Chapter Twenty-Two: Trader Joe's 72% Belgian Dark

This is yet another bar from our Trader Joe’s shopping spree; we promise we’re almost finished with the tastings!  Trader Joe’s 72% Cacao Belgian Dark Chocolate Bar is fair trade and organic, but not single origin.  It is made in Belgium.  The first thing that drew us to this bar was the fact that it only had three ingredients (all organic): cocoa mass, cane sugar, and cocoa butter.

Tasting No. :20 

Trader Joe’s 72% Cacao Belgian Dark Chocolate

Initial Impressions:

This bar has a much stronger scent than the base bar and reminds us of burnt coffee.  It is also much darker brown in color.  The snap is soft in comparison; the bite is even softer.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – Coffee, Smoke

Middle – Walnut

After – Cooked vegetation

Texture:

Smooth, velvety texture

Overall:

This bar was quite acidic and intense, while the base bar is much drier.  We like that it only has three ingredients and is far better than other Trader Joe's bars we have tried, however, we wouldn’t buy it for ourselves again.  We agree that it tastes like a quality bar but we don’t necessarily care for the flavors or high acidity.

Rating: 5/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Trader Joe’s

Price range under $3

Join us next week for our review on a Ghana single origin bar.

For now savor: "As with most fine things, chocolate has its season. There is a simple memory aid that you can use to determine whether it is the correct time to order chocolate dishes: any month whose name contains the letter A, E, or U is the proper time for chocolate." - Sandra Boynton

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 Nineteen: Dark Chocolate Truffle

This week’s tasting is Dark Chocolate Truffle and it is yet another bar from our Trader Joe’s shopping spree, we were drawn to the “truffle” component.  We noticed that the back of the package states that it contains a minimum of 57% chocolate.

Tasting No.: 17
Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Truffle

Initial Impressions:
The truffle bar was darker and browner than the base bar and the snap was notably soft, probably due to the truffle element, and yet, the bite was firm. The aroma was similar to the base bar, but slightly less acidic - almost a dry straw scent.

Flavor Profile:
Initial – dry straw
Middle – jasmine
After – blackcurrant, blackberry

Texture:
The truffle made this bar ultra-creamy, almost like a firm ganache or a thick chocolate syrup.

Overall:
We noticed that our base bar was very earthy after tasting truffle bar.  This bar tasted more expensive than it really was and we would recommend it cost-effective organic alternative to other bars that you would commonly find at a grocery store.  Although it was only 57%, we still enjoyed that it was not overly sweet and the chocolate flavor was present.

Rating: 7/10

*Notes:
Purchased at: Trader Joe’s
Price range under $3
This is a good bar that will satisfy with a single square; it’s rich but not overwhelming and is delightfully creamy.

Next week, we're excited to be tasting World Market's house brand, a dark chocolate with dried strawberry bits and sea salt.  See you then!

For now savor: “A dark-chocolate truffle melts in my mouth, and I forget about everything else...even the fact that I'm on a diet.” - Barbara Brooke

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.