Copper Monkey Chocolate Factory - Dark Chocolate bar

After going dark for a bit while I was overseas, the chocolate blog returns. Can't think of a good dark chocolate pun so we'll leave it.

The Gelson's chocolate aisle is much less well stocked than I recalled. The only thing out of the ordinary was an Australian chocolate bar. Is the Land Downunder trying to be the Switzerland of the Southern Hemisphere? Seems worth giving it a go.

Story:

A normal chocolate bar from an unusual place. This may be the first time I've used "Australia" and "chocolate" in the same sentence.

Price:

At $4 for a 7 ounce bar, this is by far the most cost effective chocolate tasted so far. Converted cost of $0.57 per ounce. Normally, I prefer to just take the chocolate and hold the environmentalism, but it can't really have added that much to the cost at this price.

Packaging:

Cardboard outer and foil inner wrapper, pretty standard packaging.  The labels seem more appealing than some other recent tests, but that's probably due to the surfeit of real estate available on this gigantic bar.

Taste:

Sweetness: (5.5)

At 47% cocoa solids, this is barely dark chocolate.  As such, the sweet creaminess resembles a milk chocolate bar.  Barely any bitterness form the chocolate, but appealing nonetheless.

Complexity: (2)

There's no other word for it: simple.  It tastes like a slightly darker milk chocolate, with basically no flavor notes whatsoever. If I had to stretch it a bit, there's perhaps a warm spice kind of flavor (like cinnamon but less so) muddled somewhere in there.  

Texture: (4.5)

Conversely, the Copper Monkey bar really outdoes itself in the texture department.  The texture is smooth and creamy throughout, literally melting in the mouth.  Without a serious palate cleanser handy, though, it tends to be a bit thick at the finish.

Finish: (3.5)

This is the most difficult parameter to score here.  As mentioned above, the chocolate leaves a sort of thick residue on the tongue unless one has some milk or sparkling water or something to wash it away. Even so, the flavor is on the blander side, so there's not really a significant aftertaste.  Overall, a bit weak in at the end then.

Conclusion:

Recommended. While the Copper Monkey dark chocolate bar isn't particularly adventuresome, it accomplishes many of the key aims of chocolate (such as providing a sweet, creamy treat) at a reasonable price. At close to half a pound of chocolate, this bar is also ideal for sharing (especially with those adverse to actually dark chocolate).

Honeycomb bar from Chuao Chocolatier

Stumbled across this chocolate randomly when looking for a similarly named product. Since I've been tasting spicy chocolates back to back, figured it was time for something a bit more pleasant. Also, they're running a promotion offering a free bar if one signs up for an email newsletter. (Free is the second best flavor.)

Story:

Chuao Chocolatier is another of these trendy chocolate makers mixing in unusual flavors and textures. Founded in 2002, the company claims to be one of the first to experiment with blending exotic flavors. Their party piece is a chocolate bar with what're essentially pop-rocks blended in (the Firecracker bar). While tempting, the Honeycomb dark chocolate bar seemed like a lower risk.

Price:

The 2.6 ounce bar sells for $6, for an effective price of about $2.30 per ounce. While this isn't especially expensive, it should be noted they charged more than $5 for shipping (probably as an incentive to buy more at a time). Inclusive of shipping, the price catapults to $4.42 an ounce.

Packaging:

This is the most eye-catching packaging I've reviewed so far. The gold colored glint of the wrapper edges and the box with the company name is certainly visually appealing. I'm of two minds about this wrapper, though. Since it lacks a sleeve or other packaging outside the foil wrapper, the material is thicker and has a rougher feel than the foil wrapping other bars (such as the interior wrapper of the Wild Ophelia bar). It feels disappointingly cheap on a $6 chocolate bar.

Taste:

Sweetness: (4.5)

As it's filled with solid chunks of honey, this bar is on the sweeter side. The dark chocolate mostly balances out the honey by not providing much sweetness on its own. I can't honestly bring myself to start messing with quarter points, but maybe this is more like a 4.25. It really is almost just right.

Complexity: (4)

The Honeycomb bar really shines when it comes to its flavor profile. With a practically symbiotic relationship between dark chocolate and sweet honey, it offers a distinct transition between flavors with both being perceptible throughout the experience. The chocolate portion itself isn't extravagantly good, but this is a sensible compromise as the flavor needs to be robust enough to complement the sweetness,

Texture: (3)

Conversely, this chocolate's biggest flaw is the texture, which can be graciously described as crunchy and slightly gritty. The chocolate doesn't melt in the mouth very easily. I'd rate this parameter even lower, but it's again a reasonable approach given the flavor profile they're after. Still not the most appealing.

Finish: (3.5)

Would I prefer to taste a bit more chocolate after finishing a piece? Sure, probably. However I can't say I'm dissatisfied with a faint, pleasant memory of honey on the palate with just a ghost of cocoa.

Conclusion:

Recommended. This was a good chocolate to eat on its own, and robust enough to consume with coffee or another powerfully flavored food or beverage. Is it the apex of chocolate flavor? Certainly not. But it is a pleasant riff on two very good flavors presented in either harmony or counterpoint.

New Orleans Chili bar from Wild Ophelia

Tasting another spicy chocolate today, the New Orleans Chili bar from Wild Ophelia. I'm not a masochist, merely providing a service to my (3) loyal readers. Also, Walgreens had a 50% discount on Valentines candy, so it seemed like a good chance to taste something I wouldn't normally buy.

Wild Ophelia is a chocolate brand produced by Vosges, the noted Chicago chocolatier. Presumably it's also a reference to Hamlet, but the company's website is silent on that topic. This label produces chocolates with some unusual ingredients mixed in, supposedly to highlight "American farms & artisans". I've previously enjoyed the BBQ chip bar they make, which had a good balance of chocolate, crunch, and a bit of heat. This cayenne flavored bar is pretty likely to be a bit hotter.

Price: List price for this 2 oz bar is $4. Not particularly expensive for a higher end chocolate, but I believe prices vary substantially depending on the retailer. I paid at least $5 for the BBQ chip bar at BevMo a few months back. 

Packaging: An easy way to tell the difference between a big manufacturer and a little, artisanal shop is the quality of packaging. Unlike the mendiants from last week, the New Orleans Chili bar was professionally packaged and sealed, with a cardboard sleeve holding a sealed foil pouch containing the chocolate. While this preserves the flavor of the chocolate, it also makes it inconvenient to consume in multiple sittings.

Taste: 

Sweetness: (3)

The bar is more bitter than sweet, not surprising for a 70% bar. The pepper flavor probably has a hand in reducing the perceived sweetness further. This is unfortunate; a sweeter chocolate would probably do a better job standing up to the heat.

Texture: (2)

In one word, gritty. Again, this is probably due to the cayenne pepper rather than the chocolate portion per se, but the texture and the melt of this flavor are disappointing.

Complexity: (3)

The hot and bitter notes play against each other fairly well, though this one is also too hot for my taste. I'd prefer a sweeter chocolate since I think it would provide a more interesting contrast, but all the flavors are distinguishable without being overpowering.

Finish: (1)

There's basically no chocolate flavor remaining, just a gritty heat at the roof of the mouth. Like eating chips and salsa without the salt flavor to ameliorate the heat. 

Conclusion

If you like the spicy chocolates and don't mind a more bitter bar, you may enjoy this particular product. I can't recommend it, as the one saving grace is that I got it at discount. 

Tasting two chocolates from Éclat Chocolate

Today I'm tasting two different chocolates from Éclat Chocolate (because it's my first post, and because I had two).  First up is Sao Thome, a single origin chocolate from West Africa.  Next is Aleppo Pink Peppercorn, a chili-infused chocolate blend.

Éclat Chocolate: Sao Thome and Aleppo Pink Peppercorn

Sao Thome

Sao Thome is an island nation located off the west coast of Africa, right on the equator. Cacao plants were imported here from Latin America in the early 19th century, and chocolate now makes up 80% of the exports from this small country.  Chocolate produced here is supposed to have a powerful flavor, with floral and spicy hints.

Price: The Sao Thome mendiants from Éclat come in a 5.9 oz package for $14.50, or about $2.46 an ounce.  This chocolate seems more expensive because the package is relatively large, on a per ounce basis this is less than half as expensive as chocolate from Jinju Chocolates (look for a future review on this one).

Packaging: The packaging is pretty standard for this kind of product.  The label is printed well, and contains some useful information about the chocolate percentage and flavor notes.  The perforations along the top of the label hold the plastic sleeve closed, but also make it a bit difficult to open without sharp fingernails.

Taste: Each chocolate I review will be rated on four attributes: sweetness, melt, complexity, and finish.  Each characteristic will be graded on a 1-7 scale, with high numbers representing an excess of that particular quality and lower numbers representing a deficit.  The ideal chocolate will score 4 on each attribute.

Sweetness: (4)

This chocolate is quite sweet for a 70% cacao product.  The only bitterness is found in the light dusting of cacao nibs on the underside of each mendiant (which isn't represented in the company's photos particularly well).  

Melt: (5.5)

Small pieces of the Sao Thome melt very rapidly.  I'd estimate 10-15 seconds from solid to completely melted for a bite.  This is probably at least partially related to the narrower thickness of the mendiants, but is still pretty quick.  Also, due to the cacao nibs mentioned above, some portions have to be chewed.

Complexity: (3.5)

This chocolate is almost there, but it misses out on that last bit of complexity that separates a very good product from a great one.  In initial tastings, I was much more aware of the floral notes so I'll give credit for that although they've been less present in subsequent tastings.  The flavor is consistent throughout, with only the nibs providing a bit of bitterness.  For a chocolate this dark, though, I was hoping for a bit more.

Finish: (5)

The finish, or persistence of flavors, for this chocolate is heavily dependent on whether I've chewed all the nibs before finishing the chocolate itself.  As long as I finish with the chocolate, this is pretty close to a 4.  However, eating one of the nibs last leaves a bitter taste that persists for a couple minutes now.  Really a bit much.

Aleppo Pink Peppercorn

Spicy foods are all the rage right now, and spicy chocolates have been cropping up more frequently.  Éclat calls this product's flavor "a subtle heat provided by chili grown in Syria's famed Aleppo Valley."  I'm not the biggest fan of hotter foods, so I'll put this assertion to the test.

Price and packaging are identical to the Sao Thome discussed above, so let's skip straight to the taste.

Taste:

Sweetness: (3)

While there's some sweetness here, it is almost instantly overpowered by the peppery notes of this chocolate.  And after that, it's almost nothing but heat.

Melt: (5.5)

As above, the thin mendiants dissolve quickly in the mouth.  This one is a bit grittier than the Sao Thome, probably due to the chili and/or peppercorns mixed in.

Complexity: (2.5)

The Aleppo Pink Peppercorn is almost too hot for me.  Of course, so are many varieties of mild salsa so I realize that won't be a dealbreaker for everyone.  However, there's only the faintest flavor of chocolate detectable behind a wall of heat.  The initial pepper notes promised an interesting and complex experience, but the chili overpowered everything else.

Finish: (4)

Leaving aside whether the flavor is pleasant, the finish is just right.  This mendiant leaves a ghost of flavor on the palate (in this case, chili flavor) for a minute or two.  Compared to the actual flavor of the rest of the chocolate, this isn't even particularly unpleasant.

Conclusion

Of these two chocolates, I'd pretty strongly recommend the Sao Thome.  It's a pretty good value for a straightforward chocolate without excessive bitterness.  While the Aleppo Pink Peppercorn is interesting, I can't really recommend what has been an unpleasant experience each time I've tasted it.