Sweetened only with dates, this 80% bar is made from just three ingredients: cacao, dates and vanilla. It promises serious intensity, but the dates change its character considerably, softening the darker cacao notes and making it surprisingly approachable.
Texture is the first surprise. The dates make it genuinely fudgy, which I didn’t expect at this percentage. It’s a slow melter too, with a slight chewiness that keeps the chocolate in the mouth.
As it develops, the cacao’s initial intensity gives way to darker, dried-fruit notes. A caramel-like sweetness follows, restrained and all the better for it. Vanilla arrives last and gradually, rounding out the cacao without disguising it, and lingers into a soft, aromatic finish.
What I particularly enjoyed is how clearly the three ingredients retain their individual characters: the cacao gives depth, the dates give fruit and texture, and the vanilla gives aroma. With no added sugar, it’s rich and full-flavoured but not conventionally sweet, and it stays unmistakably cacao-led. Anyone after the austere bitterness of a classic 80% may find the dates soften it too much.
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10