Monday, February 7, 2022

Islands Chocolate - Rhythm of the Night 100% Cocoa (bar) - Feb. 7, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Islands Chocolate Limited
Rhythm of the Night Extra Dark 100% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 205.4 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #4 of 100% Cacao Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's "Rhythm of the Night" Extra Dark 100% Cacao (bar) was from Islands Chocolate Limited (London, England). 

The company creates "seed to bar" (tree to bar) chocolates (bars, drinking chocolate, chocolate buttons), made with cacao from their family-run farms in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean (the island nation located in the eastern Caribbean Sea, between Grenada and Saint Lucia).

The aroma notes for today's 100% cacao ultra-dark bar included a pleasingly bold, morphing blend of bittersweet dark chocolate, light green-floral, molasses/brown sugar, very faint nut/seed/tuber, bread, and almost undetectable spice.

The melt was even and the texture was smooth and relatively thick.

The flavor was relatively intense with a balanced bitterness, and balanced sourness (tart citrus, tart plain yogurt). The latter sourness mellowed in the finish (milder, fresh strawberry yogurt).

Five minutes later I was drawn back to wanting to re-taste it again. The second time around the flavor had more of a balanced deep dark ale with chocolate notes and freshly baked, soft sourdough bread quality to it. A third tasting yielded "merely" a smooth, sophisticated, bold, dark chocolate.

I loved the dynamic aroma and flavor complexity over time. (Psst. To reveal potentially hidden levels of flavor for this bar (and others): slow down, enjoy the aroma, and keep re-tasting with 3-8 minutes in between bites.) 

Speaking of pleasure over time...Music. One of my favorite questions to ask chocolate makers: "Would piece of music would you pair this chocolate with?" So, it made me smile to see a scan-able bar code on the back of the bar's packaging, inviting customers to listen to sounds of the Rhythm of the Night.*

Maker's tasting notes: "Rich and intense cocoa notes."

Ingredients: Cocoa, sunflower lecithin

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts" ("Vegan, Single Origin, Ethical, Sustainable."

*"Rhythm Of The Night" was a big hit in the late 1980s. The song was written by Diane Warren and released by DeBarge in earlier 1985. Other artists (Corona, Valeria Andrews) have also picked up/covered this celebratory dance-pop song with hints of calypso and Rhythm and Blues. This upbeat song has continued to appear in movie/show soundtracks.

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