Chocolate Tree Columbia Arhuaco 70% cacao

This bar has a soft texture, not very sweet and not very bitter. The flavor profile is buttery with a touch of caramel.  Also in the mix are fruit notes, mild cherry mostly. The bar is well made with a crisp snap, and the aftertaste is mild and brief. 9.2

The weight of this bar is 2.8 oz. (80 g), which is sizeable for craft chocolate bars.   This allows the bar to be divided in two, each individually wrapped. The mold for these segments is intricate with a unicorn motif. 

Evolved Signature Dark 72% cacao

The label has Tasting Notes (which I usually put in the comments) which suggest "Warm fudge brownie, caramel." I agree with both of these notes. The caramel is prominent, but the fudge taste is the most significant part of the experience. Aftertaste diminishes gradually, with moderate bitterness. 7.1

This may be the first bar tasted on ChocoCheck made with coconut sugar. I do not notice a major difference from bars with cane sugar, but there is a smoothness to the chocolate which may come from the coconut from which the sugar is taken.

The mold used with the bar is simple, but conveys the brand and makes it easy to consume the bar.

Ingredients: organic cacao*, organic coconut sugar, organic cacao butter*

* Rainforest Alliance Certified

www.eatingevolved.com

Cuna De Piedra Mexico Chiapas 85% cacao

As would be expected for an 85% cacao bar, this bar is quite bitter. The flavor that initially presents is a roasted charcoal taste. There is also an earthy element. The aftertaste is long and bitter. 6.5

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Cane sugar

www.cunadepiedra.com

My ratings are focused not on the objective quality of the bar, but rather on my preference for the bar. High cacao percentage bars are at a disadvantage, as my taste preference is for bars below 80% cacao. This bar is well made and those who enjoy high cacao content bars will enjoy it.

Dandelion Uganda Semuliki Forest 2022 Harvest 70% cacao

From the start this bar has a buttery texture. The flavor tends towards caramel, but there could be some toffee notes in the background. The aftertaste is edgy and short with a slight bitterness. 8.9

Aruntam Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 72% cacao

This bar has a buttery taste to start and develops faint honey flavors. The aftertaste is moderate and clean. 8.8

www.aruntamchocolate.com

The package for this bar is fairly large, and I was surprised when I opened the package to discover a much smaller inner wrapper. This bar is made in Italy, so perhaps the larger outer package is intended to protect the bar when shipped.

Kokak Ecuador Artist palette Dark Chocolate 70% cacao

There is a sharp and clean taste profile for this bar. The notes are fruity, along the lines of red fruit with some citrus aspect. This gives way to a buttery texture. The aftertaste is brief and persists the fruity taste. 9.3

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (organic cacao mass, cane sugar, cacao butter, organic sunflower lecithin), Cream, Condensed Milk, Vanilla Bean, Sucrose, Sorbitol, Sea Salt, Glucose Syrup, Liquid Soy Lecithin, Butter, Strawberry, Cacao Nibs

This bar was previewed in the Kokak Chocolate, San Francisco post. The artist palette theme of this bar is whimsical and fun.  Note that the ingredient list of this bar is probably the longest on ChocoCheck. I suppose that some of these ingredients are used for the ink drops on the palette, but if the Cream and Condensed Milk are used in the main chocolate I would be surprised, as the bar tastes as I would expect for the dark chocolate.

Whole Foods Organic Dark Chocolate 72% cacao

This is a mildly sweet dark chocolate, with earthy notes and some faint roasted notes. The earthy aspect leans toward mushroom, while the roasted dimension is akin to cooked pudding. 7.0

Ingredients: Organic chocolate liquor*, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter*
*Rainforest Alliance Certified

The label of this bar reports that "A portion of proceeds from this bar helps fund the education of children in the Kylea District of Tanzania." This is good, though they do not indicate what percentage of the proceeds will go towards this purpose. This note might make the purchaser believe that the cacao from this bar was sourced from Tanzania, but there is no indication anywhere else on the label that this is the case. 

I also note that while the label  says that this bar is "72% cacao", the ingredients list chocolate liquor and cocoa butter, which are derived from cacao, but are an additional processing step (or more) from the bean.