Soma Haiti Creole Gardens 70% cacao

This bar has a buttery texture, rich with cocoa flavor with hazelnut and raisin notes. Lightly bitter, with a short aftertaste. 9.3

Ingredients: Organic cacao nibs, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

This is the second bar I have tasted from Haiti, and the prior review had a similar rating: Palette De Bine Haiti 70% cacao

This is also the second bar tasted from Soma. I liked the mold they used for that bar so much that I posted it with the review: Soma Madagascar Black Science 70% cacao

The mold for this Soma bar from Haiti is also worth sharing. Nicely done, Soma!

Areté Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% cacao

Very flavorful bar, cherry and honey with herbal notes in the background. Quite smooth in texture and finish. Aftertaste is gentle and brief, with low overall bitterness. 9.0

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans (Tanzania Kokoa Kamili), Organic Cane Sugar, Cacao Butter (Tanzania Kokoa Kamili)

It is interesting to compare this bar with the previously tasted Mirzam Tanzania 72% cacao.  That bar had a strong vanilla flavor and was fairly bitter, while this bar seems nearly the opposite in taste. The Mirzam bar did not mention the plantation from where its cacao was originated, but other bars from Kokoa Kamili have been similarly flavorful:

• Palette de Bine Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 72% cacao (9.0)
• Tiny House Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 71% cacao (9.4)
• 9th & Larkin Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 72% cacao (9.1)

 The one exception was from my 2016 review of Dandelion Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% cacao which I rated at 7.3. A re-taste of this bar is certainly in order.

Mirzam Tanzania 72% cacao

Strong vanilla flavor permeates this bar's flavor. The taste is tart and fairly bitter. Some floral notes can be tasted as well. 7.9

mirzam.com

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter

These days I always look to see whether a bar includes vanilla in the ingredients list. This bar does not list vanilla, so I was surprised at the strong vanilla flavor I detect.

Also of note is that this is the first bar I have tasted from a maker in United Arab Emirates.

9th & Larkin Domincan Republic Öko-Caribe 72% Cacao

Strong cocoa flavor, with a molasses edge to it. The bitterness is moderate and the aftertaste is short.  This is a nicely made bar with a rich aroma. 9.0

Raphio Peru 72% cacao

Quite flavorful. On the label there is the suggestion that we may taste "tropical fruits, brown spice, bananas." The brown spice flavor is certainly there, and the fruitiness is as well.Tropical fruit -- perhaps guava? Mango? Banana? I do not taste the banana much, but it could be there. The aftertaste is clean. 9.2

Hachez Cocoa D'Arriba 77% cacao

This bar is, not surprisingly, quite bitter with a rich cocoa flavor. This contributes to the long tail of the aftertaste. Faint fruit notes underlie the bitterness -- tangerine comes to mind. 7.7

www.hachez.de

My last review of a Hachez bar was over ten years ago: Hachez 88% Cocoa Premier Cru Superior Dark Chocolate. It was a darker bar at 88%, but my terse review was pretty harsh. This bar is a fine chocolate bar, and likely the Hachez 88% was too.

This 77% bar was brought home by my colleague Tyler, who visited Europe recently. Thanks, Tyler!