Manufacturer: Domori
Cocoa Content: 70%
Location: Madagascar
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-

Today's tasting is the Domori Sambirano. As the name implies, this is a single origin choolate made from cocoa beans sourced from the Sambirano Valley in Madagascar. My first impression on opening the package was a powerful aroma of acidic wininess that reminded me of popping the cork on the bottle of a big Red Zinfandel. The bar is a deep mahogany in color with a slight orange tint. It strikes me as being a bit darker in color than the typical 70% cacao Madagascan chocolate.

At first taste the Domori Sambirano has an immediate bright, berry jamminess. Strawberries are here in spades and red raspberry peeks through as well. The acidity level is very lively with sour berry and cherry notes. There is some lemon custard here, but the dominant citrus note common to Madagascan chocolate is outpaced by tart berries on this bar. Some herbal/grassy notes are present, as well as some hazelnut. Chewing the Domori Cacao Sambirano leads to strawberry creme and cherry cordial notes. The melt is perfect - smooth, thick and creamy. The finish has continuing sour cherry paired with some herbal notes.

Every chocolate I have tried to date from Domori has been amazing, and the Cacao Sambirano from their Single Origins line is no exception. Astute readers of this blog know that I'm a big fan of chocolate with a lively acidity, and the Sambirano cranks the acidity all the way to eleven. This bar is really quite sour, and seems to go all the way up to the limits of tartness for a dark chocolate. There is an interesting, and quite enjoyable, berry dominance here. If you told me that I was going to try an extremely acidic Madagascan chocolate, then I would be expecting lemonade, not strawberry jam. The texture here is fantastic as is typical of Domori. My only quibble with the Sambirano is that there is an herbal note that just doesn't seem to fit. Otherwise, this is another fantastic chocolate from Domori.

Manufacturer: Pacari
Cocoa Content: 72%
Location: Ecuador
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A

Today's review is Pacari's Los Rios 72% dark chocolate bar. The bar is made from beans originating in the Los Rios region is west-central Ecuador. The bar is a deep, purplish-brown color.

On the palate, the Los Rios leads with a rich chocolate note. There are some herbal/floral and grassy notes up front as well. The acidity starts at a moderate level then builds from there. Key lime is the most notable fruit flavor, and there are some blackberries here as well. There is a nice evolution from a bit of an herbal bitter note that develops into Key lime along with a hint of lemongrass as the acidity licks in. Some woody notes and cinnamon are here along with a touch of cream as well. Chewing the Los Rios highlights lime zest and chestnuts. The melt is fairly smooth with a slight cooling sensation. On the tail end the fruit simmers down revealing nutty notes over some lingering Key Lime.

The bars from Pacari have been a bit of a mixed bag for me up to this point. The Los Rios totally solves the issues I've seen with construction issues and flavor near-misses from Pacari in the past. This really shows the amazing potential of the Ecuadorian Arriba Nacional cacao beans. There is a nice, distinct Key lime flavor here with herbal and berry undertones that compliment it nicely. The flavor reminds me of some of the top-end Madagascan Sambirano Valley dark chocolates. Outside of the Waialua Estate, this is the best single-country bean-to-bar chocolate I've come across. If you're looking to sample Ecuadorian chocolate, or are interested in the potential of bean-to-bar chocolate, then this is the bar to try.

Manufacturer: Domori
Cocoa Content: 100%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A+

Today we review the ultimate in pure chocolate, Domori's IL 100% dark chocolate bar. The ingredient list has but one entry: unsweetened cocoa mass. There is no sugar, vanilla or lecithin added here - this is just pure, unadulterated chocolate. The bar is deep ebony red in color. The nose picks up rich cocoa notes along with espresso.

At first taste, my first impression is that there is much less bitterness than I expected. There are a wealth of fruity notes with pomegranate, orange peel and black cherry. Espresso, hazelnuts, cinnamon and a woody cedar note are all here. There is a lager/pilsner character that hints at European noble hops such as Saaz and Tettnang. There are rich chocolate notes, but only a moderate bitterness level considering this is an unsweetened chocolate. Chewing the IL 100% opens up notes of raspberry, wood and mushrooms. Chewing the chocolate does increase the level of bitterness by a fair amount. The finish has smoky, deep-roasted espresso notes along with berries.

The Domori IL 100% is pure, unadulterated cocoa at its finest. It is a wonderfully complex chocolate bar. At 100% cocoa, this is not for the faint of heart, but if you enjoy dark chocolate this is really a must-try. While I’ve always considered very high percentage chocolates to be niche products that I’d try just for the “unique factor”, the IL 100% is very enjoyable on its own merit. I will definitely be coming back for more on this one.

Manufacturer: Pralus
Cocoa Content: 100%
Location: Madagascar
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A

Today's tasting is the Le 100% dark chocolate from French chocolate maker François Pralus. The Le 100% is made from Madagascan Criollo beans from the Sambirano Valley. The bar is mahogany in color with red-orange highlights. The nose is rather reserved, with both floral and fruit notes.

As expected for an unsweetened chocolate, the palate is first hit with a bitter note. A strong nutty roast soon takes over with roasted almonds and a distinct dark pretzel note. The acidity is notable with lemon/citrus and sour cherries. As the citrus fades to finish, complex nutty and earthy undertones pop out. The Le 100% has a soft, yielding chew that brings forward hazelnut, lemon peel and more the the well-done pizza dough/pretzel roast note. The mouthfeel has mouthwatering, juicy acidity and a smooth melt. The finish has roasted coffee, and as the acid dies down notes of earth, wood and almonds open up.

Pralus knows how to roast a bean, and there is no clearer example of that than the Le 100%. The distinct doughy/pretzely roast notes on this bar are fantastic. And despite the prominent roast character of this chocolate, there is plenty of acidity available to counteract the bitterness of an unsweetened chocolate. While the acidity does mute some complexity in this bar, it is in just the right balance for a 100% cacao chocolate bar. The Le 100% is truly one of the best chocolates out there.

Manufacturer: Pacari
Cocoa Content: 100%
Location: Ecuador
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Today we kick off our theme week of 100% chocolates with Pacari's Raw Chocolate 100%. Raw chocolate refers to chocolate that is minimally processed and has few (or no) additional ingredients added. And you can't get more raw than 100% unsweetened cocoa. The Pacari Raw 100% is deep ebony in color with purplish red undertones.

The first impression of the Pacari 100% on the palate is that this is a very bitter chocolate. There is a brief off note of sulfur/egg but that dissipates rather quickly. There is a very light acidity that has notes of currant, cranberry and a touch of grapefruit. Espresso and chestnuts are here as well. It does seem to me that the more complex undertones seem to be muted by the strong alkaline bitter bite. Chewing the Pacari Raw 100% brings forward wood, mushrooms, red wine and a "barnyard" note. The melt is thick and creamy. I find it interesting that the 100% cocoa raw chocolate seems to be smoother in texture then the other bars I've tried from Pacari. The finish is lingering bitterness with espresso and faint berry notes.

Pacari's Raw Chocolate 100% bar is well-constructed and has a lot of potential. My main issue is that the bitterness of this chocolate is so potent that many of the other flavors are overwhelmed. As you will see later on this week, the key for an unsweetened chocolate is to have enough acidity to cut through the bitterness. The Pacari Raw 100% just doesn't have enough acidity to counterbalance the bitterness of this bar. All-in-all this is a decent showing for a 100% chocolate, but there is definitely room for improvement.

This week The Dark Chocolate Blog is serving up the darkest of the dark. Check out our reviews of 100% cocoa dark chocolate all week long.