Dagoba New Moon Bar

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

Dagoba New Moon Bar.
74% Organic Dark Chocolate Bar.
$3.20 for 2 oz. (56 g).

Dagoba is another premium organic chocolatier, making it an especially ripe target for criticism. I’ve never been a fan of the idea of “organic chocolate”—typically, “organic” just translates into double prices for half the flavor.

And yet, Dagoba somehow manages to break the mold with its 74% New Moon bar, making “organic chocolate” that not only tastes like real chocolate, but which surpasses the quality of more expensive chocolates.

The presentation of the bar is quite nice, though simple. The wrapper is very plain, with a simple logo on the front and a silver lining. The actual bar itself, though, does quite a bit better, as it’s divided into 10 little rectangular pieces with the Dagoba imprint written across each. This is especially nice if you plan to share the bar, giving you an easy way to divide the pieces. Moreover, the wrapper serves as a nice little informational packet for Dagoba, giving some history and chocolate philosophy, which is definitely a nice touch.

Even better is the aroma, something that isn’t normally all that strong in chocolate. As I opened the package, I was immediately shocked by a gust of fresh, aromatic dark chocolate, with cherries, coffee, and intense cocoa on the nose. It was extremely refreshing.

The taste only adds to the effect, with complexity and flavor you don’t normally find in organic chocolate. Sour cherries, raspberries, oak, vanilla, and intense cocoa (maybe plums, too) all jump out on the palate, creating a medley of flavors that leaves the palate constantly guessing as the sweetness of the bar runs the gamut from slightly sweet to very bitter. The sour fruitiness is especially prominent and very nice. The milky creaminess only helps by allowing the flavors to transition fluidly and subtly from one to another, so that the palate is never shocked or surprise. My one complaint is that this bar ends very dry and bitter. So much so, in fact, that I found myself wanting to eat more chocolate to get rid of the bitter thirstiness that hits the palate.

Regardless, the melt and finish are still extremely satisfying. How a dark chocolate, especially at 74%, can melt like a milk chocolate is beyond me, but Dagoba manages to pull it off, with a bar that feels a lot smoother than most dark chocolates. Moreover, the bar has a roundness to it, so that the dark chocolate bar leaves a nice coat over the whole palate, allowing you to savor the flavor even minutes after eating the chocolate. In fact, your mouth, especially the back of the throat, will continue to pick up new notes, like raspberry  and bitter coffee, in that incredibly long, dry finish. While I’m not a big fan of the dryness, I can see how some might like it.

The Dagoba New Moon Bar is easily one of the most edible, easily enjoyable 70%+ dark chocolate bars for the price.
Presentation: 3.1/5.0
Melt: 4.5/5.0
Length: 4.3/5.0
Value: 3.5/5.0. This is a standard price for a bar of this quality, but I will say the bar is much better than most.
Taste: 3.8/5.0
Verdict 3.9/5.0