Fresco Guatemala Polochic Valley 70% cacao

Very nicely made bar, with a thin profile which allows the bar to melt quickly and release its flavors. Those are largely earthy, with a seasoning of pepper and cardamom. 9.3

Fresco prints its roast and conche profile on its bars, and this one is Dark Road and Long Conche. On the label, this is explained as: Dark Roast: "full bodied, bold, intense, new flavor notes can develop while others may be subdued." Long Conche: "flavor peaks and valleys softened to a melodic harmony." Conching is described as: "Heat, motion, aeration & time produce chocolate's final flavor this is conching. Adjusting variables can produce dramatically different flavors."

Gotham Bolivia Wild 68% cacao

This bar has a fruity burst on tasting, with a berry component, and some honey notes. It is fairly bitter and the aftertaste is lengthy. 8.1

Ingredients: Cacao mass, Sugar, Cacao butter

gothamchocolates.nyc

My one complaint about this bar is that they place the label with details on the origin and taste of the chocolate straddling the seam of the wrapper, such that to open the bar is to destroy the label. Unfortunate, but I took a snapshot before opening the bar.

Godiva Mexico 68% cacao

My first impression of this bar was "buttery." BUTTER OIL (MILK) is listed in the Ingredients, which could account for this. There is an apricot flavor component as well. Aftertaste is strong and long.

Ingredients: Unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, butter oil (milk), natural flavor, emulsifier (soy lecithin)

The "natural flavor" may be vanilla. Given the lack of specificity, I will omit a rating for this bar.

Dick Taylor Columbia Palomino 78% cacao

As expected from a high-cacao content bar, this bar is rich in cocoa flavor and fairly bitter. The aftertaste is fairly smooth, though. The flavor notes are somewhat earthy. The label suggest these flavors: Dried Alfalfa, Bananas, Fudge

Certainly the rich cocoa flavor can be accounted for as "fudgy". The alfalfa flavor might be what I think of as "earthy". The banana flavor is one I am not quite tasting, though it is in line with the earthy, fudgy taste. 7.5

Ingredients: Cacao, Cane sugar (organic)

9th & Larkin Fiji Matasawalevu 74% cacao

Strong cocoa flavor base pillared by molasses sweetness. Moderately bitter with a solid but not too persistent aftertaste. 7.7

Soma Haiti Creole Gardens 70% cacao

This bar has a buttery texture, rich with cocoa flavor with hazelnut and raisin notes. Lightly bitter, with a short aftertaste. 9.3

Ingredients: Organic cacao nibs, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

This is the second bar I have tasted from Haiti, and the prior review had a similar rating: Palette De Bine Haiti 70% cacao

This is also the second bar tasted from Soma. I liked the mold they used for that bar so much that I posted it with the review: Soma Madagascar Black Science 70% cacao

The mold for this Soma bar from Haiti is also worth sharing. Nicely done, Soma!

Areté Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% cacao

Very flavorful bar, cherry and honey with herbal notes in the background. Quite smooth in texture and finish. Aftertaste is gentle and brief, with low overall bitterness. 9.0

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans (Tanzania Kokoa Kamili), Organic Cane Sugar, Cacao Butter (Tanzania Kokoa Kamili)

It is interesting to compare this bar with the previously tasted Mirzam Tanzania 72% cacao.  That bar had a strong vanilla flavor and was fairly bitter, while this bar seems nearly the opposite in taste. The Mirzam bar did not mention the plantation from where its cacao was originated, but other bars from Kokoa Kamili have been similarly flavorful:

• Palette de Bine Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 72% cacao (9.0)
• Tiny House Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 71% cacao (9.4)
• 9th & Larkin Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 72% cacao (9.1)

 The one exception was from my 2016 review of Dandelion Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% cacao which I rated at 7.3. A re-taste of this bar is certainly in order.