chocolate update…

The final verdict on my most recent post on chocolates (“la hacienda…“): 

I preferred the two Dolfin’s (Cannelle de Ceylan and Noir 88% de Cocao) to the Chocolat Bonnat.

The Noir 88% was my favorite – despite its burnt aftertaste.  The Noir 88% was everything a simple dark chocolate should be: rich, complex, hinting of nuts and coffee, and toasty.  The chocolate was thick, yet smooth in consistency – it was silkily sturdy.

The Cannelle de Ceylan had a lot going for it too – despite being a humble 52%.  As I had said in the previous post, the gritty and assertive cinnamon spice really helped give this chocolate some depth and mysterious complexity. 

The Chocolate Bonnat was flat in comparison.  Instead of a luxioursly rich and smooth consistency, it was waxy and clay-like.  It didn’t melt very well at all – it sat in my mouth like a stubborn block of pencil eraser.  I did not find it “powerful” or “sensible,” as the label described.  Neither did it impart “delicate perfume.”  Rather, I found the chocolate weak, unassertive and very vegetal and leather in taste – it has a distinctly soy taste – like soy nuts.  Not necessarily bad flavors, just not ones I would associate with “superb Venezuelan cocao.”

The Chocolate Bonnat cost twice as much as the Dolfin’s… I couldn’t justify the cost difference by the taste or quality… would be interested to hear what others think.