Claudio Corallo 75% Chocolate

About: Claudio Corallo claims to be the first chocolate manufacturer that owned their own cocoa source. That's marketing. There's a lot of marketing here, going down to the reasons they aren't fair trade certified and explaining their packaging (they're probably the only manufacturer of chocolate that staples their name to the package), etc.The chocolate is manufactured under primitive conditions on Principe Island off the coast of Africa. Some people associate simple manufacturing methods with the ye olde days when all was good. I tend to associate them with ye sicke days when disease was rampant. There's nothing wrong with wine made in stainless steel, and there's nothing wrong with chocolate made with modern machinery. But that doesn't mean this chocolate isn't well made.


Flavor: Very full flavored. Eat this next to other bars and you'll see that it's definitely different. If you open the package and smell, you'll get a strong whiff of earthy, full, rich flavor. If you've eaten papaya and know how its aroma borders on the repellent, you get the picture here. A friend who tried this gagged and yelled a distinctly diminishing deprecation.


Texture: Perfectly reasonable.

My rating: I don't know how to rate this chocolate. If you like something really full flavored, this is a 9.5. If you're grossed out by something that is just too earthy, you might hate this chocolate.

Here,  10 means 'mind shockingly good' and 1 means 'would not bother'.


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L'amourettte GOLD Single Origin Venezuela 70%

About: L'amourette is a San Francisco based manufacturer. I like their elegant packaging and lack of politically correct chest thumping. It is about the chocolate.



Flavor: Interesting flavor profile. It comes on a bit strong and slightly bitter, with a smooth, sweet middle, followed by a slightly acidic aftertaste. The reaction is something like "wait.. really? that's a bit harsh... oh no.. wait.. nice... oooh... but wait again.. hmm... " So while the middle is very pleasant, the end is slightly disappointing. Overall, however, this is a very good bar.


Texture: For a 70% bar, the texture is a bit firm initially. But it has a good finish.

My rating: 8.3,  on the scale of 1-10, where 10 means 'mind shockingly good' and 1 means 'would not bother'. This is a good bar.


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Splendid 70% Orange Flavored Semi-sweet Chocolate

About: Splendid chocolate is Elit's upscale brand for chocolates. They've been making chocolate for many years, but with varying quality. The chocolate now is pretty good, but there doesn't seem to be much information about processes, fair trade, eco-stuff, etc.. it's okay. This is about the chocolate.



Flavor: The orange flavor here tastes like Tang - that nice fake Orange flavor enjoyed by astronauts. Nevertheless, it is a guilty pleasure, and this chocolate, though sweet for a 70% bar, is pretty good. The chocolate flavor is pleasant, if not particularly complex.


Texture: Nice and creamy. The flavor lasts and the creamy texture lingers in your mouth a long time.

My rating: 8.4,  on the scale of 1-10, where 10 means 'mind shockingly good' and 1 means 'would not bother'. I'm not sure there's very much orange about this bar, but it's good, if you're in the mood for something sweet.


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Green and Black's Organic Dark Chocolate 70%

About: Interestingly enough this bar, which has such an English sounding name is American and made in Poland. I like that aside from the inoffensively large "organic" label up front, it's not full of heart tugging pictures of poor chocolate farmers and claims of being vegan and gluten free. But you can find that on their website in full high resolution.



Flavor: This is a good chocolate bar, and eaten on it's own it's really satisfying. But I have to say that when eaten next to a better chocolate, it falls slightly short. The flavor is deep and rich, and for a 70% bar it not cloyingly sweet. It's really all good. Unless you have another good 70% bar right after and realize that this bar falls slightly short on fullness of flavor.

Texture: Could be creamier. 

My rating: 8.5,  on the scale of 1-10, where 10 means 'mind shockingly good' and 1 means 'would not bother'. I'd eat this again, because it's not very sweet. Not at all a bad 'go to' daily bar. 


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Alter Eco Dark Blackout Organic Chocolate 85%

About: The verbiage on the package says it's a "seriously dark bar for those who are serious about chocolate." Well, it's seriously underwhelming. I don't like the picture of the farmer on the package. It's an emotional appeal. Say it's organic. Say it's fair traded. Please: no farmers, babies, puppies, etc. Also, the declarations of "vegan, soy free, gluten free, no GMO, no artificial flavors, no emulsifiers" should probably add "no great flavor."

Flavor: On the bitter side without much profile. It's okay, mind you -- I like that it's light on the sugar. But it's not very fruity or nutty or anything.

Texture: Kinda crunchy. That's normal enough for 85%, but.. some manufacturers use black magic or virgin sacrifice or something to inject some creamy consistency. Not here. 

My rating: 7,  on the scale of 1-10, where 10 means 'mind shockingly good' and 1 means 'would not bother'. I'd eat this again, because it's not very sweet. But there are lots of other bars I'd go to before.


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TCHO PureNotes Dark Chocolate with Subtle "NUTTY" notes 65%

 


 
















About: TCHO marketing shows a spectrum of different flavors: "Chocolatey", "Bright", "Fruity", "Floral", "Earthy", and "Nutty." This one, they say,  is nutty. One thing TCHO deserves credit for is calling themselves "New American Chocolate." You won't find any "we come from a European heritage" insecurity here. TCHO seems to be about trial and  innovation - as they say "rinse, repeat." I resonated to that image.

Flavor: It's a 65% cocoa bar, which means there's more room for sugar, and they use that room. In this case, the chocolate has a great follow-through flavor that lasts and lasts, so the sweetness can be forgiven by those who prefer a more subtle flavor. As you eat a piece, you're first overwhelmed by the sweetness, but then that passes and the 'nutty', I guess, flavor comes through and lasts and lasts and fills your mouth. Nice.

Texture: Texture is not a strong point of this bar. At 65% many chocolates are creamier, but the firmness is compensated for by the flavor. So... pat pat pat... it's okay.

My rating: 8,  on the scale of 1-10, where 10 means 'mind shockingly good' and 1 means 'would not bother'. Good to TCHO. I would have given it a 9 for flavor, if not more, but the sweetness knocked it back for me. Nevertheless, it's an excellent experience.


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Theo Pure 85% Dark Chocolate

 
About: Theo claims that their chocolate is so good because "they care about quality." Woohoo! I'm personally sick of eating chocolate made by apathetic manufacturers who care mostly about base "profits" or "exploitation." I won't name names, but they know who they are! Oh.. all of them. Theo is proud to (at least claim) to be the first Organic and Fair Trade chocolate manufacturer in North America. I don't mind organic produce, but often it's a bit sad, irregular, uneven in flavor. I'm not planning to eat enough of this chocolate to know if it's uneven in flavor, but they hit it on the "bit sad."


Flavor: I found this chocolate bitter - it tastes over roasted, and it doesn't have a full flavor. It's basically dark.

Texture: Not quite crunchy, but nothing to write home about.

My rating: 5,  on the scale of 1-10, where 10 means 'mind shockingly good' and 1 means 'would not bother'. Not worth bothering with.


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Scharffen Berger Extra Dark 82%

About: Created on "vintage European Equipment" sounds better than "made on old stuff we bought on Ebay." It's not as if good Californian wine needed vintage casks to dominate the world wine market. But that's okay. Mr. Scharffenberger and Mr. Steinberg have created a great artisan chocolate product, bought in 2005 by the Hershey company, which has made as successful chocolate company out of selling crappy chocolate. In the last years it doesn't seem like Scharffen Berger got worse, so... whew.


Flavor: This is a richly flavored chocolate. No real fruity tones here - solid chocolate through and through.

Texture: Most 80-plus percent chocolate is crunchy and waxy in texture, but not this. it's a bit firm at room temperature, but still creamy and smooth.

My rating: 9,  on the scale of 1-10, where 10 means 'mind shockingly good' and 1 means 'would not bother'. I like.


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