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.
Overall Rating: 6 out of 10