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 Eighteen: Bovetti Flourless Chocolate Cake

We were so impressed with the Bovetti bar that we tried in Chapter Six that we decided to pick up another to try this week. The Bovetti Dark Chocolate & Fleur de Sel Bar a 73% cacao bar that is fair trade with the cacao originating in Ghana, New Guinea, and Ecuador.

Tasting No.: 16

Bovetti Dark Chocolate & Fleur de Sel

Initial Impressions:

This bar had a very firm snap in comparison to the base bar.  It was not red in color, but a rich, dark brown.  The smell of this bar was different from what we expected.  Although it has caramel, we found the aroma to be distinctly tobacco, like a humidor.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – vanilla, cinnamon, molasses

Middle – chocolate bomb, pure chocolate

After – vanilla, butterscotch

Texture:

The texture of this bar was creamy, which surprised us because of the candy-like caramel morsels covering one side of the bar.  It reminded us of a dense, flourless chocolate cake.  We found it to be quite thick and enveloping.  The texture of this bar was very similar to last week’s TCHO bar, which differed dramatically from the base bar.

Overall:

Bovetti has been the star brand in our tastings thus far and we have yet to be disappointed.  This brand is one that we would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone with a craving for satisfaction.  For those that want to get lost in the moment with a single square, Bovetti is for you.  This particular bar reminded us instantly of a flourless chocolate cake, with intense chocolate flavor.  There was a subtle element of salt and the caramel came through as potent.  This bar also makes Gaby’s and Laura’s individual favorite lists.

Rating: 9/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range under $10

Next week, it’s another Trader Joe’s bar!  Don’t forget to have a look!

For now savor: “In the beginning, the Lord created chocolate, and he saw that it was good. Then he separated the light from the dark, and it was better.” - Anonymous

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 Six: French Artisan Bar

We were surprised and delighted to receive 3 chocolate bars to sample for Gaby’s birthday a few weeks ago.  For the next few weeks, we will be reviewing these.  This week, we have a 73% bar from France.  It is a handmade, artisanal brand from the Southwestern region.  The cacao beans were sourced from Ecuador, Ghana, and New Guinea.  Remember, just because beans aren’t single origin doesn’t mean a chocolate bar’s quality should be dismissed!

Tasting No.: 4

Bovetti Chocolatier, Dark Chocolate with Coconut, 73% (we couldn't find this exact bar on Amazon, but this one with Jasmine flowers looks divine!)

Initial Impressions:

As you can see in the photo above, the Bovetti bar is solid and dense looking.  It has a rich, earthy smell with notes of coconut.  The color is very dark, not at all red like the base bar.  The snap on this bar is firmer than the base bar, but still soft.  It is a very thick bar of chocolate, at least 25% thicker than the Guittard bar.  The underside of the bar showcases a robust coating of coconut flakes, which stand out in beautiful, stark contrast to the rich, dark tones of the chocolate.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – Vanilla, nutty

Middle – Dairy

After – Earthy, coconut

Texture:

The first bite of this is firm and it quickly begins to melt in your mouth.  It then becomes smooth and enveloping, like a comforting hug. Pleasant bits of coconut add a chewy dimension towards the finish of the bite, making it a subtle and complimentary addition. 

Overall:

The coconut in this bar harmonizes with the chocolate and is neither overpowering nor absent when tasting.  The chocolate is rich and indulgent, reminiscent of velvety drinking chocolate.  This bar is much more satisfying than our base bar and supremely comforting.  A warning: you won’t be able to stop after one square of the Bovetti Dark Chocolate with Coconut bar.

Rating: 8.5/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range under $10

Stop by next week, when we review a minimally processed, stone ground, organic bar crafted in Massachusetts! 

For now savor: “Like love, chocolate is always a delight to receive or to give.” – Mary Jane Finsand