Hogarth Fiji Matasawalevu 73% cacao

Very rich, dark chocolate. Quite bitter for 73% cacao. Tannic, with a molasses underlay. Long aftertaste. Bracing. 7.9

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, pure cane sugar, pure cocoa butter.

 www.hogarthchocolate.co.nz

This is the first chocolate of Fiji origin I have tasted on ChocoCheck. It is also the first bar from Hogarth Craft Chocolates that I have tasted.  I always enjoy a beautiful mold, and Hogarth has a fine one which echos the ship-on-turbulent-sea motif on the wrapper.

Neuhaus São Tomé 72% cocoa

Robust and earthy, though not too bitter. Some raspberry notes filter through the rich cocoa flavors. Aftertaste is fairly brief, though echoing in the earthy cacao. 7.9

Ingredients: Dark chocolate 72%: cocoa mass, sugar, emulsifier: soy lecithin

This was another bar brought home by my colleague from his recent trip to Europe. Thanks, Todd!

I previously tasted another Neuhaus bar of São Tomé cacao, though that bar was 74%. The review was from 2010 -- early in ChocoCheck history.

Tiny House Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 71% cacao

Very flavorful, with berry, toast and honey notes. Low bitterness, warm aftertaste. 9.4

Ingredients: Cacao and Organic Sugar

tinyhousechocolate.com

This is a local chocolate manufacturer from Santa Cruz. Their website indicates that their products can be purchased in just two stores, a Santa Cruz yoga store, and my favorite chocolate source, where I bought this bar, Chocolate Covered.

Arcádia Línguas de Gato 70% cacao

Fairly bitter taste, which is noticed in the persistent aftertaste. Bourbon and oak notes are noticeable, with some honey. 7.7

Ingredients: Couverture dark chocolate -- cocoa: 70% minimum (cocoa mass, sugar, emulsifier: SOYA LECIHIN)

Note that "Couverture" means "chocolate made with extra cocoa butter to give a high gloss, used for covering sweets and cakes."

www.arcadia.pt

This bar was purchased by my colleague, Todd, on his recent trip to Portugal. The bar is manufactured in Porto.

Middlebury Belize Maya Mountain 80% cacao

Rich, chocolaty taste, with cherry and walnut flavors. Moderately bitter for an 80% bar, with clean and short aftertaste. 9.1

Ingredients: cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter

I previously reviewed this bar in 2015. At the time it had different packaging and I gave it a lower rating. Not sure whether the change is in me or in an improvement of Middlebury's manufacturing technique.

Ritual Bourbon Barrel Aged 75% cacao

Hearty flavors flow from this bar, including cherry and honey. This bar is "aged in bourbon barrels," but I am not noticing oak notes. The finish is clean and moderately bitter. 9.3

$16 / 2.12 oz

Ingredients: cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

Auro Philipine Savoy 70% cacao

Very flavorful bar with robust nuttiness. Also noticed are caramel notes, nearing on butterscotch. Clean afertaste. 9.0

www.aurochocolate.com