noticeable bitterness, but not off-putting.  Earthy flavors prevail, with cocoa remaining front and center.  6.9

Compare with Cote d'Or Sensation INTENSE 70% Cacao Noir de Noir.

$4.69 / 3.52 oz

Original Beans Congo Cru Virunga 70% cacao

Very smooth and flavorful chocolate. Quite different from other bars from Africa. Subtle cherry flavor, very faint, and a thin line of nutmeg flavor. No bitterness and a nice finish. 8.9

The bar tasted has this code, which can be used to identify the origin of this bar on the website below: V01347 0904

www.originalbeans.com

Hachez Cocoa d'Arriba 77% cocoa

Sharp bitterness that resolves into rich cocoa flavor. Long lasting aftertaste, not altogether pleasant. 6.0

Lindt Semisweet

This is a massive amount of chocolate. If you need to throw a chocolate party, this 10-plus ounce bar can bring the volume you will need. The taste will not thrill, but it may satisfy. The bar has rich cocoa flavor, and no bitterness or chalkiness. It is a simple bar, with no pretense or great ambitions. 6.7

Don't try to eat this bar alone!

Majani Fondente Extra Dark 70% cacao

Quite sweet, rich in cocoa flavor.  The texture of the bar of rough, almost as though the bar included cocoa nibs. There are no nibs that I can pinpoint.  The bar states that it was made with pure cane sugar, so perhaps I am tasting sugar crystals? It's an unusual style -- at this tasting, I'm not loving it.  6.2

Perugina Dark Chocolate

Very bitter for a semi-sweet chocolate. Sharp cocoa flavor, with an aspect of coffee behind it. 6.1

madécasse "dark & bold" Madagascar 75% cocoa

This bar is indeed darker and bolder than the 70% bar in the line, madécasse "smooth & rich" Madagascar 70% Cocoa, reviewed earlier.  Bitterness is stepped up, but the flavor has been maintained.  The citrus, though, is only a hint, with the rich cocoa dominating.  The aftertaste lasts longer, though stays clean.  7.5

Mast Brothers The Brooklyn Blend 74% cacao

Quite a burst of flavor on first taste.  Cherry, citrus, nutmeg, it all seems to be there.  This bar's label says that it is "Made with a beautiful blend of cacao from all around the world."  The blend is successful and memorable.  9.1

$12 / 2.5 oz (from Miete in the SF Ferry Building)

Kallari Ecuador 75% cacao

Strong, yet very flavorful.  Faint citrus and less faint cherry flavors.  Bitter, yes, but balanced with the rich cocoa flavor.  A gentle aftertaste.  7.9

www.kallarichocolate.com

Bloomsberry DARK 55% cocoa

This bar is all about it's label, "DARK".  It looks somewhat like the old "generic" foods you'd see in grocery stores way back when.  There are almost no words on the label to distract you from DARK.  Well, one string of text on the front informs us that this bar has 55% cocoa, so it's not that dark.

The taste is above average for a low cocoa content semi-sweet bar.  There are some side flavors noticeable, some citrus and cherry notes.  Noticeable chalkiness and a very rapidly declining aftertaste.  6.9

Sjaaks Organic Extra Dark 70% cocoa

This bar is organic, vegan and fair trade. But how does it taste? Pretty good—low bitterness, some chalkiness. There are background flavors which play out in a subtle sweetness. The aftertaste lasts moderately long—sufficient for the experience. 6.8

www.sjaaks.com

Andrea Stainer Grenada 80% cocoa

Strong, sharp and direct cocoa flavor. Some chalkiness, very little aftertaste. 6.4

Amatller Extra Fine 70% cocoa

Very strong coffee flavor -- not sure where that comes from!  Otherwise, rich cocoa flavor, perhaps some nutty, walnut flavor.  Very bitter for a 70% cocoa bar, and a long aftertaste. 7.1

This chocolate is a product of Spain, and is one of the few bars of chocolate I've had in a while that does not list a website address.  Fortunately, there's always Google:

www.chocolates-amatller.com

Elite Bittersweet Chocolate Coins

One of my other interests is collecting coins, so I had to add these chocolate coins to my collection. The bag has three quarters (dates 1995) and one Kennedy half-dollar (dated 1980). The image work on the dollar looks good on both sides.  I bought a second bag that also has three quarters, but has an Eisenhower dollar instead of the half-dollar. For this set, the quarter is respectable on the obverse (front), but amateurish on the reverse (back).  Naturally, some details are left out from the coins -- no e pluribus unum motto.


As for the chocolate -- it's about as you'd expect for a novelty item.  A bit chalky, strong cocoa, your basic bittersweet chocolate.

Another interesting note: this product is made in Israel.

Cadbury Royal Dark

When I reviewed the Meiji Black chocolate I said it reminded me of "other mass market chocolate bars" like Cadbury. Indeed, now that I'm reviewing the Cadbury Dark, it reminds me a lot of Meiji Black. Not a remarkable chocolate -- chalky, not bitter, very cocoa. 6.2

It may be by appointment to H.M The Queen, but it's owned by Hershey's.

www.hersheys.com

Amedei Toscano Black 70% cocoa

Strong dark chocolate with considerable bitterness.  Perhaps I'm getting used to strong dark chocolate, because the bitterness feels right and underscores the cocoa flavors.  No side flavors to note.  7.7

Additional note:
The name and packaging may have changed, but this is likely the same bar that I tasted previously: Amedei Tuscany Cioccolato Fondente Extra 70%, which I rated 8.0.

Zotter Labooko Single Peru 80% cocoa

This chocolate announces itself with a sharp taste on the tongue. Bitter, yes, but other flavors assert themselves and build an interesting palate of flavors.  Citrus and cinnamon dominate. 8.0

www.zotter.at

Valrhona Ampamakia Madagascar 64% cocoa

A gentle and flavorful chocolate. Classic Madagascar flavorfulness, but gentler due to the lower cocoa content. Very low bitterness, but still a nice aftertaste. 7.9

Christopher Elbow No. 14 85% cacao

Rich cocoa flavor, with a level of bitterness conensurate with the high cocoa content of this bar. No side flavors that are noticeable. 7.1

François Pralus Fortissima 80% cacao

Exciting taste, lots of great flavors.  Cherry and honey, maybe even some citrus. Rich in chocolate, very low bitterness for an 80% cocoa bar.  Aftertaste stays with you in a very nice way.  8.8

Olivier Ghana Pure Origin 70% cacao

This chocolate has a subtle bitterness, and a flavor with an earthy aspect.  Nice finish and aftertaste.  7.5

www.chocolatsolivier.com

Ha, I just visited their website and saw an funny goof.  The french site is fine, but click the British flag at the top to see the English version, and you see:

LOREM IPSUM DOLOR SIT AMET

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum

This is nonsense text that is often used to mock up a site before it is published with real text.  I'm not sure whether to feel good that they at least have an English option,or bad that they have one that it totally useless.

Rain Republic Guatemala 70% cacao

This is a clean, straightforward chocolate. No bitterness, few noticeable flavors outside of the cocoa. 7.0

RainRepublic.com

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

Coppeneur Uba Budo São Tomé 72% cocoa

This is a very nice bar, with several distinct flavors.  There is a faint orange/citrus note, and a rich, rummy taste. No bitterness, and an even finish.  8.5

Coppeneur put this bar in a similar package as the Coppeneur Ocumare Venezuela 72% cocoa I reviewed previously.  However, the bar was broken despite its stiff cardboard packaging. The bar was not damaged, though.

Meiji BLACK Chocolate

I found this bar in a small Japanese convenience store in my neighborhood.  Meiji is available in milk chocolate as well as this semi-sweet format.  This is also the first Japanese chocolate I've tried, though it is clearly not in the "gourmet" market.  The bar reminds me more of the mass-market semi-sweets bars from Hersheys or Cadbury.  The label is in Japanese, so I could not find a mention of percentage of cocoa in the bar.

At that point of measurement, Meiji BLACK is an acceptable and approachable.  Very rich in cocoa flavor, with a noticeable sweetness.  There is no bitterness, but a certain amount of pucky tartness from the heavy cocoa flavor.  Not bad, though also not great.  6.0

www.meiji.co.jp

François Pralus Madagascar 75% cocoa

This is a classic Madagascar bar.  Full of fruity flavor, both citrus and cherry.  Rich in cocoa, but not very bitter. Very nice finish -- smooth, but hearty.  9.2

Compare to my review of the Pralus Trinidad bar:

François Pralus Trinidad 75% cocoa

Mast Brothers Sambirano Valley (Madagascar) 72% cacao

I have previously reviewed another Mast Brothers Madagascar bar, but this bar may be different.  It's label states that it is from the Sambirano Valley of Madagascar.  Comparing my prior notes to my response to this bar, it does taste different as well.  There is more bitterness and less fruity flavor.  There is still some there, but it is less pronounced.  I am also not tasting the cherry notes of the prior bar.  Still, a very respectable chocolate.  7.7

Perhaps it's time for a blind tasting, to determine whether the differences are in my imagination!

Seeds of Change Organic 61% cacao

Creamy texture, but with a touch of bitterness. Faint tea flavor, perhaps camomile. 6.7

This bar is 3 ounces, but is packaged in three individually wrapped bars. This makes it an easy three servings of 140 calories each.

Seedsofchangechocolate.com

Recchuiti Classic Truffles

Before Christmas I purchased a box of Recchiuti Classic Truffles.   I just came across the box and have been enjoying them.  They are classic, indeed.  The outside has a dusting of cocoa powder, while inside is a rich dark chocolate creamy filling.  The ingredients are very simple: "Dark chocolate, cream, sugar, butter, cocoa powder".  Quite a great treat.