Equal Exchange Chocolates Organic Very Dark 71%

About: I didn't want to like this chocolate. Somehow, the picture of a "small farmer" on the back, especially with the awkward, heart-tugging posture and submissive smile, makes me think the makers are trying to get people to buy the chocolate for reasons other than flavor. But after looking at their website and reading about their motivation, I couldn't remain cynical. Well, I could, actually, but proclaiming that publicly on a blog would make me out to be such an asshole. So I am giving a nod to the wrapping that's more environmentally friendly and  the access they give to small farmers (who otherwise would be shut out of the high volume deals that large producers require). I don't really care about the organic stuff, myself. No nod there.


Flavor: Pretty damn good. It's rich, full, fruity. It's not a bright flavor - just deep and fulfilling. It's frankly hard to use words to describe flavor, which is why we use visual words like "bright." What does that mean? tangy, maybe. In any case, this chocolate isn't burned or sour. It's satisfying and I'd get it again over many brands. 

Texture:This has a middle of the road texture.  A bit firm, but with a creamy finish that's pretty satisfying. My wild guess is that the chocolate isn't ground as finely as some brands, leading to a less creamy consistency, but don't get me wrong, I liked this chocolate a lot.


My rating: I struggled between an 8 and 8.5, as if I have a full extra significant digit of resolution on my crap taste buds. But... let's go for 8.5  on the scale of 1-10, where 10 means 'mind shockingly good' and 1 means 'would not bother'. Get this bar. You'll enjoy it, and maybe you'll even do a small farm farmer some good.




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