Dark Chocolate Reviews

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Dark Chocolate Buying Guide

Dark chocolate is where it’s at for me. I was bought up on the stuff. Some people call it “bitter chocolate” and don’t like the taste, but it would be unwise to lump all dark chocolate in that category. Of course the 99% stuff such as the Michel Cluizel Noir Infini is a very acquired taste and isn’t for me.

Many people get so caught up in the per cent of cocoa solids in dark chocolate without realising that chocolate with the same amount can actually taste radically different. There are so many different factors in play such as the origin and type of cocoa beans, fermenting process the cacao beans are put through, how long they’re roasted, how long they’re conched for and how the manufactured chocolate is actually kept. So what I’d suggest is that you try chocolate at a wide range of cacao levels and brands – just explore what the chocolate world has to offer.

But here are my personal favourites in the different cocoa levels:

Potomac Upala – 82% Costa Rica
Pralus Chuao – 75% Venezuela
Duffy’s Tierra Oscura – 72% Panama
Friis Holm Chuno – 70% Nicaragua
Michel Cluizel Los Ancones – 67% Dominican Republic
Jean-Paul Hévin – 64% Papua New Guinea

Below you’ll find all the latest dark chocolate reviews. Simply just have a look at any that catch your eye, or use the listing of dark chocolate by cocoa solids on the right hand side.

Oialla Organic Wild Chocolate from Beni, Bolivia

This 70% dark chocolate bar made with wild Bolivian cacao, but not from Felchlin, is very soft, mild and fragrant. But that shouldn't deter those who love aggressive chocolate from trying it.

Patric Chocolate Madagascar 67%

This bar of Madagascar 67% is one of the finest bars of dark chocolate I've ever tasted. It's like drinking red wine in your favourite countryside pub with a log fire roaring!

Madre Chocolate Bars

These Madre Chocolate dark bars offered an excellent variety of flavours from both Hawaii and the Dominican Republic. There were all made exceptionally well. If you do get a chance to try them, then please do.

Fruition Chocolate 66% Dark Chocolate

There is something magnificent about micro-batch chocolate makers putting the effort in to create utterly delightful chocolate as this 66% bar. It may be a touch sweet, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Amma Chocolate 60%

A superb bar of bitter-sweet chocolate from an amazing company. The local environment is central to the manufacture of this bar and wonderful flavours very much in evidence.

Rogue Chocolatier Hispaniola 70%

The Rogue Chocolatier AKA Colin Gasko makes chocolate the right way - with fairly basic machinery and without added ingredients to cheat the chocolate making process and manages to create some fine chocolate as a result.

Butlers Almond & Orange Dark Chocolate

This review of the Butlers Almond & Orange Dark Chocolate was a guest review by Amanda who liked it, but thought it could have done with a deeper taste.

A housewife’s Review on Chocolat Bonnat Equateur

A housewife’s review on Chocolat Bonnat Equateur from Dawn Woodgate. Dawn is an amateur baker but a full time chocolate lover. I hope you enjoy her review!

Demarquette Araguani 72%

This Demarquette Araguani 72% just didn't do it for me, I found it uninteresting, a touch too brutish and without the variety of flavours one may have expected given the aroma.

Dolceria Bonajuto 70% Dark Chocolate

This Dolceria Boajuto 70% Dark Chocolate is made using age old processes in Modica, Sicily and produces a sweet, rustic bar of chocolate - I just don't think it'll appeal to all.

Pralus 75% Vanuatu

This Pralus 75% Vanuatu dark chocolate was predominantly one that tasted of gingerbread with the occasional hint of orange. I loved that its from a different origin, but I'll have to try more from their before I make my mind up.

Domori Chuao

To call this Domori bar a Chuao chocolate bar is a disservice to the Venezuelan bar. I'd certainly not suggest that this is comparable to the Amedei bar.

Daintree Estates Dark Chocolate

Yes you can make chocolate in Australia, and damn good chocolate for that.It was very raw and under-ripe but was very interesting too.

Idilio Origins Finca Torres 72%

This bar is far from complicated or offering extravagant flavours, its just a very well excuted luscious bar of dark chocolate from one of the word's best cacao producing countries.

Mast Brothers Black Truffle Dark Chocolate Bar

Sometimes its worth going to the ends of the earth to find wonderful chocolate. Thankfully we have the internet so we don't have to. This black truffle and sea salt bar was just splendid!!

Amano Guayas 70%

I normally love what Amano do, they've created some fantastic bars in the past, but I just don't think this one reaches the heights of those previous bars.

Chocolaterie Mussy Origine Pérou 75%

Single origin fine chocolate should have bags of flavour, it should take you on a merry dance, it should surprise you and excite you. This bar didn't. The flavour was almost anonymous!

Demarquette Royal Merina Ganaches

There can be few more memorable chocolate experiences this year than these sublime dark chocolate ganaches from Marc Demarquette. The flavours roll around, but aren't too dark. They're rich, creamy and elegant.

Pralus Caracas 75%

I've got to say that this Pralus Caracas 75% isn't anywhere near as good as their previous bars. It uses Venezuelan cacao along with some from Ghana - which I don't think does it any credit.

Valrhona Taïnori 64%

Unremarkable in terms of flavour, but still manages to offer a pleasant flavour. The thing is, not every bar in the Valrhona portfolio and offer extreme bursts of flavour and excitement.

Rabot Estate 65% 120 Conch

It's always nice to try something different, but despite being noticeably milder than the shorter conch version, I still found this a touch one dimensional.

William Curley Chilli Dark Chocolate Bar

Without wanting to be hyper-critical, I just thought there was actually no chilli flavour in this bar at all. It could have been a very mild, and possibly, boring bar of dark chocolate.

Michel Cluizel Maralumi 64%

Michel Cluizel seem to always make fantastic chocolate, but we can't expect every bar to be an example of perfection. This bar is just too sweet for my liking and seems to be significantly more so than any of their bars which have a slighly higher concentration of cocoa.

Rococo Lavendar Dark Chocolate Bar

I had hoped for some farily intense, interesting chocolate, but alas no. But I shouldn't expect all the chocolate I try to be full of flavour. Sublte is good some times.

Amedei Toscano Black 66

In terms of the execution, this bar is fantastic. Did find it fairly mild, but fragrant. It would be one of my favourites and I'd certainly not refuse it in the future.

Valrhona Abinao 85%

This bar is a blend of African cacao but doesn't seem to offer any mellow, caramel flavour that one might expect, instead its has a sharp plum flavour and really not much else.

Ananda Mentally Mint Dark Chocolate

When I tried chocolate made by small companies trying to do something different and with ethics then I feel a displeased when I don't actually like some chocolate I've reviewed and that's the case with this bar.

Artisan du Chocolat Panama 70% Bar

Very much like the general wonderful chocolate that Artisan du Chocolat create. Somehow they manage to produce chocolate with great character and intrigue.

Paul A. Young 70% Guanaja

When it comes to coverture bars there's always the problem of does the bar offer more when bought by the maker themselves? In this instance I would say so, but that may be tarnished by the fact that this bar was out of date.

Hotel Chocolat 100% Hacienda iara

Chocolate at this sort of level just isn't for me, you might like it, but ... well nothing really. I wonder how much Hotel Chocolat actually sell of it?

Duffy’s 70% Star of Panama

Duffy always makes awesome chocolate, it's assured as the sun rising the next day. But just like the weather, every day is different, and so is every bar. I prefer his other Panama bar, but this is still fantastic.

Boo! Dark Chocolates

These little, scary (well almost) dark chocolate trick or treat chocolates from Hotel Chocolat are pretty much spot on if you wanted to give the kids some better quality chocolate on Halloween.

Baratti e Milano Extra Fondente

This Baratti e Milano Extra Fondente has to be one of the worst bars I've tried this year as the flavours just didn't work well together.

Betty’s Grand Cru Swiss 65%

This 65% dark chocolate from Betty's made with Felchlin couverture was sweet and bland. I just prefer dark chocolate to have bit more personality - it was lacking here.

Бабаевский горький шоколад

Certainly not a chocolate that you'd want to travel all the way to Russia to try.

Rococo Crystallised Ginger 65%

Do you like chocolate that only has the mildest of flavours but still has personality? If you do then you should really try this one out from Rococo.

Nestlé Gold Éclats de Cacao 64%

I shouldn't really bother reading the review, it wasn't very nice, and there are many, far nicer bars out there to try - even with cocoa nibs in them.

Hotel Chocolat Chuao

When it comes to the Chuao I'm a bit of a purist. It just didn't taste like the others, or have the same feel. But I could just be wrong about it.

Artisan du Chocolat Costa Rica 72%

Another example of beautiful chocolate made with cacao from Costa Rica, this one had a lovely variety of flavours through out the melt. If you're near one of their stores and like chocolate with personality then try it.

Amedei Toscano Red

Amedei are supposed to make awesome stuff. But trying this Toscano Red just proved that you can't please someone all the time. Some people will absolutely love its intense fruit flavours, but I just didn't.

Kakaw 70% With Chilli

If you're after a dark bar with chilli that offers something different, and you find yourself in Belize, then this one from Kakaw could be for you!

Zotter Congo 65%

For those of you chocoholics that love to try something which is just a little bit different, but not as far out as the Zotter funky stuff, then this really should be one for you to try.

Sir Hans Sloane Dark Drinking Chocolate Beads

When it comes to a pick me up after a hard, stressful day at work, there's nothing better than a hot cup of choc to sooth away those mental blockages and unwind. And there's no better way to do that than with these beads from Sir Hans Sloane.

Artisan du Chocolat Bali

There's just something fantastic with what Artisan du Chocolat are doing these days when they source cacao from destinations the less adventurous chocolate makers can't be bothered to explore. The flavour of this Bali bar was incredibly interesting.

Valrhona Guanaja 70% Grand Crus

This Grands Crus from Valrhona using single origin Guanaja cacao of the Trinitario Criollo varieties promised much but didn't actually deliver much. There was hardly any flavour to speak of a complete lack of drama. Valrhona built their name on the back of excellent chocolate, but don't match those heights with this bar.

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