Grenada Chocolate Company - 100% Dark Chocolate

The tasting notes reflect my personal opinion.

Name

100% Dark Chocolate
Main ingredients are cocoa beans.
Cocoa content: minimum 100% cocoa solids

Manufacturer

The Grenada Chocolate Company Ltd, Hermitage, St Patrick, Grenada, The Caribbean

Packaging

The 85g chocolate bar is wrapped in aluminium paper and a paper sleeve.

Look

The chocolate is very dark brown with a distinct red hue on the surface and at the edges.

Sound

The chocolate breaks with a clear snap sound.

Smell

The chocolate has light smell but this comes with intense cocoa aromas and dark bitterness. There also some fruity notes reminiscent of honeydew melons.

Mouthfeel

The chocolate is initially very tough and solid. It slowly melts into an dispersing find liquid while its melting surfaces become slightly rough.

Taste

The initial taste is an intense bitterness with some tobacco-ish notes in the front and almost charred flavours at the rear of the mouth. The bitterness remains but fruity flavours of melon develop next to a very intense cocoa flavour. There is no sourness and only a very mild astringency despite the intense bitterness.

Aftertaste

The chocolate almost remains present on the tongue. Its aftertaste is dominated by the slowly fading bitterness. Intense cocoa are at the rear of the mouth at the palate.

Summary

This is a very intense and dark chocolate with flavours of tobacco. This emphasises the dark flavours of the cocoa. The flavours remain clear without any warm flavours of nuts or roast. It has no sourness and a very mild astringency.

Verdict

The chocolate brings out the dark, tobacco like flavours of the cocoa. It is very intense and bitter without showing sourness. It is very well crafted with a very good melt. 5 Stars.

Dates

Lot number: 837, best before 11/01/2020, tasted 14&28/07/2019

Bonnat Chocolatier - Selva Maya

The tasting notes reflect my personal opinion.

Name

Selva Maya
Main ingredients are cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar.
Cocoa content: minimum 75% cocoa.

Manufacturer

Bonnat Chocolatier, BP 48, 8 cours Sénozon, 38502 Voiron Cedex, France

Packaging

The 100g chocolate bar is covered in aluminium paper and a paper envelope.

Look

The chocolate is very dark brown with a red hue at its edges.

Sound

The chocolate breaks with a clear snap sound.

Smell

The smell is clear and light cocoa aroma with some ripe fruit and sugar. As the chocolate gets warmer, the cocoa becomes more intense.

Mouthfeel

The chocolate feels very hard initially. It melts into a very fine liquid almost without becoming sticky or soft or transition.

Taste

The initial flavour is comparably bitter. Intense dark cocoa flavours with noticeable astringency develop as the chocolate melts. These are accompanied by a little fruity sourness. The slightly toasty and woody cocoa flavours are mainly in the centre and rear of the mouth. Some sour berry fruits are noticeable on the top the front of the mouth. The flavours are intense but contained and delicate. Astringency is very mild and only builds up over time.

Aftertaste

The aftertaste is mainly cocoa flavour towards the rear of the mouth that develops into some fruity notes.

Summary

This has a very good melt and mouthfeel. It has delicate flavours that emphasise the darker chocolate flavours with some sweetness and sour-ish notes.

Verdict

This is a very well crafted dark chocolate with a very good melt. It comes with delicate yet intense cocoa flavours. 5 Stars.

Dates

Lot number: A, best before 04/2020, tasted 26/05&02&16/06/&07/07/2019

Artisan du Chocolat - Dark chocolate 100%

The tasting notes reflect my personal opinion.

Name

Dark chocolat 100% cocoa
Main ingredients are cocoa beans.
Cocoa content: 100% cocoa solids

Manufacturer

Artisan du Chocolat, 89 Lower Sloane Street, London, SW1 8DA, United Kingdom

Packaging

The 45g chocolate bar is sealed in transparent plastic wrap and wrapped in a cardboard.

Look

The chocolate is very dark brown with a red hue.

Sound

The chocolate breaks with a clear 'click' sound.

Smell

The chocolate has only a little smell. The aromas are reminiscent of the roast of nuts or oak wood and have hints of fermented tea and metal. As the chocolate warms in the hand, it releases warming, intense cocoa aromas.

Mouthfeel

The chocolate initially feels cold with a solid, smooth surface. The surface of the chocolate becomes softer and creamy as it slowly dissolves. It melts into a very fine, velvety and creamy liquid.

Taste

The initial flavour is a slightly astringent bitterness. As the chocolate melts slowly, it unfolds very dark cocoa flavours with an edge of nuts and roast. They are accompanied by an intense but mild bitterness. Despite its intensity, the chocolate has little astringency, almost no acidity and the warm flavour of dark roasted nuts.

Aftertaste

The aftertaste lasts very long and is mainly a central flavours of cocoa and roast. A mild bitterness lingers in the mouth.

Summary

This chocolate is as intense as get it gets. It has a mild bitterness, rich flavour of cocoa and dark roast nuts. The flavours are very intense, the melt is very fine and creamy without being sticky. However, this is not for the faint-hearted, there is no sweetness, milk or dairy creaminess about it.

Verdict

This chocolate is well crafted. It has intense cocoa flavours, an intense but yet mild bitterness and a dark-ish roasty edge. 5 Stars.

Dates

Lot number: 36728, best before 12/2019, tasted 09/12/2018&22/04/2019