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.