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-Four: Equal Exchange Chocolate

An errand to Laura's favorite coffee supplier brought us a serendipitous find! Ten Thousand Villages is a local fair trade shop offering unique goodies and interesting wares from across the globe. We happened upon another bar from Divine (that we're saving for a future post) and this week's Equal Exchange Chocolates: Panama Extra Dark 80%. The packaging was what initially drew us because it is biodegradable and produced with sustainably harvested wood and renewable materials.  We love that!

Tasting No. :32
Equal Exchange Chocolates: Panama Extra Dark 80%

Initial Impressions:
This bar is much thicker than base bar leading to a very firm snap; it was rather difficult to break. It was lighter in color than base bar with an extremely firm bite.  We found the aroma to be mild and sweet, almost like vanilla blossom. 

Flavor Profile:

Initial – straw

Middle – raisin, vanilla, olive

After – rum, soil, walnut

Texture:
This texture was so odd to the point of being almost distracting. It was dry, and crumbly.  We would have preferred a smoother transition into melting instead of having to manipulate it so much in our mouths.

Overall:
At first, it was quite difficult to draw the flavors out. We found that we needed to work on a piece, sucking on it for a while. This is indeed the preferred way of tasting chocolate as is allows the flavor profile to develop while chewing does not. We'd like to pair this with a hot drink in the future (the package actually suggests this and specifies coffee) as it would allow the chocolate to melt. Ultimately, although this bar was work, we found it to be supremely satisfying with a well-rounded and gratifying flavor.

Rating: 9 /10

*Notes:

Purchased at Ten Thousand Villages

Price range under $4

Join us next week as we delve into the intrigue of a chocolate bar delivery gone awry!

For now savor: "Chocolate is a perfect food, as wholesome as it is delicious, a beneficent restorer of exhausted power...it is the best friend of those engaged in literary pursuits." - Justus Leibig

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 Ten: The Return of Taza

We decided to try another Taza bar this week to rate some of their other offerings.  Because of the company’s commitment to sustainability and fair trade practices, we felt compelled to give their products another chance.  This week, we picked up their Cacao Nib Crunch.  It is an 80%, organic stone ground chocolate bar.  You can read our first post about Taza's Sea Salt & Almond bar here.

Tasting No.: 8

Taza Organic 80% Cacao Nib Crunch

Initial Impressions:

The bar is much more red than our base bar, surprising because it has a higher cacao content.  There are visible nibs throughout the bar, although they seem to only be sprinkled.  The stone ground process leaves the end product with a lot visible texture and crystallization.  This bar has an earthy smell similar to soil after rain and reminiscent of cocoa powder for baking.  This is far earthier than the base bar’s scent profile.  The snap of this bar is firm and satisfying.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – extremely nutty

Middle – sweet, coffee, acid

After – smoky vanilla

Texture:

The only way to describe this bar is hearty and substantial.  The grittiness and nibs were something we really enjoyed and a totally different tasting experience from the base bar. 

Overall:

The deep earthy smell of this bar evokes a feeling of being in nature.  To us, it is an homage to the roots of chocolate; going back to the source, how chocolate was first eaten.  The base bar is much sweeter and smoother, while this bar’s sweetness builds with every bite.  We thoroughly enjoyed this bar and were pleased that this tasting changed our opinion of this brand's chocolate.

Rating: 8.5/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range under $5

We imagine this bar pairing well with a steaming cup of black tea.

Next week we’ll be trying another bar from Trader Joe's - be sure to check back!

For now savor: “Chocolate knows no boundaries; speaks all languages; comes in all sizes; is woven through many cultures and disciplines...it impacts mood, health, and economics, and it is a part of our lives from early childhood through the elderly years.” – Herman A. Berliner, Chocolate: Food of the Gods

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 Seven: Stone Ground Chocolate

This week’s bar is one of the bars that Gaby received as a gift.  It is stone ground, minimally processed and hails from Massachusetts in the U.S.  Furthermore, it is organic, direct trade, kosher, non GMO, and gluten, dairy, soy free and vegan.  It is 80% cacao with sea salt and almond.  This is a common combination, and we’re curious to see how this is presented with this bar.

Tasting No.: 5
Taza Sea Salt & Almond, 80% Dark Stone Ground Chocolate

Initial Impressions:

The color of this is darker, and browner, not as red as base bar.  This has a gritty look to it almost like Mexican hot chocolate, some chunks of almond are visible. The snap is soft, just a tad firmer than base bar.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – Cloyingly sweet

Middle – Fruity, overwhelmingly salty

After – Salty, fruity almost banana finish

Texture:

The texture of this bar is overwhelmingly gritty.  This is probably due to the fact that it stone ground and has sea salt and almonds.  The second ingredient listed is cane sugar, which could also contribute to the feel of this bar.  It is reminiscent of getting sand in your mouth while at the beach, with residual granules needing a beverage to wash them away.

Overall:

Because of the certifications of this bar and it being our first stone ground tasting, we had high expectations for the flavor.  The quality of this bar is not in question, however we were underwhelmed with the experience.  We hoped that the stone ground process would highlight the chocolate’s flavor, but in actuality we barely tasted the chocolate itself and could not detect any almond flavor.  If you’ve enjoyed a stone ground bar, please comment below with a recommendation!

Even though we did not enjoy this particular bar, we do respect and want to support this company because of their direct trade practices and so we will be purchasing more bars from this company for future tastings.

Rating: 1/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range under $10

Next week we decided to try another sea salt and chocolate bar, this one by Ghirardelli.  See you then!

For now savor: “Oh, divine chocolate!  They grind thee kneeling, beat thee with hands praying, and drink thee with eyes to heaven.” – Marco Antonio Orellana

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.