Dandelion Domincan Republic Zorzal Estate 2018 Harvest 70% cacao

There is a bitter edge to this bar on initial tasting. The flavors are predominatly roasted, with coffee and charcoal elements. This profile softens with time into a toffee taste. The aftertaste is extended. 8.2

This 2018 harvest bar differs significantly from my description of the 2016 harvest bar.  Compare with Dandelion Dominican Republic Zorzal 70% cacao.

Kasama Ecuador Costa Esmeraldas 70% cacao

The taste that stands out initially with this bar is a rich, warm chocolate, with some cherry flavor with a spice cake kick. The aftertaste is moderate with low bitterness. 7.9

Twenty-Four Blackbirds Madagascar Bejofo Estate 75% cacao

This bar has a dense, bitter initial taste. This leads to a caramel flavor with some cooked pudding aspect. The after taste is lengthy and the bitterness carries through. 7.0

Twenty-Four Blackbirds Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 75% cacao

This bar is a dense chocolate, likely due to its higher than average cacao content. After some melting in the mouth, side flavors emerge. A mix of dried cherry and caramel are suggested at this stage. The aftertaste is flat and somewhat bland, leaving some puckeryness. 7.1

www.twentyfourblackbirds.com

Firetree Madagascar Sambirano Valley 84% cacao

The high cacao content of this bar results in a dense composition which is slow to dissolve on tasting. The bitterness is not extreme, but is sufficiently strong to challenge side flavors. Those flavors are faintly fruity with a dominant toasted residue. Aftertaste is lengthy and fairly bitter. 7.0

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, unrefined sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: sunflower lecithin

www.firetreechocolate.com

White Label Bolivia Tranquilidad 72% cacao

The introductory taste of the bar is a smooth chocolate. The side flavors are hazelnut with a hint of toffee. The aftertaste is gentle and sweet. 9.2

Tasting this bar shortly after the Letterpress Tranquilidad bar allows for a comparison. Both bars have a gentle taste profile, not harsh or bitter. The couple of percent additional cacao in this White Label bar does not change this aspect.

Letterpress Bolivia Tranquilidad 70% cacao

This bar has a creamy, sweet texture. There is a touch of maple in the flavor. The aftertaste is brief and gentle. 9.5

The label explains that Tranquilidad is a "Designated Heirloom Cacao" by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund. It is a quite flavorful bar, and the creamy sweetness provides the tranquility implied by its name.

57 Chocolate Ghana 73% cacao

The initial taste of this bar is a robust bitterness which leads to a light toast taste and some spice cake nuance. The bitterness results in a lengthy aftertaste, with some of the spiciness staying for the journey. 8.1

www.57chocolategh.com

This bar is made in Ghana. Definitely check out the website for the story of the two sisters who make this chocolate in Ghana. The name 57 Chocolate represents the year of independence of Ghana.

Markham&Fitz India Anamalai 80% cacao

High cacao content leads to robust bitterness, which is very well experienced with this bar. The flavors that push through include smokiness and spice cake. Aftertaste is persistent and astringent. 7.0

The label for this bar has a lot going on: "R&G Really Good & Delicious" "Unlimited Fun" "Experimental Chocolate" On the back: "Live Experimentally" "It's M&F Good" "An exploratory journey into the science of chocolate" Great to see the makers putting some energy into their label!

Letterpress Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% cacao

As expected for cacao sourced from Tanzania, this bar is flavorful. It has berry and citrus notes, with a suggestion of butterscotch in the mix. Aftertaste is medium in length and moderate in bitterness. 9.0

Letterpress Peru Tingo Maria 70% cacao

This is a very flavorful bar, with some cherry notes but dominated by a deep caramel element and a hint of toffee. There is a clean and sweet aftertaste. 8.9

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cacao Butter
* Certified Organic

Standout Peru Urubamba 70% cacao

There are elements of fruit which are expressed on tasting this bar ranging from a hint of pineapple to a strong suggestion of raisin. The fruit tastes pop to the front when the bar is chewed. The bitterness is mild and the aftertaste brief. This is a very well made bar, with clean surface, nice fragrance and a clean snap. 9.2

Standout Madagascar Sambirano 70% cacao

The origin for the cacao from this bar is quite familiar, and I would expect its flavors to be fruit-forward, with an edgy towards citrus. There is some of this, but the initial taste is all about the fudgy chocolate experience. The fruit aspect develops from this towards berry, along with a taste of honey. The aftertaste is clean and brief. 9.2

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, Cane sugar*
*Organic

standoutchocolate.com

Standout Chocolate is located in Sweden, near Gothenburg. The back of the label lists four awards they have received: 2020 Silver European International Chocolate Awards, 2021 Bronze Academy of Chocolate, Great Taste 2021 and Great Taste 2020 Small Artisan Producer of the Year. While it is not clear whether this specific bar was a part of these awards, the producers know their stuff in making chocolate.

Seahorse Peru Ucayali River 70% cacao

This bar starts with a rich, fudgy chocolate taste, devolving into a burnt, roasted effect. Below this is a faint citrus note struggling to rise to the surface, adding a nice flavor mix to the bar. The aftertaste is driven by the roasted note, though the duration is moderate. 8.7

Karuna Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% cacao

This bar has a lot of flavor themes running through the taste.  There is a fruity aspect, which has plum as the theme, there is a buttery aspect, with caramel as the theme, and finally there is a roasted aspect, with a hint of charcoal. The latter element contributes to a bitter edge in the finish, resulting in a lengthy aftertaste. 7.9

Ingredients: Cocoa beans*, raw cane sugar*, cocoa butter*
*certified organic

www.karunachocolate.it

One of the benefits of tasting craft chocolate from around the world is learning of the people and geographies where the cacao originates and where the cacao is manufactured into chocolate. I am quite familiar with the Kokoa Kamili plantation where this bar's cacao originates (from other bars tasted for ChocoCheck), however I was not as familiar with the Italian province of South Tyrol, where Karuna Chocolate is located. This area borders on Austria, and has a German-speaking majority according to Wikipedia. The company's website is worth a visit to meet the makers and see the other Karuna products they make.

Óbolo Peru Pangoa 70% cacao

This bars has a smooth start and finish. Flavors tend towards toffee and rum raisin. The aftertaste has a slow burn of bitterness that tapers off quickly. 9.0

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, cane sugar*
*Certified organic 

obolochocolate.cl

I previously reviewed this same bar from Óbolo: Óbolo Perú Pangoa 70% cacao  In that review I noted citrus and berry notes, which I did not taste with this bar. However it is clear that the packaging has been upgraded.

Cru Guatemala El Peten 72% cacao

This bar is quite bitter and has a roasted, smoky flavor profile. The taste edges to a buttery texture with a toffee aspect. The aftertaste is lengthy and bitter. 7.6

Ingredients: cacao beans, organic unrefined cane sugar

cruchocolate.com

Taitau Ghanna 52% cacao

 With fairly low cacao content (and thus fairly high sugar content), this bar leans towards the sweet side with quite low bitterness. There is a malt taste which is prominent with a hint of caramel. The aftertaste is almost absent. 7.0

 Ingredients: sugar, cacaom mass (made from premium quality GHANIAN cocoa beans), cocoa butter, emulsifer - rapeseed lecithin

taitau.lt

This bar is manufactured in Lithuania, so it did travel a good way to arrive at the store where I purchased it. However, the bar had a quite noticeable oxidation issue along one side, as is clear from the photo (the left side). For review I tasted the unaffected side of the bar, but it could also have been affected by the storage conditions which led to the damage. I also purchased the bar in May, but the best by date was February (manufactured August 2020).

Guido Gobino Madagascar Sambirano 72% cacao

There is a taste of apricot to from this bar, though the cacao has a robust character, tasting of burnt sugar. The texture is slightly rough and the aftertaste is moderate. 8.6

This is one of the larger bars I've tasted in a while at 110 grams (3.9 oz.). It may also be the first bar crafted in Italy that I've reviewed since my trip to Venice in 2019.  Inside the label can be found a spiderweb chart which shows the degree of certain characteristics the maker notes for the bar. I generally agree with the assessment, though I would nudge the roasted metric a bar higher.

Ingredients:  cocao mass from Madagascar, sugar, cocoa butter

guidogobino.it

Mission Chocolate Brazil Two Rivers 70% cacao

I do not usually start my reviews with comments about the bar itself, but I would say this bar is unique in its composition. Mission Chocolate, a Brazilian chocolate maker, named this bar "Two Rivers" and it is apparent from the bar why. One side is a light chocolate and the other is darker, with the two sides separated by a wavy partition reminiscent of two rivers meeting.  From the website: "The name Two Rivers: Rio Negro + Rio Solimões comes from my boat ride on the Amazon River in the Amazon Rainforest. There is an intersection where these two rivers meet and maintain separate for miles."

This is an amazing inspiration for this bar, and I wonder how it was manufactured to obtain this wavy mix of two cacao origins. On to the review itself.

As further explained on the website, the lighter side has the taste of "brownie, cocoa, and chocolate cake." I would agree with this assessment and note that the bitterness is mild, but the aftertaste is lengthy. The darker side, which the website calls "reddish" has a fruity aspect, with cherry and citrus notes. The bitterness of this side is low and the aftertaste is brief. The rating I would give to the lighter side is 8.9, while the darker side is 9.7.

Congratulation to Mission Chocolate for creating a unique and delicious bar!

 Ingredients: cacao, organic sugar, cacao butter

www.missionchocolate.com

 

Millésime India Kaithapara 2019 Harvest 74% cacao

This bar is quite bitter and has a strongly chalky texture. The flavor is dominated by earth notes: coffee, charcoal and possibly a hint of molasses. The bitterness runs into the aftertaste, which is lengthy. 6.2

This bar has on its label an emblem that indicates that it won a gold award from the Singapore chocolate awards. As you can tell from my rating I would likely have not given it an award, though those who enjoy chocolate with a punch might rate this highly.

www.millesime-chocolat.be

Puchero Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 85% cacao

Yes, the cacao content of this bar is high at 85%, but the bitterness and astringent taste dominates the experience. The flavors that come through are earthy, soil and straw. The aftertaste is lengthy and bitter. 6.5

The maker of this bar is located in Hornillo de Eresma, Spain. The bar's mold is a map with their Do It Right motto.

Seahorse India Anamalia Estate 70% cacao

This bar has a fruit forward taste, bright and sweet. Cherry, raspberry and plum fruit palette combines into the flavor burst. Aftertaste is mild and tapers quickly. 9.7

Lumineux Tanzania 75% cacao

This bar has an edge at the start with bitterness resulting from the higher cacao content I assume. This leads to a smoky, roasted flavor with some fig taste. Aftertaste is moderate, with the bitterness persisting to the end. 7.2

Dandelion Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 2018 Harvest 70% cacao

The taste is clean and somewhat sweet. The flavor starts with a fruit profile with some plum and berry. The bitterness is moderate to low, resulting in a short aftertaste. 9.1

I have previously tasted Dandelion Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% cacao which was the 2014 harvest from that plantation. I rated it lower than this bar, which is quite good. Reaching back even further in 2012 I reviewed Dandelion Tanzania 70% cocoa for which the plantation origin was not identified. 

That review had a comment that the label said, "Recently, we discovered a few extra kilos of beans and our friend Adam of Fog City News asked us to make a limited run." At the end of 2021 Adam closed Fog City News, leaving one less option for purchasing craft chocolate. But with its growth as a company, Dandelion no longer needs encouragement to make Tanzanian chocolate.

Moka Origins Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 72% cacao

This a smooth taste experience with plum flavor at the front, with a hint of molasses in the back. The aftertaste gradually tapers off with the plummy flavor persisting. 9.6

I have previously review a Moka Origins bar: Moka Origins Ghana Suhum 72% cacao As with that bar, this one has many details inside the label on the origin of the cacao which is used. To learn more about the origin of this bar's cacao, you can visit: Tanzania, Kokoa Kamili

I also liked the mold used for this bar, which has a simple but practical design.

White Label Jamaica Bachelor's Hall 72% cacao

The first impression from tasting this bar is a buttery texture with a caramel taste. In the background is a hint of honey and orange blossom, a gentle floral dimension. The bitterness is minimal and the aftertaste is brief. 9.3

$18 / 2.3 oz (65g)

Trader Joe's Uganda 85% cacao

The high cacao percentage of this bar results in a dry, somewhat astringent taste.  However the bitterness is moderate and leads to an earthy flavor, somewhat like straw. There is also a hint of spice cake in the mix. The aftertaste is short and dry. 6.8

Michel Cluizel Madagascar Plantation Mangaro 71% cacao

This bar has both a fruit taste and a buttery toffee taste. The fruit has some cherry notes, but the primary experience is of dried fruit, reminiscent of golden raisins. The aftertaste is mildly bitter and persistent. 8.7

I am reminded of the Michel Cluizel store I visited in 2019. Quite a boutique!

First day in Paris, and I find myself in front of @MichelCluizelFR at Madeleine. They have a small chocolate wall (right side of second photo). pic.twitter.com/BpmP7ynAti

— Steve Nahm (@SteveNahm) September 16, 2019

Seahorse Tanznia Koka Kamili 80% cacao

As with many bars originating from Tanzania, this bar has a fruit flavor which is noticed on first tasting. The fruit taste leans towards cherry and perhaps citrus. There is also a buttery texture with mild bitterness. For an 80% cacao bar the modest bitterness is unexpected, and the resulting aftertaste is gentle and short. 8.7

All of the photos on ChocoCheck are taken of the bars I have tasted. The photo for this bar may be the first which shows a torn label -- sorry! If I have the opportunity to obtain another bar I will take a better photo and re-post it here.

Trader Joe's 80% cacao

This bar has a heavily roasted taste, with smoke and charcoal. This taste drives a strong bitterness that continues through to the aftertaste. 7.0

Ingredients: cacao mass, sugar

I have not reviewed a Trader's Joe bar for some time as most have vanilla as an ingredient. Good to see another bar with just cacao and sugar.

Castronovo Columbia Tumaco 85% cacao

This bar has a robust cacao taste at the onset which moderates as you experience it. The flavor balance between a roasted and earthy profile. On the roasted side the notes vary between charcoal and smoke. On the earthy side the notes rest on wood with a touch of mold. 7.2

Castronovo Peru Valle de Los Rios 70% cacao

This bar has a buttery texture, creamy with a tinge of toffee. There is also a slight roasted quality, somewhat like burnt sugar. 8.9

The back of this bar's label has an a note on how the chocolate maker selected the cacao for this bar. You can read about it at the website. Also noted at the website is that this bar has won a Silver aware from the Academy of Chocolate for 2021.

Sirene Peru Tingo Maria 73% cacao

This bar has a buttery texture leaning towards malt flavor. It also has faint citrus notes.  The aftertaste is mild, though the flavor persists fairly long. 8.8

The label has an interesting note: "Deep in the Amozonian jungle of Peru grow the flavourful beans of Ucayali River Cacao. This area has not been historically known for fine cacao, but some farmers there are now beginning to abandon cocaine production to focus on cacao."

Also interesting are the six accolades this bar has won from 2016 to 2019.  Well done!

Qantu Peru Junin 70% cacao

The initial taste is quite flavorful and fruity. The palette runs from citrus to rum raisin, with some buttery texture along the way. The bitterness is low and the aftertaste tapers off quickly. 9.4

The label of the Qantu bar provides a pictorial summation of the chocolate making process: Going from the cacao pod to drying, inspection, roasting, grinding, and tempering.

Also of note on the label is the Gold award from the Academy of Chocolate for 2019. Well deserved!