LA Burdick Grenada Bar

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

Apr 27, 11

Composition: 75% Dark Chocolate.
Region of Production: USA.
Origin of Cocoa: Grenada.
Price: 100g for about $8.

Producer’s Notes: “Hints of banana, coffee, and nutmeg—full body, fruity cocoa flavor.”

Burdick’s presentation again pleases, even more so than usual. Burdick’s always does a clean job with its bars, but this one outdoes itself with a bottom that is virtually flat and smooth, as are the corners. The top, however, has more smearing than I’m used to from Burdick’s.

12►

Flavor-wise, this chocolate falls on the simple side, emphasizing subtle flavors throughout. Even as I munched down a piece, I still got a very smooth, silky blandness that was at once elegant and a bit boring. The key undertone is that of very light coffee that hasn’t been roasted yet, i.e. it doesn’t have all that much smokiness. Instead, the chocolate gives a surprisingly milky, creamy flavor and feel, though there is, in fact, very little sweetness to the bar. There is just a slight bit of tropical fruit that hits you right at the beginning and especially near the end of the bar, but it’s nothing too pronounced. I also tasted a slight hint of peppery spice in the middle and a very light dose of sour plums near the end. Regardless, the flavors are extremely subtle, to the point that I had to look for them. The bar leaves a clean, coffee-flavored aftertaste that feels weak. Still, I enjoyed the mixture of very rich, full creaminess with the slight bit of fruit. The emphasis in this bar is definitely on the body, feel, and milky elegance.

Thankfully, the bar definitely gets points on the texture. It has a certain amount of density and hardness that just feels right. It gives off a loud snap as you break it into pieces and always holds its form as you put it into your mouth, yet the melt is surprisingly clean, smooth, and controlled. Moreover, unlike most of Burdick’s other bars, this one feels far rounder, i.e. its flavor hits the whole palate, even though the flavor isn’t all that pronounced to make a strong impression. Best of all, though, this dark chocolate bar feels the least waxy of Burdick’s dark bars, perhaps because of the higher percentage of cocoa.

Unfortunately, this bar simply doesn’t have the flavor to justify the high price, at least for me. There are much more flavorful bars—from Burdick himself no less—for the price.

Scores

Presentation: 4.0/5.0
Taste: 3.2+/5.0
Melt/Texture: 4.2/5.0
Length: 2.4/5.0
Value: 3.0/5.0
Verdict: 3.2+/5.0