U. Chocolate Corp.
"Aromatic Experience" 72% Organic Tree-to-Bar (bar)
Good ++
"Aromatic Experience" 72% 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: 260 calories in 1 bar
Calories: 260 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
Purchased from: U Chocolate, online order
Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.
Today's "Aromatic Experience" 72% Organic, Premium Tree-to-Bar, Dark Chocolate (bar) from U. Chocolate Corp. (Orlando, FL), and was made in Peru. It was also part of a larger chocolate variety pack (box), and the first of five Peruvian (Amazonia) cacao bars that will be featured this week.
The cacao used to make U Chocolate bars is crafted "at our 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: a pleasant dark chocolate aroma with very faint green floral; crisp, well-managed fruit, and fleeting fruit/vegetable (juice); and very faint earth (moss, peat). (Note: most vegetable notes are not objectionable to me; almost all initial aroma notes in the vegetable range (potato, tomato, yam, etc.) will generally dissipate quickly after a package has been unsealed and left open for 20 minutes.)
What is not typical with most bars, but I experienced here (and with other heritage variety Peru cacao bars before): if you leave chocolate out to breathe, and re-taste it later, you'll often pick up mellow caramel, mocha, mild stone fruit (e.g. peach), and herbal spice (e.g. saffron) notes that weren't immediately detectable or were temporarily obscured by other notes. All good.
Texture: well-tempered (broke with a snap) and almost creamy smooth.
Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (initial light, almost floral, shifting to more bold, with well-mannered, balanced sour notes); tropical fruits (banana, papaya, soursop); dairy (very faint fleeting "sour"/yogurt with fruits); and barely detectable green (faint nut)/botanical/atmospheric notes reappearing in the relatively long finish. (After re-tasting this bar: very faint, fleeting saffron in the finish.)
What I liked about this attractively packaged 72% dark chocolate: 1.) the wonderful cacao complexity that extended from the very beginning to the tail end of the finish in this 2-ingredient bar; 2.) this was part of a variety pack that contained an authentic and interesting range of single origin cacao flavors from Peru; a great side-by-side tasting opportunity to experience what different cacao varieties have to offer; and 3.) this organic, gluten-free chocolate was made with just two ingredients.
Ingredients: "Cacao and coconut blossom sugar."
Allergen-related information: "Made Without Major Food Allergen Ingredients"
