High Sierra Topix

Had conducted a chocolate tasting recently, would like to share the winners with my fellow chocolate afficiandos, both are exquisitely smooth, and will have you taste buds doing flips.
Either would make fine addition to a backpacking trip, if they make it to the trailhead.

- Waialua Estate Dark Bar 70% (USA) Produced from only the cocoa plantation in the USA, more specifically North Shore of Oahu.
https://www.chocosphere.com/default/bra ... state.html

- Domori Cru Teyuna 70% (Italy)
https://www.chocosphere.com/default/bra ... i.html?p=3

On a recent backpacking trip we brought some of this chocolate and it blew me away. I haven't tried that many high end chocolates but I think it's the best I've ever had.

Yes, have tasted that before, good flavor.

Remember you mentioning a while back that you did not care for strong bars, but that you did enjoyed the "Belize", try either of these recommendations, you will be blown away from the smoothness, both have the richness of milk chocolate, which I do not care for, had to check the wrappers twice to make sure they were 70% dark chocolate, wow.

Those attending the 2016 Meet-up will be treated to a small chocolate tasting.

Are either of those two you listed above available in retail locations or only online?

I used to say that I didn't like strong, dark chocolate. It just seemed dry and bitter to me; I've spit out too many bars to count. But in the last few years I've tasted a number of them that I really enjoyed, including the Belize and the Theo you recommended. Milk chocolate is still something I like but it's no longer my favorite.

I can't help but wonder if there is a relatively new movement in the world of chocolate, something akin to what has happened with coffee in recent years. Or maybe I'm just now noticing what's been there all along? In any case, the parallels between coffee and chocolate are interesting.

I can't help but wonder if there is a relatively new movement in the world of chocolate, something akin to what has happened with coffee in recent years. Or maybe I'm just now noticing what's been there all along?

It has been there, but most people, even those who enjoy chocolate, never explore beyond their local grocery stores selection. Here are two site of a many, that I use to pick chocolates for my tastings, they have many reviews of chocolates beyond the norm Longri:

http://onegoldenticket.blogspot.com/p/c ... views.html

http://www.seventypercent.com/reviews-list/

I like chocolate.

I hope that contributes to the debate.

OK...then...Hotel Chocolat, some Neuhaus and Godiva pralines if you must ask....

edhyatt wrote:I like chocolate.

I hope that contributes to the debate.

OK...then...Hotel Chocolat, some Neuhaus and Godiva pralines if you must ask....

This 65% milk chocolate from HC is pretty high on my list. Can't find it near home though so it's a rare treat. I suppose it can be ordered but I'm not serious enough to mail order my candy.

Try Tcho 81% Extra dark, tastes extremely chocolaty, no bitterness that you would would expect from some companies at this high of a percentage, and very, very smooth.

One of our daughters took her high school Spanish students to Nicaragua, and came home with the grainiest, roughest chocolate I've ever had in my life. Her husband, who used to work for a chocolatier, said it was because the chocolate was not tempered. The kids visited the chocolate factory, situated in the mountainous rural town where they were staying. It tasted good to the kids at the time, because they were so starved for anything good to eat after three weeks of very meager rations, but I gave up on it after the first bite. I should add that I am not picky--I eat Trader Joe's 72% all the time.

Dole owns the Waialua plantation in Oahu and sent the cocoa to Guittard to do processing from bean to bar, but now Dole is doing the processing from bean to bar which has totally messed up one of the best tasting and smoothest bars available, not to mention it being the only US cocoa plantation with a great reputation in the chocolate industry. Hope some of you have tried this truly exquisite chocolate before Dole decided to be cheap and cut out Guittard, what a shame.