Theo Coconut Curry Milk 45% cacao

This blog is dedicated to reviews of dark chocolate, and only dark chocolate. I have made an exception a couple of times, reviewing Recchiuti's Dark Milk and Scharffen Berger's Dark Milk, as well as a dark chocolate bar with "adulterations," in that case cranberries (The Chocolate Tree: Cranberry 55% cacao). Today's exception, though, illustrates why I focus on pure dark chocolate.

During my trip to Seattle where I purchased the two Theo bars just reviewed, I was gifted a third bar.  This bar is milk chocolate and is also made with the addition of coconut and curry. I cannot evaluate the chocolate, as it is overwhelmed by the curry spice. I often talk about "aftertaste" when reviewing other bars. This bar's aftertaste is a burning sensation that persists long after the last swallow.  I think I may need to drink a glass of milk to neutralize it. The coconut is less disruptive, but adds very little to the bar. I do not detect coconut flavor, so I assume it has been added to give the bar texture. That it does, but this is not beneficial in my judgment.

My overall experience with this bar confirms my focus on pure dark chocolate. That is not to say that chocolate mixed with other ingredients cannot provide a pleasant experience. I tasted a dark chocolate bar with orange flavor from Teuscher this weekend and enjoyed it quite a lot. However by focusing on the chocolate alone I can rate the quality of the base ingredient that is then used in those bars. I rated the pure dark bars from Teuscher pretty highly when I tried them earlier, so I felt confident that the orange bar that I purchased would have a good start from that. (It has been a few years since I've tried the Teuscher line, so maybe it is time for another review of full retinue.)

Now where is that glass of milk...

Theo Organic Fair Trade 70% cocoa

This bar is quite similar to its "big brother," the Theo Organic Fair Trade 85% cocoa reviewed previously.  Much less bitter, with a more relaxed aftertaste, but shallow in flavors other than basic cocoa. Faint raisin and even fainter cherry notes can be nuanced from the bar as it melts. 6.6

I picked up this bar (along with Big Brother) at the Theo factory in Seattle during a trip in April. The store is in the attractive little brick building shown here, while the factory is located in an adjoining building. I did not have time to take the tour, but I browsed the store.

The store is very spacious, with product set out around the floor, and a counter with truffles available to one side.

Being in Seattle, perhaps it is not surprising that this bar has many indications of "goodness" on the label: Organic, Fair Trade, Non-GMO Verified. I do value when cacao farmers around the world are traded with in a fair way (meaning without fraud or coercion), though I am less convinced that "organic" has much value and not convinced at all that GMO (genetically modified organism) food is problematic.

I would also say that NOT labeling a product as "fair trade" does not indicate that those companies are trading unfairly with their producers.

Theo Organic Fair Trade 85% cocoa

A straight-forward bar. There are no undertones or side flavors of note. At 85% cocoa, this is a very bitter chocolate.  Minor chalkiness follows this profile, and the aftertaste is driven mostly by the bitterness. Not for the casual consumer.  6.0

I have not tasted a Theo bar for nearly three years. I have not seen them at my usual chocolate bar acquisition locales. Last month I visited the Theo factory store during a visit to Seattle, and was hoping to find some interesting bars.  However I did not find any single origin bars, and just two pure-dark bars, this one and a 70% bar that will be reviewed next. Most of the other bars on sale were various bars with sea salt, chilies or other additions.

Baron Chocolate Dark 70% cocoa

The bitterness of this bar is like a punch in the mouth. It makes you take a step back and wonder what just happened. There is nothing subtle with this bar. It has heavy cocoa flavor, and I am going to reach for that "chalky" description once again. The aftertaste is slightly metallic and tapers off fairly quickly, but not quickly enough. 5.6

www.baron.pl

Alter Eco Dark Blackout Organic 85% cocoa

Somewhat bitter, but less so that you might expect. Some mild fruit flavor, mostly cherry. Aftertaste is subtle, but it is distinct and persistent. There is some "chalkiness" to the mouthfeel of this chocolate, which is a term I have not used in quite some time. I use it to describe when the cocoa does not dissolve and dissipate quickly, leaving the mouth feeling dry and puckery. 6.7

www.alterecofoods.com

Dandelion Chocolate Frozen Hot Chocolate

Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Frozen Hot Chocolate. Dandelion Chocolate opened a store last year in San Francisco's mission district, and in addition to selling their bars and holding chocolate making classes, they have some liquid confections.

It was a hot day yesterday, so it seemed like a good day to try out their Frozen Hot Chocolate. As you can tell from the picture, it is a glass of cocoa with a thick layer of cream on top. Within the drink are small bits of ice, which presumably remain from the cooling process.

It was very refreshing. The cocoa has a clean taste, was well blended and lacking any bitterness.  It certainly hit the spot!

Here is a review of the drink from the Zagat site. And here is a comment about the drink on Yelp.  Finally, here's a picture from inside Dandelion's store: