ZOMG, Candy!

My tasting notes, as promised. I loved how I was able to notice the subtle differences between the bars by tasting them all together. For example, when I first tasted the Scharffen Berger Extra Rich Milk, I thought it was sweet and yogurty. Tasting it right after the Chocolove Milk and the Papua single origin bar, the Scharffen Berger bar suddenly took on smoky qualities.

• Chocolove Milk Chocolate (33%) - thick and creamy, coats the tongue heavily; vanilla and caramel notes
• Nirvana Belgian Chocolates’ Papua single origin (35%) - dull and greasy looking, coffee smell, vanilla and yogurt flavor
• Scharffen Berger Extra Rich Milk (41%) - dusky, smoky flavor, soft snap with a thick and heavy melt, lingering finish
• Endangered Species Smooth Milk (52%) - earthy, pepper flavor
• Vosges Naga Bar (41%) - a bit grainy with a great snap, coconut flavor
• Vosges Mo’s Bacon Bar (41%) - smells smoky, bacon bits give it a large grain, super salty bar
• Vosges Red Fire or Oaxaca Bars (55%) - starts off sweet but the chili burn and the heat builds, a finish that lingers in the back of the throat
• Chocolove Ginger Crystallized in Dark Chocolate (65%) - sweet, sugar flavor, light ginger and citrusy notes
• Chocolove Strong Dark (70%) - earthy aroma, greasy texture
• Lake Champlain Single Origin Sao Thome (70%) - sweet and fruity notes
• Vosges Creole Bar (70%) - sweet start, coffee finish that lingers, a creamy melt around the coffee bean and nib bits
• Scharffen Berger Antilles (75%) - my favorite of the bunch - a sharp snap on a glossy, dark bar, creamy melt, lingering finish
• Lake Champlain Single Origin Tanzania (75%) - banana notes, thinner melt, unpleasant finish that’s buttery and lingering
• Scharffen Berger Extra Dark (82%) - bitter tobacco notes with a slightly sweet finish
• La Maison Du Chocolat Coro (100%) - bitter start, dries out the mouth
• Valrhona Gianduja Noisette (no %, but super, super light milk) -super soft, almost like fudge at room temperature, quite soft, creamy, heavy, and thick with strong hazelnut flavors