Monday, July 12, 2021

Libeert - Organic Chocolate Extra Dark 85% (bar) - July 12, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Libeert s.a.
Organic Chocolate Extra Dark 85% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1 serving (3 squares of) bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Dark Chocolate Theme Week, featuring 60% - 90% cacao chocolates made with a blend or cacao origins, and/or unspecified origins.

Today's Organic Chocolate Extra Dark 85% (bar) was made by Libeert s.a. (Comines, Belgium). The company produces a variety of chocolate bars (and confections), including certified organic and fair trade bars, such as this ultra-dark bar.

Aroma notes for this bold, balanced bar included deep, dense forest, dark chocolate, subtle concentrated/dried fruit (plum-prune), and very faint, clean, clay-like aromatic floral (vanilla, rose, jasmine) perfume (very light baby powder) notes.

This relatively high-cacao percent chocolate was, it almost goes without saying, not sweet (thank you). It had an even, sustained dark, roasted, earthy, fudge brownie note, and a well-managed, slightly bitter dark finish with no off-notes.

The bar had smooth texture with relatively low astringency and acid along with a mellow bitterness for an ultra-dark 85% cacao chocolate (origin unspecified). It was a great value for the price. (If I had to guess the cacao variety of this Belgian, organic bittersweet chocolate, I'd say Forastero from West Africa.) 

Pairing suggestions

If ultra-dark bars were little black dresses, I'd say this one deserves to be in daily rotation. You might even use it for baking and dress it up with some brightly colored fruits (homemade ultra dark chocolate cups filled with sliced fruits (yellow nectarine/peach) and a drizzle of raspberry liqueur/juice/jam perhaps). Or fill these dark cups with coffee ice cream and top with whiskey-soaked (or just lightly toasted) cacao nibs and almond slices.

Ingredients: Organic chocolate liquor, organic cane sugar, organic low fat cocoa powder, organic cocoa butter, organic vanilla powder. Cocoa solids 85% minimum. ("Sustainable cocoa...Traded in compliance with Fairtrade standards.")

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk, soy, almonds, hazelnuts, pecan nuts and pistachios." 


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