Willie's Cacao Venezuela Las Trincheras 72% cacao

Robust cocoa flavors, on the earthy side. Walnut flavor stands out. There is a good deal of astringent bitterness which makes the aftertaste puckery. 7.4

www.williescacao.com

YALCB -- yet another London chocolate bar.

Aurora Chocolate Amargo 60% cacao

Gentle chocolate flavor, with a spicy edge to the taste. Edges towards milk chocolate sweetness. Some fine nibs noticeable in the bar. 7.1

This bar is the first that I have reviewed that is made from Cuban-origin cacao and also made in Cuba. It was brought home by my colleague Mark, who recently traveled to Cuba on a cultural exchange event. Thanks for thinking about ChocoCheck and bringing home a bar for review, Mark!

The Aurora bar appears to be made by an educational institution. I do not usually include the reverse side of the label for bars I review, but for those interested, and who can translate the Spanish, I am including the other side in this post.

I have previously reviewed one other Cuban-origin bar, made by a Belgian manufacturer which garnered a high rating: Benoit Nihant Cuba Baracoa 74% cacao

Nero Bianco Dark 70% cocoa

This bar is earthy in palette. Dark and woodsy, not bright, floral or fruity. The aftertaste is persistent and clean. 7.9

www.neroandbianco.com

For the record, this is another bar from my chocolate buying spree in London. Most are from chocolate makers I had never come across before. I have only a few more left in the cache, and then it is back to "locally sourced" bars.

Hotel Chocolat Dark 70% cocoa

This bar has a woodsy flavor, reminiscent of bark and leaves. Generally smooth, but some spicy kick in the aftertaste. 7.7

This is the last of the Hotel Chocolat bars from my London trip -- it may also be the last bar overall from the trip.  I'll need to review my chocolate backlog.

Hotel Chocolat Ecuador Hacienda Iara 90% cocoa

A 90% cocoa bar will always be quite bitter, and this bar does not stray from this point. The sharp bitterness almost tastes medicinal. Why not, after all, chocolate is good for you (flavonoids and all that). Take your medicine!

My usual palette for tasting assessment is skewed by this intense bar. So I will stray from my usual practice of posting the notes from the bar's label in the Comments section of the post and include them here:

From the label: "Quickly floods the mouth with super-mellow but deep cocoa. The aroma  of roasted nibs gives way to vintage leather with a flutter of acidity."

 Other than the super-mellow part, there's nothing about this description that I disagree with. When I read this to another person I was asked, "Oh, are they saying it tastes like old shoes?" Of course not, but it is a reach for describing how the chocolate tastes.

My ratings are based on how much I enjoy the bar, not primarily on how well crafted it is. I am not a fan of extremely high cocoa percentage chocolate, so the rating reflects that: 6.1

Hotel Chocolat Madagascar Sambirano Valley 72% cocoa

Fruit flavors are present, red berry and some cherry are brought to mind. Nice balance of bitterness and sweetness, with a long aftertaste. 9.3

This Hotel Chocolat bar (also bought on the London trip), has a "Rabot 1745" mark on the label, which implies that they are associated with the Rabot Estate bar reviewed last. I have reviewed other Hotel Chocolat bar from prior trips:

Hotel Chocolat Vietnam 80% cocoa
Hotel Chocolat Venezuela Chuao 70% cocoa

Rabot Estate Saint Lucia 70% cacao

Flavorful burst on initial taste. There are some maple and molasses flavors along with nutty (peanut? walnut?) flavors. Somewhat bitter, with a long aftertaste. 9.1

rabot1745.com

Another bar purchased in London. Found it at the Borough Market, which is a semi-open air market near the Thames embankment. Also purchased a cup of hot cider from one of the vendors. Worth a visit when you are visiting London.

paul a young Ecuador 85% cacao

Quite robust, as expected for an 85% cacao bar. Nice side flavors, earthy and nutty. Fairly bitter, with an aftertaste that has a punch. 8.9

Price: £5.95

This is another bar from my London visit. This maker has upscale stores, with a variety of nice bars. I also purchased the Duffy's bars previously reviewed at the paul a young store.

www.paulayoung.co.uk