Category: Craft Chocolate Maker

Opening the bar is part of the experience. Before tasting it, there is an immediate, calming aroma of lavender rising from the chocolate, with hints of pine, citrus and other floral notes. The finish is long and distinctly floral, lingering on the tongue and evoking the atmosphere of a walking in a shady forest in spring. It is perhaps only lacking in a citrus note to compliment these base not flavours, and to lift the chocolate slightly.

The first taste and melt on the tongue introduces the distinctive character of Ritual’s Mid Mountain cacao blend, followed by the unusual combination of dried juniper berries (used in making gin) and culinary lavender. The flavours are aromatic and floral, with the juniper bringing a subtle pine-like character (typical of some gins) and the lavender adding a gentle, fragrant note.

This is not an everyday chocolate, nor is it likely to appeal to everyone, like gin is not everybody’s favourite cocktail. But that is part of its appeal. It has a genuinely distinctive flavour profile and leaves a lasting impression.

This is one for dark chocolate lovers who want something a bit different and less heavy. For me, it feels particularly suited to spring — and perhaps best enjoyed slowly, with good company and yes, a light gin and tonic with a wedge of lemon alongside it.

Ritual Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

Manoa’s Hawaiian Coffee Beans 60% Dark Milk “Breakfast Bar” combines dark milk chocolate with locally roasted Hawaiian coffee and a generous amount of cocoa nibs. This shows that the chocolate maker, Manoa, wants to impress. The underside of the bar is covered with large pieces of nibs, giving it a pronounced crunch and plenty of texture.

Despite being made with milk chocolate, the flavour is closer to a sweet dark chocolate, with only a subtle milky character. I found the chocolate itself relatively restrained, without the pronounced tropical or fruit-forward flavours I might associate with Hawaiian cacao. Instead, the profile is fairly neutral, allowing the coffee and cocoa nibs to contribute more of the character. This is a bar with a bit of thought behind it.

The nibs provide a particularly enjoyable contrast to the smooth chocolate, adding both crunch and a more pronounced cocoa character. Sometimes raw nibs can be a bit rough or tough, these are not. Combined with the coffee, they also give the bar a distinctly breakfast-oriented quality that makes the name feel appropriate.

Manoa makes the bar using locally grown Hawaiian cacao and locally roasted coffee, giving it a strong connection to Hawaii’s growing chocolate and coffee culture. For me, however, the chocolate itself was less distinctive than I had expected. It was nevertheless an enjoyable bar, particularly for those who appreciate the combination of coffee, dark chocolate and plenty of texture.

Manoa Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

This 73% single-origin uses the prized Nicaliso bean from Nicaragua, a variety known for its distinctive character rather than a blended regional profile. Black olive is the most prominent note here, and it comes through almost immediately — an unusual, savoury opening rather than the fruit-forward start you might expect from a bar this percentage.

Olive gives way to citrus as the melt develops on the tongue as the bar ages, building into grapefruit and orange peel, adding a lovely acidity that keeps the whole thing feeling bright rather than heavy. A touch of tannic bite runs alongside it, which felt right for a bar this restrained rather than a flaw. Spice sits quietly underneath, more supporting note than headline.

The finish stays citrus-led, clean and zesty rather than lingering. A distinctive, savoury-leaning bar for anyone who enjoys acidity over sweetness. A strong choice for anyone who enjoys sophisticated dark chocolate which is still approachable. This is a unique cacao origin and a thoroughly progressive bar.

Land Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

On tasting, the chocolate opens with a rich, almost treacly sweetness before developing into concentrated dried-fruit notes, reminiscent of sultana and dark grape. This is a surprising and enjoyable development.

As the chocolate melts, these initial flavours give way to deeper malted-cocoa and roasted notes, with a subtle woody quality adding complexity without becoming dominant. Towards the finish, the profile becomes brighter and more fruit-driven before settling into a lingering combination of caramelised sugar and roasted nuts.

This milk chocolate has a rich, creamy melt, with a depth and concentration more commonly associated with darker chocolate. The aroma is deep and rounded, with notes of warm caramel, dried fruit and fresh dairy beneath a pronounced cocoa character.

The texture is particularly satisfying: thick, smooth and exceptionally creamy, with a slow, luxurious melt that allows the flavour to develop gradually across the palate.

There is just a trace of bitterness at the very back of the palate, but it is restrained and provides useful contrast to the richness of the chocolate. The breadth of flavour from the Honduras cacao carries the experience well beyond the expected sweetness of a milk chocolate.

Overall, this is a remarkably characterful milk chocolate. Its combination of concentrated cacao, dried-fruit depth, caramelised sweetness and roasted notes gives it considerably more complexity than its milk chocolate classification might suggest.

Bare Bones Website

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

This is a plain, salted dark chocolate bar. But there is a combination of strawberry notes from the cacao and with the sea salt it makes for a particularly unusual tasting experience, and it was not something I expected. The strawberry character comes entirely from the cacao itself, which makes the flavour all the more interesting.

I enjoyed the bar, although it would not be my first choice. For me, the balance is simply a little too heavily weighted towards the salt, leaving less room for the more delicate cacao/strawberry character to develop. I think it works better as a small indulgence — a bite or two at a time — rather than a chocolate I would want to eat in larger quantities.

If you buy this bar you should, expect a distinctly salty chocolate, but this might be something you enjoy. In fact, the salt is so pronounced that it dominates much of the flavour profile, which is a shame as the cacao itself has a wonderful nuance. Whether this level of salt is consistent across the entire batch or simply a characteristic of the bar I tasted, I’m not sure, but it is certainly the defining feature of the chocolate.

I also like the packaging, although I would enjoy seeing a little more variation across the range. When the primary distinction between the bars is the colour of the packaging, the overall presentation can begin to feel somewhat repetitive.

Ritual Website

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

The aroma is immediately distinctive with this chocolate, with pronounced notes of sweet coconut, accompanied by a distinctly perfumed floral character. I enjoyed these sweeter aromas even though they dominated initially, although the Filipino cacao eventually brings an underlying earthy depth, with a subtle touch of citrus.

I really enjoyed this bar from Askinosie, and there is a particularly thoughtful detail on the back of the wrapper that makes the experience more meaningful. The person pictured on the packaging is the actual farmer who grew the cacao used to make the chocolate. It is a simple but brilliant idea, creating a direct connection between the farmer and the finished bar, and making you appreciate the chocolate in your hands that little bit more.

The texture is exceptionally smooth. On the palate, the flavour develops in two quite distinct layers. Beneath the sweeter aromatic character is a deeper earthy and tannic quality, with noticeable astringency on the tongue, alongside citrus and floral notes that reminded me of violet and lavender.

What surprised me most was the acidity. As the chocolate melts, it develops a pronounced sourness that becomes one of its defining characteristics. It is an unusual transition, but an enjoyable one, and the sour burst was probably the most memorable aspect of the bar.

Despite this intensity, the Davo Philippines cacao, worked by Askinosie, never becomes sharply bitter. The roast character does, however, feel slightly too pronounced for my preference. Given the considerable acidity, I would have liked a little more sweetness to provide contrast and bring the different elements into better balance.

This is certainly a chocolate with its own distinct personality. The unusual combination of earthy cacao, floral aromatics and pronounced sourness makes it memorable, and the connection to the farmer on the wrapper adds another dimension to the experience.

Askinosie Website

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

The bar has an interesting proposition, and it comes with a pronounced coconut aroma, accompanied by a sweet, milky chocolate character. The floral quality of the coconut is particularly noticeable and tends to dominate the aroma, although there are softer hints of clotted cream and fudge underneath.

What is noticeable is that the same balance carries through to the tasting. Once the initial coconut character subsides, more delicate notes begin to emerge, including floral hints reminiscent of violet, alongside fudge and biscuit.

The chocolate itself is well balanced, with the sweetness becoming more apparent towards the finish and helping to round out the flavour rather than overwhelming it. The texture is smooth and creamy, giving the chocolate a satisfying mouthfeel.

Gorse flower is clearly the defining character of this bar, but I found its floral, coconut-like quality rather pronounced. One flaw for me, is that it masked some of the more subtle flavours of the chocolate beneath it. The bar is enjoyable and well made, but I was left wanting a little more of the underlying chocolate character to come through.

Chocolarder Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

This bar combines rich dark chocolate with mango and chilli, creating an interesting contrast between the depth of the cocoa, the fruitiness of the mango and a gentle warmth from the chilli.

This was my first time trying a chocolate bar combining both mango and chilli, and I was interested to see how the two flavours would work together outside of a restaurant curry. The chilli is quite mild, providing a subtle warmth rather than a pronounced heat. There is also a little fruity sweetness from the mango, although I had expected more of its characteristic tang and found the mango flavour itself fairly restrained. I also didn’t notice any obvious pieces of mango in the bar.

Overall, it is an enjoyable combination, particularly if you prefer chilli chocolate where the heat remains in the background rather than dominating the chocolate. The mango adds a light fruity note, although I would have liked to see more of its distinctive character come through.

Amano Website

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

Part of the Mountain line, Ritual uses local raw honey, sourced from hives around the Wasatch mountain range, to create the bar’s honeycomb toffee, giving it a distinctive sweetness and satisfying crunch.

One thing you notice immediately when opening and snapping the bar is the quality of the temper. Each piece breaks with a clean, precise snap, followed by a gentle pop as you take the first bite. The texture is beautifully executed, with the crisp honeycomb toffee adding an enjoyable contrast to the chocolate.

With a core tasting note of honeycomb, this is an excellent bar. The combination of organic cacao, organic cane sugar and honeycomb toffee — itself made with organic cane sugar — is remarkably simple, yet the result is anything but ordinary.

Beyond the obvious honeycomb character, the chocolate also develops a sweet, floral note that is difficult to place precisely, but which complements the honey beautifully. It is an elegant additional layer to an otherwise straightforward flavour profile, and one I particularly enjoyed.

Ritual Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

This Ghanaian single-origin, sourced from Asante Akim, pairs a smooth, bittersweet dark chocolate with dried cherry pieces for a craft take on the classic Black Forest pairing. The recipe stays deliberately simple: cocoa beans, cocoa butter, cane sugar and cherry, with nothing else added.

As it melts, the dark cocoa and cherry work well together, the fruit’s juicy sweetness cutting through the chocolate’s richness. There’s a gentle dried-fruit quality and a slightly tart edge, before the bar settles into a clean, lingering cocoa finish. It captures the Black Forest combination well without tipping into anything overly sweet — a good option if you like dark chocolate with a genuine fruit character running through it.

One practical note: the cherry pieces were unevenly distributed through the bar, and some would argue there weren’t quite enough of them for the flavour to come through consistently in every bite.

Worth noting on sourcing: Ghanaian cacao carries a complicated labour history, which is why many other bean-to-bar makers avoid the region, unless full ethical transparency can be established — a point worth bearing in mind alongside Bullion’s own clearly stated ethical sourcing claims.

Bullion Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

This bold, intense bar puts cacao firmly centre stage, with a deep, earthy character and rich cocoa notes balanced by darker fruit and a subtle natural sweetness. The higher percentage gives it a noticeably more concentrated, grown-up feel than Heist’s standard dark bar.

As it melts, dark berries, roasted coffee, malt and liquorice emerge, underpinned by a gentle woody earthiness. The texture is creamy and full-bodied, while a moderate acidity lends the chocolate a dried-fruit quality — well short of astringent, keeping things feeling more juicy than sharp. The finish runs long and dark, with a slightly roasted quality and a lingering cocoa richness that carries a touch of bitterness through to the end.

Overall, this is a deep, earthy, intensely chocolatey bar — blackberry, dark currant, coffee and liquorice all playing their part — and a genuine option for serious dark-chocolate lovers who want the Venezuelan cacao to really take centre stage. It could be improved by conching the chocolate for longer, which might round out that lingering bitterness a touch. But overall worth seeking out to try if you like a darker more bitter chocolate. For that reason we have given it a 7 out of 10 but you might be more inclined to give it an 8.

Heist Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

Peeling back the foil reveals smoky notes laced with spicy tobacco and leather — a heady, dark aroma that promises real intensity, backed up by a clean, crisp snap.

The tasting couldn’t be more different from what that aroma suggests. Plump, juicy raisin and tropical pineapple lead the way, into a fragrant honey sweetness, with apricot threading through as the melt develops. It’s a genuinely comforting flavour journey, leaning tropical rather than the dark, brooding character the aroma implied.

The aftertaste stays mellow, with banana and passion fruit lingering, and a mild peppery note sitting just beneath. There’s a distinctly creamy quality to the finish that felt more suited to a much lower percentage bar than a 70% dark. That said, in the end I didn’t enjoy this chocolate as much as I thought I was going to.

This is a good reminder that aroma and flavour don’t always match — what smells heady and intense here tastes considerably more refined, nuanced and tropical than expected, and doesn’t behave the way you’d expect a 70% bar to act.

Worth noting: the ingredient list confirms sunflower lecithin, a less common emulsifier addition, specifically in a dark chocolate recipe, since emulsifier use in craft chocolate (if used at all) tends to concentrate in milk bars. If you don’t want an emulsifier in your craft chocolate then avoid.

Duffy’s Website

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

This 70% dark bar is generously studded with almond pieces — 20% of the recipe — giving it a speckled, textured surface and a crisp, clean snap that divides neatly along its moulded segments despite the sheer quantity of nuts inside.

On tasting, sweetness arrives first, followed by intensely dark cocoa and red fruit, with a hint of apricot and a creaminess that builds as it develops — a genuine surprise against the smoky, leathery aroma that suggests something far more intense. Nuttiness from the almonds steps in as a touch of bitterness threatens to build, though the sweetness keeps it comfortably in check throughout. The almond pieces themselves bring roasted, toasted-hazelnut-like notes right at the end.

The aftertaste is where this bar really lands: jammy fruit alongside a genuinely fudgy, brownie-like richness that lingers well after the last bite, with only the faintest bitterness ever showing through.

This might be too dark and too rich for some to comfortably handle. However, for others it’s an ideal bar — a segment or two feels just as indulgent as it does satisfying.

Willies Website

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

Sourced from Mache Chindul in Ecuador’s Esmeraldas Province, this vegan almond milk bar sits within Original Beans’ wider reforestation model — the maker plants a shade tree in the cacao’s growing region for every bar produced, and the packaging is designed to fully return to soil. It’s an unusually thorough sustainability commitment even by craft chocolate standards.

The tasting notes point to gianduja and barley malt, and that almond richness comes through immediately — genuinely creamy rather than oily, with none of the powdery, chalky quality common to vegan milk alternatives. The sweetness stays delicate throughout, never tipping into anything cloying.

Made with organic cane sugar, cocoa beans, cocoa butter, almonds and almond protein, the ingredient list stays refreshingly short for a plant-based bar, and it shows in a texture that reads far closer to dairy milk chocolate than most alt-milk formats manage.

Overall, a genuinely well-executed vegan gianduja that backs up its sustainability credentials with a bar worth eating on its own merits.

Original Beans Website

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

This permanent addition to Dick Taylor’s range began life as a microbatch bar that proved popular enough to stick around. It pairs 55% milk chocolate — made with Alexandre Family Farm A2/A2 whole milk and Ugandan cacao — with crisp quinoa puffs and a finishing touch of sea salt.

There’s an appealing salted-caramel quality to the chocolate, with the vanilla-forward milk base giving it a rounded, comforting sweetness rather than anything sharp or overly sugary. The quinoa puffs promise real textural interest here — a lighter, crisper crunch than the more common rice or wafer inclusions, adding contrast against the smooth, creamy base without weighing the bar down.

The A2/A2 milk is a distinctive choice worth noting — sourced specifically for its digestibility and, its flavour, which translates to a cleaner, less heavy dairy character than a standard milk bar. There’s a genuinely crumbly quality to quinoa as an inclusion that sets it apart from the usual crunchy additions on the market.

A well-considered, comforting milk chocolate bar that pairs an unusual, better-sourced dairy base with a genuinely interesting textural inclusion.

Dick Taylor Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

This vegan gianduja bar leads with an unexpected character: rather than the toasted hazelnut you’d expect from a third-hazelnut recipe, Peruvian cocoa from Piura confidently takes the aroma first, bringing earthy, almost metallic notes alongside touches of leather and wood. That earthy edge felt like a genuine surprise for a gianduja bar — not the soft, nutty opening the format usually promises.

The snap is soft and the melt fast, releasing sweet, creamy notes with hints of vanilla and coconut standing in for dairy. Roasted hazelnut arrives properly midway through the melt, building steadily until it sits front and centre by the finish — present, but careful not to overexert itself. The aftertaste stays smooth and creamy, with rich cocoa spiked by just a trace of hazelnut lingering after.

If you’re expecting a bar that tastes like a traditional gianduja, this is not it, but it is very good.

Chocolate Tree Website

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

This Dominican single-origin shares real family resemblance with Bare Bones’ Guatemalan bar — the same smoky aroma laced with tobacco and molasses, and the same reluctance to reveal itself on first taste.

When it does open up, Maldon sea salt arrives first, making way for orange and peach that shift into a zesty caramel character. Jammy red fruit follows, before the bar settles into a surprising note of sourdough brown bread towards the finish.

The aftertaste is where this bar earns its keep: creamy and milky despite containing no dairy at all, closer to a milk than a typical dark chocolate finish. That’s a genuinely persistent effect rather than a fleeting impression, which is what made it memorable.

Salt threads through the whole tasting rather than sitting in one place — coming forward as the fruit and caramel recede. A well-judged, layered use of salt rather than a single hit at the start or end.

A complex, patient bar with plenty going on, from smoky beginnings through fruit and caramel to that unexpectedly creamy close.

Bare Bones Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

This bar pairs Madagascan cacao with freshly roasted coffee, and the fruitiness of the cacao keeps it from feeling heavy despite the intensity of the roast. Aroma leads with a pronounced, warming coffee character that never fully swallows the cacao underneath.

As it melts, ripe red fruit and gentle caramel come through first, followed by a nutty bitterness that builds gradually towards the finish. The coffee’s warmth lingers well after the last bite, while the cacao keeps things bright rather than letting the roast dominate. The finish felt genuinely layered rather than one-note, which is what set it apart from other coffee blends tried previously.

It is a very good coffee chocolate, and worth seeking out, but there is nothing groundbreaking here, and it’s worth noting the coffee used is a blend rather than a single origin — a point of comparison against MayHawk’s Midnight Espresso, which pairs a specific cacao and coffee origin together, rather than a general blend, and then works both beans to compliment each other.

Overall, a well-balanced, aromatic bar for anyone who enjoys the classic coffee-and-dark-chocolate pairing, even if it doesn’t push the format forward. In summary, J. Cocoa with this bar has delivered a very good example of a common chocolate pairing.

J. Cocoa Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

This single-origin dark milk bar uses Trinitario cacao from Davao, Philippines, alongside an unusual choice for the dairy: goat’s milk powder rather than cow’s milk, finished with a touch of Fleur de Sel sea salt. There’s an appealing salted-caramel quality to the chocolate, but the goat’s milk gives it a tangier, more distinctive character than a conventional salted milk bar.

Vanilla sits alongside the caramel sweetness, with the salt kept subtle rather than assertive — more of a background lift than a defined hit. This is a smooth, comforting milk chocolate at its core, though the goat’s milk keeps it from ever tipping into ordinary sweetness. The texture is properly velvety, coating the palate in a way that felt more indulgent than expected for a 62% bar.

At 62%, it sits in genuine dark-milk territory rather than a sweetened dark bar dressed up as milk — a distinctive, well-balanced bar with real character behind the caramel.

Askinosie Website

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

This is a genuinely unusual bar — clean, smooth and velvety in appearance, with an aroma that hints at what’s to come: dairy sweetness layered with savoury, faintly soy-like notes. It’s an inclusion unlike anything else on the market, drawing on fermented beancurd, a distinctly Asian savoury flavour rarely seen in chocolate form.

The tasting experience unfolds in stages. A pronounced saltiness arrives first, followed by creamy dairy sweetness that softens the edge. Freeze-dried strawberries then burst through with bright fruitiness and a light, crunchy texture, briefly giving the impression of salted white chocolate coated in fruit. Chilli heat builds gradually, adding a subtle tingling warmth to the throat, before the fermented beancurd asserts itself with a second, more concentrated wave of saltiness and umami depth — reminiscent of a well-aged feta or halloumi.

The base chocolate itself performs well throughout: a clean snap, soft bite and smooth, mid-speed melt that lets the inclusions take centre stage. This is very much an inclusion-led bar rather than a chocolate-forward one, and it rewards patience — the flavour develops considerably with repeated tasting. Bold and unconventional, but well worth trying for the adventurous.

Slok Website

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

This single-origin bar from Vietnam is clean, smooth and velvety, with a purple-mahogany hue and a satisfying, sharp snap. The cacao leads immediately — deeply roasted, fudgy and pleasantly pungent, with only mild sweetness for its percentage and no bitterness, acidity or astringency to distract from it.

The spices are genuinely fragrant, leaning more towards nutmeg than cinnamon, with classic winter warmth throughout. They hold their own well against the strong cacao character, landing at roughly a middling balance in the chocolate’s favour rather than being overpowered.

Texture-wise, the bar stays firm through the first few chews before melting nicely towards the end. This is a chocolate built for intensity rather than snacking — a couple of pieces feels genuinely satisfying, making it one for those who want a strong, spiced cacao hit rather than an easy, moreish bar. Other chocolate makers might have approached this style of bar with a little more subtlety.

Masfino Website

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

This bar strikes a genuinely nice balance between creamy milk chocolate and bright, red-berry notes from the Madagascan cacao. It opens smooth and milky, with a gentle fruity acidity that keeps the sweetness in check from the start.

As it melts, pistachio brings a rich, buttery nuttiness with a subtle roasted edge, while small bursts of salt sharpen both the chocolate and fruit flavours as they build. The finish is creamy and nutty with a light savoury lift, the salt providing a well-judged contrast throughout.

Overall, this is a sophisticated, layered milk chocolate — creamy, fruity and nutty in equal measure — that never loses the comforting character milk chocolate lovers are after. A great example of inclusions elevating rather than overwhelming the base.

Land Website

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

This Madagascan single-origin opens with an earthy, smoky aroma layered with jammy stone fruit — a promising start that takes its time to fully deliver. Patience pays off here: once the flavours arrive, caramel leads the way, followed by a genuinely layered mix of almond, honey, yellow fruit and prune.

Despite the relatively high cocoa content, the finish leans surprisingly sweet, with fragrant honey notes lingering longest on the palate. It’s a considered, well-balanced profile rather than a one-note high-percentage bar.

Overall, this is a bar that exceeds expectations — every mouthful reveals another layer of flavour, making it one of the more thoughtfully composed single-origins from Bare Bones. Well worth the wait for those flavours to unfold.

Bare Bones Website

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

This vegan, dairy-free bar uses toasted buckwheat rather than milk to soften the edges of a 65% Ghanaian dark chocolate — and the result is genuinely excellent, even if the “mylk” creaminess is more subtle than the name suggests.

The cocoa flavour is strong, confident and layered, with real depth and a lingering finish. The gluten-free buckwheat adds a pleasant nutty character rather than dairy-like sweetness, so this reads closer to a well-made dark chocolate than a milk alternative.

Worth setting expectations accordingly: anyone hoping for a true milk-chocolate creaminess may be disappointed, but those after a confident, characterful dark bar will be very satisfied. It’s also worth noting that Ghanaian cacao sourcing carries a complicated labour history, which is why many bean-to-bar makers avoid the region — making Tosier’s choice notable either way.

Tosier Website

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

This bar takes its name from its appearance — a lighter brown with a subtle reddish undertone. The aroma leads with leather and raw cacao, layered with faint orange and dark wood.

A satisfying snap on breaking gives way to a medium-quick opening of caramelised nuts and brown sugar, before rich chocolate flavour takes hold. Tangy orange blossom emerges next, lingering and intensifying on the palate, with a touch of dried apricot rounding things out. The texture is slightly grainy but melts beautifully.

Worth noting: Some of Duffy’s chocolate uses sunflower lecithin, an emulsifier, which some purists argue puts it outside strict “craft chocolate” territory. Most of the top bean-to-bar craft chocolate makers, like Dandelion and MayHawk, do not use emulsifiers — though the bar’s consistent recognition suggests that distinction hasn’t held it back. A well-balanced, characterful Honduran single-origin worth trying, unless you don’t want lecithins in your bar.

Duffy’s Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

This 70% bar promises a millionaire’s shortbread inclusion, but the execution falls short of the concept. The base chocolate has a decent cacao character and melts smoothly, if a touch grainy at times, but there’s no cacao aroma to speak of, and the shortbread element is difficult to detect at all.

The caramel pieces are a nice visual touch — chunky inclusions aren’t something you see often on a tablet — but the flavour doesn’t quite land, coming across as mildly sweet and chewy rather than genuinely caramel or dairy-rich. The bigger issue is proportion: the caramel-to-chocolate ratio means most bites miss the inclusion entirely.

An interesting idea that doesn’t fully deliver on its concept. The base chocolate is solid, but the millionaire’s shortbread character promised on the label doesn’t come through with much conviction.

Chocolate Tree Website

Overall Rating: 5 out of 10

Made with 44% Ghanaian cacao, this is a smooth, comforting milk chocolate with a classic character — creamy cocoa alongside caramel and malt, rich without tipping into overly sweet territory. Worth noting: cacao sourcing from Ghana carries a complicated history around labour practices, which is why many bean-to-bar makers source elsewhere in the world.

As it melts, caramel sweetness builds first, followed by gentle malt and a soft hazelnut nuttiness. The finish is creamy and lingering, with a subtle toasted note that makes it genuinely moreish.

This is a well-made, elevated take on the classic milk chocolate bar — creamy, malty and nutty, with more depth than a conventional sweet milk bar. One caveat: the ingredient list places sugar last despite the numbers not quite adding up, which is worth flagging for anyone reading closely.

Bullion Website

Overall Rating: 5 out of 10

This Singapore-based bar from Fossa delivers a genuinely spiced chai experience, led by strong cardamom, clove and anise, with cinnamon and ginger building steadily beneath. It’s intense enough that the warmth catches you off guard, even though it’s technically a milk chocolate.

That milk presence is subtle — noticeable on the ingredients list, but easily overshadowed by the spice up front. There’s a pleasant bitterness alongside black tea character that develops gradually, along with a crisp astringency reminiscent of a properly brewed, unsweetened chai rather than a sweet, milky version.

This isn’t a gentle, comforting spiced chocolate — it’s closer to a bold, straight chai in bar form, and works well for anyone who prefers that punchier style. Warming, genuinely spicy, and a satisfying alternative to the sweeter chai chocolates more commonly seen.

Fossa Website

Overall Rating: 5 out of 10

Made from a single ingredient — cocoa beans — this is 100% chocolate in its purest form, and a genuinely smooth example of the style. The texture is creamy rather than chalky, with a sweet citrus note lingering at the finish and only minimal bitterness, making it more approachable than many bars at this percentage.

For newcomers to 100% chocolate, this can still be an intense introduction — expect real astringency, and don’t be surprised if the cocoa character is initially hard to pin down beneath the texture. It’s a flavour that reveals itself more clearly with repeated tasting rather than all at once.

This is best approached the way dark chocolate at this strength deserves: in small pieces, savoured slowly. Not necessarily a first bar for beginners, but a rewarding one for those who already appreciate the style.

Chocolarder Website

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

This is a simple, well-executed pairing of Venezuelan dark chocolate and clementine oil, built around just two ingredients that let both flavours do the talking. The cacao brings a deep, rounded character with subtle earthy and fruity undertones sitting beneath the citrus.

As it melts, the clementine becomes more assertive, offering a fresh, zesty sweetness that cuts nicely through the chocolate’s intensity. The balance between bitter cocoa and juicy citrus is well judged, leading to a clean, refreshing finish rather than anything heavy or cloying.

Overall, this is a rich yet lively bar, with notes of dark cocoa, orange peel and ripe citrus running through a subtly fruity, earthy base. A strong option for anyone who enjoys dark chocolate with a genuinely natural citrus character rather than an artificial orange flavouring.

Heist Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

Sourced from Guatemala, this bar is a good reminder of just how much cacao flavour can vary even between neighbouring regions. Earthy notes lead the way here, wrapped in tobacco, molasses and woody undertones — a noticeably different profile from nearby Honduran cacao.

The chocolate is slow to open up, almost reluctant at first, before revealing a shifting medley of coffee, brown sugar, tobacco, plum and prune, all set against that earthy base. It’s a complex, layered melt rather than an immediate one.

The finish brightens things considerably, moving into honey and yellow fruit notes before a fleeting stone fruit aftertaste vanishes almost as quickly as it arrives — a satisfying contrast to the darker, earthier character that precedes it.

Bare Bones Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

Marou’s Dark Milk with Jasmine Tea infuses actual jasmine tea and flowers into a rich, moderately sweet milk chocolate base — and the floral character genuinely shines through.

The chocolate itself is fruity and full-bodied, with enough milkiness to feel indulgent without tipping into sugary territory. Jasmine dominates the aroma and carries through into the flavour, bringing a fragrant, slightly sour note that cuts through the richness and keeps the bar feeling surprisingly refreshing for a dark milk.

It’s an unusual pairing that works well — the tea’s delicate bitterness balances the chocolate’s sweetness, giving the bar a lifted, aromatic quality rather than a heavy one. A relaxing, evening-appropriate bar that would pair beautifully with warm milk.

Marou Website

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

This Dominican single-origin bar delivers real intensity with surprising smoothness for its high cocoa percentage. The cacao brings deep, dark flavour alongside warm honey and dark cherry, lending the bar a natural fruitiness beneath its bold profile.

As it melts, a brownie-like richness emerges, with bittersweet cocoa balanced nicely by that honeyed sweetness. Dark cherry adds a juicy lift towards the finish, while the 83% cacao content carries through to a long, slightly earthy close.

Overall, this is a rich, fruity dark chocolate that stays balanced rather than veering into aggressive bitterness — honey, brownie, dark cherry and deep cocoa all playing their part. A strong choice for anyone who enjoys sophisticated, high-cocoa chocolate without losing approachability.

J. Cocoa Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

Made with Peruvian cacao and a short organic ingredient list — cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, plus just 1% caramel and sea salt — this is a dark chocolate first, caramel accent second.

The flavour opens with rich, moderately sweet cocoa, staying firmly in dark-chocolate territory throughout. Small pieces of crunchy caramel appear intermittently, offering bursts of toasted sweetness and texture rather than dominating the bar, while sea salt builds gradually towards the finish to sharpen the cocoa and add persistence. The smooth chocolate base contrasts nicely against the crisp caramel pieces, keeping the tasting experience dynamic.

This is one for dark chocolate lovers who want a hint of salted caramel rather than a caramel-forward bar — restrained, cocoa-driven, and well balanced. At 100g for £5.95, it’s good value too.

Chocolate Tree Website

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

Made with Haitian cacao from Cap-Haïtien, this milk chocolate pairs a soft, creamy base with crunchy cacao nibs and oak-smoked salt — a combination that feels indulgent rather than gimmicky.

The aroma is understated, with mild cacao and a faint berry note. On the bite, there’s a clean snap, and the nibs add immediate textural contrast against the smooth, moderate-melting chocolate. Flavour builds gradually: initial sweetness gives way to dairy richness, then the smoked salt emerges with a subtle savoury edge. Towards the finish, roasted cacao and a surprising hint of liquorice round things out.

The nibs are the standout — light and crisp rather than hard, adding crunch without lingering awkwardly. At 45%, the chocolate stays creamy and approachable while the salt keeps sweetness in check. A well-layered, sophisticated take on salted milk chocolate.

FJAK Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

Made with just three ingredients — Kokoa Kamili beans from Tanzania’s Kilombero Valley, organic cane sugar, and cocoa butter — this bar lets the cacao do all the talking, and it delivers.

It opens with soft floral notes that build into a bright, persistent apricot character as it melts. A gentle acidity keeps things fresh without tipping into sourness, and there’s just enough sweetness to soften the edges of the 85% cocoa content. Bitterness and astringency stay well in check, so the fruit stays front and centre even as nutty, earthy notes creep in toward the finish.

The texture is smooth and lingering, with a long finish that moves from fruit to deep cocoa and hazelnut. It’s an excellent match for a lightly roasted single-origin coffee, and one of the more complex 85% bars I’ve tried.

Land Chocolate Website

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10