Gardini Ingenso 73% =Criollo and Trinitario Cacao

 


















About: Gardini chocolate is made in Italy, in a region famous for wine and cheese. They claim to be hand made, though I'm not sure what that really means. They make a broad range of chocolate confections and claim to be award winning (though who isn't, aside from this blog?). One thing I like is that they tell you what variety of cocoa beans they use, and they focus on dark, single source chocolate. 

Flavor: For what is basically a bean-to-bar chocolate, the flavor is not super intense and does suffer from a kind of bitterness that I associate with a lot of roasting. I have no idea if it is actually caused by a lot of roasting, but it's not a smooth, mellow flavor. The flavor profile is moderately long lasting and earthy enough, if not particularly aromatic.

Texture: Smooth enough, if ever so slightly chalky.

My rating: Somewhere between a regular, solid, good 5 and maybe a 6 for kind-of okay texture and kind-of not-bad flavor. Equivocal enough for you?

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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Whittaker's 72% Cocoa Dark Ghana

 

















About: Whittaker's chocolate is made in New Zealand. Since 1896. Wow. This is a huge bar with big pieces, targeted, no doubt, at hungry, hungry sheep rearing people who need a lot of chocolate to satisfy their awesome-scenery induced hunger. This chocolate is made from beans from Ghana (and they also make bars from beans from Madagascar). But... for a bean-to-bar chocolate, it could be better.

So... it's quantity. Quality? not so much.

Flavor: It's okay. It's a very warm flavor, that's pleasantly mellow.  It's chocolatey, without any intense fruitiness or intense anything.

Texture: Smooth enough, but you aren't going to call mom and tell her what you just ate.

My rating: Solidly okay at 6 for that interesting warm, smooth flavor.

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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Vosges Super Dark 80% Cacao Smoked Salt with Cocoa Nibs

About: Vosges chocolate got a bit up my nose, as you may find elsewhere on this blog. It was the marketing: the fond, the 'antioxidant' vergbiage, blah-dee-blah, and the fact that the flavor was just okay, at best. But... this bar is different. First, while the fancy font remains front facing, the marketing is toned down. Second, the flavor is distinctly better. So while I gave them a sarcastic review last time, I liked this bar a-plenty.


Flavor: Smooth and full flavored. Interesting smokey flavor.

Texture: The nibs provide a nice, delicate crunch.


My rating:  Solid 7 for texture and very nice, if not mind boggling, flavor. 

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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B.T. McElrath Cocolatier Salty Dog 70% Butter Toffee with Sea Salt

About: There's a guy called Brian McElrath, and he founded this company with his wife in 1996. They make roughly 4 different dark, flavored bars, and a slew of other related products, such as chocolate truffles and toffee and caramel. What I can't tell, and hence will venture a guess, is whether they make their own chocolate. My ventured guess: no. They source it elsewhere (somewhere good) and make the flavored varieties. Hint: they call themselves a chocolatier.


Flavor: Pleasantly chocolaty flavor with a salt-lick flavor.

Texture: The chocolate is very smooth.


My rating:  Solid 6 for texture and very nice, if not mind boggling, flavor. 

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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TCHO Mint chip Gelato 64% Caco

About: TCHO is a great San Francisco (well... Berkeley) brand. Their chocolate is smooth and flavorful. This chocolate is ruined by the mint flavoring, which is a matter of personal taste, but if you don't agree you have no personal taste.


Flavor: The chocolate is fine. The mint is minty. The combination is an omen of our civilization's decline.

Texture: The bits of mint evil present a pleasant, light crunch to the smooth chocolate, so I can't complain.


My rating:  Hard to rate this. For execution on the mission it's probably a 7, but I can't give it more than a 5 because of: abomination.

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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