Venchi Cioccolato extra fondente 80% con flor de sale e nibs

About: Venchi Chocolate is an Italian manufacturer, proudly making chocolate since 1878 - evidently worn as a sign of accomplishment- which it is. You can't be super-sucky and survive over 100-some years. Starting in Turin, Mr. Venchi started as a chocolatier's apprentice at age 16, went on to found his own shop, and the rest is history (except that I hadn't heard of Venchi chocolate until I stumbled on it accidentally somewhere in Barcelona). The company manufactures a broad array of dark chocolates, as well as, you know, stuff you wouldn't eat. They also make cooking chocolate, chocolate cigars, spreads, powders, and (duh, Italy) Chocolate Pasta. Given the broad array of products, it's a manufacturer worth looking at.


Flavor: I'm not a big fan of Venchi chocolate, but this is probably their best bar. In fact, I usually find their flavor to be lackluster, but this bar falls on the actually-pretty-good side. It's a high cocoa content bar with a slow onset of flavor that is deep and earthy, if not overly fruity. The flavor profile lasts a long time and resolves pleasantly without overly bitter flavors.

Texture: The nibs are fine and provide more of a crispy crunch than any sort of sandy detritus you have to crunch through after the chocolate is gone. Overall, I found this nibby chocolate better than many nibbed for eating pleasure bars. The chocolate itself is smooth enough.


My rating:  Pretty much 6 or maybe 7, for flavor and texture bordering on better than average.

Rating Value	Meaning
1	Really bad chocolate. There's something just really really wrong here in almost every imaginable respect.
2	A bar with this rating has at least two drawbacks.
3	A bar where something is starting to get seriously wrong.... for example, really weak flavor with an otherwise acceptable texture.
4	This bar is below average, but just slightly. Mostly it's not worth eating again. Something isn't quite up to par, for example a poor texture but fine flavor.
5	This is an average good bar that's worth eating. There's nothing really wrong with it, but also nothing particularly spectacular. Or, perhaps it has a good characteristic that's evenly counter-weighted by something weak.
6	A solidly good bar with one characteristic that's above par, for example a great texture.
7	An solidly good chocolate that has two above par characteristics, but nothing mind-blowing. Good, above average flavor, but nothing to die for.
8	An excellent bar with no weaknesses and at least one characteristic that's super.
9	An awesome bar to die for with amazing texture and flavor.
10	You have been touched by God.

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Venchi Biologico 70% cacao dark chocolate

About: Venchi is an Italian chocolate that didn't impress me particularly before. This bar was better. How can you resist the lightly lettered "good, fair, ethical..." marketing?

Flavor:  The flavor is .. okay... A slow start with a somewhat bitter finish. Nothing too fruity, but earthy and a full flavored finith.

Texture: Relatively smooth, if a bit brittle at the start. The finish is smooth and silky (or do I mean velvety).

My rating: 5 . It's fine.

Rating Value	Meaning
1	Really bad chocolate. There's something just really really wrong here in almost every imaginable respect.
2	A bar with this rating has at least two drawbacks.
3	A bar where something is starting to get seriously wrong.... for example, really weak flavor with an otherwise acceptable texture.
4	This bar is below average, but just slightly. Mostly it's not worth eating again. Something isn't quite up to par, for example a poor texture but fine flavor.
5	This is an average good bar that's worth eating. There's nothing really wrong with it, but also nothing particularly spectacular. Or, perhaps it has a good characteristic that's evenly counter-weighted by something weak.
6	A solidly good bar with one characteristic that's above par, for example a great texture.
7	An solidly good chocolate that has two above par characteristics, but nothing mind-blowing. Good, above average flavor, but nothing to die for.
8	An excellent bar with no weaknesses and at least one characteristic that's super.
9	An awesome bar to die for with amazing texture and flavor.
10	You have been touched by God.

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K+M Extra Virgin Chocolate 75% Ecuador

About: This was an expensive bar at $15. It's also an unusual bar, made with olive oil. It is the "product of years of friendship, research and collaboration between the celebrated chef Thomas Keller and renowned olive oil producer Armando Manni." They make 3 different bars of 75% sourced chocolate beans, and they target chocolate lovers - there's not milk chocolate malfeasance here. They claim one is "velvety," another "satiny," and the third is "silky." Really? Ok..

The chocolate is made in Napa, California, and it's definitely interesting and different. Revolutionary? I'm more skeptical. 

Flavor:  The olive oil flavor definitely comes through, and it's perhaps a matter of taste to decide whether this is a good thing or not. Olive oil can have a slight bite - a light bitterness and peppery spiciness that comes through in the chocolate. For me, the first tasting evokes a bit of a wrinkled brow that resolves with the second bite into a "hmm, interesting" nod, finally followed by a "not at all bad" half-smile. But it stops there and never gets to the wide-eyed "I need as much of this as I can get."

Texture: The olive oil makes this a very smooth and pleasantly fatty bar. The chocolate melts and coats the tongue with flavor and creamy goodness. Definitely a strong point.

My rating: 7 for good flavor and texture.

Rating Value	Meaning
1	Really bad chocolate. There's something just really really wrong here in almost every imaginable respect.
2	A bar with this rating has at least two drawbacks.
3	A bar where something is starting to get seriously wrong.... for example, really weak flavor with an otherwise acceptable texture.
4	This bar is below average, but just slightly. Mostly it's not worth eating again. Something isn't quite up to par, for example a poor texture but fine flavor.
5	This is an average good bar that's worth eating. There's nothing really wrong with it, but also nothing particularly spectacular. Or, perhaps it has a good characteristic that's evenly counter-weighted by something weak.
6	A solidly good bar with one characteristic that's above par, for example a great texture.
7	An solidly good chocolate that has two above par characteristics, but nothing mind-blowing. Good, above average flavor, but nothing to die for.
8	An excellent bar with no weaknesses and at least one characteristic that's super.
9	An awesome bar to die for with amazing texture and flavor.
10	You have been touched by God.

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Butlers Almond and Orange Dark Chocolate 58% cocoa solids

About: I originally thought this was an 84% chocolate, because the ingredients list 84% plain chocolate. But that's clarified to have only 58% cocoa solids, so I felt a bit .. um... hoodwinked. That was my fault for not reading carefully.

Butlers chocolate is made in Ireland with fanciful "purveyors of happiness" tagline. They make a handful of different flavored bars and a pot-o-other  chocolate confections. They have an 85 year history, starting in Dublin and branching out their marketing the presence. I can't tell if make their own chocolate (and I'm guessing "no").

Flavor:  This is a sweet chocolate with pleasant flavoring. The chocolate is not particularly anything - it's fine. It's almost a milk chocolate, so not bitter or in any way fruity. But the orange flavor comes through well, and the almonds add a pleasant texture.

Texture: The chocolate is very smooth - well conched and ground. The almonds and orange peel leave a bit of chewy residue which is not unpleasant.

My rating: 6 for good flavor and texture.Maybe 7, on a good day when you've not had any other chocolate, and you're feeling desperate.

Rating Value	Meaning
1	Really bad chocolate. There's something just really really wrong here in almost every imaginable respect.
2	A bar with this rating has at least two drawbacks.
3	A bar where something is starting to get seriously wrong.... for example, really weak flavor with an otherwise acceptable texture.
4	This bar is below average, but just slightly. Mostly it's not worth eating again. Something isn't quite up to par, for example a poor texture but fine flavor.
5	This is an average good bar that's worth eating. There's nothing really wrong with it, but also nothing particularly spectacular. Or, perhaps it has a good characteristic that's evenly counter-weighted by something weak.
6	A solidly good bar with one characteristic that's above par, for example a great texture.
7	An solidly good chocolate that has two above par characteristics, but nothing mind-blowing. Good, above average flavor, but nothing to die for.
8	An excellent bar with no weaknesses and at least one characteristic that's super.
9	An awesome bar to die for with amazing texture and flavor.
10	You have been touched by God.

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Oriol Balaguer Chocolate Negro 80% cacao

About: Oriol Balanguer created a line of boutique shopped, carefully marketed to appeal to pretentious, up-scale shoppers. They emphasize perfection and care and uniqueness and so on. The unwatchable video on their web site starts with rolling clouds and pompously asks "who places limits on creativity?"

So it's with some chagrin that one has to admin that this chocolate is very good.

It's a bakery, and who knows how good their good are. I'm pretty sure I'll stop by next time I'm in Barcelona, because.. did I mention the chocolate is very good?


Flavor:  This is a bean to bar chocolate by flavor, but maybe not by manufacture. It's not overly roasted and is missing all bitterness. It's smooth as can be, especially at 80%, which I attribute to adding cocoa butter. Nice mellow flavor. Fruity. Long lasting.

Texture: Smooth. Very smooth.

My rating: 8 for excellent flavor and texture. Not a 9 because while it's good, and indeed, very good, you won't fall all over yourself in shock.

Rating Value	Meaning
1	Really bad chocolate. There's something just really really wrong here in almost every imaginable respect.
2	A bar with this rating has at least two drawbacks.
3	A bar where something is starting to get seriously wrong.... for example, really weak flavor with an otherwise acceptable texture.
4	This bar is below average, but just slightly. Mostly it's not worth eating again. Something isn't quite up to par, for example a poor texture but fine flavor.
5	This is an average good bar that's worth eating. There's nothing really wrong with it, but also nothing particularly spectacular. Or, perhaps it has a good characteristic that's evenly counter-weighted by something weak.
6	A solidly good bar with one characteristic that's above par, for example a great texture.
7	An solidly good chocolate that has two above par characteristics, but nothing mind-blowing. Good, above average flavor, but nothing to die for.
8	An excellent bar with no weaknesses and at least one characteristic that's super.
9	An awesome bar to die for with amazing texture and flavor.
10	You have been touched by God.

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