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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