Chapter Thirty-Eight: Comptoir du Cacao Ouganda Noir 80%

The Comptoir du Cacao Ouganda Noir 80% caught our eye during our recent splurge at Central Market. This  family owned and operated chocolate maker is located just outside of Paris. They specialize in an artisanal production process and offer a variety of single origin chocolates. This week we are reviewing their selection from Uganda, and we are eager to try more of their offerings in the future.

Tasting No.: 36
Comptoir du Cacao Ouganda Noir 80%

Initial Impressions:

The color of this bar was darker than our base bar. The snap and bite were both firm, introducing a fragrant floral and rose aroma.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – rose

Middle – soil, cinnamon

After – honey

Texture:
The texture of this was initially dry, but we found that it smoothed out relatively quickly, making the honey note hit our palate beautifully.

Overall:
This bar was rather rich but refreshingly light at the same time. We found it to satiate us quite quickly, noting that one bar could last quite a while. Because the flavor profile is bitter and complex, this would pair better with a sweeter wine like port or a zinfandel.

Rating: 8/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range: Under $6

One last Trader Joe's bar is up for review next week, so don't forget to stop on by!


For now savor: "Chocolate: the poor mans' champagne." - Daniel Worona

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Loving Earth Bean to Bar 85% Dark

Gaby happened upon this week's bar while rummaging through the food items at Home Goods. Have you ever checked out their food selection? You're likely to happen upon a find fit for a foodie! Given that this bar was over 70% cacao with minimal ingredients, while also being organic and single origin, it fit our chocolate preferences nicely.

The Loving Earth Bean to Bar 85% Dark is dressed to impress with a box made from 97% post consumer recycled fiber and a wrapper that is completely compostable made from renewable plant sources. The cacao beans are a wild variety from the 2016 harvest of the Kemito Ene Cooperative, located in the Amazon. There are only 3 ingredients in this bar: raw cacao beans, coconut sugar, and virgin cacao butter. Naturally, less is more when it comes to ingredients and we appreciate the simplicity of this bar's makeup.

Tasting No. :35
Loving Earth Bean to Bar 85% Dark - 2015 Harvest

Initial Impressions:

The color of this bar was similar to the base bar, however the base bar is a bit darker. The snap of this bar was unique - it very much reminded us of snapping raw green beans. We quite enjoyed the aroma; it was pungent and sweet, smelling like honey and spice. The bite was firmer than the base bar.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – vanilla, hazelnut

Middle – honey

After – anise, faintly earthy

Texture:
The texture was superbly smooth, like velvet. It immediately began to melt upon impact in our mouths.

Overall:
We found the texture was so smooth that it was almost distracting. It melted instantaneously like butter in a hot pan. We highly recommend this bar and think it would be a good choice for someone beginning to explore dark chocolate. It was easy to recognize that this bar was too good. It wouldn't take much to devour the entire bar before realizing what we've done! Gaby has added it to her list of favorites.

Rating: 8 /10

*Notes:

Purchased at Home Goods

Price range: Under $6

Up next  we'll be tasting our first bar from Uganda. Don't forget to take a peek!

For now savor: "Hot fudge fills deep needs." - Susan Isaacs

Remember, fairly traded chocolate is a responsible way to support farmers by ensuring that the chocolate that you consume has been bought for a fair price. By choosing to purchase fair trade chocolate, you can honor the cocoa tree growers and support their way of life which in turn leads to better chocolate.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Taza 87% Dark

Our first encounter with Taza back in June left us with wary impressions. This bar's competing flavors and jagged, gritty texture overwhelmed the entire sensory experience. However, we were forever converted when we tried a different bar in July. We even decided to sample their drinking chocolate during our November series.

This week we bring you a new Taza selection. One of our favorite aspects of Taza is their stone grinding process. Now that we are accustomed to the texture, eating their chocolate gives us a sense of chocolate in its truest form; the texture is always enticing. As always, we are pleased with the product's purity was well as the company's ethical standards. Taza's 87% Dark is from Bolivia, is direct trade, organic, gluten, soy, and dairy free.

Tasting No. :34

Taza 87% Dark

Remember, fairly traded chocolate is a responsible way to support farmers by ensuring that the chocolate that you consume has been bought for a fair price. By choosing to purchase fair trade chocolate, you can honor the cocoa tree growers and support their way of life which in turn leads to better chocolate.

Initial Impressions:

Although the Taza bar is the same shade of brown, it is slightly redder than our base bar. Its fragrance is deeply earthy and musty, strongly reminding us of wet soil, almost in a nostalgic way. This bar has a firm snap, much firmer than the base bar. One of our favorite aspects of Taza is that they keep their texture less refined, so it is visible to the naked eye. The stone ground texture brings to mind the similarity between Taza and the Dominican drinking chocolate. The scent and texture combined call forth a genuine bean to bar, minimally processed chocolate experience that really is supremely satisfying. 

Flavor Profile:

Initial – earthy

Middle – caramel, spicy

After – jasmine

Texture:
This bar's texture could only be described as odd. It was almost distracting. Because it was so dry, it crumbled very easily and did not melt in our mouth.  This was the least favorable aspect of this bar.

Overall:
The most unexpected discovery about this Taza bar is that it makes the base bar's bouquet far more interesting. After tasting it and going back to the base bar, there was definitely a more layered and complex flavor profile. It makes us curious to try other bars in conjunction with this Taza bar, hopefully ringing true for other bars as well. The stellar taste of this bar made up for the unusual crumbly texture, thus landing this bar a solid 8/10 stars.

Rating: 8 /10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range under $6

Next up is a bar made from raw ashaninka cacao (and also from a brand that's new to us). Check back next Monday to read our thoughts!

For now savor: "I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process...it may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?" - Anonymous

Chapter Thirty-Five: Leonidas 70% Dark

The bar we are reviewing this week went missing! It was mailed to us from a dear friend of ours and did not arrive for weeks. As time passed we grew a little concerned. Did the postman steal this for his own enjoyment? Did someone commit a felony and break into our mailbox to deliver this bar to their beloved? Finally, it arrived (three weeks late) and we, as always, were more than glad to tuck in. Please pardon the appearance of this bar and packaging because it was dropped a few times and did sustain some damage; but that's not why we are here! It's the taste that we are after.

Leonidas is a Belgian chocolate company with a long history that began in 1913 with Leonidas Kestekides. In 1910, he competed in the Brussels World Exhibition, submitting his chocolate and winning the bronze medal for Greece. He continued to make chocolate and formally founded Leonidas in 1913 with his nephew.  Today, they have locations worldwide that still receive their stock from the original location in Brussels.  Leonidas' fine chocolates have a large celebrity following and also boast to have a "wicked" hot chocolate that we hope to one day get our hands on!  

Tasting No. :33
Leonidas 70% Dark

Initial Impressions:

In terms of color, the Leonidas bar is lighter than the base bar, almost chalky is some areas. We found the snap to be satisfying and without much struggle; it can best be described as firm yet pliable.  The aroma is rather spicy, evoking notes of cinnamon. The bite is extremely firm, more firm than the base bar.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – chili

Middle – vanilla, caramel
After – spicy, earthy

Texture:
We did not quite care for the texture of this bar. It is dry and crumbly. Even after we worked on it for a while, it was apparent that the chocolate stays dry.

Overall:
What was most noticeable to us when tasting this bar is that we found it difficult to draw the flavors out. It felt like we needed to suck on it for quite a while before the flavor emerged. A hot drink such as tea or coffee might be a good pairing for this chocolate to help bring out the flavor notes.

Rating: 5 /10

*Notes:

Available on the Leonidas website

Price range: 12 bars for $38

Next week we will be sampling another bar from Taza. Be still, my beating heart!

For now savor: “Chocolate is medicinal. I just did another study that confirms it.” ― Michelle M. Pillow

Remember, fairly traded chocolate is a responsible way to support farmers by ensuring that the chocolate that you consume has been bought for a fair price. By choosing to purchase fair trade chocolate, you can honor the cocoa tree growers and support their way of life which in turn leads to better chocolate.