Taza 60% Stone Ground Organic Chocolate

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

Mar 20, 11

Composition: 60% Dark Chocolate.
Region of Production: USA.
Region of Origin: Dominican Republic.
Price: About $6.50 for 3 oz.
Organic Chocolate.

So when I heard about “stone ground” chocolate, I was more than a little intrigued. Taza Chocolate goes against the grain, using actual stone mills to process its beans only minimally, giving its bars a distinctive texture that I’ve heard is unlike any other, for better or worse. I had to check out Taza’s innovative take on chocolate for myself.

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Thankfully, the bar is a delight from start to finish.

Taza’s 60% Dark Chocolate comes simple and clean, in a traditional, old-school paper wrapper that looks like it’s ripped straight out of the ’60s. The bar itself has almost no decoration, separated into 16 simple rectangles, each with its own design of clean vertical lines.

On the initial snap, a deliciously fruity banana and caramel aroma whisks upward.

And as I put the first piece of chocolate into my mouth, I could tell immediately that it was special—and surprisingly, more for the texture than the flavor. Indeed, the bar has one of the most pleasing, but oddest, textures from any I’ve ever tried. Taza’s stone ground processing seems to give the beans a refreshingly gritty texture. The bar melts a bit slowly, partially because it comes rather thick, but as it begins to melt away, it has a surprising roughness, as though microscopic grains are constantly rubbing against your mouth. Yet, because that grittiness is so fine and the chocolate so soft, the texture feels refreshing. Moreover, as you savor this 60% bar, the chocolate becomes slightly chewy and viscous, almost like a light toffee-like concoction. Needless to say, I’ve never had anything like it. Just beware, it may be a bit rough or sandy for some.

As for the bar’s flavor profile, it begins with a strong blast of coffee as you bite in, which, when combined with the grittiness, leaves you with the taste and feel of fine coffee powder. Yet, that intense smokiness mellows out very quickly with an underlying fruitiness, such as earthy banana, and especially vanilla throughout. This is, in fact, the sweetest pure dark chocolate I’ve ever tasted in my life, particularly because of the use of whole vanilla beans. Those beans also leave you with an always fragrant, slightly sweet, and slightly floral aftertaste, which helps to take the bite out of the intense cocoa.

More negatively, the chocolate may become somewhat one-note near the end, as the vanilla begins to dominate, and some will certainly find it too sweet. It is also rather short for dark chocolate, dissipating off the palate in a couple minutes. But it manages to combine three of my favorite flavors—smoky, fruity, and sweet—in near perfect quantities.

And the weirdest part? This is organic chocolate, which almost never has this much flavor or character. Taza’s bar was, in fact, good enough that I managed to eat the whole thing in one sitting, without feeling one bit overwhelmed.

Scores

Presentation: 4.0/5.0
Taste: 4.6/5.0
Texture/Melt: 4.6/5.0
Length: 2.7/5.0
Value: 4.5/5.0. Incredibly unique.
Verdict:  4.3/5.0. Personally, more of a 4.5/5.0—and even more for an organic chocolate. One of the most unique chocolates I’ve ever had.