Catalonian chocolate maker Blanxart prides itself on producing artisanal chocolate from single-origin cocoa, and today's bar up for review is their Blanxart 85% Nicaragua Dark Chocolate bar.
The cocoa used in this dark chocolate bar heralds from the Waslala region of Nicaragua. Criollo and Trinitario cocoa grows in and amongst lemons, oranges, pineapples, jasmine, and nuts. Have these neighbours imparted their flavour characteristics into the cocoa crop used in this chocolate bar?
Packaging
The slim-yet-chunky 48g bar is wrapped in a thick craft-style paper that gives the product a rustic feel. The Blanxart Barcelona logo sits at the top of the wrapper, with the "85% organic dark chocolate" text in large green print beneath this. A map provides the backdrop, while the EU organic marque sits at the base of the wrapper.
On the reverse, despite the limited space, the ingredients list is written in Catalonian, Spanish, English, German, Swedish, French, and Dutch. A tiny nutritional information table sits to one side, while the lot number and best before date are marked with small indentations in the the paper wrapper itself.
Blanxart 85% Nicaragua Dark Chocolate ingredients:
Cocoa, sugar, cocoa butter. Cocoa solids 85% minimum.
This three-ingredient organic chocolate bar contains just over 16% sugars. The bar doesn't carry any vegan labelling but it solely contains vegan-friendly ingredients.
The benefit of such few ingredients means that the flavour profile of the cocoa should be front and centre.
Blanxart 85% Nicaragua Dark Chocolate Review
The chunky 48g bar sits inside a textured gold-foiled paper wrapper. The bar, which has a nice sheen to it and largely unblemished face, has a clean snap that sees this bar easily divide up into six segments.
The aroma is deep, dark, and mysterious. I pick up earthy notes, spiked with hints of coffee, Brazil nut, smoke, and molasses. There's also a slight tinge of red fruit in there too, with hints of cherry and raspberry.
The bar is thick and the snap is satisfying. The melt is quite slow and measured, but this bar takes me on a long winding journey. First I pick up hints of cherry before a citrus bitterness develops. The earthy, smokey notes reveal themselves, adding more intensity to the bitterness, which by now has lost its citrus edge. Coffee and nutty flavours develop mid-way and the bitterness subsides as a glimmer of sweetness swaggers in. A bright, buttery, creamy side to the chocolate then leads me towards the finish. Into the aftertaste, I'm left with light floral flavours that sit alongside gentle notes of Brazil nut.
Blanxart 85% Nicaragua Dark Chocolate Review
RRP: £1.59 | Blanxart | Shop now
An absolute masterpiece of chocolate mastery using minimal ingredients. Blanxart expertly tease out the complex flavours of the cocoa leading to a roller-coaster ride of flavours and sensations. An indulgent treat that demands to be savoured slowly.
There's no mistaking that this chocolate is powerful and complex. The bar is made with minimal ingredients yet has been crafted with precision to deliver a thrilling roller-coaster ride of flavours. A rich chunk of this chocolate will give you a well-deserved boost but this chocolate really does need to be savoured properly to enjoy it at its best. Smell it, feel it, and let a piece melt slowly in your mouth while you close your eyes. Brace yourself and let the chocolate guide you on an impressive journey.
Where to Buy Online
You can buy the Blanxart 85% Nicaragua Dark Chocolate online from Planet Organic (£3.69; 80g), Superfood Market (£2.39; 48g), and in a case of 21 48g bars over on Amazon here°.
