With a name that includes "life changing" in it, this chocolate has set a pretty high bar for itself. Does it reach it? No, but it's a quite respectable bar. There some slight chalkiness, but no dominating bitterness. There is sweetness, but it is not cloying. There are slight citrus notes, but no strong flavors. The wrapper has a cute "user guide" that I'll post in a comment. 
Earthy flavors with a forthright bitter aspect. Appears to have very small cocoa nibs present. Very smooth finish, with the bitterness almost gone by the time the chocolate is melted in the mouth. 6.9
This is a classic Madagascar chocolate. Intensely fruity, flavorful, low bitterness, nice finish. So far I have not met a single-origin Madagascar chocolate I did not like. 8.2
Robust but not overpowering bitterness, resolving into a sweet citrus flavor. 7.4
Rich cocoa flavor, with some bitterness when chewed. The bitterness fades as the chocolate melts, leaving that same cocoa flavor as the dominant aftertaste. 6.4
When I opened the bar, I was impressed by the design imprinted on the bar's surface. It is an image of a cocoa bean with the Coppeneur logo. It was almost too pretty to eat. But I overcame that reluctance.
Fairly bitter, but balanced with rich chocolate flavor. It gets your attention, but does not put you off. Earthy flavors abound. 6.9
Very crisp snap when broken. Fairly bitter compared to other Amedei I Cru bars tasted recently. Interesting flavors during tasting -- no citrus or fruit. The flavors are earthy, reminiscent of nutmeg. There's a gentle finish, but edging towards metallic. 6.8
I expect chocolate with this high percentage cocoa to really punch one's mouth with bitterness. This bar has a punch, but it's a gentle one. The bitterness starts slowly, doesn't peak highly, and tapers gently. Not much chalkiness either. There is not much side flavor -- there's little room for it in the overall strong chocolate taste. The label talks about "bright fruit and nutty flavors" -- I do not taste any fruit elements, but I can see how one would get nuttiness -- maybe walnut.
Last week I visited the Washington, DC area, and came across this bar at the airport gift shop. Being a "completist" in the area of dark chocolate, I felt obligated to purchase the bar. A person should not expect a lot from novelty chocolates, so I approached it with an open mind.
Dark, but sweet. Very little bitterness, clean taste. A hint of orange flavor, along with a jot of almond. 8.0
This chocolate has two faces. When it melts in the mouth, the initial experience is intense bitterness. This evolves into a chalky texture and no noticeable side flavors.
Quite bitter for a 74% cacao chocolate. When chewed, few side flavors have a chance to escape. When the chocolate is allowed to melt in the mouth, some subtle flavors can be noticed. Dried cherry is what presents strongest to me. 6.7
Recchiuti store in the Ferry Building to pick up some treats. I also may pick up a box for myself, and this was the case that resulted in my possessing a Recchiutti S'Mores Kit.
The Kit comes packaged with four items: A package of marshmallows, graham crackers, a bar of Recchiuti Bittersweet 85% cacao dark chocolate, and instructions. Complicated, this is not. The instructions are the also simple, and perhaps a little enigmatic. Two methods are presented, "In the Kitchen" and "In the Open Air." Presumably the latter is intended to be used around the campfire. I was "In the Kitchen," so my first thought was to use these instructions, and a similar attempt resulted in the underwhelming results from my earlier attempt. My oven's broiler was not working, so this, combined with unhappy memories, steered me away from this option.
I toasted the marshmallows over the flame of my gas stove, and was able to produce a respectable brown cover. I placed it on the stack and took a bite. It was okay, but nothing special. I'm sure the effect would have been improved (in some dimension) if I had been dodging smoke and sparks from a campfire.
Once more into the breach. The S'Mores Bites are enrobed in their coat of chocolate, and the only way to achieve this, thinks I, is to melt the chocolate and pour it over a graham cracker-marshmallow stack. Melting chocolate is best done with a double boiler, so I concocted a small one out heavy duty measuring cups. The chocolate melted nicely, and I poured the results over the stack.
I let the arrangement cool off in the kitchen for a little while, and then placed it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or so. After achieving sufficient hardness in the outer shell, I gave it a taste and was not disappointed. No, it was not nearly as well put together as an official S'Mores Bite -- just buy them if that's all you want! But it was a fun project that had tasty results.
When I opened the package, I saw a lot of discoloration -- likely damage from exposure to air or moisture. But this didn't seem to harm the taste too much. I'm not a fan of lower cocoa dark chocolates, for which this 60% bar qualifies, but initial and mid-level tastes were very engaging. Fairly earthy, some nuttiness. I think the latent damage showed up in the aftertaste, which trailed off in a chalky residue. Due to the discoloration, this may not have been a good representative of the product. 6.2
Fruity burst on first taste, resolving into more earthy flavors. Some milk chocolate structure in the aftertaste. Well crafted, though less chocolate punch than I like in my dark chocolates. 6.6
I have been a fan of Chocolove bars: The Rich Dark 65%, the Strong Dark 70% and the Extra Strong Dark 77% cocoa bars. I've also liked the love poems included in these bars -- a nice bit of whimsy to go with the treat.
I usually read the comments that the manufacturer puts on the label after tasting the bar, but this time I happened to read this quote first: "The richness of cocoa from South America and Africa develops a bitter note in the mouth. The ideal chocolate."
This bar presents itself like a milk chocolate, though it is clearly labeled as 75% cocoa dark. Certainly there's a bitter edge, though it falls off nicely in the aftertaste. The overall effect is not entirely to my liking. 6.3
Strong chocolate taste with an edge of bitterness. Earthy flavor, some walnut notes. Respectable. 7.1
First taste of this bar is slightly metallic, but that fades fairly quickly. There are some cherry notes, not much else. So I agree with the "subtle," but the initial metallic taste harshes my "mellow." 6.9
Strong chocolate flavor with some slightly metallic elements. Not very bitter. 6.5
My first impression from this chocolate is spiciness -- a piquant burst on first taste. This is followed by some bitterness that builds a strong chocolate presence. There is a lengthy taper of flavor as a result as the chocolate melts. 7.0
A richer chocolate taste than the Caraibe -- warmer and smoother. The bar describes itself as "floral & oaky" -- I taste the oakiness, but the floral part escapes me, though perhaps there are some floral notes when I sniff the bar. There's a quick finish to the taste due to the low bitterness -- so there's no lingering memory of the experience. Very tasty. 7.1
A gentle dark chocolate -- very little bitterness. Some floral flavors, some fruity. Not much "snap" when breaking the bar, but it has a nice even color and appearance. 7.3
