U. Chocolate Corp. - " Intense Experience" 78% Organic Tree-to-Bar Dark (bar) - Feb. 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

U. Chocolate Corp.
"Intense Experience" 78% Organic Tree-to-Bar (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.58 oz. (45 g.) / 15.8 oz. (450 g.) total variety pack of 5 flavors (10 bars)

Calories: 163 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $29.99 for 1 variety pack of 10 bars (2 each of 5 flavors)
Purchased from: U Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's "Intense Experience" 78% Organic, Premium Tree-to-Bar, Dark Chocolate (bar) was made in Peru and distributed by U. Chocolate Corp. (Orlando, FL). It was part of a larger chocolate variety pack--one of five Peruvian (Amazonia) cacao U. Chocolate bars featured this week.

The bars were made that the company's "...organic farm in the Amazonia with a selection of our fine aroma cocoa varieties..." ("Grown, Harvested and Crafted with 100% plant-based ingredients by El Mejor Cacao del Mundo S.A.C. in our all-in-one facilities at Hacienda Umbelina, in the Peruvian Amazonia.")

Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate with faint, fleeting sweet green and cookie notes.

I half expected this "Intense Experience" bar to be a real fire breather from start to finish. It wasn't. But this was made with some very special, nuanced cacao from Peru. So what would it taste like?

The initial texture was creamy smooth, and the taste started with true dark chocolate-y notes...

What happened next reminded me of a rare tropical bird that appears in the sunlight for us to admire. It was that kind of experience. The flavors didn't bloom, they gently but powerfully unfolded; and then slowly disappeared back into the jungle.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (initial light, sweet green, shifting to more bold, with well-mannered, balanced bitter, earth and yogurt, as well as diffuse, softly undulating/blooming fruit (red berry, very faint almost-cherry, fine red wine). And at the very end of a relatively long finish: a little tropical fruit (mango).

What I liked about this chocolate: 1.) the balanced cacao complexity from the beginning to the last note in the finish; 2.) it was part of a variety pack with an authentic and interesting range of single origin cacao flavors from Peru--that allowed me to experience unique Amazonia cacao; and 3.) this organic, gluten-free chocolate offered a sophisticated, nuanced tasting experience with just two ingredients.

Ingredients: "Cacao and coconut blossom sugar."

Allergen-related information: "Made Without Major Food Allergen Ingredients" 

*The packaging for U. Chocolate's Amazonia variety pack (of 5 different bars) was beautiful. Images included tropical birds and rainforest foliage. I love beautiful birds, forests and great chocolate. When a tasting experience can conjure up all three for me, all the better.