This guest review was written by Vito LaBella.
When the editor of Candy Addict asked me to review the following chocolate bar I was both flattered and a little intimidated. What are my qualifications? Well, I like chocolate. In fact, it is the only real sweet I allow myself. However, I am not a chocolate connoisseur, aficionado or even – dare I say it – Addict.
I am a borderline obsessive compulsive, so in order to complete my requested task I had to research, research, and do more research. What I found was not news: chocolate has health benefits (truer for dark chocolate, defined as having at least 65% cocoa), chocolate tasting can be compared to wine tasting, and there are a lot of pretentious chocolates and chocolate reviews out there.
Rather than talk about “mouth feel†or the “snap†of a particular chocolate bar, I am going to give my overall impressions on this particular bar. The bar that I was asked to review, Choclatique’s Q91, is a 91% cocoa blend purportedly from Central and South America as well as Africa and Asia. It costs about $6.50 per 100 gram bar.
91% is a very high Cocoa count. You would expect a bar with such a high count to be strong and bitter. I am pleasantly surprised to report that it was strong, not overpowering and only slightly bitter. It had good texture and a nice flavor: I tasted a hint of fruit (cherry) with a pleasing aroma. Finally, there was no unpleasant aftertaste to ruin the experience.
So, what is the downside? Well, the bar is expensive at the listed price. If price is not an issue, then Choclatique’s Q91 is a fine choice. However, in these days of a tanking stock market and with a gallon of gas still at $3.50 a gallon, who has $6.50 to spend on a 100 gram chocolate bar? Here is a fine alternative: Guylian Extra Dark (70% Cocoa). Granted, this bar has 21% less chocolate than the Q91, so if you want that intense cocoa experience, the Q91 is it.
The Guylian has its own benefits. In addition to a very reasonable price, about $4 for 200 grams, it has a rich, creamy texture. The bar strikes the perfect balance between the chocolate and other flavors. I taste a very pleasant, subtle nuttiness to the bar. It is not at all bitter and has a pleasant, lasting aftertaste. Best of all, when you’re cutting back on expenses, this is one treat that you don’t have to give up.
Buy Choclatique Chocolate Online:
- at Amazon.com
- at Chocolate.com
Buy Guylian Chocolate Online:
- at Amazon.com
Just what I needed…one more temptation. This does sound fantastic and I, like you, am surprised that a 91% cocoa bar is not more bitter. Will definitely try this one!
October 24th, 2008 at 11:50 amHi, Candy Addict…
Thanks for your great comments about Choclatique Q-91. I was once told that chocolate is kind of like sex… it’s never bad, just some is better than others. Chocolate is the â€feel-good†food of the world. We developed Q-91 because it tastes great and has enough serotonin and caffeine to lift your mood, spirits and attitude any time of the day or night. However, the true benefits of chocolate are just coming to light.
Choclatique Q-91 is our extra dark, super premium chocolate made with 91% cacao mass. Antioxidants found in cacao are said to decrease blood pressure, reduce levels of “bad†cholesterol and inhibit tooth decay (I tried to tell that to my mother. Chocolate is a known stimulant and thought to be an aphrodisiac (I never tried to tell that to my mother). Q-91 is low in sugar (only about 3%) and rich in flavanols and antioxidants which many nutritionists say are beneficial to your health. Q-91 is available in a 42 piece wafer box ($10.00) our 3.5-oz. Tablets ($26 for a 4-pk.) and $14 for an 8 ounce bag of 16 foil wrapped ingots.
Scientists are still developing their opinions on the health benefits of dark chocolate. It is probably not a good idea to replace your daily intake of fruits and vegetables with a 6-layer frosted chocolate cake—whether dark or milk chocolate, but the research has certainly reduced the stigma of a moderate daily chocolate habit.
We recommend letting the Q-91 lightly melt in your mouth and you will get the essence of ripe cherry and deep chocolate over complex layers of tart citrus, red fruit and roasted nutty notes held up by a solid deep chocolate base. This high cacao content medium-bodied, very intense chocolate is smooth on the palate with a long bittersweet chocolate finish.
Ed Engoron, Co-Founder
October 27th, 2008 at 7:54 pmChoclatique
Voted Gourmet Prodct of the Year
SO CUTE the cocoa bar sounded interesting, must see, must taste, must EAT !
October 30th, 2008 at 9:19 pm