I’m a big proponent of Lindt as a great not-too-expensive-but-still-nice bar for a good chocolate fix. Their Excellence bars are, yes, excellent, and range in price from $3.50 (at the Lindt store on 5th Avenue in NYC) to $1.50 on sale once at Wal-greens (I totally took that opportunity to stock up on my beloved Lindt Chilli bars). Basically, when I want to snack on and savor chocolate but without taking the time to thoroughly and slowly taste it, I reach for Lindt.
I’m not a huge fan of the orange and chocolate combination. I know it works for Terry’s and for chocolate-covered orange peel and for lots of truffle-makers out there, but it’s just not one that especially appeals to me. The same goes for Lindt’s Orange Intense bar.
Had I read the packaging more carefully, I would’ve noticed that the bottom left corner claimed “fine dark chocolate with pieces of orange and almond slivers”. But I didn’t, so I was surprised to find thin bits of almond scattered throughout the bar. Pleasantly surprised, though, as the almond added a nice crunch with just a hint of almond nuttiness. It was just enough to make you take notice but not so much so that it overwhelmed the chocolate or orange.
The chocolate definitely smelled of orange, and the bar’s finish was all citrus as well. To me, it tasted more of orange oil than of an actual orange or of orange zest – a bit more artificial and a bit less zesty, to put it in other words.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad bar. The chocolate, like all Lindt Excellence bars, was wonderfully creamy, and the flavors were well balanced overall. But I’m just not an orange and chocolate fan, so an OM for this bar.
Varsha