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Newman’s Own Organics – Super Dark Chocolate 70%

Chris Urban — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:39:16 +0000

Speaking purely as a marketer, this intrigued me on the level of curiosity. Would this compare to other dark chocolates we have sampled? Was this merely a branded version of an organic chocolate produced by some larger chocolate concern? Would this hold up? Would it have been worth it?
In short, to my best estimation, the answer to all of these is yes.
This seems to have higher acidic note, but is grounded with a berry note – blueberry? blackberry? currants? – that keeps the taste interesting.
It has a good mouthfeel – it is creamy, smooth, but it has a waxier feel than average.
It’ll make you feel good, as it’s made with Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa, and proceeds benefit Newman’s Own Foundation.
But, it still tastes a little generic. I got spoiled with that Dagoba bar – after that, this is like going to a Hershey’s bar.

Dagoba Conacado – 73% Dark Chocolate, Dominican Republic origin

Chris Urban — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:15:53 +0000

Dagoba has a phenomenal line of organic, single origin chocolates. We tried another in the line this past weekend, called “conacado,” after the Conacado Fair Trade co-op in the Dominican Republic.
This is truly a wonderful chocolate – the flavor covers a wide spectrum of sweet tart fruit (cherry? cranberry?), coffee, hazelnut, and vanilla.
This hits it home in all the categories – earthy but smooth mouthfeel, great consistency, great taste. It says organic, and it feels organic – not like that crazy tree-hugging, Prius-driving, recycled hemp clothes aunt of yours, but like you’re on the cocoa farm, trying samples alongside the farmer.
So, if I haven’t been clear enough – this is a really good chocolate; a Top 10 contender.
Five-year-old’s thoughts: “Bitter; I can taste a little bit of sour (simultaneously eating a Tootsie Pop), grape juice.”

Kallari 85% single source organic chocolate

Chris Urban — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:41:52 +0000

Very interesting, especially comparing this to the 75% Kallari, I’m truly amazed the difference that the extra 10% makes. This is not like the 75% at all – completely different flavor spectrum, much more restrained and concentrrated. This really is a chocolate-lovers’ chocolate, but borderline too intense. The overwhelming cocoa-ness very nearly drowns out some of the notes we experienced with the 75%.
Five-year-old: “I do not like this at all. Yeck – I need to spit it out. I like the other one much better.”
Seriously, this one just teeters on the brink of bitterness – but when you let this melt on your tongue, you get more of the core flavor that you don’t get with the 75%: deep, earthy flavors, almost olive and the high notes are more almond or hazelnut. Intense.