Update on Ghirardelli new Intense Dark chocolate bars...

M

meryl

Well-known member
In my previous post #3784, I reviewed the Ghirardelli Espresso Escape 60% bar, which is excellent. I also mentioned I was going to try the Twilight Delight 72% bar next. Well, tonight I did, and all I can say is... Blech. As good as the Espresso Escape is, this is equally bad. The texture was dry, and it tasted like mud.

I tasted the Espresso Escape again tonight, and I liked it as much as the first time - nice and creamy with a delicious, deep dark chocolate taste.

 
Oh no! How awful to be jolted out of an anticipated chocolate twilight haze moment by....

an inferior bar! Glad the Espresso Escape is still good though. Thanks for the update. I've had a couple of bars that were 72-74% cacao that were just fine for use in cooking but just didn't taste at all good on their own.

 
Hey there, fellow chocoholic! I know what you mean, but I've rarely tasted one as bad

as this. It has no redeeming qualities - I wouldn't even use it in baking. Ugh.
Luckily I have found a 70% bar that I love eating out of hand, and that's Santander Columbian - it's smooth, creamy, deep, rich and very unique tasting.

It's funny, I don't go for the "top" brands, such as Valrhona, E. Guittard, Michel Cluizel, El Rey, etc. I think they're overrated, and that many less recognized brands are underrated. But of course, it all comes down to personal taste, as with everything else - what's great tasting to me may be vile to someone else, and vice versa. I usually go against the tide in most things, anyway. That's why I've always been such a loner. Boo hoo.

Meanwhile, I hope you get to try the Espresso Escape. If you like the combination of espresso and chocolate, which I love, you'll probably be happy with this one. (the enabler says).

 
Ease a cough with.........chocolate

From the October, 2006 issue of Chatelaine Magazine:

FOODS that Soothe

Ease a cough with.......chocolate

Active Ingredient: Theobromine

What it does: Theorbromine suppresses activity in the vagus nerve, which causes coughing. According to a study published in a recent issue of The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology journal, it was one-third more effective at stopping a persistent cough than a placebo.

Suggested serving size: One 50-gram bar of dark chocolate or two cups (500 mL) of hot cocoa, (made with real cocoa, not hot chocolate mix) per day.

 
Hi Lisa - I forgot about Scharffen Berger - I do like their chocolate a lot, especially the 70% -

not so much for eating out of hand, but definitely for baking. The ones I prefer for eating out of hand have less of the high notes, ie, have less acidic/tart flavors, and have more of the low notes, ie, have more of the deep, coffee taste. Scharffen Berger tends to have somewhat of a tart finish, but when using it in baking, I notice the acidic properties seem to dissolve.

I've baked with several "top" chocolates that I wasn't wild about when tasting them, and the end result was so-so, and some of them turned me off so much after tasting them that I didn't want to bake with them at all.

So far, my favorites for baking are: Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet and Ghirardelli semi-sweet, Santander 70% and Scharffen Berger 70%. Out of these 3 brands, Santander is the only one I eat out of hand. And as I mentioned above, my new discovery is Ghirardelli Espresso Escape, but I haven't baked with it yet.

This is always an interesting subject, since so many people agree and disagree on chocolate! For example, I know many people love El Rey, but I found their chocolates reminiscent of Ex Lax! As far as Valrhona, which is considered the king, I have not been impressed with any of their dark chocolates when eating them out of hand. Maybe if I baked with their chocolate, I'd like it better, but since it's not one of my favorite brands, and is very expensive on top of it all, why bother? smileys/smile.gif Actually, the only chocolates I like by Valrhona are their milk chocolates, 40 and 41% - they're really good.

What are your favorites?

 
wildwoods, do you know about qzina.com? That's

where I buy all my Callebaut. They have site locations in Miami, San Fran, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver. For me, per pound, it ends up cheaper than Hershey's at the grocery store.

I love those 5 kg blocks and noticed they have started carrying other brands now (El Rey, etc).

I usually order 5 kg each of semi, bittersweet and gianduji--lasts a year for me.

http://qzina.com/

 
I've been meaning to try Fran's for quite awhile, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

 
Fran's dark chocolate and gray salt caramels are TDF!!!!!

I buy my hubby a box every Christmas and selflessly only pilfer 2 for myself. SO SO SO SO good.

 
I really like Ghirardelli, I've had great luck with them and the price is right.>>>

In the Scharffen-Berger, even though I don't really care for coffee-flavors, I love the Nibby Bar. They are addictive!

Their milk chocolate is great, too.

 
The nibby bar is among my favourites too

There's no coffee in there. Those are pieces of cocoa beans (nibs).

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top