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

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

Paul A. Young - 100% Dark Chocolate Bar

The tasting notes reflect my personal opinion.

Name

100% Dark Chocolate Bar
Main ingredients are 100% Guittard dark chocolate.
Cocoa content: minimum 44% cocoa solids

Manufacturer

paul.a.young fine chocolates, 143 Wardour St, SOHO, London, W1F 8WA, United Kingdom

Packaging

The chocolate is wrapped and sealed in transparent plastic wrap.

Look

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

Sound

The chocolate is hard to break but when it does, it breaks clearly in one snap.

Smell

There intensive cocoa aromas and fruity aromas of raisins.

Mouthfeel

The chocolate feels solid initially but becomes softer quickly. It feels slightly creamy and soft to touch before melting into a very fine liquid.

Taste

The chocolate requires a bit of time before it unfolds its flavours. It starts with dark cocoa flavours and a mild bitterness and astringency that are building up gradually. There is a subliminal sourness  that comes to the foreground when swallowed or moving and leaves a little sore sensation.

Aftertaste

The aftertaste is mainly astringency and the hint of sourness.

Summary

This has deep and dark-ish flavours of cocoa that are very intensive. Its flavours are dominated by dark cocoa, bitterness and hints of sourness.

Verdict

The chocolate is very well conched and melts very smoothly. It emphasises the dark cocoa notes of the cocoa. However, as the astringency and bitterness are building up, they have a tendency to entirely dominate the flavour. Thus, the cocoa and possibly fruity notes are hard to detect. Also, there is a little sour note in the chocolate that leaves a sore sensation on the tongue. 4 Stars.

Dates

Lot number: S14129, best before 01/09/2018, tasted 29/04&05&27/05/2018

Pâtisserie Chocolaterie Pralus - 100% Criollo

The tasting notes reflect my personal opinion.

Name

100% Criollo
Main ingredients are cocoa beans from Madagascar, pure cocoa butter, soy lecithin.
Cocoa content: 100% cocoa

Manufacturer

Pâtisserie Chocolaterie Pralus S.A.S., 34 Rue General Giraud, 42300 Roanne, France

Packaging

The 100g chocolate bar is wrapped in aluminium foil and a paper sleeve.

Look

The chocolate is very dark brown. Its surface is very shiny and its edges have light red hue.

Sound

The chocolate breaks with a very clear snap sound.

Smell

The smell is light after opening the package and slowly makes it to the nose. The chocolate has clear cocoa aromas with hints of dark roast.

Mouthfeel

The chocolate feels almost buttery at the fingers and in the mouth. But it is solid and melts into a very fine liquid. The melting edges are even with only little softness before turning into a liquid.

Taste

The initial flavour is cocoa but this is quickly replaced by sourness and astringency. Fruity, almost sweet flavours of sour cherry, red berries and fig unfold. Slowly, bitter and intense cocoa flavours with hints of coffee-ish flavours unfold.

Aftertaste

After the last bit of chocolate is gone, a sensation of astringency lingers on the middle centre of the tongue. A mild bitterness emerges at the gums and the astringency fades out slowly. This is replaced by flavours of cocoa and roasted nuts.

Summary

This is a complex dark chocolate with intense cocoa flavours, astringency and very fruity notes. The fruity flavours give the chocolate light almost sweet edge.

Verdict

The chocolate is a very well conched chocolate with intense and complex flavours that unfold step by step. It emphasises the red berry notes of the pure cocoa. 5 Stars.

Dates

Best before 11/10/2019, tasted 10&11/03&10/04/2018

Original Beans - Piura Porcelana cocoa nibs

The tasting notes reflect my personal opinion.

Name

Piura Porcelana cocoa nibs (Peru)
Main ingredients are cocoa beans.
Cocoa content: minimum 100% cocoa solids.

Manufacturer

Original Beans, Keizergracht 452, 1016 GD Amsterdam, Netherlands
But the packaging indicates that the product was actually made in Switzerland.

Packaging

The 150g cocoa nibs are wrapped in a paper bag with an inner lining from transparent plastic.

Look

The cocoa nibs are dark brown from the outside. The edges are very light brown and almost appear white-ish.

Sound

The nibs break with clear crackly sounds.

Smell

The cocoa nibs have an intense cocoa smell with aromas of nuts, roast, wood and light floral notes.

Mouthfeel

The nibs have an even surface feeling that initially feels cold. The nibs are brittle and crunchy.

Taste

The nibs have a nutty cocoa flavour with roast, dry wood and hints of roasted walnuts. A little astringency and bitterness unfold over time.

Aftertaste

The aftertaste is dominated by the cocoa's darker flavours of roast, dry wood and a little bitterness.

Summary

These cocoa nibs have an intense cocoa smell. The flavour is mainly cocoa, wood and roasted nuts. Their astringency and bitterness are very mild. Their flavour is not heavy and dark. It comes with finer and lighter flavours.

Verdict

The cocoa nibs have an intense smell of cocoa with dry wood and nuts that is lifted with floral notes. Their flavours are dominated by cocoa, dry wood and roasted. The nibs have no acidity and very mild bitterness and astringency. Thus, finer flavours can shine through and make the nibs lighter and more subtle than other products. 5 Stars.

Dates

Best before 11/11/2018, tasted 25/05&03&13/06/2017

Davert cocoa nibs

The tasting notes reflect my personal opinion.

Name

Cocoa nibs (Kakao Nibs)
Main ingredients are cocoa beans.
Cocoa content: minimum 100% cocoa solids, no vanilla

Manufacturer

Davert GmbH, Zur Davert 7, 59387 Ascheberg, GERMANY

Packaging

The 180g cocoa nibs are sealed in transparent plastic wrap and boxed in turquoise card board.

Look

The cocoa nibs are dark brown with some hints of black. The inside edges of broken nibs are lighter in colour with red and rosé hints.

Sound

The nibs break with a clear snap and some crackling noise.

Smell

There is a deep and dark-ish cocoa and chocolate aroma. The nibs also have some notes of roast and hints of earth or wet wood.

Mouthfeel

At first contact, the nibs feels a little bit cold. The nibs's surface is perceived as even but it has some texture. Once chewed, the nibs are slightly brittle and crackle in the mouth similar to roasted piece of chopped hazelnut.

Taste

The initial flavour is a mild bitterness with notes of roast and some hints of nuts. As the flavour unfolds, the bitterness remains very mild and the cocoa and nut flavours dominate. There are notes of wood and bark.

Aftertaste

The aftertaste is dominated by a dark cocoa flavour, a lingering bitterness and flavours of roasted wood.

Summary

The flavour of the cocoa nibs unfolds slowly and has a mild, dark-ish bitterness. It has long lasting notes of wood, nuts and roast. Their mouthfeel is similar to roasted hazelnut.

Verdict

These cocoa nibs have a clear dark cocoa flavour. They have nuts, roast and wood aroma with little to none acidity but an intense bitterness and a little astringency. They are little, very flavour-intensive nibbles. 3 Stars.

Dates

Best before 14/03/2017, tasted 30/10, 01&06/11/1016

Wohlfahrt - Roasted cocoa nibs

The tasting notes reflect my personal opinion.

Name

Roasted cocoa nibs.
Ingredients are just cocoa nibs.
Cocoa content: minimum 100% cocoa solids, no vanilla

Manufacturer

Wohlfarth Schokolade, Choriner Straße 37, 10435 Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany

Packaging

The cocoa nibs are wrapped in a transparent plastic bag of 50g (other sizes available).

Look

The nibs are dark brown. Some parts are darker, others are lighter with shades of red. The edges are much lighter coloured and almost white and appear to be almost powder.

Sound

When breaking the nibs, they emit a clear crackling sound.

Smell

The nibs smell of a mild cocoa and hints of roast aroma. They also have chocolatey aroma to them that is similar to milk chocolate.

Mouthfeel

Initially, the nibs feel cold when they touch the lips and tongue. Their surface feels surprisingly smooth and even. Chewing them feels similar to chopped almonds.

Taste

The taste unfolds slowly. It starts with a mild bitterness and roast flavours. This combines with an intense cocoa flavour that resembles very dark chocolate. The bitterness is very light, resembling that of lavender or roses. There are also hints of bark and roasted nuts.

Aftertaste

The aftertaste lingers for quite a while. It is mainly cocoa and the mild bitterness and an impression of very smooth chocolate.

Summary

These cocoa nibs taste very intensively of cocoa with a mild bitterness and hints of roast, nuts and petals.

Verdict

These cocoa nibs offer an intense experience. Given the size and amount, they are very rich in flavour. Their bitterness is immediately detectable but not overly hitting. They are not sour and leave an intense aftertaste of dark chocolate. 4 Stars.

Dates

Tasted 30/10&01/11/2016

Wohlfahrt - Raw dried cocoa pulps

The tasting notes reflect my personal opinion.

Name

Raw cocoa pulps (dried cocoa beans with flesh)
Ingredient is dried cocoa beans.
Cocoa content: minimum 100% cocoa, no vanilla

Manufacturer

Wohlfarth Schokolade, Choriner Straße 37, 10435 Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany

Packaging

The dried cocoa pulps are wrapped in transparent plastic bag. Depicted is a 100g bag.

Look

The dried fruit flesh is pale yellow. Some areas are more pink in colour others are more brown-ish. The cocoa nibs inside are dark brown, some are light brown. But the colour variety ranges from pink or blue-ish, white to brown and dark brown.

Sound

The flesh is tough and dry such that it does not really 'break'. The flesh crumbles to some degree. The cocoa nibs are very crumbly. In sum, the sound is similar to crisps.

Smell

After opening the bag, the cocoa flesh smells lemony with a distinct sharp fruity sourness. There are aromas of roasted nuts. There is also a flowery note.

Mouthfeel

The fruit flesh is very dry. It becomes a bit softer in the mouth and feels slightly sticky but it remains quite chewy. The cocoa nibs are crumbly and crisp.

Taste

The initial taste is of fruity sourness and a fruity sweetness. Chewing a little releases nut and roast flavours. This is accompanied by more or less intense cocoa flavours. The variance between the pulps is huge. It ranges from fruity, strongly flowery notes to earthy, bitter flavours. Some also taste of freshly cut wood with roast aroma. The larger ones have a more intense cocoa and chocolate flavour.

Aftertaste

The aftertaste varies heavily. In most cases, it is a nutty roast aroma with hint of earth and a mild bitterness. But the pulps can also have a flowery flavour, some can be quite bitter. The odd one can be also be a bit like soap.

Summary

The dried cocoa pulps have a huge variety in flavours and vary in shape and colour. The commonality seems to be an initial fruity sour flavour, fruity sweetness and nuts and roast flavours of the nibs. Most of the pulps are comparably small. The larger ones have more nibs compared to flesh and a more intense chocolate flavour.
The flavour appears to be perceived very differently between people, too.

Verdict

This is really an interesting product. It probably illustrates how difficult it is to select a good and consistent quality of cocoa. Some people really like its flavours while others really do not. Nevertheless, it's an unusual product that can be very satisfying as a little snack and comes with a variety of flavours. No rating at this point.

Dates

Tasted: 22&23&24/07&03&04&05%30&31/08/2016