Millcreek Caco Roasters 70% Dark Blackberry (Aroma Infused)

                                   

About: Millcreek caco roasters make about 13 bars, all of them 70% or more. You just want to kiss them for not making milk chocolate abortions! They make a bean to bar chocolate, which (technically) has just cacao, sugar, and cocoa butter. But they also add flavor by "air-infusing the chocolate next to aromatics." I don't know what that means, and it seems to be  a sufficiently light touch that they don't list anything in the ingredients. Still, it somehow feels like cheating, no ?

While I couldn't figure out who they are or what their story is, they seem to love chocolate enough to make chocolate tea. You know that's love, because it isn't common sense, taste or gastronomy (though I haven't tasted it, so this is my theoretical opinion). They come from Utah, which isn't (yet) known for its chocolate. Still, I'm accustomed to seeing the touching background story about chocolate lovers that had to Do Something. It's not there. I'll live.

Flavor:  This is a very flavorful chocolate, with lots and lots of flavor. Hence the word "flavorful." Also the word "very."  You will "wow," unless you have no taste buds, bud. The flavor profile is complex and dynamic. It starts with blackberry and ends with an almond flavor, with various flavors in between,  all running on a constant, solid, rich chocolate base.

Texture: Slightly brittle, but with a smooth finish.

My rating: A 7. You know.. I'd have given in an 8 for that amazing flavor, but the brittle texture holds it back.

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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Cachet 71% Costa Rica Dark Chocolate

                                   

About: Cachet is a Belgian brand started in 1987. They make a broad rage of bars and filled chocolates, and they claim to be the biggest Belgian exporter to Canada and the US. Hmm.. Bigger than Godiva? Really? Well... they've definitely been successful and have a nice chocolate collection. The chocolate is good, though maybe even better than I tasted.

Flavor:  Honestly, I'm not sure. The bar I had was a bit out of date, so this isn't a fair assessment. Definitely fruity. Definitely earthy. Completely fine.

Texture: See above. Giving them the benefit of the doubt and will revisit. 

My rating: A 7. 

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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Shufersal 72% cocoa Dark Orange

                                     

About: This is an Israeli supermarket brand of chocolate that sports a Swiss flag as inducement to buy, and is (indeed) made in Switzerland.The regular dark chocolate isn't all that bad, and this orange stuff is made with real orange peel - not flavoring.

Flavor: Completely pleasant, though possibly underwhelming in the chocolate department with some compensation for that lack of experience with a flavorful orange department.

Texture: Smooth and nice, except you get little bits of orange peel to chew on. That's what you get when you make chocolate with orange peel, so there's no need to by whiny about it. 

My rating: I think the texture won me over. I'd be tempted to seven this one, but because the flavor falls just a tad short, I'll 6 it.

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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Valrhona Noir Guanaja 70% cacao

                                   

About: Valrhona is a venerable French brand that's been making chocolate in rural France since 1922. They make baking products and various chocolates, including a variety of bars. While I've tasted some bars form them that were underwhelming, they are as a rule excellent. In some cases, I can remember exactly where I was when eating some of their chocolate for the first time - there was a 'wow' factor that made a lasting impression. Look for a characteristically  amazing texture, in particular, to complement the great flavor.

Valrhona's website reflects a passion for chocolate, and they've won me over the more I've eaten their chocolate. I can't even think of anything snarky to say.

Flavor: Delicate. No bitterness with a very pleasant coffee follow-through after the initial chocolatey flavor. 

Texture: Oh man.. very creamy and smooth. 

My rating: Nice 8 for excellent flavor and texture. Maybe a 9? The flavor doesn't fill every corner of your palette, so... 8 it is. 

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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Leonidas Dark 70% African Origin Cocoa

                                     

About: Leonidas is  a Belgian brand. ooooh! Belgian brand. If you think how many chocolates like to boast of their Belgian origins, you'd wonder why they have such a small font proclaiming "Fresh Belgian Chocolates" on their box.

Leonidas makes a bucket load of filled chocolates and about 6 different type of bars, with 70% cocoa at the high cocoa content side. The company was started in Brussels in 1913 by a Greek-American. They are, amazingly, one of the largest manufacturers of chocolate worldwide, according to wikipedia, though there's precious little to support that, and their distribution, though significant in Belgian retail, is nothing compared to powerhouses like Godiva and Lindt. Still, maybe Belgians eat a lot of the stuff. They emphasize the value of their chocolate, so .. who knows...

Flavor: The flavor comes on slowly, but then it keeps delivering and delivering, with a slow build up of earthy flavor, followed by a nice fruity envelope and a full coffee-date-ish after taste. If you're underwhelemed at first, you're satisfied after, for sure.

Texture: Ever so slightly brittle, but smooth and solid. 

My rating: Nice 7 for excellent flavor. Almost an 8, if the texture was a bit less brittle.

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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Shufersal (supermarket) Premium 81% Chocolate

                                     

About: This is an Israeli supermarket brand of chocolate that sports a Swiss flag as inducement to buy, and is (indeed) made in Switzerland.

Flavor: It's a dark chocolate with flavor that comes on slowly and starts with slightly bitter earthy flavors that won't fill your senses, but spread nicely over your palette due to the fantastic texture (see below under Fantastic Texture). Overall, the flavor department isn't the super strong point of this chocolate, but it's not at all bad. It's just earthy, not too fruity, and just so slightly bitter.

Texture: Very smooth. You'd think it would be brandless-and-crap, but it's smooth and .. um.. smooth. For 81% it's doubly impressive. 

My rating: I think the texture won me over. I'd be tempted to seven this one, but because the flavor falls just a tad short, I'll 6 it.

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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Trader Joes Dark Toffee with Walnuts and Pecans 70% Da

                                     

About: Trader Joe's brands chocolate made by multiple manufacturers, and who knows who makes this chocolate. It's not Joe. This bar doesn't even say where it's made, unlike some of their other bars that try to get credit for Swiss or Belgian sourcing. Overall, TJs has some pretty good go-to daily chocolate. Can't complain.

Flavor: There are a lot of flavors here, and the toffee dominates ruthlessly. The chocolate is full flavored, but you aren't going to spaz out on "notes of coffee and raspberry." Mostly, you'll say "hmm.. toffee with some sort of nuts in there." But.. that's what you'd expect from this bar. Another thing the toffee does is ad sweetness, so don't go whining that it's too sweet. You bought it knowing that. Finally, there is a bit of a bitter finish here - maybe the chocolate wasn't summa cum laude at the chocolate academy, but not all of us can and some of us don't.

Texture: The toffee gives the chocolate a slightly crunchy, gritty feel, but the surrounding chocolate is very smooth.

My rating: It's really a completely good and fine flavor combination with a solid 6. Worth eating again. Maybe even a seven, but for a brandless brand, I'm struggling with that.

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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Superfood 70% South American Origin Cacao Mandarin Orange Chocolate

                                     

About: This is a wee-thin bar. It's almost half of what you might expect to get in a 'regular' bar of chocolate. It tries to market itself as being healthy, so scrunch your face now in skepticism. Do I need probiotics and antioxidants added to my chocolate? Nah. But the fact that they chocolate tastes good compensates for the fruity marketing. The list of super foods they include as ingredients is almost comical - everything you might have ever heard being called a super food.  It leaps tall palates in a single bound. The non-sequitur silhouette of a large breasted woman doing yoga rounds off the hippy marketing.

The company makes various "super foods," including nibs, bark (well, they call it 'bark'), coconut water, etc. They have a handful of different chocolate flavorings.

Flavor: Nice. The orange flavor tastes real - there's orange juice and pulp in there. The chocolate isn't overwhelmingly flavorful, but it's good. Solid. They add various flavors into this bar, with some coffee and tea extracts, and hints of those flavors come though.

Texture: Slightly brittle, with a slightly gritty finish, maybe because of some orange in the chocolate.

My rating:  Just a 4.

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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Alter Eco Dark BLACKOUT Organic 85% cocoa

About: As you can see, there's a picture of a chocolate farmer on the box. I tend to be cynical about that, though that's really cruel and shortsighted of me. Still, it makes me feel that they're pushing emotional buttons to get me to buy their chocolate. Push my taste buds, buds.

Alter Eco is a France-based food manufacturer with (currently) product lines for chocolate, rice, sugar and quinoa. They are focused on just, sustainable production. Their chocolate, bless their heart, is all dark - though it gets as low as 60% cocoa. They have various flavored chocolates, with about 10 varieties.

The wedsite shows the two founders, Edouard and Mathieu, and I want to like them. I want to like their marketing I want to like their values. But I also want to like their chocolate, and so far, the last part can be summarized as: "not so much."

Flavor: The vanilla is a bit strong and covers some of the subtle chocolate notes. The chocolate itself is slightly sour - just slightly - and not too rich and not too flavorful. It's chocolate - you're not in some sort of hellish flavor void, but you can do much better.

Texture: Crunchy. Enough said.

My rating:  Just a 4.

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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Marou 76% Dark Chocolate

About: Marou is a Vientamese chocolate crafted in Saigon, made from cacao grown in Vietnam. Their website reflects a passion for chocolate and features a small collection of about 10 different variations of chocolate - all dark. They are a small manufacturer that claims to know the names of the farmers that sell them the chocolate by first name. So... you want to really like them.

Plus, I found the packaging esthetic and free from hype and marketing; it's about the chocolate. So, you really really want to like them.

Flavor: Well... I was slightly disappointed, because my expectations were high. I'd had another of their bars and found it quite good, but this bar was sour, though it was, as they claim, fruity and rich in flavor.

Texture: Kind of brittle. It's smooth enough at the end, but overall a bit crunchy for my taste. 

My rating:  Just a 6. Maybe really a 5. I'm not even sure I'd bother having this bar again, sigh.

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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Nova Nicaragua/Ecuador 75% Blend

About: Nova Craft Chocolate is made in Lafayette Colorado. They are a small manufacturer of bean to bar chocolate, ganache and truffles. They make just 3 dark bars at 70%, 75%, and 80% from single and multiple sources.

Their packaging is beautiful and seems to reflect care and craftsmanship. But, they are small. They sell their chocolate (as of this writing) at just 4 locations outside of Colorado, and there's precious little information about them.

Flavor: Earthy, rich, wow. When you eat this chocolate, your mouth and senses will fill with a complex, evolving, rich flavor with hints of raisin and current. Maybe raisin and current. Or maybe cherry and blueberry. Who knows. But there's no doubt that it's a flavor and aroma explosion. Did I say, wow? wow. 

Texture: Smooth.Nice. Nothing special, but mostly nothing wrong here. Solidly pleasant.

My rating:  Solid 8. Try it.

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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Ritual 75% Belize Toledo Chocolate

About: I really wanted to like this chocolate. You can tell that a lot of thought and love went into it even from the packaging, which unfolds nicely (and recloses!). The chocolate is hermetically sealed and delicately thin. And it's a chocolate + sugar recipe, bean-to-bar.

The company's tag line is "small batch fine chocolate crafted at 7000 feet." The company was founded in 2010 and makes about 10 dark chocolate bars - it doesn't seem to get lower than 60%. They also make a drinking chocolate, nibs, granola and an almond chocolate spread. But it's clear from their web site that it's about the chocolate.

I'm not sure what the 7000 feet thing is all about. They claim to mix European tradition and American style. So... kinda fluffy, huh ? And how are they ever going to grow and sell in parts of the world that don't measure in feet, and why is high chocolate better, and it's made in Utah. Utah. It's the state with the highest consumption of porn. That's not relevant, but still... why not "chocolate made in the porn state".

Flavor: Well, look. It's good chocolate. The flavor is fruity, though it's sour; I don't know why that is, but I always imagine it's due to a lot of fermentation. I was going to write "over fermentation," but who am I to say what's over and under. All I can say is: slightly on the sour side, and that leaves a slight after taste. I feel that I'm being overly critical, because the chocolate is completely fine. It's just not as exceptionally fine as the luxurious packaging made me hope.

Texture: Just very slightly brittle, but eventually smooth, with very very very fine grittiness.

My rating:  Solid 6. Worth eating, though not overwhelming.

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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