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.