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Chocolate Contest

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14:49 / 07.10.07

It really is a tobacco pouch!!!

Dolfin; Dark Chocolate with Pink peppercorn... I'm going in...

Not such a big fan of the plastic internal wrapping, but that is more than made up for by the reusable outer-packet... great way of avoiding chocolate crumbs in your rucksack!

First taste is slightly creamy dark chocolate, so sweetly bitter.

The peppercorns are just that, corns of pepper. Chunks of kick hidden in a perfectly balanced dark chocolate bed. Had to go back for more. In fact, am so excited I feel like a small child offered the most unusual sweet ever encountered in my short life, with the paradoxical understanding that its actually not. Yummm.

(Have avoided reading other reviews to minimise being influenced, although the comparison to a tobacco pouch caught my eye).

***
Pacific Dongle; Its really weird, thats actual pepper isn't it? Cause pepper is a savoury taste, and with the high cocoa content its almost savoury... but it isn't, its really sweet. Its good... really nice.

17:18 / 07.10.07

Smells like christmas!

Dolfin; Hot Masala

The scent of cinnamon, the gentle burn of sweet sweet spices. Milk chocolate is sweetly creamy and the flavour is divine! My absolute favourite, but then I am a sucker for cinnamon.

Warming and tasting like the autumnal colours of falling leaves against a crisp blue sky. If I never get to taste this again I wil be the saddest bunny on the planet.

The creamy chocolate sweetly slides down my throat leaving the after-taste of warm spices. From smell to taste, texture to the swift-beating pounding of my heart... if you have any appreciation of chocolate and sweet spices you will enjoy this.

And, again, the best designed chocolate packaging ever (in the colours that it tastes of, mmm). I may have to keep the pouches for carrying all my chocolate in.

12:23 / 08.10.07

I was thinking of reusing the Dolfin packaging as well, it keeps the chocolate well when carried in a bag and still looks good.

Anyways my last review for the time being.... number fourteen, the Dark Chocolate With Earl Grey Tea. I thought this one would be my favourite bar, the earl grey citrusy taste should work well with dark chocolate but in this case didn't for some reason.

It smells gorgeous however but the taste doesn't match the smell which is a shame, the chocolate still tastes great, its a really full-on dark chocolate with a real cocoa punch but as it melts in the mouth you are left with a grainy texture from the tea leaves in the chocolate which are small, hard and very annoying.

The spices in the Masala chocolate work well, I've had Monts version of the peppercorn and like the texture of the corns as you eat but tea leaves just don't work in the same way. Try munching on a teaspoon of dried leaves and you will know what I mean, its the fact they are inedible which spoils this bar for me.

My partner enjoyed this bar but agreed the leaves were just too much, he liked the subtle flavouring but personally I think this would have worked better with a milk chocolate or even white rather than the dark.

12:27 / 08.10.07

White chocolate!

10:44 / 10.10.07

Is Green and Blacks chocolate a common occurence elsewhere? I'm thinking about picking up a couple of bars and offering them to people who haven't come across them before, anyone interested?

Postal service is currently on strike but things should be postable in a few days...

10:54 / 10.10.07

Yes white chocolate.... I'm not a great fan of it but the tea leaves are just too subtle in flavour to win against dark chocolate, a good quality milky chocolate would be better but I was throwing about some ideas for it. Green and Blacks white chocolate is not bad, it's smooth and melts in the mouth unlike alot of white which always seems to have a waxy chunky non-melting-ness about it.

As for G&B's I am going to send Mist back a bar of my favourite one as its so nice but now I'm not sure if its readily available......

10:58 / 10.10.07

Green & Blacks is big across the UK (isn't it now owned by Cadburys), but then I suppose you know that, Haloquin, what with being from Wales, an' all.

11:01 / 10.10.07

Sadly yes I believe it is now owned by Cadburys but the chocolate hasn't gone down in quality (I keep checking) but their advertising has gotten more and more.

Is it available abroad though?

11:44 / 10.10.07

That's what I was wondering, should have been clearer. Hadn't realised it had been bought out though.

My thought was that even though its easy-ish for me to get hold of it may not be for people in other countries, and I'd like to give something back to the thread, so I thought I'd pick the strangest flavours to send on to someone who hasn't had the opportunity to try it. Which I guess is pretty much stating the obvious.

*

14:56 / 10.10.07

We get lots of Green & Blacks here, and they're pretty tasty. I can get some flavors of Dolfin here, but haven't seen Hot Masala (oh, but when I do, MUCH EATING SHALL ENSUE!).

15:19 / 10.10.07

Must track down the Dolfin!

16:06 / 10.10.07

I'd be really happy if someone could PM me the phone number of a friend of theirs who has any white chocolate, you know?

Any white chocolate.

Although brown might do, I suppose.

That is what this thread's all about, presumably?

16:23 / 10.10.07

Found Dolfin Chocolate Online!!!

And it is a UK site *happy dance*

And the Green and Blacks chocolate can be white... if thats what you'd like?

16:44 / 10.10.07

I echo the Dolfin.

(I have nothing to apologise for)

06:50 / 18.10.07

I am very happy, yet more chocolate arrived at Abyss Mansion last night. Thank you Zippid!

Right now sitting on my desk is a different Lavender and Blueberry by Dagoba which is one of the new bars.... tasting will happen at lunch break.

Yea Chocolate contest!

08:27 / 18.10.07

I also received chocolate again, this time from XK!
I gave some to two friends on last week´s tuesday and again one piece each to two more friends yesterday. I didn´t get that much feedback, taster 01 just ate and didn´t say anything. But her facial expression didn´t look displeased. Taster 02 didn´t like it because of the salt.

Yes, salty chocolate! I must admit, I didn´t taste the salt the first time, and only got faint salty sensations after that. The chocolate was very dark and hard (and I can´t tell you any specifics anymore, because the ingredients were printed on a very small label that got lost). The only thing I didn´t like was a light burning sensation at the back of my throat after swallowing, but that´s a personal thing as I don´t like hot spicy food. I approved of the grainy quality, like the feeling that can be accompanied by the last drops of a cup of coffee. All in all, a chocolate worthy of this contest.

Taster 03 and 04 yesterday both smiled while tasting their one piece each yesterday. So it is four out of five, which is good!

08:42 / 18.10.07

Sounds interesting Mist, what's the name of the chocolate?

Well the noble or foolish idea that the Dagoba Organic Chocolate bar would be tested at lunch fell foul of my morning tea break.

The bar itself has got what I consider a classic look about it, nice pale lavender colouring and subtle lettering makes it prey to being consumed only too easily. And the packaging is also as organic as they can make it, including the inks which are made from vegatable based inks!

Unlike the Lindt version this bar doesn't not have a soft googy filling but instead the blueberries hide within the dark chocolate. The lavender really packs a punch on the first taste whilst the blueberry flavour then refines the chocolate taste with the lavender. This bar was highly enjoyable and went well with a cup of tea, the only thing I found with the chocolate didn't melt as readily in my mouth as some do but then as I'm working in a freezing cold office that probably plays a major part in this.

I always thought since trying some Hersleys that america didn't have nice chocolate but this bar has totally smashed that theory. If this bar is any indication of the other bars in my package then I will be smiling for weeks. And now I will have to find suppliers of this in england too!

09:02 / 18.10.07

Sounds interesting Mist, what's the name of the chocolate?

I don´t know! *hangs head in shame*
The chocolate was wrapped in clear plastic with a a label as large as two stamps, and while opening and handling I somehow got rid of the label.

XK, please tell us the name of the chocolate!

18:00 / 18.10.07

Didn't she make it? I think she made it.

20:04 / 18.10.07

No, XK didn´t make that chocolate. She told me about two local chocolatiers: http://www.byrneandcarlson.com/ and
Cacao in Kittery, Maine (no website). And she wanted to send bars from those two to people who wanted some, and for some reason, it looks as if only I said yes to that nice offer.

20:54 / 18.10.07

Well I think I must be a bit blind. I always say yes to chocolate!

21:01 / 18.10.07

She said so here and here.

Maybe pm her, if she would send you some chocolate?

*

00:25 / 19.10.07

Yay, archabyss! So glad you have enjoyed. Here's hoping the enjoyment goes on and on. (and on.)

*

00:27 / 19.10.07

Alzo... I tried to pick darker chocolates, in general, because they are more likely to survive shipping in good condition. Because they don't melt as readily. Thus, they don't melt as readily.

06:29 / 19.10.07

This is true of dark chocolate but I'm still saying it may be to do with the arctic environment of work.... it's friday I may get out early if I can prove this to the boss!

06:29 / 19.10.07

And I will be getting chocolate to the both of you lovely senders once I have been paid!

17:52 / 19.10.07

yes it was from one of my local chocolate makers

It was the chipotle with sea salt bar. Uber dark chocolate.
They make them in bars and in little disks. I find bringing the little disks (called palettes or something?) in treat bags to meetings and conventions makes me many friends.

I'm sorry the spicy wasn't your thing Mist. Perhaps I should send you another?

Lula, I'd be happy to send you a bar from them if you'd like?

17:17 / 22.10.07

Just to say that I received my chocolate over the weekend, and thus to thank Mist - Thanks, Mist! - because it is wonderful stuff. I too went for the pink peppercorn variety, and it is the most interesting taste I think I've had in a very very long time.

I'll come back and post more later.

17:46 / 22.10.07

@XK
I'm sorry the spicy wasn't your thing Mist. Perhaps I should send you another?

I was thinking about your offer the last days. And after serious pondering, I can´t see why I was hesitant. So yes please, one more bar would be wonderful, XK!

Just to say that I received my chocolate over the weekend, and thus to thank Mist - Thanks, Mist! - because it is wonderful stuff.

Thanks Feverfew! That pink peppercorn was asked for by almost everyone and was this contest´s big surprise!

16:53 / 05.12.07

I meant to come back to this a while ago. I'm not sure if I'm getting the titles right, but;

The Dark Orange Chocolate is the winner of the bunch for me, for it's richness of taste. However, the Extra Dark 77% is hands-down the creamiest / thickest chocolate I think I've ever tasted, and thus has it's own merits. Both are in the same line and both are much of a coolness.

I liked the Kirsch Intense, because the thinner nature of the chocolate made it feel crunchier, and the cherry pieces and flavouring won me over.

I'm still not sure about the Pink Peppercorn. Some part of me likes it, but gets shouted down by other parts of me, so I'm conflicted. I'll keep trying it, though, I suspect, and the packaging is the best.

Thanks again to Mist for sending these over, and my apologies for not reporting back sooner.

17:28 / 05.12.07

Thanks for your reviews and not to worry about being late. I also know this phenomenon well (and it was one my many motivations for this contest).

archabyss sent me four chocolate bars in midnovember and I got stuck on my first tasting experience. It´s Montezuma´s sweet paprika & strawberry milk chocolate and I can´t taste neither of those ingredients! That left me stumped and I so still haven´t dared to try the other three (dark chocolate with nutmeg, dark truffle chocolate with cocoa nibs, and milk chocolate with crunchy pieces of butterscotch) yet, for fear my tongue will once again leave me wanting. I hope to soon get out of this self-imposed blockade.

17:32 / 05.12.07

Lemme know when you are back on the cacao train, Mist. I have another bar to send you.

17:54 / 05.12.07

Thank you, XK. I certainly will! :-)

MattShepherd: I WEDDED KALI!

15:51 / 06.12.07

Oh my GOD I haven't done this yet. I am so ashamed. Thankfully I have notes at home.

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