Artisana Venezuelan Chocolate Caco Criollo Dark 85%

 























About: I've written about the 75% version of this bar. It is a Swiss-made chocolate, made from Venezuelan beans. I can't quite figure out if Artisana is a marketing organization for someone elses chocolate manufacturing, or if they really make it themselves. They sell nut butters also, and I do believe they manufacture those, because their FAQ is all about that. Nevertheless, the chocolate is fine, and the emphasis on organic and health and whatever is not over the top.

Flavor:This is a full flavored bar with a complex flavor profile that has a bitter finish. It's not as fruity as I'd like from a bean to bar chocolate, but perhaps just just the age. This poor chocolate has been around the world and back.

Texture: Perhaps slightly brittle, but with a very creamy finish.

My rating:  Pretty much 6 for okay flavor and texture that's not mind blowing.

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 Hazelnet 68% Cacao

 























About: Poco Dolce is (yet another) San Francisco chocolatier. They started in 2003 as a baking company, and now they make confections. They use chocolate made by Guittard, a San Francisco chocolate maker.

Flavor: The hazelnut is pleasant, though my bar had a slight bitter after-taste. The chocolate is full flavored and, to be honest, better than I remembered Guittard chocolate being.

Texture: Silky smooth.

My rating:  Pretty much 7, for flavor and texture bordering on better than average.

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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Casa De Chocolates Fuerte 72% Cacao with Roasted Quinoa, Pepitas, Almonds, ...

 




















About: Casa De Chocolates is made in Berkeley, Califnornia, and between the slew of "superfoods" included in this bar and their claim to make Latin American chocolates, I was deeply skeptical. Too much posturing. Too gluten free. Too politically correct, somehow. But wait! This chocolate is pretty good.

They make a handful of bars (some going as low as 41%, sigh), and a slew of boxes chocolates.  But they don't make their own chocolate, as far as I can tell. They claim to buy it from chocolate makers (that only deal with fair trade chocolate). And the chocolate is the best part of the deal here. The Quinoa and all that other stuff is fine, but not really the star of the show.

If I was good, I'd know who made this chocolate. My guess is that it's a French chocolate. But that's a guess. 

Flavor: The chocolate is very mellow, not burned, not bitter, and lightly fruity. The bits and pieces which you can see stuck to the bar are fine. They won't hurt you, and they certainly don't dominate the flavor here. I'd say they're pleasant and completely okay. But I like the chocolate best for the chocolate.

Texture: Very nicely smooth texture with lightly crunchy bits from the stuff stuck on the bar. Nice.


My rating: I was going to give them an 8. It's an enjoyable bar that I enjoyed. But since they don't make their own chocolate, someone else should get that 8. Oh well.. 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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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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