Chocolate Tasting #4

For my 29th birthday, P gave me a dozen chocolate bars with the notion of a formal chocolate tasting for friends on September 7th. We had 11 guests, all of whom were invited on handwritten robin's-egg-blue and chocolate stationary (very pretty!) to a black tie event including berry liqueurs as libations and good baguette to cleanse the palate.

Here are a few brief tasting notes along with the list of chocolates sampled (we did a blind tasting, so the names of the chocolates were replaced by stars as you'll see below).

Aldebaran: Dagoba Organic, Chai, 37% Cacao. Milk chocolate, ginger & spices.

• Cardamon. Curry. Very sweet. Not a favourite of mine. Too milky and almost dirty-tasting. P liked the creaminess, though - he rated it high.
  

Rigel: Vosges “Black Pearl Bar,” 55% Cacao. Dark chocolate, wasabi, ginger & black sesame.

• Peppery. Didn't notice the wasabi at all (or the sesame until the second try). Again, not a favourite.
  

Mirach: Vosges “Oaxaca Bar,” 75% Cacao. Tanzanian bittersweet chocolate,
Oaxacan guajillo y pasilla chilles.

• We had a taster call this stuff "evil". Metallic, grainy, serious heat after a moment on the tongue.
  

Sirius: Bayano “Seeds of Change,” 70% Cacao. Dark chocolate, cacao nibs and cinnamon.

• My favourite. Really cinnamony (in fact a whole piece of this is a bit much, but in small quantities it is divine). P tasted citrus and coffee in this one.
  

Note: P just bought me another Seeds of Change bar called Santa Caterina. Dark chocolate with mango, toasted coconut, cashews. It is really good.

Capella: Galler “Noir,” 85% Cacao. Dark chocolate.

• My favourite plain bar. Round, smooth (especially for an 85%), creamy. Took my second place and P's third.
  

Deneb: Vosges “Creole Bar,” 70% Cacao. São Thome bittersweet, espresso, nibs & chicory.

• P's least favourite. I liked the bitter graininess of this bar.

Vega: Vintage Plantations “Arriba,” 38% Cacao. Milk chocolate & salted roasted peanuts.

• I did NOT like this one - way too sweet. P thought it waxy.
  

Altair: New Tree Renew “Rejuvinating,” 73% Cacao. Dark chocolate & black currant.

• Tart & bitter. I love this bar. You can smell the currents from a room away. Delish!
  

Arcturus: Santander “Columbian Dark Chocolate,” 70% Cacao. Columbian dark chocolate.

• I tasted coffee in this bar and I liked it. P found it dark & buttery.
  

Regulus: Natrue of Chocolate Organic “Dark Chocolate,” 70% Cacao. Organic dark chocolate.

• P called it smooth, full & melting - it tied for third. I despised it: my least favourite.
  

Antares: Vosges “Mo's Bacon Bar,” 41% Cacao.
Deep milk chocolate, applewood smoked bacon & smoked salt.

• No kidding! A sweet finish, very smoky. Worth it just for the shock value.
  

Spica: Vosges “Barcelona Bar,” 41% Cacao.
Deep milk chocolate, hickory smoked almonds & grey sea salt.

• Still P's favourite. And I can't deny it is nearly the perfect chocolate bar.