Chocolat Moderne Sea Salt Bar

Posted by Edmund in Chocolate, Featured Articles, Gourmet Chocolate Bars, USA | 0 comments

Jan 17, 11

Composition: Butter Toffee with Welsh Sea Salt in 65% Dark Chocolate.
Region of Production: USA.
Price: About $7 for 70g.

Unlike so many other chocolates, I noticed virtually no chocolate bloom here, showing the bar holds up well. The bar comes in a classy, modern box, very befitting of its namesake. As for the bar itself, I was surprised by the general smoothness, as the toffee bits didn’t seem to protrude all that often, at least on the top. The surface, though, was slightly cracked/broken in places, and the bottom, unlike the surface, did have a few chunks jutting out very slightly. It could definitely be better for the price, though.

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Very big aroma, even for a dark chocolate. I could smell it as soon as I took it out. The aroma isn’t too complex, but it does have a refreshing mix of coffee and nuts.

As for the taste, I can’t say I’m too impressed, as none of the flavors come out all that much. When I read “butter toffee,” two words immediately came to mind: sweet and rich. This bar is, however, neither of the two, instead emphasizing the dark chocolate. The only problem is that that chocolate isn’t all that great. It’s very monotonous, without all that many overtones. Moreover, there’s a very marked sweetness that feels almost candy-like, and it doesn’t come from the toffee, which is actually somewhat undersweetened, ironically. Finally—and worst of all—the chocolate has an extremely artificial taste from its use of lecithin.

As for the butterscotch toffee, I can’t say there’s really all that much to be tasted. The salt is extremely low, only kicking in very slightly at the end, where it does give you a nice puckering sensation. The toffee doesn’t help matters with its blandness. I honestly didn’t even get any sugar out of the toffee.

Nor is the texture all that great. With all the crunchy toffee inside, the chocolate can be a bit tough, melting slowly and inconsistently—surprising, given its use of lecithin. Moreover, the toffee itself can be a bit rough and sticky, clinging to the mouth. Still, the bar does have a huge crunch.

Scores

Presentation: 2.5/5.0
Taste: 0.8/5.0
Flavor: 0.5/5.0
Melt/Texture: 2.0/5.0
Length: 0.5/5.0
Value: 0.5/5.0
Verdict: 0.8/5.0