Lauenstein 75% Cacao

About: German chocolate. Fancy packaging.

Flavor: Pretty good, but short flavor profile, and honestly, the flavor doesn't match the packaging.  Nicely thin bars. The best stuff about this chocolate is what it's not. Not bitter. Not burned. Not sour.
Texture: Fine. Slightly waxy, to be honest.

My rating:  7, for packaging and being German and okayish flavor and texture.

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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Sugarpova Dark Chocolate 70% cacao

 























 

About: Celebrity can market anything. In this case, tennis markets chocolate. Sugarpova is a candy line market using international tennis player, Maria Sharapova. She likes candy, it we are told. So she created a candy business, we are told. The candies are in her own style, we are told. Game. Match.

So there's all kinds of candy here, but also chocolate. One bar to hit all the standard chocolates: white, milk, dark, Orange, and .... are you sitting? ... cookies and cream. The chocolate is made in Poland, by Baron chocolates a maker with a 30 year tradition. They make a handful of bars with different cocoa concentrations.



Flavor: Sweet and totally acceptable. The flavor is rounded, without astringent flavors. It's not fruity, and it's not deeply earthy, but what do those terms mean anyway? The bar is good mostly because it's not bad. I enjoyed eating it, but I wouldn't trade this for a fresh bean-to-bar bar, if I were in a bar. Even not in a bar.

Texture: Definitely smooth and creamy. This got this part down well.

My rating:  7 for texture and okay 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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La Maison du Chocolat 74% Cuana Noir

 























About: Founded in 1977 in Paris, the Maison du Chocolat now has a number of boutiques worldwide. They make various chocolate confections, including a handful of dark bars. These are not bean-to-bar chocolates; they include vanilla and lecithin, but they are full flavored and the craftsmanship is apparent in the flavor. 

Flavor: Full bodied and mellow. There are no burned or sour after tastes. It's light on fruitiness, but round, earthy and pleasant.

Texture: Pretty good, if ever so slightly chalky.

My rating:  8 - good flavor, pretty good texture. Above average for sure.

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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Holy Caco 70% dark chocolate Venezuela

 























About: This is an Israeli bean-to-bar chocolate. They make a handful of chocolates, mostly from single sources and as low as 45%. There's a bit of religious politics on their pages, which honestly detracts from the love of chocolate, but... it's a difficult part of the world to live in.

Flavor:The flavor is good. This is an above average bar. But if you compare it to a great bean-to-bar bar, it falls a bit short. The flavor is fruity with raisin hints, but light. The profile lasts, but not that long.

Texture: Nicely smooth. Again, on it's own, it's a fine bar, but it falls short compared to where it could be.

My rating:  8.

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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Francois Pralus Fortissima 80%

 
























About: Francois Pralus is the son of Auguste Pralus, who invented the Praline in the mid 20th century. He was born in Mars, France, if we're dropping names. Francois carries on in the same boutique, where he produces 15 pure varieties and 4 blended bars.  


Flavor: This bar has a 'warm' round flavor, with strong smokey notes. It's not that fruity, and the flavor is overall subdued.

Texture:Nicely creamy, though not as much as some of the large brands, like Lindt.

My rating:  A solid 7 or 8. I'm waffling here on 7 or 8. But I just can't decide.

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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Suchard 85% cocoa

 






















About: Suchard is another Mondelez brand (Eeek Milka! Cote d'Or!). But the company has roots in Switzerland, where its founder, Phillipe Suchard, was born and (supposedly) recognized the potential of chocolate at age 12. They've been making chocolate since 1826. Their website is slick, but I can't even find this bar there. Shrug.

Flavor: Pleasantly okay. It's a bit bitter and it's not particularly fruity, but it's solid, earthy and full.

Texture:Very smooth, as seems to be the case with the larger (older?) producers.

My rating:  7 or 8. The Texture is great. The flavor is really okay.

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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Cocoa Parlor Into Dark 80%

 
























About:  Made in Laguna Niguel in Southern California by Karen. No last name, but she's also a surfer, and the whole website is beach themed. Worked for me, to be honest. This is the darkest of their handful of different bars.

Flavor: Not as good as I'd hoped but okay. They make their own bars, but at least this bar didn't have that fresh, fruity flavor I'd have expected. It's dark and earthy, but also tastes a bit over roasted to me.

Texture: Honestly, and somewhat disappointingly, not super smooth. If I compare (unfair! unfair!) to the similarly dark 78% Lindt bar (unfair! unfair!). the latter is super smooth; unbelievably smooth. This bar is chalky.

My rating:  Kind of a 5, le 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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Figaro Sladka Vesen 70% cacao (Kakaa)

 
























About: Figaro is a Czech made chocolate, owned by Mondelez International (who makes Milka (shudder) and Cote d'Or (okay, whew)). This is a slovenian brand with heritage going back to the 1890.

Flavor: This chocolate has an interesting round flavor that I can't quite describe. It's smokey. It's not very fruity, and it's not very long lasting. But the smokey flavor is different and interesting.

Texture: Completely reasonable.

My rating: 7 for being interesting. not sure how much I actually LIKE it. But interesting.

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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El Buen cacao 80% bean to bar

 






















About: El Buen is a bean-to-bar manufacturer based in Idyllwild, CA. Idyllwild! how can you go wrong. They eat tree bark there and live on sunshine. Their bars have beans and sugar. They make a handful of bars and some truffles. 

Flavor: I had this bar around a while, and so perhaps that's why I found it lacking in flavor. I really think that must be it, because there's nothing good I can say about the chocolate I ate. But I do think it's probably the age.

Texture: Same as for the flavor.

My rating:  Kind-of 4, but a 5 because maybe it's my fault. I'll have to revisit.

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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French Broad Chocolates Nicaragua 68% dark chocolate

 























About: French Broad chocolates proclaims first and foremost on their website: We make awesome chocolate.  I agree. They make it in North Carolina, with attention to detail from the box to the chocolate. I found their marketing to be unpretentious ("awesome" not withstanding) and passionate. Their founding story is inside the box (buy one and read it), and they even include a short description of how to enjoy the chocolate.

Flavor:Early and full flavored, with hints of raisin, and current. Tangy, with a long follow-through. At 68%, it's sweet. Perhaps a tad sweet for me, seeing as I am already so sweet.

Texture:Good, but just a bit chalky. If the bar has a weakness, it's this.

My rating:  Solid 8. Would be a 9, but for the chalkiness.

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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Vivani 85% cacao

 























About:Vivani is a German brand. They make a wide variety of chocolates, flavored and pure, as well as other chocolate confections and even chocolate cream (which is, I think, a sort of spread). They claim to have a heritage of over 100 years of chocolate making, but it's all a bit hazy. 

Flavor: The dark chocolate is slightly bitter. If you're thinking, "yes, dumdum, it's dark chocolate," I'll respond that it's bitter for a dark chocolate. Moreover, the flavor, when it does come out, is not pronounced or strong. It's like basic, earthy chocolate, but without much in the way of fruitiness.

Texture:Smooth for such a high-content chocolate bar, but not so smooth that you'll write your mother about it. It's basically fine.


My rating:  A 6 for nice texture but rather average, at best, 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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Williams-Sonoma Good and Evil 72% by Bourdain and ripert

About: What to say about this. I was too lazy to research it, because of having a life. But some things don't require research. First, Williams-Sonoma didn't make this chocolate. They don't make the pots they sell, either, in case you're wondering. And I'm pretty sure that celebrity chefs Anthony Bourdain and Eric Rupert didn't make this either. The funny thing is that it's just a regular bar - cocoa, sugar, and lecithin. So the art here is in the chocolate making, and being in front of a camera does shit-all for teaching you about conching. But... 5 points for marketing, I guess.

The chocolate maker here is Eclat chocolate, a Pennsylvania-made chocolate maker started by Christopher Curtin, who claims to have studied in Switzerland, Belgium, France, Germany and Japan. So... all the chocolate meccas. Tastes like he was a good student.

Flavor: Really pretty good. It's a big sweet overall, and it's not bean-to-bar fresh, somehow. It lacks that fresh aromatic zing you get from a really fresh bar. But it's rich, full flavored, long lasting, and fruity. Liked it.

Texture: Oh yeah, smooth. This is a creamy delight, a felty tongue treat, a quiet snow-filled night for your mouth. Plus 2 here.


My rating:  Solid 9. Would eat again.

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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Dick Taylor Madagascar 72%

 























About: Dick Taylor is a Northern California manufacturer of bean-to-bar chocolate. 

Flavor:  This is a very good bar, if somewhat sour. I associate that with fermentation based on nothing whatsoever but my own fantastic imagination. Not the sourness. It's sour. The fermentation thing. The sour flavor detracts from the bouquet for me, but .. you know... it's still a great bar.

Texture: Smooth. Not like a Russian in an American bar, but smooth.

My rating:  8. Would have been a 9, but the sourness.

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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Mazet Chocolate Noir 72%

About: Mazet chocolatier traces their roots back to 1636. That's a lot of roots, even if Mr. Mazet himself only joined the story around 1893. You can figure that there must be some basic goodness in the chocolate if it's survived over 100 years. They are based in Montargis, France a village of 15 thousand people which is sort of near Orleans (which is sort of near Paris). France is filled with boutique artisans that make amazing great food, and maybe this is one. They make a few different flavors of chocolate, but their main claim to fame are their carmelized almond Mazettes. This bar isn't that claim to fame.

Flavor:The flavor is mild, if somewhat bland. Really barely any flavor, but.. read below.

Texture: The bar I have was horribly brittle, and I suspect it suffered some heating and cooling (or some other aging process) that caused the cocoa butter to become nastily brittle. I'm going to conclude that this isn't the normal state of affairs, but this bar was not really edible. Sigh.

My rating:  Hard to say. I'd send it straight to hell with a 1 for the texture and lack of flavor, but I'll have to suspend belief. I'll try another bar and see.

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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Akesson's Single Plantation Chocolate 75% Trenitario Cocoa with Red Pepper

About: I bought this bar in a market in Singapre, and I assumed this was a Swedish chocolate. I mostly assumed right, as Akesson's own plantations first in Madagascar and then in Brazil and Indonesia. It is a (Swedish) family run business focusing on single source cocoa (the name of which was designated by a Swede, it seems!), with almost all the bars at 75% or more. They threw in a white chocolate and a 45% and 55% bar for the hoi poloi, shrug.

Their bars are available world-wide, but you can still find a list of every shop that sells them on their website, so it's not the distribution machine of a major producer. I had high expectations, but I didn't look carefully when buying the bar...

Flavor: The bottom line here is that I prefer my pepper on steak, not chocolate. The pepper hits you first when you eat this chocolate, with a one-two punch that it's hard to come back from. The chocolate itself only kicks in a long time later, with a rich, smooth, earthy flavor..... that your indifferent and shell-shocked taste buds will not thank you for.


Texture:The pepper is crunchy. The chocolate is relatively smooth.

My rating:  I don't know what to say. I would definitely get another bar of theirs to try, but this one is not to my liking. If I were rating purely on execution, it would be a 7 or 8, for the texture, flavor, etc. But for me, this is a never-come-back-again 3 or 4. I can't get past the pepper.

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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