Manufacturer: Michel Cluizel
Cocoa Content: 99%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A

Up for review today is the Michel Cluizel Noir Infini 99% dark chocolate bar. The small 30 gram bar is impeccably made. The face of the bar is 2-textured, with the lower right half covered with very fine stippling. The stippling is flawless, and I am really amazed at the level of fine detail here. The Noir Infini bar is deep ebony in color with highlights of purple and red. The nose detects a rich dark chocolate aroma along with vanilla beans and caramel.

On the palate there is a deep, rich chocolate flavor as the dominant note. There is only a moderate amount of acidity here revealing some lemon peel citrus. The impression of sweetness is really much higher than I would expect from a 99% cacao dark chocolate, with notes of caramel and honey. Bitterness leads to a deep roasted espresso note. Notes of oak, leather and tobacco are here as well, along with a hint of ginger. The Noir Infini has a rather soft, yielding bite to it. Chewing the bar reveals ginger, vanilla, cocoa, cinnamon, orange juice and earthy notes. The melt is perfectly smooth, thick and creamy. The finish has deep espresso highlighted by oak and cinnamon.

Every aspect of the Noir Infini shows the supreme level of dedication that Michel Cluizel puts into producing ultra-premium chocolate. The construction is immaculate and flavor is astounding. The Noir Infini has the richest chocolate flavor of any of the ultra-dark chocolates I've tried. I did find the flavor to be slightly subdued because of the lower level of acidity. I think that increasing the acidity a bit would likely increase the complexity a bit, as it seems like there is some fruit that is hidden under the dominant spice/earth/wood flavors. But in its current incarnantion the chocolate flavor is phenominal. If you like ultra-dark chocolate, then you owe it to yourself to get your hands on the 99% cacao Noir Infini. It is truly an incredible taste experience.