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Chocolate Taste Tests:
The Chocolate Connoisseur
by Chloé Doutre-Roussel. |
Obtain a variety of high-quality PLAIN chocolate bars.
The Two Chloés, who have rather different preferences, are:
Batch 1 was purchased in November and December 2006 at local grocery stores:
Batch 2 was introduced on New Year 2007 by the two-person singing group, Seattle Chloé:
Batch 3 was purchased March 1, 2007 at Fog City News, San Francisco. Valrhona Le Noir American 71% (dark bittersweet) and Valrhona 56% (semisweet) were purchased Trader Joe's as the calibration bars.
Percent | Chocolate Bar identification | C2's Score | C2's Comments | C3's Comments |
75%. | Theo Ivory Coast | 7/10. | Aroma: Woodsy; mushrooms/earth; dark cherry.
Snap: solid clean thunk; uniformly fine-grained, slightly granulated cross-section (but with a pinhole about every half-inch). Taste: Pretty good: Lacks the full-mouth feel of Valrhona Le Noir American 71%. | |
72%. | Fran's 72% Bittersweet | 6/10. | Dark: tar; coal. Rich full-mouth feel. | Not reported. |
72%. | Trader Joe's 72% Pound-Plus | 3/10. | Delicious. Rich full-mouth feel. As good as Valrhona Le Noir American 71%. | Not reported. |
71%. | Valrhona Le Noir American (dark bittersweet) | 9/10. | Aroma: Berries; citrus.
Snap: solid and clean. Taste: Best so far. Full-mouth feel. |
Bottom Line = Yuck (that's a technical term).
Smell = good, but it's a single note smell. Sight = Very shiny surface, which I find unappealing - I associate it with cheap chocolate. Taste = bitter, harsh, maybe metallic, not well rounded. Slow to melt on tongue; distinct particles until it melts completely; then it's very smooth. |
70%. | Green and Black's Dark 70% | 3/10. | Wood, cherry, mushroom. Puckerish. Unenthusiastic for more. | Not reported. |
70%. | Lindt "Excellence" 70% | 7/10. | Smell: Raspberry, cherry, wood.
Taste: opens with a hint of pleasing sweetness that quickly deepens, and then finishes with a central pallet flourish. | Not reported. |
66%. | Amedei Toscano Black | 9/10. | Aroma: Honey, honeysuckle; almonds.
Taste: Pretty good, with a pleasant rising finish at rear center of palate and reaching for the cheek dimples -- a chocolate that literally makes me smile. Sweeter and lighter than Valrhona Le Noir American 71%. |
Bottom Line = Delightful, I would actually eat this plain (big praise from me).
Taste = Sweeter, more full and rounded taste, and more balanced than Valrhona Le Noir American 71%. Has some "zingy" taste. I don't taste citrus but my mouth reacts as if I'm tasting something sour and it's a great combination with the chocolate. Some late note on back of tongue. |
66%. | Michael Cluizel: Concepcion plantation (Venezuela) | 7/10. | Aroma: Honey, honeysuckle; almonds.
Appearance: Love the size of their little squares. Taste: Honey. Mushroom. Pear. Maple finish. Good but a little too sweet. |
Bottom Line = Boring.
Taste = Sweeter and more rounded taste than Valrhona Le Noir American 71%; more full and balanced. Coats entire tongue and palate and lingers more than Amedei. More single note than Amedei Toscano Black. |
66%. | Valrhona: Caraïbe (Gran Cru) | 7/10. | Taste: Blueberry. Cherry. Berry. |
Bottom Line = Yuck, not quite as bad as
Valrhona Le Noir American 71%;
but i don't need to eat it.
Taste = Like Valrhona Le Noir American 71%; in most characteristics, except a little sweeter. Splintery bite, single note, bitter, doesn't leave full-mouth taste. |
65%. | Fran's 65% Semisweet | 7/10. | Good. Slightly oily. | Not reported. |
65%. | Hershey's Extra Dark 65% | 3/10. | Wood, smoke. Maybe brambles. Unenthusiastic for more. | Not reported. |
64%. | Michael Cluizel: Maralumi plantation (Papua, New Guinea) | 7/10. |
Appearance: Love the size of their little squares.
Taste: Interestingly rich in fruit tastes. Raspberry. Some tastes are black currant, blackberry, gooseberry. Malt and honey finish. More interesting than Michael Cluizel: Concepcion plantation (Venezuela) 66%. |
Bottom Line = Very nice. I would eat this plain. This and the
Amedei are the clear winners for me, and the only ones I would buy
again.
Smell = Some note on top of the simple dark chocolate smell. Taste = Excellent. Just the right give when I bite into it - not too splintery, not too soft. Tart - like blackberry? or kiwi? Chocolate is bitter enough, but not too bitter, and it marries well with fruit taste. |
61%. | Seeds of Change: La Dominica 61%. | 9/10. | Smell: Aroma of oranges.
Taste: Citrus. Rich and lively. | Not reported. |
60%. | Ghiradelli Square 60% | 4/10. | Wood, smoke, ash. Maybe dark berry. Unenthusiastic for more. | Not reported. |
58.5%. | Bucare - Careno Superior (traditionally called the Barlovento) | 8/10. | Aroma: sweet chocolate.
Taste: Berry. Cherry. Grapefruit. Honey. |
Bottom Line = Malted milk chocolate not to my taste. I wouldn't buy it.
Smell = Pronounced vanilla.
Taste = Sweet, one-note simple, easy to eat (which is boring to me). Tastes sort of like hot chocolate with milky taste and texture. At the end, malted-milk-ball flavor. |
56%. | Valrhona Le Noir 56% (semisweet). | 8/10. | Smell: Mushroom, loam.
Taste: Honey. Pear. Mushroom. Almost as good as Seeds of Change: La Dominica 61%. | Not reported. |
A total of 10 points is assigned, with different ranges for each sense:
Death by Chocolate: The Last Word on a Consuming Passion
by Marcel Desaulniers (Author), Michael Grand (Photographer) Try Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin Cheesecake. Or Caramel Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Or Chocolate Dementia. |
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