Chocolate of the Day
Noi Sirius
70% Extra Bitter Sea Salt Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 6 squares (29 g.) / 7.05 oz. (200 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1 serving (6 squares, 29 g.) of bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information
Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Sea Salt Theme Week.
Today's 70% Extra Bitter Sea Salt Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Noi Sirius (Reykjavik, Iceland).
Iceland is about the size of Kentucky in the U.S., and has a vast and grand feel to it, in part due to its rugged climate, proximity to the sea, and hilly, volcanic terrain. Notably, it's also home to several chocolatiers and chocolate makers.
One of the largest Iceland chocolate companies, and producer of today's traditional Icelandic chocolate bar, is Noi Sirius (founded in 1920).
Some Iceland chocolates (and some delicious hot chocolates as well) contain Icelandic milk; and/or sea salt from local salt works.
Today's generously sized package contained two large bars--a quantity suitable for many uses, including baking chocolate or inclusion in a variety of chocolate desserts. I enjoyed eating it by itself.
Aroma notes for this 70% chocolate included: dark chocolate (faint mocha roast) and faint sea salt caramel.
Each thick, scored bar broke with a hearty snap and had a relatively smooth, uniform texture.
Flavor notes included dark chocolate and a very faint, balanced light earth and even fainter aromatic spice (black pepper, pfeffernuse cookie) note in the finish.
This set of 70% bars was labeled as "Extra Bitter." However, I found them to be relatively low in bitterness (from a dark chocolate lover's perspective) and acidity. They did fall on the darker side in the overall line-up of the company's chocolate offerings.
I appreciated this chocolate was relatively low in sugar. And the touch of sea salt seemed just right -- not too salty, but enough to add a bit of complementary, slightly addictive sweet-and-salt, warm savory flavor.
Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, fat reduced cocoa powder, Icelandic sea salt (1%), soy lecithin, bourbon vanilla, cocoa dry solids minimum 70%.
Allergen-related information: Contains soy. Produced in a factory which works with milk, soy, tree nuts, coconuts and wheat.
