The Two Chloés: plain chocolate bars taste test.

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Plain Chocolate Bars Taste Test.

Obtain a variety of high-quality PLAIN chocolate bars.

The Two Chloés.

The Two Chloés, who have rather different preferences, are:

C2: Chloé Deux, i.e. Chloé D'Ark.
C3: Chloé Trois, i.e. Chloé-Eloise.

The Two Chloés' chosen plain chocolate bars.

Batch 1 was purchased in November and December 2006 at local grocery stores:

Ghiradelli Square 60%
Green and Black's Dark 70%
Hershey's Extra Dark 65%
Lindt "Excellence" 70%
Seeds of Change: La Dominica 61%
Valrhona Le Noir 56% (semisweet)
Valrhona Le Noir American 71%

Batch 2 was introduced on New Year 2007 by the two-person singing group, Seattle Chloé:

Fran's 65% Semisweet
Fran's 72% Bittersweet

Batch 3 was purchased March 1, 2007 at Fog City News, San Francisco. Valrhona Le Noir American 71% (dark bittersweet) and Valrhona 56% (semisweet) were purchased Trader Joe's as the calibration bars.

Amedei Toscano Black
Bucare - Careno Superior (traditionally called the Barlovento) 58.5%
Michael Cluizel: Concepcion plantation (Venezuela) 66%
Michael Cluizel: Maralumi plantation (Papua, New Guinea) 64%
Valrhona: Caraïbe (Gran Cru) 66%

Batch 4 was a gift from Chloé Trois (C3) to Chloé Deux (C2) to help struggles with NaNoWriMo 2007:

Theo Ivory Coast

Percent Chocolate Bar identification C2's Score C2's Comments C3's Comments

75%. Theo Ivory Coast 7/10. Aroma: Woodsy; mushrooms/earth; dark cherry.
Snap: solid clean thunk; uniformly fine-grained, slightly granulated cross-section (but with a pinhole about every half-inch).
Taste: Pretty good: Lacks the full-mouth feel of Valrhona Le Noir American 71%.

72%. Fran's 72% Bittersweet 6/10. Dark: tar; coal. Rich full-mouth feel. Not reported.

72%. Trader Joe's 72% Pound-Plus 3/10. Delicious. Rich full-mouth feel. As good as Valrhona Le Noir American 71%. Not reported.

71%. Valrhona Le Noir American (dark bittersweet) 9/10. Aroma: Berries; citrus.
Snap: solid and clean.
Taste: Best so far. Full-mouth feel. Bottom Line = Yuck (that's a technical term).
Smell = good, but it's a single note smell.
Sight = Very shiny surface, which I find unappealing - I associate it with cheap chocolate.
Taste = bitter, harsh, maybe metallic, not well rounded. Slow to melt on tongue; distinct particles until it melts completely; then it's very smooth.

70%. Green and Black's Dark 70% 3/10. Wood, cherry, mushroom. Puckerish. Unenthusiastic for more. Not reported.

70%. Lindt "Excellence" 70% 7/10. Smell: Raspberry, cherry, wood.
Taste: opens with a hint of pleasing sweetness that quickly deepens, and then finishes with a central pallet flourish. Not reported.

66%. Amedei Toscano Black 9/10. Aroma: Honey, honeysuckle; almonds.
Taste: Pretty good, with a pleasant rising finish at rear center of palate and reaching for the cheek dimples -- a chocolate that literally makes me smile. Sweeter and lighter than Valrhona Le Noir American 71%. Bottom Line = Delightful, I would actually eat this plain (big praise from me).
Taste = Sweeter, more full and rounded taste, and more balanced than Valrhona Le Noir American 71%. Has some "zingy" taste. I don't taste citrus but my mouth reacts as if I'm tasting something sour and it's a great combination with the chocolate. Some late note on back of tongue.

66%. Michael Cluizel: Concepcion plantation (Venezuela) 7/10. Aroma: Honey, honeysuckle; almonds.
Appearance: Love the size of their little squares.
Taste: Honey. Mushroom. Pear. Maple finish. Good but a little too sweet. Bottom Line = Boring.
Taste = Sweeter and more rounded taste than Valrhona Le Noir American 71%; more full and balanced. Coats entire tongue and palate and lingers more than Amedei. More single note than Amedei Toscano Black.

66%. Valrhona: Caraïbe (Gran Cru) 7/10. Taste: Blueberry. Cherry. Berry. Bottom Line = Yuck, not quite as bad as Valrhona Le Noir American 71%; but i don't need to eat it.
Taste = Like Valrhona Le Noir American 71%; in most characteristics, except a little sweeter. Splintery bite, single note, bitter, doesn't leave full-mouth taste.

65%. Fran's 65% Semisweet 7/10. Good. Slightly oily. Not reported.

65%. Hershey's Extra Dark 65% 3/10. Wood, smoke. Maybe brambles. Unenthusiastic for more. Not reported.

64%. Michael Cluizel: Maralumi plantation (Papua, New Guinea) 7/10. Appearance: Love the size of their little squares.
Taste: Interestingly rich in fruit tastes. Raspberry. Some tastes are black currant, blackberry, gooseberry. Malt and honey finish.
More interesting than Michael Cluizel: Concepcion plantation (Venezuela) 66%. Bottom Line = Very nice. I would eat this plain. This and the Amedei are the clear winners for me, and the only ones I would buy again.
Smell = Some note on top of the simple dark chocolate smell.
Taste = Excellent. Just the right give when I bite into it - not too splintery, not too soft. Tart - like blackberry? or kiwi? Chocolate is bitter enough, but not too bitter, and it marries well with fruit taste.

61%. Seeds of Change: La Dominica 61%. 9/10. Smell: Aroma of oranges.
Taste: Citrus. Rich and lively. Not reported.

60%. Ghiradelli Square 60% 4/10. Wood, smoke, ash. Maybe dark berry. Unenthusiastic for more. Not reported.

58.5%. Bucare - Careno Superior (traditionally called the Barlovento) 8/10. Aroma: sweet chocolate.
Taste: Berry. Cherry. Grapefruit. Honey. Bottom Line = Malted milk chocolate not to my taste. I wouldn't buy it. Smell = Pronounced vanilla.
Taste = Sweet, one-note simple, easy to eat (which is boring to me).
Tastes sort of like hot chocolate with milky taste and texture. At the end, malted-milk-ball flavor.

56%. Valrhona Le Noir 56% (semisweet). 8/10. Smell: Mushroom, loam.
Taste: Honey. Pear. Mushroom. Almost as good as Seeds of Change: La Dominica 61%. Not reported.

C2's Scoring Method

A total of 10 points is assigned, with different ranges for each sense:

Sight = Appearance (0-1 possible points).
Smell = Aroma (0-2 possible points).
Sound = Snap (0-1 possible points).
Touch = Texture (0-1 possible points).
Taste (0-5 possible points).

Chocolate Books.

Death by Chocolate: The Last Word on a Consuming Passion
by Marcel Desaulniers (Author), Michael Grand (Photographer)
Try Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Or Caramel Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.
Or Chocolate Dementia.

Percent	Chocolate Bar identification	C2's Score	C2's Comments	C3's Comments
75%.	Theo Ivory Coast	7/10.	Aroma: Woodsy; mushrooms/earth; dark cherry. Snap: solid clean thunk; uniformly fine-grained, slightly granulated cross-section (but with a pinhole about every half-inch). Taste: Pretty good: Lacks the full-mouth feel of Valrhona Le Noir American 71%.
72%.	Fran's 72% Bittersweet	6/10.	Dark: tar; coal. Rich full-mouth feel.	Not reported.
72%.	Trader Joe's 72% Pound-Plus	3/10.	Delicious. Rich full-mouth feel. As good as Valrhona Le Noir American 71%.	Not reported.
71%.	Valrhona Le Noir American (dark bittersweet)	9/10.	Aroma: Berries; citrus. Snap: solid and clean. Taste: Best so far. Full-mouth feel.	Bottom Line = Yuck (that's a technical term). Smell = good, but it's a single note smell. Sight = Very shiny surface, which I find unappealing - I associate it with cheap chocolate. Taste = bitter, harsh, maybe metallic, not well rounded. Slow to melt on tongue; distinct particles until it melts completely; then it's very smooth.
70%.	Green and Black's Dark 70%	3/10.	Wood, cherry, mushroom. Puckerish. Unenthusiastic for more.	Not reported.
70%.	Lindt "Excellence" 70%	7/10.	Smell: Raspberry, cherry, wood. Taste: opens with a hint of pleasing sweetness that quickly deepens, and then finishes with a central pallet flourish.	Not reported.
66%.	Amedei Toscano Black	9/10.	Aroma: Honey, honeysuckle; almonds. Taste: Pretty good, with a pleasant rising finish at rear center of palate and reaching for the cheek dimples -- a chocolate that literally makes me smile. Sweeter and lighter than Valrhona Le Noir American 71%.	Bottom Line = Delightful, I would actually eat this plain (big praise from me). Taste = Sweeter, more full and rounded taste, and more balanced than Valrhona Le Noir American 71%. Has some "zingy" taste. I don't taste citrus but my mouth reacts as if I'm tasting something sour and it's a great combination with the chocolate. Some late note on back of tongue.
66%.	Michael Cluizel: Concepcion plantation (Venezuela)	7/10.	Aroma: Honey, honeysuckle; almonds. Appearance: Love the size of their little squares. Taste: Honey. Mushroom. Pear. Maple finish. Good but a little too sweet.	Bottom Line = Boring. Taste = Sweeter and more rounded taste than Valrhona Le Noir American 71%; more full and balanced. Coats entire tongue and palate and lingers more than Amedei. More single note than Amedei Toscano Black.
66%.	Valrhona: Caraïbe (Gran Cru)	7/10.	Taste: Blueberry. Cherry. Berry.	Bottom Line = Yuck, not quite as bad as Valrhona Le Noir American 71%; but i don't need to eat it. Taste = Like Valrhona Le Noir American 71%; in most characteristics, except a little sweeter. Splintery bite, single note, bitter, doesn't leave full-mouth taste.
65%.	Fran's 65% Semisweet	7/10.	Good. Slightly oily.	Not reported.
65%.	Hershey's Extra Dark 65%	3/10.	Wood, smoke. Maybe brambles. Unenthusiastic for more.	Not reported.
64%.	Michael Cluizel: Maralumi plantation (Papua, New Guinea)	7/10.	Appearance: Love the size of their little squares. Taste: Interestingly rich in fruit tastes. Raspberry. Some tastes are black currant, blackberry, gooseberry. Malt and honey finish. More interesting than Michael Cluizel: Concepcion plantation (Venezuela) 66%.	Bottom Line = Very nice. I would eat this plain. This and the Amedei are the clear winners for me, and the only ones I would buy again. Smell = Some note on top of the simple dark chocolate smell. Taste = Excellent. Just the right give when I bite into it - not too splintery, not too soft. Tart - like blackberry? or kiwi? Chocolate is bitter enough, but not too bitter, and it marries well with fruit taste.
61%.	Seeds of Change: La Dominica 61%.	9/10.	Smell: Aroma of oranges. Taste: Citrus. Rich and lively.	Not reported.
60%.	Ghiradelli Square 60%	4/10.	Wood, smoke, ash. Maybe dark berry. Unenthusiastic for more.	Not reported.
58.5%.	Bucare - Careno Superior (traditionally called the Barlovento)	8/10.	Aroma: sweet chocolate. Taste: Berry. Cherry. Grapefruit. Honey.	Bottom Line = Malted milk chocolate not to my taste. I wouldn't buy it. Smell = Pronounced vanilla. Taste = Sweet, one-note simple, easy to eat (which is boring to me). Tastes sort of like hot chocolate with milky taste and texture. At the end, malted-milk-ball flavor.
56%.	Valrhona Le Noir 56% (semisweet).	8/10.	Smell: Mushroom, loam. Taste: Honey. Pear. Mushroom. Almost as good as Seeds of Change: La Dominica 61%.	Not reported.