Manufacturer: Hägeland
Cocoa Content: 64%
Location: Peru
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B-

Up for tasting today is the Hägeland Peru, a 64% dark chocolate bar. The bar is deep brown in color with a faint orange undertone. The nose is rather straightforward, calling to mind semi-sweet chocolate chips.

On the palate, there is a dominant roasted chocolate flavor along with nuttiness (i.e., roasted almonds) up front. There is just a touch of acidity in the background here. This leads to a citrus note of orange peel. The Hageland Peru has a smooth, creamy and slightly thick mouthfeel. Chewing the bar brings out notes of mint, vanilla and toffee. The finish has trailing roasted nuts with some coffee as well as a strong caramel note.

The Hägeland Peru is a decent chocolate, but the flavor is pretty one-dimensional with a strong roast flavor. This is definitely a bar calling for a higher cocoa percentage. There is definite potential here. Again, for a made-for-Walmart chocolate, this is a pretty nice surprise.

Manufacturer: Lake Champlain Chocolates
Cocoa Content: 75%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B+

On the tasting block today is another chocolate from Lake Champlain's Select Origin line - the Tanzania 75% dark chocolate. The chocolate bar is deep mahogany brown in color with some ruby undertones. The nose detects cocoa and marshmallow notes.

On the palate a roast chocolate character jumps out up front. There is a rich cocoa bitter note that hints at black licorice. A caramel note is present as well. The acidity is rather slow to build as the thick bar slowly melts, but it eventually reaches a moderate level. Fruit notes of raspberry, pomegranate and currant eventually make their presence known. Chewing the Lake Champlain Tanzania bar brings forward strawberry, vanilla and a fleeting woodsy note. The chocolate is thick and creamy as it melts on the tongue. It is almost completely smooth, but it has just the finest grit. The finish has sweetened coffee and strawberries as it fades.

The Lake Champlain Tanzania 75% dark chocolate bar is tasty and well balanced. I did find this bar to be a little lacking in complexity, especially compared to their fantastic Sao Thome, but overall this is a great snacking dark chocolate.

Manufacturer: Amano
Cocoa Content: 70%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B+

Today's tasting is the Amano Ocumare, a 70% dark chocolate bar made with cacao from the Ocumare Valley in Venezuela. The Ocumare bar is mahogany in color with a reddish-purple tint. The palate finds roasted chocolate notes up front along with some smokiness and a pleasant bitter kick. The acidity builds, opening up flavors of blackberry, blueberry and plum. Spice notes of black pepper, bell pepper and mint sit in the background with some earth and floral notes.

Chewing the Ocumare brings forward mint, vanilla, earth and a cedary wood note. The mouthfeel is very smooth and creamy, leaving a slight cooling sensation on the tongue. The finish has lingering bitter and roast flavors over juicy acid/fruit notes.

The Ocumare is a very good showing from Amano. This is a complex, well-balanced dark chocolate. The only fault I find is that no one feature stands out. The Ocumare is almost too balanced and complex for its own good. And as far as chocolate goes, that's not such a bad problem to have.