Manufacturer: Ghirardelli
Cocoa Content: 60%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B-

Up for review today is the "Evening Dream", which is a 60% cacao chocolate bar from Ghirardelli's Intense Dark line of dark chocolate. The Evening Dream is deep brown in color with a hint of orange-red. It has a deep, rich chocolate flavor. There is a hint of bitterness present. Red fruit flavors of sweet cherries and pomegranate are highlighted by a mild acidity. Nutty notes of chestnut and walnut are present along with sweet notes of vanilla and marshmallow.

Chewing the Evening Dream bar brings forward notes of of vanilla and hot cocoa, but a funny bitter undertone is also highlighted. The Ghirardelli Evening Dream has a smooth mouthfeel. The finish is short and chocolatey, with a hint of pomegranate.

I found the Ghirardelli Intense Dark Evening Dream to have a nice flavor, but it was rather lacking in the complexity department. There was a slight off taste with the bitter note that keeps this from scoring higher marks. I am looking forward to tasting some of the darker chocolates from this line, in hopes that the higher cocoa content will open up greater complexity.

Manufacturer: Michel Cluizel
Cocoa Content: 67%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-

Manufacturer: Pralus
Cocoa Content: 75%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B+

The next dark chocolate up for review is the Pralus Venezuela. This chocolate bar is deep mahogany in color with dark cherry-red undertones. The initial flavor is of bitter coffee grounds, which then opens up to a rich dark roast coffee flavor. There is a smoky/roasted quality that persists. Nutty almond and pecan notes are present. The Pralus Venezuela dark chocolate bar has a moderate acidity.

Chewing the Pralus Venezuela opens up sweet notes of cherry and vanilla, along with some earth and tobacco. The finish lingers with more of the smoky bitterness. While this may be a bit one-dimensional in flavor, if you are a fan of chocolate with deep roasted flavor, then the Pralus Venezuela is your bar. Highly recommended.

Manufacturer: Hachez
Cocoa Content: 77%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Up for tasting today is the Cocoa D'Arriba Classic bar from German Chocolatier Hachez. This is a 77% dark chocolate bar made from Ecuadorian cocoa. The bar is mahogany brown in color, with highlights of deep clay-red.

The Cocoa D'Arriba has a bitter espresso note that takes the lead. There is a very mild acidity that leads to flavors of cherries and blackberries. Some nutty notes of hazelnut and almond are present along with a bit of woodiness. A distinct pepper spice makes itself known after a bit and starts to build. Chewing the Cocoa D'Arriba bar opens up fruity flavors of cherry and pomegranate as well as some vanilla. The finish has bitter espresso, marshmallow and peppery spice notes.

The Hachez Cocoa D'Arriba dark chocolate bar has an interesting bitter/spicy flavor profile with hints of fruit, but something seems missing to me. The Hachez website does indicate that their chocolate is "processed to neutralize the acidity often found in other cocoa-rich chocolates". A touch more acidity seems like it would enhance the fruitiness and really open up the flavor here. All in all, this is still a good bar that is worth checking out.

Manufacturer: Pralus
Cocoa Content: 75%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B+

Up for tasting today is a dark chocolate by Pralus from Sao Tome & Principe. The chocolate is ebony in color with a hint of purple. On the palate there is an initial roasted coffee flavor along with a significant bitter kick. There are nutty notes, including some hazelnut. A faint acidity makes itself known with a citrus/grapefruit note. There is a hint of sugar wafer, and a smoky/roasted note of peat as well. Chewing the chocolate opens up some sweeter undertones including pecan and a faint pomegranate note. The finish lingers with a bitterness reminiscent of good coffee along with some earth and peat.

I really enjoyed the Pralus Sao Tome and Principe. It has a distinct bitter flavor, with some nice roasted/smoky notes. If this had a bit more complexity then it would definitely earn an "A", but as it is I would still recommend it highly.

Manufacturer: Pralus
Cocoa Content: 75%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-

The Pralus Indonesie is a single source chocolate from the island of Java in Indonesia. The Indonesie is a purplish-red tinted mahogany. There is a rich bitter chocolate flavor along with moderate acidity. There is a distinct smoky/roasted note that has a meaty quality that almost seems "bacony". There are notes of hazelnut and chestnut. In addition, the Indonesia has fruity notes of blackberry, plum and orange. Chewing the chocolate brings forward earthy, woody and meaty notes. The finish has lingering black coffee bitterness with lemon peel.

The Pralus Indonesie has a very distinct flavor that works quite well. There is a distinctive rich earthy/woody meatiness that works quite well along with the fruit notes here. This is a unique dark chocolate that is well worth a taste.

Manufacturer: Kilwin's
Cocoa Content: 70%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B-

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I wanted to do a Mexican-themed tasting for today. While Mexico is not well known for producing high-quality cocoa, the Criolllo variety is typically a rare and sought-after cocoa variety. I haven't had much luck with Kilwin's chocolates in the past (see here and here), so let's see if the Criollo beans make for an improvement.

The Kilwin's Mexican Criollo is orange-brown in color. Immediately notable on the palate is a prominent acidic component. Juicy fruit flavors of blackberry, sour cherry and orange are present. There is also a bitter espresso note. Faint nuttiness is detectable with peanut and pecan. Chewing the chocolate releases notes of peanut, wood and earth. The finish has sour cherry notes with a sharp bitter undertone. The Kilwins Mexican Criollo has a smooth mouthfeel that is thick and creamy.

The Kilwin's Mexican Criollo dark chocolate is a very acid-forward chocolate. There is a bit of a bitter undertone that seems to clash with the strong acidity. The acidity also seems to drown out some of the potential complexities that show flashes of earthy and nutty notes. Having said that, this is definitely the best of the Kilwin's chocolates I have tasted. If you like tart dark chocolate this may be worth a try for you.

Manufacturer: Michel Cluizel
Cocoa Content: 64%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A

Our next review is another single plantation chocolate from Michel Cluizel. This chocolate is made from beans from the Maralumi plantation near the east coast of Papua New Guinea. This chocolate is deep brown in color with a reddish orange tint. The Maralumi has a deep chocolate flavor up front. There is a tartness that builds to a moderate level. The tartness highlights flavors of blackberries and blueberries. Smoky and roasted notes sit in the background. Under the acidity there are nutty notes of walnut and pecan. Woody and earthy notes are also present on the palate.

The Maralumi has a creamy mouthfeel along with a squirt of juiciness. Chewing the chocolate highlights more earthy and woody notes. The finish continues with the acid and fruit notes that are most notable in this bar. As the acid fades, the earthy undertones shine through while the finish tails off.

Michel Cluizel has another winner with the Maralumi single plantation dark chocolate bar. This is a rich chocolate with great fruity notes, but there is a nice earthiness that shines through and really rounds out the flavor. Complex and flavorful, what more can you ask for?

Manufacturer: Guittard Chocolate Company
Cocoa Content: 65%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Today's tasting is the "Quevedo" from US chocolate maker Guittard. The Quevedo is a 65% cacao chocolate bar whose beans originate from Ecuador. The bar is deep mahogany in color with orange highlights.

The bar has a distinct herbal/floral chocolate flavor. There are notes of hazelnut, marshmallow and earth along with a touch of spice. There is a slight acidity that builds as the chocolate melts on the tongue. Chewing the chocolate brings forward more herbal and floral notes along with leather, plantains and a hint of cucumber. The finish has cocoa, banana, bitter herbs and an earthy note. The Quevedo has a smooth, slightly thin mouthfeel.

The Quevedo chocolate bar has a unique flavor, which is characteristic of Ecuadorean "Nacional" cocoa beans. In this case I did find that the floral/herbal notes combined with the bitter chocolate flavors to leave a faint "medicine" taste that seemed a bit off. Despite that, this is a pretty good chocolate with a very distinct flavor.