Bahen 70% Madagascar

About:  This is a bean-to-bar chocolate - nothing but beans and sugar - made in Australia on vintage equipment. It's unclear if the vintage equipment makes this better; I tend to think technological advances can make things much better (think California wine industry, for example), but I am sure the price was right. The company is named after the founder, and they make a handful of dark chocolates with various flavorings.

Flavor: This chocolate has a complex flavor, which I struggled to capture. It was a whirlwind of flavors that came and went. So.. high five for that. The flavor comes on slowly. Take your time, let it melt. It then becomes raison-ish, full flavored, and ends with slightly sour cranberry notes.

Texture: Somewhat brittle with a smooth, yet ever so slightly grainy finish.

My rating:  Good chocolate. Really very good. But overall about a 6 for above average 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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Lindt 72% Cacao Extra Fondente Chocolate

About:  Lindt is a well known Swiss chocolate maker with claims to making chocolate since 1845. They have a broad product line of chocolates and excellent distribution world wide. While this bar looks a lot like other Lindt chocolate, it's different. Aside from the Italian packaging, it doesn't taste like the other 70%-ish Lindt bars that are widely sold.

Flavor: This bar has a slow-to-onset flavor that becomes deep and very earthy. The flavor is long lasting with an dynamic profile that ends with notes of dates or prunes. It's a unique tasting chocolate that's worth tasting just because it's so different.

Texture: Rather brittle, especially for being only 72%. It's possible my bar was brittle due to warming and cooling or some other reason, because it's initially off putting. Even after the chocolate melts in the mouth, it has a powdery, slightly grainy texture. But the deep flavor compensates for the weakness in texture.

My rating:  The unique flavor would warrant a 7 or 8, but with the texture, it goes back down to an overall 6. But then again, the flavor is worth tasting. So let's settle on 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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Tessa Chocolaterie Dark Chocolate Truffles

About: Tessa Chocolaterie is an Austin, Texas bean to bar chocolate maker. They have a small shop where they make the chocolates, and the place smells of chocolate goodness. The picture shows a generic box, in which I bought a dark chocolate truffle. They didn't have dark chocolate bars on sale when I was there, and from their web site, it's not clear that they actually sell stand-alone dark bars. Too bad, because the truffles were great.


Flavor: The fresh truffle was better than the ones I had after a few weeks. There was a rum flavor that became stronger with time, and which I found overwhelmed the chocolate. The fresh truffle was full flavored, though light on fruity notes. Hints of smokey flavor mixed nicely with the deep, earthy chocolate.

Texture: Smooth, but that's not a trick with a butter-filled truffle.

My rating: A nice 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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Artisana Organics Venezuelan Criollo Cacao Chocolate 75% Dark

About:  Artisana Organics has a product line of organic products from nut butters (grow up and stop giggling) to oils to chocolates. They sell 65% , 75%, and 85% chocolates made from Criollo beans.

The Criollo bean was once the most popular source of chocolate, but the tree is more susceptible to disease, and it has now become relatively rare.

Flavor: This bar has a complex flavor, but not at all fruity. It does have notes of tobacco, with a sort of subtle smokey after taste. +2

Texture: Every so slightly brittle, but with a smooth finish.

My rating: A nice 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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Blanxart 76% Brasil Single Origin Organic Dark Chocolate

About: This bar is made in Barcelona, which (many years ago) was a center for chocolate manufacturing. I have had a number of Spanish bars from Barcelona without being overly impressed. This bar comes from a bean grown in a plantation "deep in the Amazon forest" - a variety called trinitario cacao. The marketing tells us the flavors of the Amazon are absorbed in this bar. Let's hope not.

By the way, don't be fooled by the rough paper wrapping and rather subdued marketing here. This is an excellent chocolate. 

Flavor:  The packaging tells us that this chocolate has the flavors of roasted hazelnut, with hints of licorice, vanilla (doy! they added that flavor), and lemon. Initially, when you bite in, there's nothing. A kind of darkness before the dawn. Then the sun rises, and the flavors come out, and there are many flavors here. Wow. The earthy chocolate is followed by a hint of lemon - they weren't lying - which comes and resolves to sweet/sour fruity berry something-or-other. I was impressed and delighted. +2

Texture: Wow... very smooth. Nicely done! +2

My rating: Tricky.. I hesitate to give it a 9, but.. it's superb. Maybe somewhere between an 8 and a 9. This is a bar worth getting and eating. It's not your run-of-the mill good chocolate. It's excellent and an experience. Ok.. 9.

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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Chocolove xoxox Extreme Dark Chocolate 88%

About: Chocolove is manufactured in Boulder Colorado, where they claim the dry, mountain air is part of their secret "European tradition" chocolate making. Um.. okay. The chocolate, at least according to the web site, is a founder's pursuit of a dream. A guy that eats two chocolate bars a day who developed a passion for chocolate and founded a company and the rest is history. \

They currently make about 24 varieties of chocolate, with this bar being the darkest of them all.

Flavor:  Like many high cocoa content bars, the flavor takes a while to come. I'd not say that it's very fruity, but it's a deep, pleasing flavor with only a hint of bitterness. +1 

Texture: Good and smooth.Very nice. Not brittle. I like.

My rating: A very good bar with a solid 7. For above average texture and solid, if not overwhelmingly subtle, 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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L'Amourette 91% caco extra smooth chocolat noir

About: L'Amourette is a chocolate manufacturer in San Francisco that makes a line of seriously dark and flavored chocolates, including bean-to-bar chocolates and chocolates (like this one) that include other flavorings (vanilla here) and separate cocoa butter. The passion for chocolate is underscored by the fact that there isn't any milk chocolate in sight. It's all 72% or above, w00t!



Flavor:  At 91%, this is not a sweet bar. The flavor takes a while to come on (as is often the case) but lasts nicely. The vanilla is subtle, but there isn't much in the way of fruity tones.

Texture: Good and smooth. 

My rating: A very good bar with a solid 7. Flavor is good, but not exceptional. Texture is good, but not exceptional.

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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