Askinosie Tanzania Mababu 72% cacao

Quite bitter for a 72% bar. There is some tartness as well, possibly an orange-citrus dimension. The aftertaste is also strong, with slight chalkiness. 7.3

LAmourette Venezuela Sur Del Lago 70% cacao

This bar has fairly thick pieces, which delays the "melt in your mouth" time. As the melt progresses, there is a tart plus sweet plus bitter taste that develops. Some honey and cherry elements can be noticed. The aftertaste is simple, though slightly chalky. 7.1

Lake Champlain Dark 54% cocoa

Fairly bitter for a 54% cocoa bar. Some element of pine in the background. Fairly sweet, as would be expected. Some chalkiness in the aftertaste. 6.2

Mendocino Chocolate Eye of the Dragon Dark

Strong cocoa flavor, mildly bitter. Some molasses flavor in the background. Fairly sweet for a dark chocolate, bordering on cloying. 6.7

Price: $7.00

www.mendocino-chocolate.com

I bought this bar at Greenwood Ridge Vineyards' tasting room in Alexander Valley in Mendocino County. They apparently have Mendocino Chocolate Company produce the bar for them. The label reflects the design on most of Greenwood Ridge Vineyards' wines, an elaborate dragon image. The bar mold mentions the name of the winery.

www.greenwoodridge.com

I stopped at Greenwood during my two week stay in "Mendonoma," the area of northern coastal Sonoma County and southern Mendocino County. I was driving my new Tesla S 85D, and Greenwood has a well publicized Electric Vehicle charging system, powered by large solar panels. Available are J1772, ChaDeMo, and Tesla connectors. It worked well and I charged for about 30 minutes as we tasted their wines.

We were the only car in the parking lot when we arrived, but as we were paying for our selections, another electric vehicle owner came in to the tasting room to ask how long we would be charging. She was driving a Nissan Leaf, whose range is quite a bit more limited than a Tesla. We turned over the charging port to her shortly after that.

What struck me was that this tasting room had no visitors during the time I was there other than the two of us EV drivers sniffing out charging options. So providing support for EVs at your business cannot be bad! We also visited Handley Cellars earlier in the week, and they offered a J1772 socket for EV charging. It was nice to see these businesses providing support for what is still a fairly "bleeding edge" technology that can use such support.

Blanxart Peru 77% cacao

Very bitter from start to finish. There is a distinct coffee flavor that persists and dominates the flavor experience and contributes to the bitterness.The bar has a somewhat grainy texture. Long aftertaste. 6.7