Omnon Tanzania 70% cacao

Smooth chocolate experience, cherry flavor predominates. Back flavors are a nice mix of citrus and berry fruits. Short and clean finish. 8.9

Ingredients: Cacao beans from Tanzania, raw cane sugar & organic cacao butter

Weiss Kacinkoa 85% cacao

This is a quite bitter bar, not unexpected for 85% cacao. Coffee flavor can be noticed, and in the background there is a deep cherry note. Aftertaste is long lasting with a very slight chalkiness in the long tail. 7.3

www.weiss.fr

Unlike the 70% Weiss bar just reviewed (Weiss Èbéne Noir 72% cacao), this bar does not contain vanilla. Ingredients: cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: GMO-free soya lecithin.

Weiss Èbéne Noir 72% cacao

This bar was purchased on my recent trip to Europe. Unfortunately, I see that the ingredients list includes vanilla, so I will not be rating it. However, the bar was well made and the vanilla notes gave the bar good balance.

Ingredients: cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla

La Maison du Chocolat Ghana Akosombo 68% cacao

This bar has vanilla in its ingredient list, so I will not be rating it. It is moderately bitter, with a moderately long aftertaste. Vanilla is noticeable, along with some fruit notes.

This is the second bar I picked up on my recent trip to Europe. The other bar was also created with Ghana cacao and from La Maison du Chocolat.

Ingredient list: cocoa paste, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (E322 soy lecithin), vanilla natural flavoring

Atlanta Chocolate Venezuela 75% cacao

This bar has a nutty flavor profile, walnut and a hint of pecan. The bitterness is well controlled, resulting in a smooth tasting experience. Aftertaste is moderate. 8.1

The label's tasting notes are: "Rich and rounded flavor of bread pudding, caramel, cinnamon and a finish of jammy cherries" I do not taste the cinnamon or "jammy" cherries, but the caramel flavor can be noticed, and the bread pudding... well, maybe, yes.

Mulaté Dark 88% cacao

This is a quite bitter bar, resulting in a persistent aftertaste. The chocolate flavor is clean and fine. There is some nuttiness in the flavor balance, but the flavor sub-notes are minimal. 7.7

This bar is manufactured in Lithuania.  Ingredients:

• cacao mass
• sugar
• cacao butter
• sunflower lecithin

www.mulate.eu

Confiseur Bachman Venezuela Grand Cru Dark Chocolate 65% cocoa

This is a bar acquired on the Swiss leg of my recent trip to Europe. Alas, this bar also has vanilla flavoring, which means no rating. But the taste is quite good, and that vanilla flavoring is certainly noticeable.

I picked up this bar in "Chocolate World" in Lucerne. A photo of their Wall of Chocolate can be seen in this tweet:

Don't miss Chocolate World while you're in Lucerne: See the Wall of Chocolate. pic.twitter.com/iSXwtJbco6

— Steve Nahm (@SteveNahm) October 8, 2016

Bovetti Dark 73% Cocoa

I bought this bar with the intension of reviewing it for this blog, but I noticed that the bar's ingredients lists is:

• cocoa solids
• sugar
• cocoa butter
• natural flavor: vanilla

[Emphasis added.] That last ingredient is the most significant contribution to this bar's flavor. There is a very strong vanilla component to the taste, otherwise the bar is fine.

Previously I have reviewed bars with vanilla added, however the intent of this blog is to review chocolate. I have not reviewed chocolate with sea salt, caramel, ginger, or any of the many other additional ingredients a chocolatier might add when creating a bar. Given the significant flavor that vanilla contributes when it is part of a chocolate bar, I feel it is time that I no longer review bars that include it.

So my review for this bar is simple: strong vanilla flavor. Clean finish.

www.bovetti.com

Dick Taylor Guatemala 70% cacao

This bar has rich, caramel flavors, with some subtle nuttiness. As I have come to expect with Dick Taylor chocolates, the bar has a clean taste profile from start to finish. 8.5

Patric Chocolate Signature Blend 70% cocoa

Pure, clean chocolate flavors. This bar has no added vanilla, but there is a vanilla note in the flavor mix. Nice finish. 8.0

La Maison du Chocolat Ghana 74% cacao

Rich cocoa flavor with earthy notes. Fairly bitter, with a prominent aftertaste. Nicely made with a smooth texture. 7.9

www.lamaisonduchocolat.fr

This is the first of the bars I brought home from my recent trip to France and Switzerland. I found this bar in the Paris airport, and was motivated to tweet about it.

The cover of this bar includes the phrase Puissant et Franc. This is French for "Powerful and Frank." This is a good summary of this bar's character.

Theo and Philo Phillippines 70% cacao

The bar has a rough texture on the tongue as it melts. Fairly bitter, with
 some chalkiness. This bar includes vanilla in its ingredients list, and there's a strong vanilla component to the flavor palette. 6.4

www.theoandphilo.com

Marou Viet Nam Tien Giang 80% cacao

Robust, smoky flavors are noticed on first taste. There are faint echoes of dark fruits, plums and cherries. The bar is not very bitter for an 80% bar, but the aftertaste is prominent. 7.7

This post from the Marou website shows where the beans for this bar are sourced:

Welcome to MAROU Country

Dandelion Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% cacao

Hazelnut flavor is first noticeable, with raisin and dark cherry in the mix. Some bitterness in the

aftertaste, but there is a smooth transition into it. 7.3

Ritual Peru Marañón 75% cacao

Fig and nut flavors with a healthy bitter finish. Balanced but bold. 7.2

François Pralus Cuba 75% Cacao

Nutty flavors, with some earthiness. Low level of bitterness, with a nice, long lasting aftertaste.

Mulaté Organic Dark 88% cacao

Robust cocoa flavors at the outset with some bitterness and earthy flavors on the side. Long aftertaste due to the high cocoa content. 7.3

www.mulate.eu

This bar is produced in Lithuania.

Ritual Ecuador 75% cacao

Earthy palette, with nutty elements. Hazelnut, oak, loam. Smooth finish, clean and crisp. Robust, yet mellow. 8.9

www.ritualchocolate.com

Brasstown Ecuador 75% cacao

Earthy and fruity at the same time. Sweet aroma, clean aftertaste. Nice crisp snap when broken. Well made, with an interesting mold. 9.0

www.brasstownchocolate.com

Atlanta Chocolate Peru Chulucanas 75% cacao

Very flavorful bar. Cherry is the prominent flavor, with blueberry in the background. Very clean finish, with little bitterness. 9.3

www.cacaoatlanta.com

Lotte Ghana Black Chocolate

Fairly standard type mass-market bar. There is a strong vanilla flavor present. The ingredients for this bar mentions "artificial flavors," so I would conclude that was added. 6.8

www.lotte.co.jp

This bar is made in Japan, so the label in nearly entirely in Japanese. The most prominent work on the label is "Ghana," which would lead me to conclude that the cocoa's origin is Ghana, however I have not yet determined whether this is indeed the case.

Bahen Brazil 70% cacao

Cherry flavor is out front, but the bar does have some bitterness and rough texture, bordering on chalkiness. The aftertaste is also somewhat chalky. 7.8

I noticed that the surface of the bar I tasted was worn, possibly through bar handling prior to packaging, or the condition in which the bar was kept after manufacturing. The Best By date is December 2016, so there was still a good deal of runway for "best" tasting.

Vintage Plantations Peru St. Martin Valley 75% cacao

The texture of this bar is coarse and somewhat chalky. The surface of the bar is discolored with a grainy pattern, and event the bar's interior looks grainy -- as though the conching process was not done well. As a result, the flavor is fairly bitter, mostly cocoa. Subtle flavors cannot get through the flavor noise of the coarse bar. 6.6

I should note that this bar is well within the posted "Best By" date, which is September 2017.  The bar condition could be a result of improper storage at some point along the delivery pipeline.

Bellagio Dark 54% cacao

Simple, basic chocolate. This bar is made with vanilla, which is prominent in the profile. Cocoa is front and center in the taste. Aftertaste is slightly astringent, with persists the taste. 6.9

I purchased this bar during my recent visit to Las Vegas. The Bellagio is one of the hotel/casinos that creates an "experience" throughout the property of elegance based on an Italian palette. I purchased this bar at their convenience store. It is produced for Bellagio by Astor Chocolate.

Nathan Miller Ghana 70% cacao

Creamy texture, with a caramel flavor base. Easy aftertaste, with low bitterness. Smooth. 9.4

Parliament Dominican Republic 70% cacao

Rich, molasses flavor, with background notes of raisin and black cherries. An almost noticeable graininess, but it resolves such that it likely will not be noticed. 8.8

Brix Extra Dark 70% cacao

Bitter, heavily cocoa flavored. Some chalkiness, with an astringent aftertaste. 6.7

If I were awarding points for "user friendliness" of the bar, this bar would get negative points. It comes as a brick that is one-inch thick and with a note explaining that you need to break off a piece of the bar by using a sharp knife stabbed into the top. Inconvenient and dangerous. The box appears to be designed to be inserted onto the neck of a bottle of wine, which is the target market for this bar.

I see on the ingredients list that vanilla is added to this bar, along with "natural flavors." This colors the flavors I mention above.

The "Suggested wine pairing" for this bar is: "Cabernet, Bordeaux, Barolo, Malbec" None of these were available for me to try with this bar. However I would agree with the sentiment on the box: "formulated to pair with the deepest red wines." Unfortunately, this approach does not earn a higher rating for chocolate taste quality.

François Pralus Venezuela 75% cacao

Delicious chocolate, very flavorful. Cherry and brown sugar flavors, low bitterness and a clean aftertaste. 9.7

Parliament Guatemalan 70% cacao

Flavorful bar. The label suggests "Orange Blossom Honey," and I can agree with that. Also suggested is "Blackberries" and "Dulce de Leche." The blackberry flavor is more likely than the dulce. However you tease out the flavor notes, this bar has a nice palette. The aftertaste is clean and brief. 9.0

www.parliamentchocolate.com

Trader Joe's Dark Baton 72% cacao

Very bitter for a 72% cacao bar. The bitterness leads to a metallic tinge in the aftertaste. Caramel is a dominant flavor, with some nuttiness. 6.8

This baton shows why chocolate is predominately sold in bar form. The shape is long and triangular. Biting a piece off of the baton result in a large chunk of chocolate on the tongue. With a bar, the chocolate is evenly distributed on the tongue resulting in a better experience, it seems to me. I suppose the "baton" form is handy if you want to keep some chocolate in your pencil box, or knife drawer, or other thin, long space.

François Pralus Colombia 75% cacao

Rich, dark flavors pop forward directly from this bar. Molasses and brown sugar come to mind. There is also a flavor similar to vanilla in the profile, though this bar is not made with vanilla. The aftertaste is lasting and smooth. 9.0

MilkBoy Extra Dark 85% Cocoa

Quite bitter, but still fairly smooth in taste. Bitterness persists long in the aftertaste. This bar has added vanilla, which influences the flavor significantly. 7.3

www.milkboy.com

Dars Bitter

Basic dark chocolate. The ingredients is a mix that is far from pure cacao -- vegetable oil, emulsifier, artificial flavors. Regarding the latter, there's a vanilla flavor noticeable, which might be artificial experience they are looking to add. 6.8

This is a bar produced in Japan, but purchased in a local San Francisco store.

1choco-1smile.jp

Fran's Chocolate "Fran's Blend" 64% cacao

Fruity and sweet chocolate. The fruit taste is berry (raspberry or strawberry). The texture is slightly grainy, but the finish is clean. 8.0

This bar is another from the Seattle chocolate maker, Fran's. The Bittersweet 74% was reviewed earlier.

The label describes the bar as "fruity & well-balanced," which I agree with.

Dandelion Dominican Republic Zorzal 70% cacao

The flavor standing out most with this bar is blackberries. Some honey/molasses flavors are in the background. There is a clean finish and aftertaste. This is a very well balanced bar. 9.0

Dream Chocolate Vintner's Baroque Dark 75% cocoa

A little bitter, a little chalky, a little metallic. 6.3

www.dreamchocolate.com

This review is a little unfair, as this bar was found at the bottom of my "cache" where I place bars to be tasted. I believe I got this one over a year ago during a trip to Pullman, Washington. There is no "Best By" date on the bar, but the surface is a little discolored, likely due to some oxidation due to age. And it is not clear how long it would have been on the shelf of the store where I bought it.

Dream Chocolate is a wholesaler that offers its bars to companies who specify labels to be placed on the bars. They also make generic theme bars, such as this one that might be sold at wineries or wine stores as a companion to their sales. This business model is similar to our local The San Francisco Chocolate Factory. We included a link to an article about SF Chocolate Factory in a prior post.

Port Townsend Chocolate Company 56% cocoa

Mild chocolate with a heavy cocoa theme. Some spicy cinnamon under layer, with a metallic echo. 6.9

www.porttownsendchocolatecompany.com

I picked up this bar over Thanksgiving. I took a drive to the Olympic Peninsula, and stopped at Port Townsend, a pleasant town at the north-east part of the peninsula. The store is a café and has a number of confections for purchase.

Said Madagascar 64% cocoa

Quite bitter for a 64% cacao bar. Earthy with a maple back flavor. Fairly long aftertaste carried along by the bitterness. 7.2

www.said.it

This is the last bar from my October trip to London and Ireland. Quite a long run of reviews from the hoard!

After opening this bar, I looked for the Best By date and noticed that it said "Best Before 03/10/2015." That's October 3, 2015, not March -- but I bought the bar during the third week of October last year, so it was already past the "best by" date when I purchased it. There is a good chance that I saw the label, and decided that it was worth buying it after the best by date for an opportunity to taste a new bar. I probably should have put it at the front of the queue of bars to review.

The surface of the bar was slightly oxidized. I doubt that the bar's age significantly changed its taste, but that is a possibility. I'll need to try a Said bar again when I can find one that is before its "Best Before" date.

Whole Foods Costa Rica 71% cacao

The label describes this bar as "smoky," and smoky it is. There is more bitterness than is usually found with 71% cacao. The bar ingredients include "vanilla flavor," which may contribute to some of this smoky flavor dimension. 7.3

Thortons Dark 70% Cocoa

Basic cocoa flavor, easy finish with moderate bitterness. 7.0

thorntons.co.uk

This bar is from the October London visit. For the record, the best before date is 30/09/2016, which is 09/30/2016 for we Americans.

The label mentioned "almost a little bit fruity" as a tasting note. I tasted no fruit flavors.

Whole Foods Tanzania 72% cacao

Nutty flavor on first taste. Minimal bitterness. Smooth cocoa texture leads to an easy aftertaste. 7.7

www.wholefoodsmarket.com

This bar has been sitting in my chocolate backlog drawer since before my trip overseas in October. I have just one or two more bars from that trip to review, so I will be pulling bars from the backlog for future reviews.

The store where I purchased this was in San Mateo, located in the same plaza where the San Mateo Supercharger is located. You will likely find a few Tesla owners visiting this Whole Foods store.

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.