Libeert s.a.
Belgian Dark Chocolate 85% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 3 squares of bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA
Welcome to Day #9 of Dark Chocolate Theme Week, featuring 65% - 90% cacao dark chocolate blends (with no flavor inclusions) and/or bars with unspecified cacao origins.
Today's Belgian 85% Dark Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by Libeert s.a. (Comines, Belgium). It was labeled as a "Luxury" bar. And indeed it offered some sophisticated, rich cacao flavors (at a very reasonable price).
This bar had an enjoyable, shifting, complex aroma bouquet that included dark chocolate (warm, strong cocoa/drinking chocolate), concentrated fruit (prunes, raisins, dried cacao pulp, dried mango) shading into green floral notes. But wait, there's more. I kept sniffing and was rewarded with... the faint scent of a bowl of sweet breakfast cereal (sweet, light roasted rice/malt).
The texture was smooth, and relatively creamy. The melt accelerated a bit about 3/4 way into chewing each bite. (Not off-putting, but different.) This was followed by a very slight dryness (astringency) toward the end.
The flavor, like the aroma and texture, had its own gentle twists and turns.* Similar concentrated fruit and green notes sashayed through; and the bar was relatively low in bitterness and acidity, making this it an approachable choice for those who want a more polite (more mild, less wild) ultra-dark bar.
Maker's tasting notes: "Bright dark chocolate with an intense and fruity cocoa flavour"
Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, sugar, soy lecithin, cocoa solids 85% minimum.
Allergen-related information: Contains soy. "May contain traces of milk, almonds, hazelnuts, pecan nuts, wheat and egg."
*Note: Libeert also offers an Organic Chocolate Extra Dark 85% bar, that I featured earlier this week. The relatively new organic bar was slightly less fruity than today's 85% chocolate and had a bit more of a light vanilla and nutty flavor. (The organic version also contained cocoa powder, vanilla powder and added cocoa butter. It also had a very faint (fainter) dryness toward the end. It did not contain soy lecithin.)
Both Libeert bars were relatively "friendly" for 85% cacao bars. Great for people who are watching their sugar intake (or want a less sweet chocolate), and/or are wanting a milder ultra-bar bar with some natural cacao flavors still intact.
Larger European makers, specifically Libeert and Lindt, now offer affordable ultra dark (greater than 75%) bars. Although Lindt is a bit easier to find in U.S. stores. (Low prices allow more people to try and develop a liking for darker chocolates. Hoping cacao farmers are getting paid a fair price for their cacao.)
1 comment:
This bar is the most keto friendly one I've seen, and the GO price is great! Only thing is, in keto you're allowed to subtract the fiber from the total carb count. This says 5 carbs per serving with 5 grams of fiber. I'm pretty sure it isn't a zero net carb bar so wondering what the actual net carbs are.
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