Spinnaker Tanzania 70% cacao

I taste a panoply of flavors in this bar. The fruit notes are akin to apricots, the flower notes have jasmine fragrances, and the overall texture is buttery with a touch of toffee. 9.0

Mission Chocolate Brazil Amazonia 70% cacao

The bar initially impresses with its buttery texture and rich caramel notes. Subtle hints of dried fruit emerge next, followed by a delicate undercurrent of spice cake. 8.9

www.MissionChocolate.com

Sabadì Ecuador "Zucchero Mascobado" 70% cacao

The texture of this bar is quite grainy. The flavor palette is earthy, reminiscent of wood and burlap. The aftertaste develops some bitterness which persists the flavors.  6.5

sabadi.it

Ingredients: Cocoa mass (organic) -- Origin: Ecuador -- Variety: Nacional Fino de Aroma, raw Mascobado sugar from the Philippines. Cocoa 70% minimum.

The texture which I note above appears to come from the "Mascobado" (or Mascovado) sugar used in this bar.  An online note about this sugar reports that it is "unrefined cane sugar that still contains molasses, giving it a dark brown color and texture similar to that of wet sand." 

The other aspect of this bar which leads to the grainy texture is that it is made using the "Modica" process. This is a "cold" working process which does not raise the temperature above the point where the sugar crystals would dissolve. This process is named after a town in Sicily, where the maker of this bar is located.