Fresco Peru 228 70% cacao

This version of the Fresco Peru bar is smokey and more bitter than the Recipe 227 bar reviewed earlier. I taste none of the side flavors noticed in that bar. The finish is very tart. 6.8

My rating assesses my enjoyment of the bar and is not an abstract merit rating. The bar appears well made, but the extra bitterness puts me off. The processing for this recipe is "Medium roast, subtle conche." The label reports that "subtle conche" "softens primitive edge while retaining aggressive flavor notes." The contrast with Recipe 227 is stark, which used light roast and medium conche. The shorter conching and the deeper roasting does result in a bar with aggressive flavors.

Fresco Peru 227 70% cacao

Initially tasted a bouquet of flavors, raisins, cherries and raspberries. This melts into a creamy palette where the flavors merge and diminish. The aftertaste is tart but easy. 8.8

This bar's "recipe" is: Light roast, medium conche.

Nicalizo Nicaragua 72% cocoa

Creamy and smooth, with a touch of bitterness that lingers. Tart notes emerge, blending with the creaminess. Quite a flavor profile! 9.0

This bar is made by Chocolate Naive in Lithuania. When I opened the bar I took care to remove it from the inner wrapper gently, and I was not disappointed to find an exquisite mold that reflects the image on the outer wrapper.  Well done, Chocolate Naive!







www.chocolatenaive.com

Ó Conaill Dark 70% cocoa

Rich in cocoa with a slightly metallic taste. Some "texture" in the bar, not as bold as nibs, but more like some crystallization. Cocoa stays strong in the aftertaste. 7.1

This is the last of the three bars I brought back from Ireland. As mentioned before, this bar contains soya lecithin. This maker is located in Belfast. I could not find a web page, but they do have a Facebook page:

Ó Conaill Chocolate

Áine Dark 70% cocoa

Cocoa flavor dominates. The bar is not very bitter, and has a gentle aftertaste. Subtle notes of vanilla may be noticed. 7.0

This is the second Irish-made chocolate bar that I brought home with me from my trip to Ireland in October. As with the Brona bar this bar has soya letchin, but no added vanilla, and regular sugar as the sweetener.

www.chocolates.ie

Rogue Bolivia Tranquilidad 75% cacao

Clean and flavorful. The bar is thin, making it easy to experience the taste. Light butter and molasses come to mind. Very clean finish. 8.9

Brona Dark 54% cocoa

While I was in Ireland I picked up a few bars of chocolate. This is the first one of that group, more of a "semi-sweet" bar. It has a rich cocoa flavor with some side flavors that may be derived from the "additional ingredients." Slightly chalky on the finish. 6.0

There are three ingredients that need noting: First, vanilla, which I usually try to avoid when tasting dark chocolate. Second, Soya Lecithin as an emulsifier. Finally, the sweetener used for this bar is Maltitol, 75% as sweet as sugar, but half as caloric.

When selecting your dark chocolate, my recommendation is that the bar should have two ingredients: cocoa (aka cacao), which may include cocoa butter, and sugar.

www.bronachocolates.com

Middlebury Belize Maya Mountain 80% cacao

Rich cocoa flavor, with subtle hints of herbs. Clean finish with a pleasant aftertaste. 8.0

This is the second bar from Middlebury I have tasted. Their label says they strive to create "beautiful chocolate. Not perfect chocolate, just beautiful chocolate." Hmm, beauty is a visual assessment, and while the packaging is attractive, and the bar itself appears well made, I would not call either beautiful. However, more likely the statement is attempting to bend "beauty" to the taste of the bar, which is quite respectable.

Now if you want to talk about beautiful bars, take a look at a Dick Taylor bar, or Coppeneur's bar, or Charm School's bar.

Omnom Papua New Guinea 70% cacao

The initial take for this bar is a sharply bitter thrust. This quickly resolves into rich cocoa flavor with faint butterscotch and cranberry notes. 9.0

I believe this is the first bar I have tasted that was manufactured in Iceland. Checking out their website, I came across their blog in which they announce that this bar is being discontinued due to "the quality and consistency of the raw material." That's too bad, but they promise new bars to come.

www.omnomchocolate.com

Ethereal Confections Belize 80% Cacao

It is not surprising that this bar is bitter, given its cacao percentage. The bitter edge carries through from first taste to aftertaste.  The label refers to hints of "honey, vanilla and pineapple." While I am not tasting the honey I do notice the other two. The flavors are subtle but present. 8.1

www.etherealconfections.com

Dick Taylor Bolivia Alto Beni Limited Release 70% cacao

Strong caramel flavor can be tasted with a fairly bitter overlay. Nicely tempered, with a clean, sharp snap when broken. 8.0

The label's tasting notes say: "Malt / Soft ripe fruit / Green tea". Of these three, "green tea" is the most applicable to what I taste -- possibly contributing to the bitterness I get. "Soft ripe fruit" is a puzzle. What fruit? Banana? Peach? Strawberry?

As for "malt," that provides a "roasted flavor," which could also be part of the bitterness and some of the caramel that I taste.

Philip Marks Bolivia 68% cacao

Smooth and semi-sweet taste. Honey and cherry notes may be noticed. Clean aftertaste. 8.1

 Philip Marks is a Bay Area manufacturer, located in Burlingame, CA.

www.PhilipMarksChocolates.com

Pump Street Bakery Madagascar 74% cacao

Very flavorful and smooth. Citrus and berry flavors are noticeable, with a gentle tartness. Very low bitterness in the aftertaste, with these flavors persisting. 9.0

This is one of those now rare bars that does not have the company's web link  on the label. But a quick search turned up:

www.pumpstreetbakery.com

 I usually put the label comments in the post comments, but I'll note them here:

From the label: "A rosy, light cloured dark chocolate with a smooth creamy mouthfeel. Bright forward flavours of raspberry and membrillo with hints of grassiness."

Membrillo? Had to look that one up: Quince

I concur with the rest of the label notes, though the "grassiness" is still a flavor description that I have problems with. Maybe I need to chew on more grass.

I picked up this bar at my local go-to chocolate store, which now has a web page:

www.chocolatecoveredsf.com

However, when I chatted with the store owner about the web page he was quick to point out: 1) he has no interest in selling bars or anything else through the web; and 2) he did not create the page, it was created and is maintained by a fan of the store.  I just tried accessing it while composing this post and the page would not load. So caveat emptor on that.

I stocked up on 14 bars during this trip, which will keep me posting over the next several months. Chocolate Covered never fails to give me something to taste. During our chat, the owner mentioned he had just gotten back from a trip to Seattle where there was a chocolate makers gathering.

An item he picked up on that trip was an impressive reference text that does a professional job of what I try to do here: review chocolates and give ratings. The book is Chocolate - The Reference Standard by Georg Bernardini. It is an impressive text, with reviews of many of the new generation of craft and artisan chocolate makers. It appears that this book is too new for Amazon (published October 2015) -- there are links to the book on amazon.co.uk and amazon.de, but not amazon.com.

Dandelion Madagascar Ambanja 2014 Harvest 70% cacao

I bought this bar to compare to the 2012 harvest from the same plantation. See:
Dandelion Ambanja Madagascar Feb 2012 Harvest 70% cacao

This time the label notes flavors like raspberry and Meyers Lemon, but I am tasting similar tastes as I found in 2012: caramel, cherry and vanilla. Nevertheless, the bar continues to be a winner. Very flavorful, a little more bitter than other 70% bars, with a great, clean finish. 9.2

Price: $8.00

Valdivian Ecuador Esmeraldas 78% cacao

Smooth and rich chocolate taste. Caramel flavor is the most noticeable side flavor. Aftertaste is clean and short. 8.0

Price: 7.99

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

Pitchdark Ecuador 73% cacao

This chocolate melts slowly in the mouth, releasing its flavors along the way. Some honey notes accompany cherry and raisin flavors in the process. Not very bitter, with a clean aftertaste. 8.2

www.pitchdarkchocolate.com

Valdivian Ecuador Orellana 76% cocoa

Quite robust in cocoa flavor, with more bitterness than might be expected. Better experienced by chewing, which unleashes a sweet burst and tempers the bitterness. There is a healthy aftertaste, long but not chalky or bitter. 7.6

The label mentioned "hints of almond and guava". I suppose that the sweetness I tasted when chewing the bar could have a guava component, but I do not taste any almond.

Guittard Clair De Lune 85% cacao

This bar is pretty bitter when allowed to melt on the tongue, but when chewed the bitterness is a minor player. The flavors are deep, woody. It has a lengthy aftertaste, but it is clean. Do not let the high cacao content scare you off, this bar is very enjoyable for the causal chocolatier. 7.9

Guittard Épique 70% cacao

Fairly bitter when chewed. Less so when not. A rich caramel flavor predominates. The aftertaste is also bitter, resulting in a long tail. 7.0

Guittard L'Harmonie 64% cacao

At 64% cacao, this bar has a fairly gentle level of chocolate, allow other flavors to emerge. There is plum, with a butter smoothness. The aftertaste is fairly tart, with modest bitterness. 7.2

Valdivian Ecuador Manabí 72% cocoa

This bar is earthy with a hint of butterscotch. While the bitterness is not sharp, it is a persistent presence. 7.3

Valdivian Ecuador Los Ríos 74% cocoa

Clean and fruity flavor, some cherry and citrus elements. Moderate bitterness, with an aftertaste that tails off quickly. Quite nice. 8.9

www.fineandflavour.com

Nathan Miller Madagascar 73.5% cacao

Robust and fairly bitter. I notice a maple flavor with some vanilla (note, this bar does not have vanilla as an ingredient). The bitterness leads to a long aftertaste, fairly puckery. 7.6

This is a first for ChocoCheck: a cacao percentage to the half percent (73 and 1/2%). I wonder if that level of precision is accurate. Or useful. I doubt that I could tell the difference between 73%, 73 1/2% and 74%. Perhaps Nathan Miller can produce one of each of these so we can tell.

Nathan Miller Peru 72% cacao

Exciting and dramatic are two appropriate words for this bar. The first taste give a smoky punch, followed by a tart citrus flavor. Very smooth with a puckery but quickly fading aftertaste. This only makes one want to take another taste. 9.6

NathanMillerChocolate.com

Bahen Madagascar 70% cacao

Very flavorful chocolate from Madagascar. Citrus, berries, even a faint raisin flavor can be tasted. The bar melts quickly in the mount, and chewing is sweet with bursts of flavor. Low bitterness and a sweet but short aftertaste. 9.5

bahenchocolate.com

Rogue Jamaica 75% cacao

This bar puts its bitterness out front. It is present at the start of tasting and remains to the aftertaste. Caramel flavor can be tasted, as well as hazelnut. The bar melts very slowly in the mouth, meaning that chewing will be the most likely tasting mode. Chewing releases the flavor quickly, bringing out some faint sweetness. 7.5

Dandelion Guatemala Cahabón 70% cacao

This bar is astringent, but has nice flavors. Some plum and cherry, with a slight dose of licorice. Smooth aftertaste, where the puckishness trails off quickly. 8.8

Amano Papua New Guinea Morobe 70% cacao

Fruity and flavorful, with a tart edge. Cantaloupe and cherry flavors mix. Very smooth finish. 9.1

Original Beans Peru Piura Porcelana 75% cacao

Faint citrus and honey notes can tasted. Quite smooth, with a gentle aftertaste. 8.2

Comparing to other porcelana bars, this one is not as "dreamy" as the Amedei bar, but a bit more interesting than the Valrhona bar from Venezuela.

Original Beans Grand Cru Blend No. 1 80% cacao

Strongly bitter bar. The aftertaste rings with the bracing bitterness. The label mentions "notes of forest berries and coffee." Not sure what "forest berries" would be, but the stuff of forests would apply (bark, pine cones). Not getting any coffee flavor, but some faint butterscotch notes may be under that bitter foundation. 7.0

Search on "forest berries" shows blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, plus acorns and other tree nuts. In that case, I would lean towards the acorns rather than the fruit berries.

Blanxart Brasil 76% cacao

Vanilla and toast are my first impressions of this bar. Like the other Blanxart bars recently reviewed here, this one has vanilla as an ingredient. Not at all bitter, but the finish brings out some molasses flavor. A confusing flavor mix. 7.0

Original Beans Bolivia Beni Savannah 66% cacao

This is a smooth and full-bodied bar. Very low bitterness, with a faint lemon undertone.  The aftertaste is clean, with a short duration. 9.1

Fruition Peru Marañón 76% cacao

Maple and walnut flavors are evident at the outset, the cacao playing a secondary role. The cocoa starts to assert its authority in the aftertaste, which is quite bitter. The bitterness subsides, leaving the cacao, maple and walnut flavors as the last echoes. 7.2

www.tastefruition.com

Charm School Chocolate Belize 70% cacao

Fruit flavors pop out, raspberry and cherry. Some bitterness on the aftertaste, but the taste is smooth and clean beforehand. Charming. 8.1

This bar is made in a suburb of Baltimore, my home town. In the 70's Baltimore adopted a nickname "Charm City." When I first saw this bar and that it was from Baltimore, I assumed the name came from the nickname.

The mold for the bar has a nice design, with the bar's logo at the top on one side, and a grid on the other. The bar has a ridge down the middle, leaving the side thin and the center thick, which provides a new mixture of bar thickness.

www.charmschoolchocolate.com

Blanxart Philippines 71% cacao

This bar also has vanilla in its ingredient list, but it is less on the nose than experienced with the Blanxart Congo bar. However, the combo has an interesting effect, a maple syrup dimension. No bitterness, not really sweet, and some small granularity. 7.2

Blanxart Congo 82% cacao

This chocolate is quite rich in cocoa. It has some vanilla in the ingredients list. The vanilla flavor is noticeable. The aftertaste is fairly bitter, but the overall experience is worth it. 7.5

Middlebury Chocolates Nicaragua Matagalpa 70% cacao

This bar has a caramel edge to the flavor, bordering on maple. There is some bitterness in the aftertaste, but not excessive. 7.5

middleburychocolates.com

Whittaker's Dark Cacao 62% cocoa

This is a very large block of chocolate, 250 grams, which is over a half-pound. Upon opening there is a fragrant cocoa aroma emergent. The taste is smooth and gentle, very low bitterness, and of course very cocoa. The cocoa flavor stays with the aftertaste, which has a medium duration. 7.0

This is the second bar brought to us by my colleague from his recent trip.

www.whittakers.co.nz

Ocho Papua New Guinea Mainas 66% cacao

A strong molasses flavor emerges after a few seconds of tasting.  The label mentions cinnamon and honey, but if these flavors are present they are subsumed. Fairly bitter, considering the cacao content, but not unpleasant. 7.4

This bar was brought back by a colleague of mine who recently took a trip to Australia. Much appreciated!

ocho.co.nz

Pacari Ecuador Esmeraldas 60% cacao

When I opened the package of this bar I got a very pleasant sniff. On tasting, the bar has a sweet cherry flavor. There is also a tartness, but no citrus notes of note. The aftertaste is very short and smooth. 8.1

This is is fourth bar in the pack of four. All of the bars were very good, very flavorful.