Manufacturer: Michel Cluizel
Cocoa Content: 65%
Location: Sao Tome
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Today's tasting is the "Vila Gracinda" 67% dark chocolate bar from Michel Cluizel's 1er Cru de Plantation line of single-source chocolates. The Vila Gracinda is ebony-purple in color. It hits the palate with a rich chocolate/cocoa flavor. Smoky, roasted coffee notes are here. A bitter nuttiness of hazelnuts and chestnuts are here as well. The acidity level is fairly light but does lend itself to a bit of an orange peel flavor. Woody/earthy notes and some vanilla are also detectable.

Chewing the Vila Gracinda brings forward sweet notes of vanilla, honey, bourbon and toffee. As is typical for Cluizel's fare, the mouthfeel is perfectly smooth and creamy. The finish has cream & sugar coffee with nutty and earthy undertones.

While this is a good chocolate, the Vila Gracinda doesn't quite meet the high mark set by some of the other chocolates in Michel Cluizel's 1er Cru de Plantation line. While tasty, I did find this bar to be relatively straightforward. It seems like it could use a bit more acidity to open up. If you try the Vila Gracinda, pop a piece in your mouth and give it a good chew. The sweet flavors that open up are what I enjoyed the most about this chocolate bar.

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.

Produced by: Lake Champlain Chocolates
Cocoa content: 70%
Manufacturer website
Rating: A+

I was eager to taste my next chocolate bar during a brief reprieve while my head cold medication has kicked in. Tonight's selection is from Lake Champlain Chocolates. This bar is from their "Select Origin" collection. The source of the cocoa in this bar is from Sao Thome (also spelled Sao Tome), which is an island of the west coast of central Africa.

The chocolate bar has a nice firm snap to it. The color is a dark mahogany, with a hint of red where the bar was snapped. The aroma is of roasted chocolate with a noticeable vanilla scent. The flavor is rich chocolate with a pleasant bitter kick. There are smoky, roasted notes as well as a fruity, citrus acidity. After the initial flavors start to fade, a pleasant earthiness complimented by salt and vanilla starts to show through. Chewing the chocolate really accentuates the vanilla flavors in this bar. This chocolate bar has a velvety mouthfeel and a nice finish with sweet cocoa and a hint of roast coffee on the palate.

So far, my recent trip to Whole Foods has provided me with an impressive selection of dark chocolate. This most recent tasting was one of the best new chocolates I've tried in a while. After trying the Sao Thome Dark Chocolate from Lake Champlain, I can't wait to get my hands on some of the other bars in their Select Origin chocolates.