Baron Delica Dore Fine Dark Chocolate 80%

 
 























About: A Polish chocolate brand that seems to focus on North and South American distribution. They make a range of bars, truffles and even chocolate gummies. Eeek! for the idea, but thumbs up for being so chocolate-focused that they'd bother to do that.

Flavor: Like other high cocoa-content bars, the flavor comes on slowly, but with a long profile that's dark and earthy. It's not freshly fruity, and it's ever so slightly bitter, but a nice balance of sweetness, and a satisfying after taste.

Texture:Slightly chalky, but with a smooth finish

My rating:  A nice 7ish, for flavor and texture that's really okay, and especially for a balance of sweet and chocolate that's optimal.

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.

Back to the list of bars

Salazon 72% Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt

About: This chocolate appears to be manufactured in Maryland and claims to be the first salted chocolate. A homey tale on their website recounts a 2009 campi-dition where the chocolatey hand of God reached down and showed the salted path. Really? There were not salted bars before 2009? I can't be bothered to verify or debunk, so bunk away!

They start with beans. They seem to care about the beans. And they make 57% and 72% bars with various flavorings exclusively (for now), so those are all positive marks for them.

Flavor:  Good balance of salty crunchiness with a somewhat bland chocolate experience that has some residual bitterness. The almonds come on strong after the chocolate is long gone, so you're left with a very non-chocolatey aftertaste. And the chocolate itself is a bit disappointing.

Texture:Generally fine, with a nice job on the salt. The almonds leave a bit of a pastey whats-it in your mouth, so you have to like an almond paste to like this a lot.

My rating:  Unfortunately, this particular bar didn't come off as anything special, but 6 for the nicely done salting.

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.

Back to the list of bars

Martitime Extra horka Chocolate 70% cacao

 























About: This is distributed by "Sweet and Snack," a Czech firm, whose URL is imprinted on the wrapper. Do they make the chocolate? It's not clear. There are many varieties of chocolate to be had, and this bar is not at all bad. I bought it in Prague, and next time I'm there, I'll buy more.

Flavor:Full flavored with a long lasting, deeply earthy flavor. For a 70% chocolate bar, it's sweet - I don't know how that's possible. It seems to me that it should be about 30% sugar, and it should be just that sweet. Shrug. You do definitely get a nice profile here, even though it doesn't have any of the light fruity flavors a fresh bar would have.

Texture:Generally smooth, but just slightly chalky.

My rating:  Well... 7 for flavor, but maybe a 6 overall.

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.

Back to the list of bars

Poco Dolce Bittersweet with Sea Salt 81% cacao

About: See more about Poco Dolce here. They use Guittard chocolate as a base, so ... it's really about Guittard here.

Flavor: It's fine.  The sea salt is delicate - not overwhelming.
Texture:It's fine. I can't be bothered to say more.

My rating:  Six or seven.

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.

Back to the list of bars

Damyel Noir Supreme 56% cacao

About: Damyel is based in Paris and makes a range of confections, including spreads, bars, candied nuts, and macaroons (hey.. it's France). This bar appears to be the darkest they go, which from my perspective explains the sound of screeching tires and breaking glass. Not so interesting. 

Flavor:Well.. at 56% this bar is (to my taste) cloyingly sweet. But looking past that, the chocolate flavor is actually pleasantly rich. Earthy without bitterness or a burned flavor. It has raisin overtones (whatever those are), and I'd jump at a bar with higher cocoa content from these guys.

Texture:Smooth and fine. Not something that will blow your mind with creamy goodness, but fine.

My rating:  It's to see... er... taste past the sugar here. 6 for texture. 7 for flavor. 7 overall.

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.

Back to the list of bars