Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Madecasse Chocolate

Madecasse 70% cocoa IMG_4664
I just might have a new favorite chocolate brand. It's not cheap at $5.99 a bar (I bought both of these myself), but Madecasse Chocolate is worth the investment. It's single origin chocolate from Madagascar, but beyond that, they pay above fair trade prices and provide equipment and training to their cocoa farmers. Oh, and it's delicious.

The two bars I've tried are the 70% Cocoa and the Sea Salt & Nibs (63% cocoa). My friends and family have had to put up with me raving about this brand for several days now (but it's worth it because I share). I'm not a chocolate connoisseur, but it's not often that a bar impresses me this much.

Madecasse 70% cocoa

The first bar I tried was the 70% Cocoa. The understated packaging was beautiful, and according to the back of the wrapper, the little straw tie was hand-tied in Madagascar. Inside, the bar was wrapped in pale gold foil (and I do love shiny things), and the chocolate itself was a lovely shade. It broke cleanly along the perforations with a nice snap. The chocolate was had a deep and varied flavor; strongly fruity, but not acidic. I often enjoy chocolate at around 70%, and this was no exception. It was certainly bitter, but still silky smooth on the tongue.

IMG_4667

The packaging and look of Sea Salt & Nibs was similar, but the back of the bar was just beautiful. It smelled quite bitter, but the flavor was fruity and bright. The cacao nibs added a fantastic crunch and a strong, bitter bite on the tongue, but overall, it was sweeter at 63% cocoa. The sea salt was there to bring out the slight sweetness of the chocolate, and it was just right - not too strong but not absent. While I prefer the plain dark chocolate, it's nice to have a bit of texture variety.

I was thrilled with both of these bars, and looking back at old reviews, I've got to give both my top rating. Review blogging is subjective by nature, and it all depends how I feel about a product at the time. It usually takes multiple tastes over several days, but it's really just for fun.

A+

Madecasse Website

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