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-Two: Bovetti 73%

Welcome back! After a restful break we are ready to return to our favorite pastime of eating chocolate. With a new year comes new resolutions, and we have committed to improving Chocolate Bar Hopping and making the experience of reading along easier for you, dear readers. Expect to see some exciting changes in the coming weeks. 

Our first change is the introduction of a new base bar. We quite enjoyed our Guittard base bar, but often found it to be much sweeter and less chocolate-y than we preferred.  When tasting this new base bar, we felt that it embodied what we love most about chocolate: deep chocolate flavor, complex taste profile, mild sweetness, and divine texture.  You can read more about our new base bar and how it compared to our previous base bar by reading this post.

Bovetti has always provided a decadent tasting experience and this bar was no different.  We are consistently thrilled by their delicious and satisfying chocolate bars.

Strangely, all of the bars we have tried thus far from Bovetti have been 73% cacao. 

Tasting No. :30
Bovetti Chocolatier: Dark Chocolate 73% Cocoa (we couldn't find a link to this particular bar, but this dark chocolate with hazelnuts looks divine!)

Initial Impressions:

The snap of this bar was not quite as firm as the base bar, it almost felt pliable.  The aroma was spicy like cinnamon, with notes of coconut and almond.  Gaby said it reminded her of an almond joy.  The bite was firm but melted very easily, it again brought forth a feeling of eating flourless chocolate cake. 

Flavor Profile:

Initial – almond

Middle – slight acidity, earthy

After – cherry, caramel

Texture:

The texture of this bar was thick, smooth, enveloping, and velvety.  It was much moister than the base bar which crumbles in your mouth, it felt like a chocolate ocean swirling over our tongues. 

Overall:
This bar is true to the Bovetti form; pure, simple, and quality chocolate taste.  We would gladly give this bar as a gift, or keep it for ourselves.  All it takes is a bite to be satisfied.  We both added this bar to our list of favorites.

Rating: 8/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range under $6
Drink pairing suggestion: we tasted this with a strong black loose leaf tea with a dash of milk - no sweetener.

Next week we will be sampling our first Amedei chocolate; known as the best chocolate in the world. Curious about it? Join us!

For now savor: “Flowers wilt, jewelery tarnishes, and candles burn out...but chocolate doesn't hang around long enough to get old.” - Anonymous, Heavenly Humor for the Chocolate Lover's Soul

Chapter Twenty-Five: Valrhona Abinao 85%

This week, we are tasting Valrhona's Noir Abinao 85% cacao, a bar from France which was gifted to us by Gaby's aunt who was recently traveling.  Not just excited because we scored another free bar, but also because we were amazed to read that this brand aided to reestablish a nearly extinct strain of cacao.  Their packing was sophisticated; a sealed tin box opens to individually wrapped, bite sized bars (we made each of our bars last several bites because we like tiny bites to really taste the flavor profile).  If you visit Valrhona's website, they advise tasting their bars with all your senses, in this way:

 

"Sight: First of all, look at the chocolate. Concentrate carefully on the polish, the shine, and especially the color. Colors can range from milky beiges, to pure mahoganies, to deep dark browns. It is an essential detail that reveals the varieties of cocoa beans used.

Smell: Next, smell the chocolate, breathe deeply and fill your mind and body with its aromas.

Hearing: Listen by breaking a square into fragments between your fingers, and listen to the snap it makes.

Taste: Start by biting into a quarter of a chocolate square, let it melt on the tongue to taste the initial flavors, aromas and consistency. Gently rub the tongue against the palate. This causes the temperature of the chocolate to slowly increase, resulting in the final release of its flavors and aromas. Close your eyes and focus only on the development of the aromatic notes of the chocolate in the mouth."

You can see more of their tasting advice on their website.  On to the tasting!

Tasting No. :23

Valrhona's Noir Abinao 85 Percent

Initial Impressions:
This was a very dark brown bar, the snap was firm, almost brittle.  The smell was mild, musky like wet earth, and spicy.  The base bar was almost cloyingly sweet in comparing both the smell and taste.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – mild, earthy

Middle – almond, acidic

After – soil, cinnamon

Texture:
This bar had one of most intriguing textures we have come across thus far; the snap and first bite led us to expect the bar to be dry and crumbly.  Surprisingly, the bar melted easily and the texture was smooth but ended on a dry note.

Overall:
This bar was reminiscent of baking chocolate; it had an intense cacao flavor, was not very sweet but was also dry.  We paired it with black tea and it brought out the flavor profile nicely.  This brand has a lot of variety: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate with different flavors, baking chocolate, gift boxes, bourbon chocolate, and more.  We strongly encourage you to check out their website, there is a lot of educational material there about their chocolate making process, tasting tips, and their Clean Water Project which is inspiring.

Rating: 8 /10

*Notes:

Available on Valrhona's website
Price: $7.50

Next week, we're excited to start a a series for the colder weather: hot chocolate tasting!  We're gathering a few of our favorite brand's cocoa powders to sample during the month of November.  Be sure to check back next week for our first review, we can't wait!


For now savor: “Don't wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty.  Chocolate isn't like premarital sex.  It will not make you pregnant.  And it always feels good." - Lora Brody

Chapter Twenty-Four: Marou Tien Giang 70% Single Origin Bar

This week's bar comes by way of a charming gent who made it his mission to gift us chocolate brands that we had yet to review. The Marou Tien Giang Dark Chocolate bar is our first tasting from Vietnam. The highlights of this bar are the high cacao content of 70% as well as the single origin. By what we could glean from the packaging and website, it is a fair trade and organic bar, although not certified. We were impressed to learn that the cacao is grown in a co-op and we hope that the company goes on to take the next steps to certify their product as fair trade.

Tasting No. :22

Marou Tien Giang 70% Single Origin Dark Chocolate

Initial Impressions:

This bar is a rich brown in comparison to the base bar which is more reddish brown. The aroma was spicy and earthy while the comprehensive flavor of the bar was light and fresh. The bite and snap of this bar were both firm. While we were tasting this bar, we were reminded of the TCHO bar we reviewed which was deep and fudgy in the backs of our mouths and throats. The tasting experience of this bar was completely different with its flavor explosion happening in the front of our mouths and upper taste regions. Yes, we laughed too when we re-read that last part, but remember chocolate tasting can be a sensual experience.
 

Flavor Profile:

Initial – floral

Middle – earthy, smoky, anise, cinnamon 

After – nutty, earthy, fudgy

Texture:

This bar was slightly gritty and then smooth, melting easily over our tongues.

Overall:
We both enjoyed this bar and think that it would make a lovely gift. The price point is affordable while the packaging and quality of the bar remain uncompromised. It is an impressive and unusual brand, which we believe would resonate as a thoughtful and indulgent treat.  We chose different drinks for our tasting; Gaby had a mug of hot English tea with milk and honey while Laura had a full-bodied red wine - both paired deliciously.

Rating: 8 /10

(Our utmost apologies for the not-so-perfect chocolate bar in this photo, we simply couldn't resist a nibble before the photo!)

*Notes:

Available at Central Market

Price range under $10

Next week we'll be trying another gift; this one brought to us all the way from France! Join us.


For now savor: “When we don't have the words chocolate can speak volumes." - Joan Bauer

Chapter Fourteen: Milkboy Essential Pine Oil

We were lucky to find this week’s bar while on a trip to our favorite grocer.  It is an unusual combination of 60% dark chocolate infused with essential pine tree oil.  Milkboy is a Swiss brand committed to sustainable sourcing, being both UTZ certified and from sustainable sources.

Tasting No.: 12

Milkboy Switzerland 60% Cocoa with Essential Pine Tree Oil  

Initial Impressions:

The color of this bar is quite different from the base bar, which is significantly darker and redder. It has a fragrant pine scent when snapped, while the base bar is much sweeter. The snap is firm, about the same as the base bar, with the bite being firm as well.

 Flavor Profile:

Initial – vegetative, tobacco

Middle – spicy, black pepper

After – spicy, pine, black pepper, vanilla

Texture:

For having such a strong flavor profile, the texture of this bar is surprisingly smooth and enveloping.  

Overall:

Sweeter than base bar but the strong flavors make it quite enjoyable even though the cacao content is lower. Laura liked it enough to add it to her list of favorites; she will definitely be eating this one again and said it reminds her of hot cocoa at Christmas time.

Rating: 8/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range under $6

Next week we will be returning to another coconut bar.  Join us! 

For now savor: “Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces.” - Judith Viorst

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.