Today's bar comes from 2073. It's moved through the fabric of space and time to warn us of impending doom.
Okay, so it's not really a time travelling bar but instead it's a premium white chocolate bar from small-batch bean-to-bar maker Solkiki Chocolatemaker.
This three-ingredient So Woke white chocolate bar (that's not even white) is Solkiki's take on a coffee flavour chocolate bar, which forms part of its Taste of 2073 collection.
So, what does the future taste like?
Packaging
The packaging is designed to look futuristic, although it's got an Eighties Tron feel about it. The premise is this is a chocolate bar from 2073, with a spaceman design on the front of the box. I particularly like the Gold award badge at the top right of the box, won in the 2073 Intergalactic Chocolate Awards! (It's since gone on to win a Great Taste award and an International Chocolate Awards European award in 2020 so also features these stickers on newer boxes).
Solkiki describe this bar as a "ultra premium white chocolate" bar and a "taste of the future". Bob and Iris reckon you can "eat your coffee like it's 2073."
The side of the box notes that the bar uses a speciality heirloom grade of Arabica coffee from Yirgacheffe, sourced through Ethiopia's Konga Cooperative.
The carton unfolds to serve up a massive helping of text. If you like something to read while you're nibbling on chocolate, Solkiki has you covered.
On the panel that covers the chocolate bar, there's a tale of the First World Water Wars of 2047 to 2052, industrialised animal farming, drones and nanobots pushing Earth to the brink of destruction. In 2020, it's easy to picture this dystopian world.
Inside, there's a long shopping list of other Solkiki bars to try (including the Cranachan and Star Anisey Night bars in the Taste of 2073 collection).
Next to this is a tasting notes section so you can decipher what's going on in your mouth. The third panel discusses ethics, sourcing and nutrition.
On the reverse of the box, you'll find the minimal ingredients list and nutritional information.
Solkiki So Woke 37% Coffee White Chocolate bar ingredients:
Organic undeodorised natural Madagascan cacao butter, organic unrefined cane sugar, SCAA Speciality coffee.
This vegan white chocolate bar may contain traces of gluten, soy and nut products. Unlike industrial white chocolate, this bar contains a very respectable 25% sugars. It's refreshing to see cacao butter (and Raise Trade cacao butter at that) listed as the primary ingredient.
Solkiki So Woke 37% Coffee White Chocolate Review
The bar itself is sealed inside a heat-sealed metallised plastic wrapper to ensure freshness.
As soon as you tear it open, you're greeted by a forceful roasted coffee aroma, with green and earthy notes. Hints of smoke, leather, and tobacco appear beneath these top notes.
You'll also be struck by how this white chocolate bar looks more like a dark milk chocolate bar, right down to its crisp snap.
Like the 70% Kablon Ontbijtkoek dark chocolate bar I recently reviewed, this 56g bar is formed in the same bespoke chocolate mould, ingraining the Solkiki name and logo across the face of the bar.
The intense flavour reveals itself as soon as the chocolate lands on your tongue. Make no mistake, this bar serves up a hit of coffee in chocolate form. It doesn't dance around that fact, and I'd liken this to the essence of an espresso encapsulated in a white chocolate bar form.
The rich, deep, dark espresso coffee flavour is complimented by the smooth and creamy texture of the white chocolate. This small batch bar strikes the right level of sweetness, which keeps the bitterness at bay.
Texturally, it's incredibly smooth, other than the occasional fleck of coffee bean in the mix, which adds a little crunch.
The flavour continues into the aftertaste, which lingers for a long time after the chocolate melts away.
If, like me, you adore the combination of coffee and chocolate, you'll love this bar. It's worlds apart from most white chocolate bars and from synthetically flavoured coffee chocolates. This bar is delicious on its own, but would be sublime melted over freshly baked pastries for breakfast.
Solkiki So Woke 37% Coffee White Chocolate Review
RRP: £8.50 | Solkiki | Shop now
Picture an espresso squished into a low-sugar white chocolate bar. There's just enough sweetness to keep the bitterness at bay, together with bags of creaminess and rich, roasted coffee flavours. If you love coffee and chocolate, you'll enjoy sampling this delicious white chocolate bar.
Where to Buy Online
You can buy this bar directly from Solkiki via their website here. It's also available on That Protein (£8).
Cranachan (featuring raspberry, oats and whisky) and Star Anisey Night (made with pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, star anise and cardamom) are also available in the Taste of 2073 range.
What's your favourite coffee chocolate bar? Let me know in the comments below.
