The Grenada Chocolate Company 71% Dark Chocolate

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

Composition: 71% Organic Dark Chocolate.

Region of Origin and Production: Caribbean. The company itself is British. 

Price: About $4-4.50 for a 3 oz./85g bar.

As a full disclosure, this is a chocolate that was nearing its best-to-eat-by date, and it had just a slight bit of wear on it in one corner, with the cocoa rubbed off. Still, it just attests to the quality of the bar that it was delicious regardless.

Except for that wear, the presentation of this 71% Dark Chocolate Bar is nearly identical to the Grenada Chocolate Company 60% Dark Chocolate Bar I’ve reviewed previously, so I’ll refer you to that review. Regardless, it’s outstanding, as I’d expect from the Grenada Chocolate Company.

I was, however, disappointed by the aroma, which was almost nonexistent here, though that may again just be due to the bar’s age.

Everything else, though, was fantastic. The bar is 71%, but it’s just so smooth, so easy to eat, and so downright creamy that it feels practically like a milk chocolate. It does use an artificial emulsifier, so I expected to get a waxy taste out of it. Surprisingly, while the bar was a bit less intense than what I’d expect from a 71%, I didn’t really get any waxiness out of it, and if anything the lecithin helped to make it one of the creamiest darks I’ve ever eaten.

And it’s really that consistency and melt that set this chocolate apart from its peers in the dark chocolate category. The bar seems hard at first, having a huge snap to it, but once you put it into your mouth it begins to melt gradually and very evenly, with no hesitation whatsoever.

Nor can I complain about the taste of this 71% bar. It is admittedly quite simple, with a very coffee-like, semi-fruity dark chocolate bitterness that really doesn’t change all that much as you savor it. You really shouldn’t expect any surprises out of this bar, then, because the focus isn’t on bold, huge, and diverse flavors, but rather on a refined, elegant, easy, and constant flavor that is going to leave you satisfied throughout.

Especially notable is the extreme balance, especially with the sugar. Typically, 71% Dark Chocolate is getting into the realm of the bitter, but not so much here, as the Grenada Chocolate Company makes a bar that is so smooth and sweetened so well that the bitterness never becomes extremely pronounced, but rather leaves subtle, refreshing notes on the palate.

Taste-wise, though, the best aspect of this chocolate is certainly the aftertaste, as the very soft chocolate is kicked up a couple notches, leaving a delicious semi-bitterness in the corners and back of the mouth that lasts for a very long time. Remember, regardless of how easy this bar is to eat, it’s still 71%, and if you need more proof, you can just look to the length, which easily lasts minutes. Also of note about the aftertaste is that there’s a bit of a roasted, smoky coffee flavor that comes out right in the end that I found slightly mouth-watering.

Overall, then, the Grenada Chocolate Company 71% Dark Chocolate Bar is delicious, succeeding in nearly every category, though it will not in any way blow your mind. I would especially recommend it for people who have an aversion to dark chocolate. It’s one of those bars that is just so easy to eat that it really will challenge your notions of what an “intense” dark chocolate is. Dark chocolate connoisseurs, though, may find this bar monotonous.

Presentation: 4.0/5.0
Taste: 4.0/5.0
Melt: 4.2/5.0
Length: 4.0/5.0
Value: 4.0/5.0
Verdict: 4.0/5.0