Real Chocolate Bars that i have Sampled.
This list of 141 bars (Jan 2002) is sorted alphabetically by manufacturer.These are the bars that i have sampled.
This list began in 1997; i was desperately searching for the new 60%-80% chocolate bars that were being produced as a result of the Chocolate War. Initially every bar i could find went on the list -- as a way of celebrating and of circulating the information.
Now, with pure chocolate becoming so readily availible in the US i generally do not post bars below 70%. However, i do post everything i can possibly get my hands on, that is 70% and above. Nothing is left out due to any reason other than i have not yet found it. If a bar is not here, it is not a commentary, it is because i have not ever seen it. (This may seem obvious, but you wouldn't believe the stupid email i get!) Please do not complain that am slighting your personal favorite!!! If it is that important to you, please just send me the bar!!!
The ingredients are listed exactly as they were on the label (translated into English when appropriate).
(Please Note that BUTTER means Cocoa butter, NOT dairy butter.)
| brand bar name weblink |
percent cacao | made purchased date |
grams cost per gram bars i've had |
Ingredients ALL CAPS = a form of CACAO |
star rating
attributes;
comments The best bars are indicated with a 1 to 5  rating.
|
| Amazonas (Lidl Stifting) Edelbitter | 60% | Germany gift (Germany) 07 Jan 2002 | 125 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER lecithin | too sweet - but still pretty good |
| Amedei Fondente - La Tavoletta www.amedei.it | 70% | Italy gift (Tuscany) 18 Nov 2000 | 100 3 ¢ 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla | ok, but nothing special. |
| Angelina Rumpelmayer Le Chocolat - noir 85 www.angelina.fr | 85% | France Seattle Chocolat Feb 1999 | 100 7 ¢ 1 | COCOA sugar BUTTER vanilla | Smooth texture, subdued, very bitter, mellow. Long long aftertaste (very bitter). Very good. |
| Baron Gorzka | about 60% | Poland Gdańsk Poland 21 Jun 2000 | 100 0 ¢ 1 | LIQUOR sugar BUTTER E322 ethylvanillin | artificial flavor, cool checkerboard pattern Creamy, pretty good but a strong artificial flavor |
| Blanxart | 70% | Spain Seattle La Tienda C diz 01 Mar 2002 | 10 3 ¢ 12 | CACAO sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla | cool imprint - or lack thereof Smooth, weak, bland. Disappointing. |
| Blanxart Negro | about 55% | Spain gift (Seattle) 18 Nov 2001 | 48 2 | LIQUOR sugar BUTTER vanilla lecithin | Sweet, powdery. Not bad, but way too sweet. Tastes a bit like Côte d'Or. Disappointing. |
| Chocolat Bonnat Pour Croquer - Équateur www.bonnat-chocolatier.com | 75% | France Seattle ChefShop 02 Jan 2002 | 100 6 ¢ 2 | CACAO sugar BUTTER | Single Bean Smooth, Fast, light, very flowery, dientergrates. Sour aftertaste. |
| Chocolat Bonnat Pour Croquer - Côte d'Ivoire www.bonnat-chocolatier.com | 75% | France Stockholm 15 Jul 2000 | 100 3 ¢ 1 | CACAO sugar BUTTER | Single Bean Shifting flavor. fruity, sweet. mild. creamy, subtle, sweeter. disappears quickly. kind of sour. This is one of a series of 5 single cultivar bars which we tasted side by side! |
| Chocolat Bonnat Pour Croquer - Ceylan www.bonnat-chocolatier.com | 75% | France Stockholm 15 Jul 2000 | 100 3 ¢ 1 | CACAO sugar BUTTER | Single Bean Creamy. Sharp, spicy, mild, gritty. peaks quickly. flavor like dill! This is one of a series of 5 single cultivar bars which we tasted side by side! |
| Chocolat Bonnat Pour Croquer - Chuao www.bonnat-chocolatier.com | 75% | France Stockholm 15 Jul 2000 | 100 3 ¢ 1 | CACAO sugar BUTTER | Single Bean Very smooth texture. Subtle powdery tangy flavor. Sharp gritty flavor. Smoky. Really dries up your mouth. I didn't like it at all. Gave me headache. This is one of a series of 5 single cultivar bars which we tasted side by side. |
| Chocolat Bonnat Pour Croquer - Hacienda El Rosario www.bonnat-chocolatier.com | 75% | France Seattle ChefShop Apr 2002 | 100 6 ¢ 1 | CACAO sugar BUTTER | Single Bean good, complex. Everyone liked it! |
| Chocolat Bonnat Pour Croquer - Madagascar www.bonnat-chocolatier.com | 75% | France Stockholm 15 Jul 2000 | 100 3 ¢ 1 | CACAO sugar BUTTER | Single Bean Less snap than others. Very dark color. Powerful. Very strong & persistent. Crumbly texture. Strong, gritty, bitter coffeelike flavor. Strong aftertaste. This is one of a series of 5 single cultivar bars which we tasted side by side! |
| Chocolat Bonnat Pour Croquer - Puerto Cabello www.bonnat-chocolatier.com | 75% | France Seattle ChefShop 02 Jan 2002 | 100 6 ¢ 1 | CACAO sugar BUTTER | Single Bean Strong. Smokey, Bitter. Very slow. Very good. |
| Chocolat Bonnat Pour Croquer - Trinité www.bonnat-chocolatier.com | 75% | France Stockholm 15 Jul 2000 | 100 3 ¢ 2 | CACAO sugar BUTTER | Single Bean Good snap, dry chalky texture. Strong, gentle, full, well rounded, sharp, bitter, spicy, intense but not aggressive, very warm, very subtle, slow, long aftertaste. Fantastic, flawless. One of a series of 7 single cultivar bars. |
| Max Brenner Dark Venezualen Bean Blend | 70% | Isreal internet Chocosphere 12 Mar 2003 | 85 1 | LIQUER BUTTER sugar lecithin | surprisingly good; rich & woody |
| Café-Tasse Noir Bitter 70% www.cafe-tasse.com | 73.5% | Belgium Bayeux France 08 Feb 2000 | 9 3 ¢ 2 | not printed | Subtle, strong. Good aftertaste Good. |
| Café-Tasse Extra Noir www.cafe-tasse.com | 77% | Belgium Bayeux France 09 Feb 2000 | 100 1 | sugar MASS BUTTER lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor Too creamy, 70% was better. |
| Cocoa Camino (Pronatec) | 71% | Switzerland Olympia Traditions 09 Nov 2002 | 100 3 ¢ 2 | LIQUOR raw sugar BUTTER whole sugar vanilla | ORGANIC very good |
| Casino Noir - Dégustation www.groupe-casino.fr | 72% | France Monaco 22 Jan 2000 | 100 1 ¢ 1 | PASTE sugar BUTTER POWDER lecithin flavoring | grocery store brand Basic, but rather good. |
| Bernard Castelain Noir Extreme www.netbus-info.com/cholaterie- castelain/chocolaterie.htm | 77% | France Seattle ChefShop 12 Mar 2003 | 100 6 ¢ 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER POWDER vanilla | Much better than the 85 i had last year; therefore a surprise. Full and bitter. Nice but not great. |
| Bernard Castelain Noir Extreme www.netbus-info.com/cholaterie- castelain/chocolaterie.htm | 85% | France Seattle ChefShop 02 Jan 2002 | 100 6 ¢ 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER POWDER vanilla | Surprisingly weak for an 85%. Flavor ends very quickly. Lacks character. Weak flavor, not sharp; smooth, very melty, not creamy. Too much added Cacao Butter. Probably Forastero. NOTE: bar may have been OLD! |
| Cémoi Désir Noir www.cemoi.fr | 72% | France San Marino 17 Dec 1999 | 100 1 ¢ 2 | PASTE sugar BUTTER POWDER lecithin vanilla flavor | probably artificial vanilla Bitter, light, not special, crumbly good texture, but the second time we called it 'very good' |
| Cémoi Chocolat Noir www.cemoi.fr | 74% | France Vancouver BC 05 Jul 2002 | 100 3 ¢ 2 | MASS sugar BUTTER sunflower lecithin vanilla bean | organic |
| Chocolate Arts Killer Whale (chocolate shop in Vancouver) www.chocolatearts.ca | about 65% | Canada gift (Vancouver) 03 Jan 2003 | 35 3 | beautiful bars shaped into Salish artwork Very dark; dry; wonderful. | |
| Chocolate Moose Bittersweet (chocolate shop in Sitka AK) www.bonnat-chocolatier.com | about 50% | USA (Sitka AK) Sitka AK 15 Jun 1999 | 155 3 ¢ 1 | BITTERSWEET -CHOCOLATE lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor Very sweet and artificial, under that, not too bad. |
| ChocoLove Pure Dark (yellow label) www.chocolove.com | 55% | Belgium/ USA (CO) Seattle Rainbow Dec 1998 | 90 4 ¢ 1 | LIQUOR sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla | Smooth -- but way too sweet. |
| ChocoLove Organic ... | 64% | Belgium/ USA (CO) | 64 | ||
| ChocoLove Rich Dark (red label) www.chocolove.com | 65% | Belgium/ USA (CO) Seattle Rainbow Dec 1998 | 90 4 ¢ 1 | LIQUOR sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla | Good. Smooth, nice -- a bit too sweet. |
| ChocoLove Strong Dark (black label) www.chocolove.com | 70% | Belgium/ USA (CO) Seattle Rainbow Dec 1998 | 90 3 ¢ 12 | LIQUOR sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla | Very creamy, strong, quick, long lasting flavor, smooth texture. Very good. |
| ChocoLove Organic Dark (Also called Organic Very Dark) www.chocolove.com | 73% | Belgium/ USA (CO) Seattle Rainbow 09 Jan 2002 | 64 5 ¢ 10 | LIQUOR sugar BUTTER | Organic, wax lined foil Strong, full bodied. Sweet & fruity. Pretty good, but we didn't like the fruitiness. It could be from raw sugar. |
| ChocoLove Extra Strong Dark (gold label) www.chocolove.com | 77% | Belgium/ USA (CO) gift (Jackson MS) 18 Jan 2000 | 90 6 ¢ 20 | LIQUOR sugar BUTTER lecithin | paper wrapped, changed impression in early 2002 Very good. A bit too creamy, sometimes a funny aftertaste. I think the corporate name is terrible! |
| Chocovic Criollo Origen Único - Ocumare/Venezuela www.chocovic.es | 71% | Spain Stockholm 15 Jul 2000 | 10 11 ¢ 1 | PASTE sugar BUTTER lecithin | Single Bean Creamiest taste, sweetest -- least bitter. Tastes like common good chocolate. This is one of a series of 3 single cultivar bars which we tasted side by side! |
| Chocovic Forastero Origen Único - Guaranda/Ecuador www.chocovic.es | 71% | Spain Stockholm 15 Jul 2000 | 10 11 ¢ 1 | PASTE sugar BUTTER lecithin | Single Bean Less pronounced aroma. Flavor is a mix of the other two. This is one of a series of 3 single cultivar bars which we tasted side by side! |
| Chocovic Trinitario Origen Único - Guyave/Grenada www.chocovic.es | 71% | Spain Stockholm 15 Jul 2000 | 10 11 ¢ 1 | PASTE sugar BUTTER lecithin | Single Bean Strongest aroma. Very strong chocolate taste, powdery flavor!, the most bitter. This is one of a series of 3 single cultivar bars which we tasted side by side! |
| Ciocador Fondente - Extra Amaro | 68% | Italy/ Ecuador Firenze Italy 18 Dec 1999 | 100 1 ¢ 1 | PASTE sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla | Organic, Fair Trade, paperlined foil Excellent. Spicy. Very bitter (almost like coffee). Good snap. |
| Michel Cluizel Pure Origine du Monde Ilha Toma Ill de Sao Tomé | 66% | France | 100 | not yet tasted | |
| Michel Cluizel 1 Cru de Plantation Hacienda Los Anocnes Ill San Dominic | 67% | France | 100 | not yet tasted | |
| Michel Cluizel Amer www.cluizel.com | 72% | France gift (France) 18 Nov 1997 | 100 3 ¢ 3 | COCOAS sugar lecithin vanilla | Strong aroma. powdery. strong, vanilla is a bit strong. |
| Michel Cluizel Grand Amer www.cluizel.com | 85% | France Germany? Jan 2000 | 100 3 ¢ 25 | COCOAS sugar vanilla sometimes lists bourbon vanilla | Powerful, smooth, creamy, very well balanced -- Exceptional. Often called the 'best Chocolate in the world.' If not, it's very close! Bourbon Vanilla (when listed) is not overpowering. |
| Michel Cluizel Noir in fini www.cluizel.com | 99% | France gift (France) 18 Nov 1997 | 30 3 | CACAO sugar vanilla orange spices | Powerful and awesome. |
| Côte d'Or (Kraft/Philip Morris) Noir de Noir Pour Connaisseurs www.cotedor.com | 56% | Belgium Bayeux France? 11 Feb 2000 | 150 2 ¢ 2 | sugar PASTE BUTTER POWDER lecithin vanilla | Not terribly impressive. Very sweet. |
| Côte d'Or (Kraft/Philip Morris) Noir de Noir Intense - Sensations www.cotedor.com | 70% | Belgium Seattle? DeLaurenti? Jun 1999? | 100 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER POWDER milk fat vanilla lecithin | nothing special. |
| Cremant (Pronatec) edelbitter - Chocant www.pronatec.com/d/chocanat1.htm | 55% | Switzerland Firenze Italy 04 Apr 2000 | 100 1 ¢ 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER raw sugar vanilla | Organic One of the better organic bars, sweet but good. |
| Cuba Venchi Cuor di Cacao | 85% | Italy Seattle ChefShop 15 Jan 2003 | 45 7 ¢ 2 | MASS BUTTER sugar lecithin nat vanilla | |
| Cusco (GolosinasGore) Clavo y Canela para taza | about 55% | Peru gift (Peru) 12 Dec 2002 | 90 1 | sugar vegitableoil PASTE malt cloves cinnaman | is actually drinking chocolate a friend brought this from Machu Pichu Peru for me!! |
| Dagoba new moon www.dagobachocolate.com | 74% | USA (Boulder CO) Vancouver BC 05 Jul 2002 | 60 4 ¢ 2 | MASS cane sugar BUTTER lecithin | organic, extremely pretentious label First bar was clearly bad: Boring. Good texture. Dirty flavor that is associated with fruity sugar or rancid cacao butter. Later bars have been condsiderably better. |
| Jeff de Bruges NOIR: 70% (Euro note wrappers - Noir was the 500€) | 70% | France gift (France) 08 Jan 2002 | 8.5 1 | not printed | ok |
| Delhaize Fondant/Puur www.delhaize-le-lion.be | 76% | Belgium Liège Belgium 01 Aug 2000 | 100 1 ¢ 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER lecithin vanillin | grocery store brand, artificial flavor, paperlined Very good, mellow. |
| Delhaize Fondant - Eclats de cacao www.delhaize-le-lion.be | 76% | Belgium Liège Belgium 01 Aug 2000 | 100 1 ¢ 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER NIBS lecithin vanillin | w/BITS, grocery store brand, artificial flavor, paperlined Strong, mellow, GOOD! Cheryln loves the bits of chocolate beans. |
| Démon (Kraft/Philip Morris) Különleges www.kraftfoodsinternational.com | 55% | Hungary Budapest 25 Oct 1999 | 85 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER E322 vanillin | cool imprint Too sweet, too much vanilla. |
| Denman Island Chocolate Cocoa Loco www.denmanislandchocolate.com | 70% | Canada Courtney BC 24 Sep 2001 | 46 4 ¢ 11 | MASS sugar BUTTER lecithin | Organic Smooth, consistent, bitter, creamy -- Excellent!!! (I've had a couple of bars with a very bad over-taste, like the bad fruity sugars. Perhaps they were old?) |
| Deva Horká | 49% | Slovkia Stary Smokovec Slovkia 30 Nov 1999 | 100 2 | MASS sugar BUTTER E322 etylvanilin | artificial flavor sweet but ok |
| Dilettante Delux Semisweet www.dilettante.com | 58% | USA (Seattle) gift (Seattle) 18 Nov 2000 | 57 1 | sugar LIQUOR BUTTER lecithin vanilla | too sweet. |
| Divine Fair Trade Dark | 70% | Germany/ England Olympia Traditions 26 Apr 2003 | 100 | not yet tasted | |
| Dolfin Noir 70% www.dolfin.be | 71% | Belgium internet Chocosphere 12 Mar 2003 | 70 2 | MASS sugar POWDER lecithin | GMO free good |
| Dolfin Noir 88% www.dolfin.be | 88% | Belgium internet Chocosphere 12 Mar 2003 | 70 2 | MASS sugar POWDER lecithin | GMO free good |
| Domori Barrique www.domori.com | 75% | Italy Seattle City People's 13 Dec 2001 | 50 8 ¢ 1 | MASS raw sugar BUTTER(47%) vanilla-bourbon lecithin | square bar, plastic wrapped a different blend -- different quantities of sugar and butter |
| Domori Blend No 1 www.domori.com | 78% | Italy Seattle City People's 13 Dec 2001 | 50 8 ¢ 4 | MASS raw sugar BUTTER(45%) vanilla-bourbon lecithin | square bar, plastic wrapped Strong, full rich chocolate flavor, a little fruity. Strong rumlike flavor. Very creamy. Tastes like Cacao beans. Luxurious. Good but bourbon vanilla is very strong and ruins the bar. |
| Domori Break www.domori.com | 80% | Italy Seattle City People's 13 Dec 2001 | 50 8 ¢ 2 | MASS raw sugar BUTTER(45%) vanilla-bourbon lecithin | square bar, Same as blend #1, but with nibs Bean bits are good! Strong, full rich chocolate flavor, a little fruity. Strong rumlike flavor. Very creamy. Tastes like Cacao beans. Luxurious. Good bar, but bourbon vanilla is very strong and ruins the bar. |
| Droste Extra Puur www.droste.nl | 72% | Netherlands gift (Amsterdam) 25 Aug 1999 | 100 5 | MASS sugar BUTTER lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor Fairly strong, but very artificial tasting. Cacao is of questionable quality. also in pastilles |
| Droste Bittersweet www.droste.nl | about 60% | Netherlands gift (Netherlands) Jun 2002 | 100 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor Very artificial tasting. Cacao is of questionable quality. |
| El Rey Apamate - Careneo Superior Made in a country where Cacao is grown! Exciting & Unusual! www.chocolates-elrey.com | 73.5% | Venezuela Seattle DeLaurenti 02 Aug 2001 | 80 5 ¢ 5 | LIQUOR sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla | Single Bean Spicy, not creamy, fruity, pretty good. Second bar tasted 'dirty' -- perhaps old. |
| Endangered Species Chocolate Company Chimp - Smooth Dark www.chocolatebar.com | 64% | Belgium/ USA (OR) Victoria BC 23 Sep 2001 | 85 5 | COCOA unbleached -sugar BUTTER lecithin | Organic Smooth, flavorful, consistent, surprisingly good. Great 'Chomping' chocolate. A bit too sweet. |
| Evernat Noir www.biofficiel.com | 72% | France Cannes France 22 Jan 2000 | 100 2 ¢ 1 | PASTE sugar POWDER vanilla | Organic Strong, consistent |
| Feodora Eldel Bitter www.feodora.de | 60% | Germany Bonn Germany 15 Feb 2000 | 100 0 | bourbon vanilla | did not buy it, because of the Bourbon Vanilla (and low percentage) |
| Frans Buchare Extra - Premium www.franschocolates.com | 70% | USA (Seattle) Seattle PCC 06 Nov 2001 | 37 4 ¢ 7 | LIQUOR BUTTER sugar lecithin vanilla | Bean, cool imprint Strong, spicy, surprisingly good. |
| Galler Langues de Chat (Cat's tounges) www.galler.com | 70% | Belgium internet Chocosphere 12 Mar 2003 | 200 3 ¢ 1 | MASSE sugar BUTTER soy lecithin natural vanilla | not a bar but little cat's heads -- kids candy made with Galler 70! |
| Galler noir extrême www.galler.com | 70% | Belgium Liège Belgium 02 Aug 2000 | 100 2 | PASTE sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla | Very nice smell, very creamy. Excellent chocolate flavor. Strong, Smooth, Bitter, Creamy. Very, Very, Very good. The first Belgian 70% bar, in 1993. |
| Galler Noir 85 www.galler.com | 85% | Belgium internet Chocosphere 12 Mar 2003 | 100 5 | PASTE sugar soya lecithin | Very nice smell, very creamy. Strong & Bitter |
| Gepa Mascao Bio Noir - Zartbitterschokolade www.oww.be/product/ | 60% | Germany Bonn Germany 15 Aug 1999 | 100 1 ¢ 2 | MASS raw sugar BUTTER vanilla | Organic, Fair Trade, plastic wrapped Strong fruity sugar overwhelms chocolate. I suspect that the Gepa, Mascaro & Traidcraft are the same bar packaged for different countries. |
| Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet www.ghirardelli.com | about 40% | USA (San Francisco) Seattle QFC Mar 1999 | 113 2 ¢ 1 | sugar UNSWEETENED -CHOCOLATE BUTTER lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor Not terrible. A shadow of spiciness. Way too sweet. Artificial flavoring is overwhelming. |
| Godiva Dark - Noir Pure Bitter www.godiva.com | 70% | Belgium Liège Belgium 02 Aug 2000 | 47 3 ¢ 1 | MASS sugar lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor Strong aroma. Nice creamy taste, very creamy texture. Gave me a headache. |
| Goplana (Nestlé) Klasyczna Gorzka | 65% | Poland Wrocław Poland 12 Dec 1999 | 100 0 ¢ 3 | MASS sugar BUTTER lecithin ethylvanillin | artificial flavor Pretty good, but too sweet & artificial |
| Green & Black's Organic Dark www.greenandblacks.com | 70% | England Seattle Central Co-op Mar 1999 | 100 $0.03 18 | MASS raw cane sugar lecithin vanilla | Organic, Fair Trade Excellent!!!!!! Very smooth, Very creamy, very rich. One of the very best! No fruity sugar taste. (Sometimes bars in the USA have the dirty/fruity sugar taste -- perhaps they are old.) |
| Grenada 74 www.grenadachocolate.com | 74% | Grenada West Indies internet Chocosphere 03 Dec 2003 | 113 1 | BEANS sugar BUTTER lecithin | fair trade; Made in a Cacao growing country! Excellent! Great Company too! |
| Guittard L'Harmonie major supplier of bulk chocolate www.guittard.com | 64% | USA (CA) Port Townsend Elevated 20 May 2003 | 10 | BEANS sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla beans | not bad, sweet and tangy |
| Hachez Cocoa D'Arriba - Milde EdelBitter www.hachez.de | 77% | Germany Mainz Germany 15 Oct 1999 | 100 2 ¢ 3 | MASS BUTTER sugar bourbon vanilla | Good bitter flavor, very smooth & creamy texture, but too much alcohol! Did not like it at all. Could not finish it! |
| Heilemann Eldel Bitter | 62% | Germany Bonn Germany Feb 2000 | 100 0 | bourbon vanilla | did not buy it, because of the Bourbon Vanilla (and low percentage) |
| Heilemann Eldel Bitter | 77% | Germany gift (Germany) Jun-02 | 100 1 | not printed | clear wrapper Very boring. Strong but not very good. |
| Jean-Paul Hévin www.jphevin.com | 78% | France Paris France 04 Feb 2000 | 100 4 ¢ 1 | not printed | too creamy, strong bad flavor (alcohol?, vanillin?), quite disappointing. This was the only genuine non-packaged Chocolatier bar we bought in Europe. |
| Inda (possibly owned by Stollwerck) Alpen Si - Gorzka | 70% | Poland Augustow Poland 18 Jun 2000 | 100 1 | LIQUOR sugar POWDER BUTTER lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor ok |
| International Chocolate Company Ecuador Dark www.chocolate4u.com | about 50% | USA (Salt Lake City) gift (Chicago) Mar 2002 | 33 1 | sugar LIQUOR BUTTER lecithin vanilla | Nasty. I will not even bother to post the Milk Chocolates, they were awful. This company has a reputation for dealing regularly in slave chocolate. |
| ISIS (Italo Suisse) Luxury www.italosuisse.com | 70% | Belgium gift (Germany) Jun 2002 | 100 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER vanilla | Unfortuntaly i don't remember! I will have to try to get another! |
| Ivoria Noir Dégustation | 70% | France gift (Cannes) 18 Jan 2000 | 100 1 | PASTE sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla | slow flavor, good, bitter |
| Bonbon Jeannette Noir www.bonbonjeannette.com | 70% | Netherlands Maastricht Netherlands 02 Aug 2000 | 45 1 | MASS sugar POWDER flavoring emulsifier | Organic, clear plastic Strong, very creamy, no noticeable fruity sugar taste, pretty good |
| Kandia Lux - Amarã www.kandia.ro | about 60% | Romania Cluj-Napoca Romania 02 Nov 1999 | 100 1 | CACAO BUTTER sugar vanilla lecithin | Not very good. |
| Kaoka Noir | 70% | France Paris 03 Feb 2000 | 100 2 ¢ 1 | MASS WHOLE raw sugar lecithin from sunflower vanilla | Organic, plastic wrapped sweet, very little unrefined sugar taste, good chocolate flavor, strong, very good. Note says that there is no added Cocoa butter! |
| A. Korkunov Dark Chocolate www.korkunov.com | 72% | Russia (gift) Seattle 15 May 2003 | 100 1 | GRATED sugar BUTTER lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor unimpressive |
| Laima Lukss www.laima.lv | 54% | Latvia Riga Latvia 28 Jun 2000 | 50 3 | sugar MASS BUTTER CACAO lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor Pretty bad |
| Lindenborg (Weinrich) Mørk www.weinrich-schokolade.de | 72% | Germany Aalborg Denmark 25 Jul 2000 | 100 1 | MASS (57%) sugar (27%) BUTTER(15%) E322 vanilla | plastic wrapped Strong, creamy, good I was excited that it listed exact percentages! |
| Lindt Special Dark www.lindt.com | 48% | Switzerland Seattle QFC Mar 1998 | 85 3 ¢ 8 | not printed | Good. Was my standby for years, but it's way too sweet for me now. I believe that this and the Créé A' Berne are the same bar in different packaging. |
| Lindt Créé A' Berne www.lindt.com | 49% | Switzerland Bern Switzerland 20 Mar 2000 | 85 1 ¢ 8 | MASS BUTTER lecithin vanilla | Way too sweet, of course -- but i HAD to get one while in Bern! |
| Lindt Excellence Fine Dark www.lindt.com | 70% | Switzerland/ France Seattle QFC Mar-96 | 100 2 ¢ 6 | MASS sugar BUTTER vanilla lecithin | wide flat bar Very sharp, strong cocoa liqueur bite. Dry texture -- not as smooth and creamy, more flavor. Surprislingly pretty good. |
| Lindt Excellence Fine Dark www.lindt.com | 85% | Switzerland/ France gift (Seattle) Jul 2002 | 100 4 | MASS sugar BUTTER vanilla lecithin | wide flat bar Very strong |
| Mascaro Cicoccolato Nero | 61% | Switzerland Firenze Italy 18 Dec 1999 | 100 2 ¢ 1 | PASTE sugar BUTTER vanilla | Organic, Fair Trade, plastic wrapped Fruity sweetener, too sweet, too fruity. I suspect that the Gepa, Mascaro & Traidcraft are the same bar packaged for different countries. great company! |
| Match Intense - Noir | 72% | Belgium Luxembourg 04 Mar 2000 | 100 1 ¢ 2 | MASS sugar BUTTER vanilla | grocery store brand Strong, not as creamy. |
| Maître Mathis Noir | 73% | Netherlands Maastricht Netherlands 02 Aug 2000 | 100 2 ¢ 1 | MASS BUTTER raw sugar lecithin vanilla | Organic, in clear plastic Creamy texture, raw powdery smell. Very strong, bitter, almost coffeelike. Something odd though, probably the raw sugar. |
| Maxim's de Paris Noir - EldelBitter www.maxims-sapp.com | 66% | Germany Bonn Germany Feb 2000 | 100 2 ¢ 1 | COCOA sugar lecithin | Very good chocolate flavor, but way too sweet |
| Monoprix noir extra www.monoprix.fr | 72% | France gift (London?) 01 Mar 2001 | 100 1 | PASTE sugar BUTTER POWDER soya lecithin vanilla | grocery store brand Pretty good. Smooth & mellow. |
| Montezuma's Organic Very Dark www.montezumas.co.uk | 73% | England Seattle ChefShop 02 Jan 2002 | 100 4 ¢ 2 | MASS sugar soya lecithin (0.5%) vanilla | Organic, fun colorful box Pretty good. Very smooth & mellow. Chocolatey but sweet. Earthy (possibly a little rancid). |
| Michel Montignac Extra Bitter www.michelmontignac.tm.fr | 85% | France Cannes France 20 Jan 2000 | 100 4 ¢ 1 | PASTE sugar BUTTER vanilla | cool imprint - snowflake dry, very bitter, very good, good snap |
| Nestlé Éclate www.nestle.com | 70% | France/ Switzerland Liège Belgium 01 Aug 2000 | 100 1 | MASS sugar BEAN BITS BUTTER dairy butter lecithin flavoring | w/BITS too sweet, bad taste. Only bar on the list that neither of us could finish. Awful. We saw other Nestlé 70%+ bars around Europe but didn't bite. They even have a single bean series! We got this one because of the bits! |
| Neuhaus Extra Dark - Extra Bitter www.neuhaus.be | 69% | Belgium Seattle Chocolat Feb 1999 | 8.5 8 ¢ 3 | not printed | Interesting. Brisk, powdery - not at all creamy, not very bitter, smooth subtle taste. Not great. I have seen this in half a dozen countries and it is always EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE! |
| Neuhaus Extra Dark 70% www.neuhaus.be | 70.5% | Belgium Seattle Neuhaus 10 Apr 2002 | 80 9 ¢ 1 | MASS skim POWDER sugar lecithin | Strong, but too sweet and rather boring. Not BAD -- just very mediocre. (Everyone at the tasting was underwelmed.) Certainly not worth the price. In every country this bar is extremely expensive. |
| Novi Fondente Nero - Extra Fondente Amaro | 70% | Italy Rome 20 Dec 1999 | 100 2 ¢ 2 | PASTE sugar BUTTER lecithin flavors | probably artificial vanilla chemical, waxy, not good at all |
| Poulain (Cadbury) 1848 noir (Cadbury will not put their name on the package because it would hurt sales.) www.alliance7.fr/sweets/chocolate/cadbury.htm | 76% | France/ England gift (Paris) 01 Feb 2000 | 100 1 ¢ 2 | MASS sugar BUTTER vanilla lecithin | Full, constant, quite good. Bitter, not too creamy, good clean bitter aftertaste. We were shocked (especially our French friend) to discover that this was made by Cadbury in disguise! |
| Queen's Choice Dark - Mørk | 72% | Belgium/ Denmark Aalborg Denmark 21 Jul 2000 | 100 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER vanillin | artificial flavor initially sweet, then nice chocolate flavor, mild. good not great |
| Rapunzel Bittersweet - 100% Swiss Organic www.rapunzel.de | 70% | Switzerland Seattle Rainbow Mar 1999 | 85 3 ¢ 5 | LIQUOR unrefined evap cane juice BUTTER vanilla beans | Organic, Fair Trade Very good but the unrefined sugar gives it an off-putting fruity flavor. It's a great company, but i can't eat the chocolate with their raw sugar. |
| Michael Recchiuti Bittersweet | 85% | USA (SF CA) Seattle ChefShop Feb 2003 | 112 5.35 2 | LIQUOR BUTTER lecithin sugar vanilla | interesting -- need to try it again. I liked it. |
| Enric Rovira Rajoles - negro www.enricrovira.com | 70% | Spain London 02 Sep 2000 | 100 4 ¢ 30 | COCOA sugar BUTTER vanilla lecithin | square bar, really cool imprint Spicy, powdery. Very strong and long lasting. Spectacular. If it were 82% it would be perfect. Unusual square bar design with Barcalona sidewalk tile imprint! |
| Enric Rovira Bonbolas de cacao www.enricrovira.com | about 90% | Spain Seattle DeLaurenti Mar 2002 | 100 7 ¢ 10 | COCOA sugar BUTTER vanilla lecithin | not a bar, a box of nuggets Cacao beans covered with 70% chocolate. These are exqusite. Delicious! The 70% chocolate is very good and made better by the pure bits! Because they contain cacao beans they are VERY strong - they'll keep you awake! |
| Sarotti (Stollwerck) Extra Semi-Sweet www.stollwerck.de | 60% | Germany gift (Chicago) 21 Dec 2001 | 100 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER POWDER milk powder lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor This is the same bar as the Stollwerck Herren (our German vineyard chomping chocolate) in a different wrapper. Not great, a bit artificial. |
| Sarotti (Stollwerck) No 1 Extra Fin www.stollwerck.de | 72% | Germany Bonn Germany Feb 2000 | 100 2 | PASTE sugar BUTTER lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor, wide flat bar Not very good. |
| Sarotti (Stollwerck) No 1 - Plain with Splinters www.stollwerck.de | 76% | Germany gift (Germany) Jun 2002 | 100 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER KERNELS (6%) lecithin flavor | bits, probably artificial flavoring, wide flat bar strong, a bit dull. good, but with a chemical flavor. |
| Scharffen Berger Pure Dark Chocolate www.scharffen-berger.com | 70% | USA (San Francisco) Seattle Chocolat Feb 1999 | 85 4 ¢ 3 | BEANS sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla beans | very smooth, strong. Ok but strong liquor flavor hurts it. I wouldn't get it again. |
| Schokinag Christopher Norman Special Edition | 71% | Germany/ USA Seattle PFI 25 Apr 2003 | 454 1 | LIQUOR sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla | GMO free. Norman makes this bar using Schokinag chocolate. Surprisingly good. Popular at tastings. |
| Scotts Continental - Extra Dark for baking | 75% | Scotland/ Germany Fort William Scotland 06 Sep 1999 | 100 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER POWDER lecithin flavoring | very good |
| Slitti Artigianale - senza zucchero aggiunto www.slitti.it | 100% | Italy gift (Tuscany) 18 Nov 2000 | 100 1 | MASS | Organic, but not certified, plastic wrapped wow! |
| Slitti LatteNero 62 www.slitti.it | 62% | Italy gift (Seattle) 01 Dec 2002 | 100 6 ¢ 2 | MASS sugar milk poweder BUTTER lecithin natural flavor | Organic, but not certified, plastic wrapped Really a surprise. It never occured to me that the milk solids could replace sugar instead of replacing cacao! This was very good. It's certainly not pure chocolate and it doesn't taste like it |
| Slitti GranCacao 73 www.slitti.it | 73% | Italy Seattle ChefShop 15 Jan 2003 | 100 6 ¢ 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER lecithin natural flavor | Organic, but not certified, plastic wrapped Creamy & sweet. Complex but smooth. Gret texture. Excellent. |
| Slitti GranCacao 82 www.slitti.it | 82% | Italy gift (Tuscany) 18 Nov 2000 | 100 12 | MASS sugar BUTTER lecithin natural flavor | Organic, but not certified, plastic wrapped Complex but smooth. Creamy. Fantastic texture, perfect taste, the best. The best. I always worry that my expectations are too high - but it is always as good as remembered! |
| Śnieżka super gorzka www.dzpc-sniezka.com.pl/home.htm | about 60% | Poland Gdańsk Poland 04 Dec 1999 | 100 1 ¢ 3 | MASS sugar BUTTER POWDER lecithin ethylovanillin | artificial flavor, paper lined, cool imprint (crowned S) nice texture, good flavor but a little too sweet at the end, overall flavor is very good, stronger than expected, good! too much vanilla. |
| Stollwerck Herren - Eldelbitter www.stollwerck.de | 66% | Germany Eltville Germany 10 Oct 1999 | 100 1 ¢ 32 | MASS sugar BUTTER POWDER milk powder lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor Chomping chocolate. We ate a LOT of this while working in the fields and vineyards in Germany. |
| Swartenbroeckx NOIR -premium plain chocolate Although this was at Trader Joe's, I THINK it is real. | 77% | Belgium Seattle Trader Joe's 04 Dec 2001 | 100 1 ¢ 15 | MASS sugar BUTTER vanilla | Surprisingly Good. Crumbly. A bit spicy -- NOT fruity! Good, Strong Chocolate flavor. Lasts a long time. Excellent Chomping Chocolate. |
| Swiss Noir | 70% | Switzerland/ Netherlands Maastricht Netherlands 05 Aug 2000 | 100 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER POWDER flavoring | Smooth, light |
| Terravita Gorzka | 60% | Poland Poland Jun 2000 | 100 0.0432 1 | MASS sugar lecithin vanillin | not very good |
| Theobroma Dark Satin www.theobromachocolate.com | about 40% | USA (Sitka AK) Sitka AK 15 Jun 1999 | 70 4 ¢ 1 | sugar LIQUOR BUTTER lecithin vanilla | Good, but bland and overpoweringly sweet. |
| Yves Thurie's Noir - Aux E'clats De Féves de Cacao www.thuries.fr | 80% | France gift (Paris) 28 Jan 2000 | 100 2 ¢ 1 | PASTE sugar BUTTER BEAN BITS lecithin vanilla | w/BITS Bitter, good flavor, good texture |
| Tobler (Kraft/Philip Morris) Tradition - Semi-Amer | about 45% | Switzerland Freport ME Mar 1984 | 85 2 ¢ 7 | sugar LIQUOR BUTTER lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor I loved it when it was all i could find -- but it is too sweet & artificial. I have wondered if this is the same as the Lindt Special Dark in a different packaging. |
| Jean Tragneux (craft chocolate from his chocoliteria in Paris) | about 60% | France gift (Paris) 01 Aug 2002 | 100 1 | not printed | smooth, nice. Not spectacular. |
| Traidcraft Plain - Continental www.traidcraft.co.uk | 61% | Switzerland/ England Bonn Germany 12 Aug 1999 | 100 1 | MASS raw sugar BUTTER vanilla | Organic, Fair Trade Strong fruity sugar flavor I suspect that the Gepa, Mascaro & Traidcraft are the same bar packaged for different countries. |
| Union Sir James Classic - Gorzka | 60% | Poland Gdańsk Poland 18 Jun 2000 | 100 1 | sugar MASS BUTTER lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor Very good chocolate - strong artificial vanilla flavor ruins it. |
| Valor Puro Y Negro www.valor.es | 70% | Spain Vienna Nov 1999 | 100 3 ¢ 4 | PASTE BUTTER sugar lecithin vanilla | Bar in US (4/2003) had artificial vanilla in it and was awful. Smooth, not creamy, very chocolatey, spicy, not bitter |
| Valrhona Ampamakia - Madagascar www.valrhona.com | 64% | France gift (Seattle) 01 Feb 2003 | 75 1 | BEANS sugar BUTTER soy lecithin nat vanilla | not yet tasted |
| Valrhona Gran Couva - Trinidad www.valrhona.com | 64% | France gift (Seattle) 01 Feb 2003 | 75 1 | BEANS sugar BUTTER soy lecithin nat vanilla | not yet tasted |
| Valrhona Guanaja www.valrhona.com | 70% | France not sure 01 Aug 2001 | 100 1 | not printed | Pretty good, not as spicy as i had hoped. |
| Valrhona Le Noir Amer www.valrhona.com | 71% | France Seattle DeLaurenti Jul 1999 | 100 4 ¢ 4 | BEANS sugar BUTTER lecithin vanilla | The bar we got in Europe was pretty good: Creamy, strong, quick, long lasting flavor, smooth texture. Very good! The two bars we got in the US were dull, boring and not very good. Perhaps it goes bad quickly. |
| Vivani (EcoFinia) Feine Bitter | 72% | Germany Ganges BC Canada 10 Sep 2002 | 100 2 ¢ 1 | MASS raw sugar BUTTER POWDER | organic quite good. smooth |
| Wawel Krakowska Gorzka - Naturalna www.wawel.com.pl | 65% | Poland Wrocław Poland 12 Dec 1999 | 100 5 | PASTE sugar BUTTER lecithin flavoring | probably artificial vanilla, paperlined Good but a bit sweet, too much vanilla, we enjoyed this one |
| E Wedel (possibly owned by Cadbury) Gorzka - Pelna | about 60% | Poland Poznan Poland 13 Dec 1999 | 100 0 ¢ 2 | PASTE sugar POWDER BUTTER lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor Good texture, chemical flavor, ok for gobbling |
| Weinrich Eldelbitter www.weinrich-schokolade.de | 70% | Germany Vienna 15 Nov 1999 | 100 2 ¢ 1 | MASS sugar BUTTER lecithin vanillin | artificial flavor nice texture. light, mellow, not very strong. strange after taste. |
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updated: 29 June 2003