Scharffen Berger Bittersweet Dark Chocolate (70%)

Yesterday, I picked up some chocolate at the Tenleytown Whole Foods. Among the loot was a bar of Scharffen Berger Bittersweet Dark Chocolate. I decided to sample and evaluate this bar today – which means that it lasted nearly 24 hours in my kitchen without being opened. Look Ma, an unopened chocolate bar in my kitchen!

Upon unwrapping this bar, I noticed a nice, uniform appearance to the chocolate, which indicates a perfect (or near-perfect) temper.

The aroma wasn’t very intense, so I was left to further evaluate the chocolate by eating it. The bar was labeled as 70% cocoa solids, so I was counting on something relatively bitter. It turned out that there was a very pleasing amount of sugar – enough to cut the bitterness a tad, but not so much to overwhelm the intense flavor of the chocolate. The flavor was distinctly earthy with a bit of a subtle coffee note, and the legendary effort that Scharffen Berger puts into selecting their beans was evident.

The most notable feature of this bar was the exceptionally smooth texture. It was one of the smoothest bittersweet chocolates I’ve tasted, and was actually smoother than many milk chocolates on the market. If you are looking for a bittersweet chocolate to nibble and savor, I highly recommend this bar.

Summary

Product: Scharffen Berger Bittersweet Dark Chocolate (70%)

Price: $3.99 for a 3 oz bar at Whole Foods (Tenleytown)

Strong points: Smooth texture with a good combination of bitter and sweet

Weak points: A little on the pricy side, but good chocolate is worth it