This Christmas, my husband gave me the perfect stocking stuffer: a dark chocolate “palette” from Trader Joe’s. He knows how to win my heart! Just the arrangement of the chocolate alone is adorable. But don’t be fooled by the decor of the chocolate bars, sometimes chocolate can be pretty on the outside and “just ok” to taste. So, naturally I had to break into the bars and find out just how good this chocolate could be!
What made this gift unique was that my hubby took the time to find “single origin chocolate!” Bravo! I think I’ve got him trained well enough! Actually, this fall we did a tasting from another company and discovered that single origin is really the way to go. When you get a chance to taste some, do yourself the favor and splurge. You won’t regret it!
This past weekend, I had company in town and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get a chocolate review. Did you really think I was going to do this alone? Well… the thought did cross my mind, but that might be a bit selfish. The chocolate tasting party was a big hit with the family and I received helpful information on what they tasted. So you see, we’re not professionals, but then again, most likely, neither are you…the consumer.
The palette consisted of 8 dark chocolates of different locations.
- Peru – 60% dark chocolate: A very creamy texture for a dark, easy to eat, mild coffee flavor
- Ecuador – 66% dark chocolate: A sweet and smooth dark with a richer flavor. Slightly acidic taste at the finish.
- Venezuela – 70% dark chocolate: A good unique flavor to it, very “earthy,” with a super dry finish.
- Dominican Republic – 70% dark chocolate: All of us voted against this chocolate. It had a robust, yet, bright flavor, some said almost like dish soap – clean. Also, I found it had too much of a waxy finish. Not a favorite… Sorry D.R.
- Papua New Guinea – 70% dark chocolate: Sweet and creamy for a 70% dark choc. It was well liked by the crowd b/c of the mellow finish.
- Sao Thome – 70% dark chocolate: I classify this as a “woman’s chocolate.” Heavy on the cocoa butter with a dry finish. Exquisite taste and my personal favorite! The guys however, thought just the opposite which I found very interesting!
- Ghana – 70% dark chocolate: A nutty and sweet flavor with a creamy texture. Easy to like.
- Tanzania – 73% dark chocolate: Another well liked chocolate. It had a creamy texture for a 73% dark choc. It carried a citrus type of flavor, with a persimmon finish. Excellent!
And so there you go! But don’t take my words to be final, go get a pack and try for yourself! What a great gift idea and party pleaser too!
Enjoy!
The Chocolate Bottle 