This is my first take at the legendary Fauchon’s chocolate, and the brand lives up to its name, with a bar that is just so right in so many way. The Gout n. 3 Lait Caramel bar comes literally shimmering with a near caramel-like glow to it, as though it is a true hybrid of chocolate and caramel. The presentation is simple, but exact, with precise clean lines and no discoloration whatsoever, even though it’s only 33%. It can be hard to snap into exact pieces, given how soft it is, and it has little aroma, but otherwise the bar’s presentation is well-done.

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The taste is equally simple but delicious. The bar begins with a very milky quality, later to pick up a lot of caramel sweetness. That sweetness never hits you all at once, instead phasing in gradually and then remaining constant at a level that’s very easy to enjoy. As you savor the bar, it begins to feel more and more like caramel, but just as that caramel is beginning to dominate the milk chocolate reasserts itself with a very Swiss milk chocolate-type richness. Coating the back of the mouth with a light layer of caramel, the experience lasts for longer than I expected for such a light chocolate (a couple minutes).

But even better is the decadent, yet surprisingly clean melt. The chocolate comes soft, almost like putty. And it has an almost caramel-like viscosity to it, so that it leaves a rich, milky residue on the palate as you roll it around slowly. You get to enjoy the chocolate in various stages as it becomes increasingly viscous and rich, almost transforming from chocolate to real caramel.

Ultimately, then, Fauchon’s Gout n. 3 Lait Caramel is easily the most edible, most delicious caramel bar I’ve ever tried. It nails a near perfect proportion of milk to caramel, richness to sweetness.

Scores

Presentation: 4.5/5.0
Taste:  4.6/5.0
Flavor: 4.8/5.0
Melt / Texture: 4.8/5.0
Length: 3.0/5.0
Value: 4.2+/5.0
Verdict: 4.6/5.0

Composition: 75% Dark Chocolate.
Origin of Cocoa: Venezuela.
Bean Type: Chuao.
Region of Production: France.
Price: About $8 for 100g.

Everything about this bar speaks to its quality. First, the bar comes in traditional Bonnat style, crafted into squares that snap off perfectly, with clean lines. This bar, though, goes a step further, shining with a beautiful dark brown-black gloss. The incredible, tough snap only gives the finishing touch.

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The aroma draws you in as you open the bar, only to be greeted with a strong tropical banana earthiness.

And the taste does not disappoint either, as this bar screams sheer flavor and complexity. It starts off with a slightly sweet licorice, berry taste, moving quickly towards heavier, earthier tones of coal and smoke. That earthiness never overpowers, though, as complex fruity tones keep on emerging—lightly at first, but continually picking up in strength. Expect some very tart, sour cherries, slight citrus, and maybe even some cranberry, in addition to blackberry. All throughout, a slight bit of milkiness keeps on hitting the palate, melding all the flavors together with a very yolky creaminess I would never expect from a 75% chocolate bar. You’re left with a very clean but rich finish that leaves a very thick, palpable layer of creamy, sour smokiness. Very long, very strong, and delicious.

The bar even feels great. Though 75% cocoa, it melts so easily that you would think it’s more like milk chocolate, especially given its light, accessible flavor. Even better, it has that characteristic thickness of a high cocoa dark chocolate, giving it some density and richness. It can seem a bit tough at first, since it comes in thick-cut squares, but it melts so quickly that you almost don’t notice.

And as a side note, this bar is incredibly cheap for a Chuao bar. Typically Chuao bars costs about 4x the price of other bars, and I’m wondering how Bonnat managed to keep the costs down so much.

Overall, extremely well-crafted, complex, and edible. Easily one of the most edible dark chocolates I’ve had in a long time.

Scores

Presentation: 4.2+/5.0
Taste: 4.6/5.0
Melt: 4.2+/5.0
Length: 4.5/5.0
Value: 4.3/5.0
Verdict: 4.4+/5.0

The presentation is quite nice. Normally, I’m not a fan of paper wrappers, especially for bars on the higher end of the price spectrum, but Bonnat’s is actually tasteful, displaying a nice French chateau, some bright colors (yellow in this case), a seal of excellence, and some tasting notes. The bar is very well-made, too. It shows very few overt signs of chocolate bloom (discoloration from the melting of the cocoa butter), a perpetual problem when you buy chocolate from shops that don’t know how to preserve it. There are some large, very light blotches of grey on the back, though it’s not a problem on the front. The color of the chocolate is beautiful, too—an intense, very polished, dark milk color that nearly glimmers. And the construction of the piece is great. The bar is divided into countless mini-rectangles, perfect for snapping into very small bite-sized pieces, and those pieces snap off with almost no problem and very few jagged edges.

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I don’t get much aroma, unfortunately. I did get a couple earthy tones when I first snapped it, but they faded almost immediately.

The flavor, though, is anything but light. The bar starts off rather unassuming and simple, with a good milky feel but with very little overt flavor, making it somewhat monotonous. There is, however, a very light salty bitterness that hits you in the back of the palate—an intriguing taste, to say the least. As you savor the bar, it picks up a very earthy, coffee, soil sweetness. Really, this is about the closest thing to coffee I’ve tasted in a chocolate. That very roasted, smoky flavor isn’t abrasive either, since it balances out the sweetness and bitterness of the bar. Thus, this chocolate hits the right equilibrium point between dark and milk. Moreover, for such an earthy chocolate, it has a surprising amount of nuance, leaving you with a smoky, salty aftertaste. That aftertaste is short for such a dark milk chocolate, but it is refreshing nonetheless. Still, this chocolate can feel weak, especially near the end.

As for texture, the bar slowly for my taste, but still very evenly. Moreover, the chocolate has a surprising viscosity, and it leaves a very nice residue that hits the whole palate. It’s never too rich, though, instead coming off as silky. It also has a nice snap. While the bar is on the higher end of the cocoa spectrum, it retains some of the softness of a typical milk chocolate, so it’s never overly hard to the bite.

Scores

Presentation: 3.5/5.0.
Taste: 3.5/5.0. Only for people who like it smoky. 3.0 otherwise.
Melt: 3.3/5.0. Very smooth, but somewhat thick.
Length: 2.5/5.0
Value: 3.5/5.0
Verdict: 3.3/5.0. Surprisingly balanced for such a smoky chocolate. Still, it’s not the most flavorful chocolate, and many won’t appreciate the earthiness.

Composition: 70% Dark Chocolate with Crystallized Violet.
Region of Production: France.
Price: $6-$7 for 80g.

First off, the presentation of this bar is quite nice, at least on the surface. It really tries to embody the idea of violets, emphasizing the ingredient everywhere from the box (with its purple hue and floral imagery) to the bar, which is almost fully covered across the very top with crystallized, sparkling chunks of violet. On the one hand, the bar is aesthetically pleasing, especially with the glimmering layer of crystallized sugar across the top of the bar. I do like, too, that it’s a very clean bar, without cracks (even on the inside) and with a very polished surface. On the other hand, the bar does have its flaws. Numerous chunks of violet have pulled apart, so that the glossy purple on the outside has turned into a greenish, mashed flower petal. The distribution of those chunks is off, too, so that some areas are devoid of violet.

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The chocolate exudes an explosive cocoa aroma, which nevertheless dissipates very quickly. There is, moreover, not too much of the floral aroma I was hoping to have.

The bar feels hard on the bite. Even so, it melts rather nicely for something so full of mix-ins, probably from its use of lecithin. Given that lecithin, I was surprised that the bar doesn’t taste too artificial at all. Still, the chocolate’s not the most complex, instead hitting you with a dark, semi-sweet, coffee-like quality and a decent amount of thickness to assure you that it’s dark chocolate.

I also found the violet to have an interesting flavor—almost like candied ginger in terms of its candy-like crunch and sweetness, but with a bit of elegance to it from the underlying floral flavor, which gives the sugar a slightly sour fruitiness. Unfortunately, the taste feels contradictory, as the overpowering sugar clashes with the floral elements. Still, I like that the violet leaves the palate refreshed, with a slight floral aroma lightening the heavier chocolate tones on the breath. It’s a special treat to munch down each piece, as the candied violet explodes with flavor as you bite into it. That explosion can, however, be too much for some, and all too soon it disappears in the much stronger chocolate. This, then, is a bar for instant gratification, rather than for savoring.

Still, I have to say it was a pretty interesting experience. Never before have I run into such an inventive ingredient, and one that would seem so difficult to properly incorporate. Yves has made it look easy, though at the cost of giving the bar an almost candy-bar like flavor and appeal. It’s short, sweet, creamy, and monotonous, but in a good way.

I wouldn’t go so far as to recommend this bar, especially at $7, for a chocolate connoisseur, but it’s a novel experience nonetheless.

Scores

Presentation: 3.0/5.0
Taste: 2.5/5.0. Good, but a bit sweet and odd.
Flavor Integration: 2.2/5.0
Melt: 2.7/5.0
Length: 1.5/5.0. Not really applicable, though.
Value: 2.0/5.0. Very unique.
Verdict: 2.4/5.0

Composition: 65% Single-Origin Dark Chocolate
Country of Production: France.
Price: $8 for 100g.

Note: I was trying the 30g variety, so I’ll make this into more of a mini-review. I just didn’t eat enough to evaluate it perfectly.

The small piece I was trying comes in a nice, simple paper wrapper, nor is the actual chocolate bar itself very fancy, showing simply Cluizel’s logo and signature. It’s clean and professional, though simple.

The Mangaro is just a delight to taste, though. I can put it in my mouth and let it roll around, just savoring it little by little. It’s articulated so well that it just melts in your mouth as well as on the touch, even though it has a moderately high percentage of cocoa. The Mangaro is so smooth and creamy, in fact, that you’d think it’s a milk chocolate.

The flavor isn’t lacking, either. The Mangaro Bar comes off as very round and long, leaving a nice residue all over the mouth that makes a lasting impression on the palate. It’s also quite complex. It starts strong and nutty, with a very strong hazelnut flavor to it, and it gradually picks up some tartness and acidity with the flavor of blackberries, raspberries, and especially sour cherries for a refreshing, fruity end that lasts.

Overall, then, not only can I recommend the Mangaro Dark Chocolate Bar, but I can say that it is without a doubt one of Michel Cluizel’s best chocolate bars, if not his absolute best.

Verdict: 4.7/5.0

(Presentation Score: 3.7/5.0. It is not included in the verdict)

Upon opening the Hacienda Los Ancones Bar, I wasn’t very pleased at all. The packaging, as with all of Cluizel’s bars, is very nice, but the wrapper itself was for some reason already opened on the inside. Someone had either opened it, or it had opened up within the box, and I’m inclined to believe the latter because the wrapper was still whole, rather than ripped. I’m surprised because Cluizel normally does an excellent job with the packaging. Moreover, the bar was speckled with tiny discolored patches (i.e. there was “chocolate bloom”)—not exactly the same austere image you normally get from a Cluizel bar. Even worse, while chocolate bloom doesn’t normally affect the taste, this time it may have done so, since an unwrapped wrapper would allow for oxidation and exposure to foreign particles.

Even so, there are several things to love about the Hacienda Los Ancones Bar. First, even though it had been semi-opened, the aroma was still huge. It dissipated so quickly I couldn’t get a good smell of it, but it would have probably been very intense without the packaging issue. Second, this bar is round, melting ever so smoothly and creamily while leaving a deliciously thick residue that coats your whole mouth. Third, this chocolate has one of the best snaps I’ve seen in a long time. It’s so easy to just break off a square, and every time you do, you hear a loud “Chck.” With a make that good, the bar’s melt is, unsurprisingly, extraordinary. The bar melts slowly, but evenly, and because the dark chocolate flavor is so big, that slow melt really lets you take in that bold flavor gradually so that it doesn’t overpower you.

The taste is really what gets you, though, as this is one of the most complex dark chocolates you could taste. It starts out slow, with an emphasis on creamy, heavy cocoa with a lot of coffee and just a bit of licorice as undertones, but it eventually picks up ripe berries and a bit of plums, taking a pretty noticeable sour turn that really makes the mouth pucker. It finishes elegantly, returning to a more creamy neutrality that is marked by some tangy apricot, just a bit of smoke, and maybe even some wood, leaving a deliciously sour bittersweet aftertaste that is both very big and very long. It’s surprising just how long that big of a flavor can last on a palate, as I was tasting it for minutes, even though this is just 67%.  Throughout the whole process, too, this chocolate is also one of the most edible and softest dark chocolates, with phenomenal boldness but smoothness to every one of the flavors. Thus, the flavors come together slowly and gradually so that the palate is never shocked, but rather pleasantly surprised.

The Hacienda Los Ancones Bar, then, displays not only huge flavor, but incredible elegance. It is Michel Cluizel simply at his finest.

Presentation: 1.5/5.0. (Normally would have been a 4.5)
Taste: 4.7/5.0
Melt: 4.5/5.0
Length: 4.5/5.0
Value: 4.2/5.0
Verdict:  4.1/5.0 with the presentational flaws, 4.5/5.0+ without.

Country of Production: France.

Price: About $8-$9 for a bar.

Producer’s Notes: Powerful and heady nose, aromas of burnt butter and liquorice, bitter, persistent on the palate.

Unfortunately, this bar is discolored, as most of my latest bars have been. It must be a result of improper transportation, and perhaps a result of the shop where I get the bars.

Regardless, I’m a big fan of Pralus’ packaging and presentation. Pralus keeps it simple, while maximizing information, as it provides information on the cocoa type, the country, and even the longitude and latitude from which the beans come. The Venezuela Bar itself is also tastefully simple, broken into squares and a large rectangle (the rectangle for Pralus’s signature). Moreover, the bold, glossy dark brown color of this bar, verging on the semi-black color of coffee beans, is fantastic—and it would be rather glossy and polished if there weren’t any smearing as a result of heat.

The next thing to notice about the Venezuela Bar is really the aroma, which surges out as soon as the chocolate is opened, leaving a satisfying burnt toast smell. That same flavor captures the taste of the whole bar, which is rather simple and incorporates only a few very earthy and heavy tones, including some smoke, butter, toast, and just a slight bit of black fruit. These flavors are somewhat light and downplayed, however, so that they really only emerge gradually as you savor the bar in the mouth.

The bar does, however, finish much more strongly than I expected, as the sour bitterness of the black fruits emerges to add some character, while the aftertaste leaves you with a refreshingly bitter smokiness. While that aftertaste is long, it’s not unnaturally so by any means, especially for such an intense chocolate. Moreover, because the flavor is so light in general, the bar can, especially at the beginning, seem somewhat bland, even though the cocoa quality is undeniable.

The Pralus Venezuela Bar goes down very smoothly, rolling around easily in the mouth, yet it melts slowly and is rather viscous, clinging to the teeth.  I do like the quality of the make, though, as the bar breaks into perfect squares with an incredible (and incredibly loud) snap. I’d also have appreciated some more roundness to the taste—it doesn’t really seem to hit the whole palate.

Presentation: 2.5/5.0 (4.0 w/o the discoloring)
Taste: 3.7/5.0
Melt: 2.8/5.0
Length: 3.2/5.0
Value: 2.5/5.0
Verdict: 3.1+/5.0

I’ve tried chocolates from all over the world, of all different styles and intensities. Never, however, have I had the chance to taste pure chocolate. And there’s a good reason for that: Pure cocoa is unbearably bitter. And yet, Pralus has quite daringly released the only 100% chocolate bar to date, pushing the boundaries of just what is chocolate—and with resounding success, no less.

That success starts with the presentation. Pralus’ Le 100% comes wrapped in a very old-fashioned, simple paper wrapper, but it’s very classy and informative, displaying the percentage of cocoa, the bean type, and even the precise spot on the world from which the cocoa comes (in degrees).

Le 100% itself is just as clean and sleek, though I did notice some random spots of very minor chocolate bloom, i.e. really slight, practically unnoticeable smears. The bar comes arranged in a couple dozen or so tiny squares and a much larger rectangular piece that features Pralus’s signature. I like the format a lot, especially for this bar, since its taste is so intense that you really should be eating it in very small pieces.

Being 100% cocoa, this bar really needs to rely on the natural complexity of the cocoa, rather than on any flavoring ingredients, and I think Pralus nails it. You taste cocoa in its rawest, purest, harshest, and strongest form, yet you taste a surprising amount of subtlety in the chocolate. Le 100% starts out strong and bland, with just a bit of salt and mint, but as you savor it, it continually picks up a tangy sweetness reminiscent of red fruits and blackberries. There are also hints of more flavorful, neutral flavors, like smoke and nuts, especially walnuts. As expected, the bar is very bitter, but it’s surprisingly not overwhelming. The beans are, in fact, so flavorful and so balanced that I can literally put a whole piece in my mouth and eat it as though this were a normal dark chocolate.

At the same time, the intensity of the pure chocolate gives this bar a few big advantages. First and foremost is the length. Le 100% is, by far, the longest possible chocolate you can eat. With so much natural cocoa in it and such a fruity bitterness, this bar is going to last on the palate for easily half an hour. Second, the snap is extremely satisfying, and because the chocolate is so intense, it maintains its form very nicely, though it is also difficult to break apart into perfect pieces. Finally, Le 100% is incredibly round, leaving a lasting impression on all the taste buds around the mouth. It’s a bar that will indeed make your mouth explode.

Very intense chocolates will also typically face a couple problems, which this bar somehow manages to avoid. Normally, the higher the cocoa, the more resistant is the bar to melting. This bar, though, is extremely smooth, never feeling too solid or hard. Instead, it dwindles away slowly, which is great because the flavor is so big that a faster melt would be a bit much.

I also expected this bar to be a bit bland because of the intensity of the bitterness would of pure chocolate would normally overshadow all undertones and nuances. As I’ve stated before, though, this bar is perfectly balanced.

I certainly have to give Pralus credit for this bar. It somehow manages to take something which should be impossible—pure 100% chocolate—and turns it into something that’s not just edible, but delightful. That recommendation comes with a huge caveat, though: This chocolate is not for everyone. In fact, I’d recommend avoiding it unless you either truly love dark chocolate or have been exposed to a large variety of gourmet chocolates. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to appreciate.

Presentation: 4.0/5.0 (4.5 without the minor bloom)
Taste: 4.5/5.0
Melt: 4.6/5.0
Length: 5.0/5.0
Value: 4.5/5.0. The only chocolate with such intensity that’s so edible.
Verdict: 4.6/5.0. One of the most interesting, unique experiences you will ever have with a dark chocolate. However, it’s not a go-to chocolate for me, and I can’t imagine the average consumer really enjoying this bar.

As all of Pralus’s bars, the Pralus Cuba Bar comes in a simple, but tasteful, paper wrapper that displays much more information than you’d typically find on a chocolate bar. Not only does it show you the type of cocoa and its country of origin, it maps the plantation out in terms of its latitude and longitude. None of that really matters, but this type of precision is very much a trademark of Pralus.

It’s also all the more important with the Pralus 75% bars because Pralus specializes in that cocoa percentage, producing a whole range of bars that are simply distinguished by the location and the type of cocoa beans used to make the bar. This bar is, in fact, the only gourmet bar I’ve heard of that makes use of beans from Cuba. It is thus unlike most bars on the market, though other producers really should start looking into Cuban cocoa, given the quality of the bar.

I think Pralus describes its own bar best, by describing the flavor as akin to spicy licorice. I’d also add in notes of strong vanilla, a bit of milk, and some hazelnut, along with some earthier tones, especially coffee and soil. There is also just a hint of fruity, sour sweetness that hits momentarily at the middle of the taste, like the taste of a plum. The finish is also delightful, as the chocolate leaves a long, peppery, smoky impression, though that finish is somewhat light.

Even better, while the chocolate is so flavorful, it is never abrasive. In fact, I’d even call it surprisingly delicate. All the flavors are moderate and often subtle, never dominating the bar.

The Cuba Bar’s one weakness would really be in the melt and texture. The melt can be a bit clunky and slow, taking quite some time to begin. When it does, though, the Cuba Bar becomes surprisingly creamy, smooth, and delicate for something so intense. Moreover, the bar doesn’t feel quite as round as I’d like, especially for something so intense, nor does the melt leave a thick residue to savor, though the aftertaste is long.

Regardless, Pralus delivers with its fantastic Cuba Bar. While not perfect, it delivers a very unique 75% dark chocolate experience.

Taste: 4.3/5.0
Melt: 3.8/5.0
Length: 3.8/5.0
Value: 4.0/5.0
Verdict: 4.0/5.0

The presentation of the bar is very simple, clean, and professional. Black wrapping, black box, chocolate in the shape of a large, thin square. It’s the same as the other Valrhona bars (refer to Tanariva bar).

Nicely tempered, so it seems somewhat hard and is resistant to melt on touch. But it melts in the mouth so slowly and smoothly that you can really savor it.

The bar is extremely complex and has many notes of sour and dried fruits, as well as nuts. Sour cherries are especially prominent. There are also flavors of apricots and plums, as well as berries, including blackberries and especially raspberries. All of it comes together with a soft tannin/oaky taste. The bar is extremely flavorful, yet the overtones are subtle and gradual enough on your palate that you’re not overpowered. Nice, long, oaky finish.

Presentation: 3.5/5.0
Taste: 4.7/5.0
Melt: 4.8/5.0
Length: 3.5/5.0
Value: 4.5/5.0. This is a very fair price to pay for a gourmet chocolate, especially one of this quality.
Overall Score: 4.6/5.0. This is the perfect dark for someone, like me, who doesn’t like it too bitter. Very fruity, creamy, rich, and fantastically controlled bitterness = excellent.