SAFEWAY SELECT Extra Dark - Dark Chocolate

Evaluation Date: June 2012

Cocoa Content: 78%

Purchased @: Safeway

Theo Rating: 9 - "Very good, but I like a little more sweetness."

Broma Rating: 10 - "Its very interesting that the other Safeway Select samples rated very high marks, and that we wondered how the same might score, without "combo" items, such as nuts or berries. Well now we know! Its great! A Zinger dark choc!"

Theo Audubon COSTA RICA

Evaluation Date: April 2012

Cocoa Content: 91%

Purchased @: PCC

Theo Rating: 6 - "This sample was much too bitter for me. The dark chocolate flavor was very good, but not sweet enough for me."

Broma Rating: 7 - "Though this dark choc has an incredibly high cocoa content, the blend is done very well. As far as extreme "high percentage" samples this is one of the best I've tested. I'm not, however, fond of this category of dark choc."

MOONSTRUCK Chocolatier Dark Chocolate Bar DARK Chocolate

Evaluation Date: Feb 2011

Cocoa Content: 68%

Purchased @: ?

Theo Rating: 7 - "The dark chocolate tastes good and the chocolate very smooth, but not one of the best we have tasted."

Broma Rating: 7 - "This is a good sample that reminds you why you like dark verses milk chocolate. Its strong with just the right "bitter" taste, but it's not more than a "7" "

Chocolove XOXOX BELGIAN CHOCOLATE

Evaluation Date: November 2013

Cocoa Content: 77%

Purchased @: Metropolitan Market

Theo Rating: 10 - "Today’s sample was excellent!"

Broma Rating: 10 - "This "high percentage" great dark chocolate is smooth and pleasing sample that I consider a "10" ! I very look forward to testing its 55% and 65% brothers!."

WOODBLOCK CHOCOLATE PORTLAND, ORE

Evaluation Date: June 2014

Cocoa Content: 70%

Purchased @: Portland Airport

Theo Rating: 7 - "I found the texture good, but with a slightly fruity taste when I first bit into the bar. The finish was good, as was the dark chocolate taste and the sweetness. "

Broma Rating: 8 - "Very impressive "dark kick" with this sample, when only publishing a 70% content! I like the packaging, though the size of the bar is a significant negative (too small!)"

Seattle Chocolates WHIDBEY Wildberry

Evaluation Date: Aug 2010

Cocoa Content: ?? %

Purchased @: Boehms Chocolates

Theo Rating: 8 - "Ditto for me!"

Broma Rating: 8 - "I like this one better than Orange Appeal. The fruit flavor is very subtle and it does enhance the fine dark choc foundation. Very smooth and pleasing."

SIRIUS KONSUM Urvals Tegund

Evaluation Date: July 2013

Cocoa Content: 70%

Purchased @: Iceland

Theo Rating: 10 - "Excellent dark chocolate!"

Broma Rating: 10 - "It may be the fact that this sample comes from Iceland, but that on top of the fact that it is an outstanding dark chocolate, I have to give it a  "10" !"

Lindt Excellence (Intense Dark)

Evaluation Date: June 2010

Cocoa Content: 70%

Purchased @: Albertsons

Theo Rating: 6 - "The taste was intense dark chocolate, but for me bordered on the bitter, even when savored. I also detected a very slight gritty taste."

Broma Rating: 8 - Pure Dark Choc taste (especially when savored - [2 minutes per square])"

Bee Pollen Bar Organic Dark Chocolate

Evaluation Date: April 2012

Cocoa Content: 63%

Purchased @: Boehms Chocolates

Theo Rating: 7 - "I liked the flavor, but did find this chocolate a little grainy and not as good as some others we have tasted."

Broma Rating: 6 - "The Bee Pollen combination introduces a very interesting experience in this Dark Choc. Unfortunately, it wasn't as interesting as a blueberry or almond mixtures that have enhanced previous "combo" samples."

Dove Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate

Evaluation Date: Dec 2010

Cocoa Content: 63%

Purchased @: Bartells

Theo Rating: 10 - "I found this dark chocolate exceedingly smooth and tasty! It should be our "gold" standard."

Broma Rating: 10 - "How could we not have evaluated this one sooner? Dove chocolate is the default "standard" and everything else should be compared to it. "Silky Smooth" it is!"

Bissinger's All Natural

Evaluation Date: November 2012

Cocoa Content: 75%

Purchased @: Boehms Chocolates

Theo Rating: 9 - "I liked the color, aroma, texture and taste. However, for a 10, it needed to be a tad sweeter for me."

Broma Rating: 9 - "We have evaluated another Bissinger's previously. I really like this sample and would say that this could be included in the list of top "after lunch" dark chocolates! Great flavor, good size, really nice packaging!"

RAPUNZEL Organic DARK

Evaluation Date: November 2010

Cocoa Content: 55%

Purchased @: QFC

Theo Rating: 9 - " I spotted this chocalate at QFC and was pleasantly surprised to find it was very smooth and not too sweet! For a Swiss chocolate, it's very nice! "

Broma Rating: 9 - "A fantastic sample - this is nearly a perfect dark chocolate!"

TAZA Stone Ground Organic

Evaluation Date: March 2012

Cocoa Content: 70%

Purchased @: Chocolopolis (Seattle)

Theo Rating: 5 - "I'm not pleased with the graininess. It was a little better than the last TAZA we tried, in terms of sweetness and cocoa taste, but still tended to be on the grainy side."

Broma Rating: 4 - "Again, I'm just not a fan of the TAZA brand dark choc. This one has a good cocoa flavor and sweetness level, but that 'gritty' texture is too overwhelming to make it enjoyable."

Trader Joe's - Fair Trade - Swiss Dark Chocolate

Evaluation Date: July 2010

Cocoa Content: 71%

Purchased @: Trader Joe's

Theo Rating: 7 - "This one reminded me a little of milk chocolate, but it was pretty good and smooth!"

Broma Rating: 8 - "I like this one! Very smooth with plenty of dark choc taste! I'm giving it an "8"."

HACHEZ Manufaktur-Chocolade selt 1890

Evaluation Date: October 2015

Cocoa Content: 77%

Purchased @: Germany

Theo Rating: 8 -  "I do like this chocolate. But, I still have to rest on the fact that I like pure dark chocolate. I'll give it an 8."

Broma Rating: 8 - "A very, very interesting sample! This is the first and only darkchoc I've ever tasted that contains Mango and Chili aroma and taste! It is very pleasing and I think I could really get used to this, if it wasn't all the way from Germany."

Safeway SELECT Extra Dark Chocolate with Cranberry & Orange

Evaluation Date: January 2012

Cocoa Content: 72%

Purchased @: Safeway

Theo Rating: 7 - "I agree. This sample was a little too "fruity" for good dark chocolate."

Broma Rating: 8 - "Though this is very, very good, I'm rating it one notch lower than the blueberry sample. They are both good, I prefer the other."

Lillie Belle Farms

Evaluation Date: November 2012

Cocoa Content: 74%

Purchased @: PCC

Theo Rating: 7 - "The appearance, aroma and texture were all good for this sample, but I found the dark chocolate taste and the sweetness were below what I prefer."

Broma Rating: 7 - "I like the cocoa content of the sample, but I'm not happy with the fruity taste that is so prevalent. Something about the combination of the Venezuelan and Dominican Republic cocoa beans has introduce this interesting, but not pleasing flavor."

HERSHEY'S SPECIAL Dark

Evaluation Date: August 2011

Cocoa Content: 45%

Purchased @: "just about anywhere"

Theo Rating: 8 - "I found this to be a good, basic dark chocolate. Since it is widely available, it's a good choice when the more exotic varieties are hard to find."

Broma Rating: 8 - "Agreed. This is a very "stand by" good dark choc that always delivers, is easily found and fills the need for a dark chocolate snack!."

ORIGINAL LILY'S Dark Chocolate

Evaluation Date: April 2012

Cocoa Content: 55%

Purchased @: Issaquah PCC

Theo Rating: 4 - "The aroma was good, but the dark chocolate taste was not strong enough. The Stevia sweetner was good, but not the same as cane sugar. If the cocoa content were higher, this could be a better bar."

Broma Rating: 5 - "Two factors stand in the way of a higher rating for Lily's. (1) the cocoa content is so low that it is nearly lost (2) the Stevia sweetener is more demanding of attention than is the cocoa level. ( do like the packaging, very much!)"

WHOLE FOODS Organic Tanzania Schoolhouse Project

Evaluation Date: Feb 2013

Cocoa Content: 72%

Purchased @: Whole Foods

Theo Rating: 10 - "Another excellent dark chocolate! I didn't enjoy it quite as much as a previous Whole Foods sample, but it was almost as good."

Broma Rating: 10 - "Yes, this is an organic bean source, but with only one percentile difference in cocoa content, you wouldn't expect there to be much of a difference between this and the previous Whole Foods sample. And there isn't!! They are both a "10"."