Solstice India Anamalai 70% cacao

Lively flavors surface at first taste. Citrus and honey backed by berry notes can be tasted. The bar's bitterness is mild, and the aftertaste is short. This is a well balanced chocolate. 9.3

This is the third bar reviewed on ChocoCheck made with beans from Anamalai, India, and all three have been excellent. The other two are:

• White Label India Anamalai 74% cacao
• Dandelion India Anamalai 70% cacao

Lolli & Pops Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% cacao

This bar has a clean flavor profile with low bitterness and rich cocoa taste. Behind the cocoa is caramel. Aftertaste is brief. 8.3

Price: $10.00

Compare my notes from Palette de Bine Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 72% cacao. Though both are from Tanzania Kokoa Kamili, the flavors are vastly different. Both are good, but I like the Palette de Bine better.

Lolli & Pops Madagascar Sambirano 70% cacao

Smooth and flavorful chocolate. Citrus notes followed by berry flavors. Low bitterness and a clean after taste. This bar has a classic Madagascar flavor profile. 9.2

Price: $10.00

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic case sugar, organic cacao butter

I would not call Lolli & Pops a "craft chocolate maker," but they do know their craft. This bar is as well made as any other single-origin bar I have tasted. A Lolli & Pops store opened at a nearby mall, and I have dropped in for a visit on a couple of occasions. The store is a honey-trap for those who enjoy a sweet. It has a variety of unique and mass-market items, novel treats and old-time favorites. I was surprised to find these single-origin bars at the store (I will also be tasting their Tanzania bar later), and very pleasantly surprised at how well made they are made.

www.lolliandpops.com

French Broad Costa Rica 80% cacao

Quite bitter, as expected for an 80% cacao chocolate. Behind the bitterness is some toasty and jammy flavors. The label suggest "tart raspberry" which matches what I taste, though I get more cherry than raspberry. The aftertaste is long with the bitterness lingering for quite some time. 7.8

I have previously tasted the French Broad Peru Tumbes 70% cacao in 2014.

Dandelion India Anamalai 70% cacao

Fruit flavors pop on initial taste, with a silky smooth texture. Cherry and citrus are the fruits, and celery and tea add to the texture. 9.5

This bar was made by Dandelion's Tokyo chocolatier, Mai, with beans from India.  Compare to White Label India Anamalai 74% cacao.

The label mentions "lemony yogurt," and a colleague who tasted the bar agreed with that. I get the lemony aspect, but do not taste the yogurt. 

Michel Cluizel Madagascar Plantation Mangaro 65% cacao

As I expect with cacao from Madagascar, this bar is flavorful, and as I expect from Michel Cluizel, it is also well made. Cherry and raspberry flavor carry the taste. The label suggest gingerbread flavor, and I would agree to an extent -- little of the ginger, more of the baked bread taste. Note that this bar is made with vanilla. 9.0

Ingredients: cacao, sugar, cocoa butter, Bourbon vanilla pod