The World’s Best Dark Chocolate Bars: Top Ten

Standout – Idukki, India Dark 70%

On taste, this dark chocolate bursts with rich sultana and dried fruit notes, with quite the “Madagascar” quality within the bar. The melt and texture is smooth, with a nutty finish.

Original Beans – Cru Virunga, Dark 70%

This rich and sweet dark bar is deeply chocolatey, with the unique flavour of morello cherries and hints of black tea combining to produce a special earthiness. The depth of flavour comes from the rare Amelonado cacao that grows in the Virunga National Park, home to some of the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas.

Oialla – Beniano, Bolivia, Dark 72%

The dark chocolate slowly melts in the mouth with a gentle butteriness. The bar has indulgent aromas and biting into it we were reminded of chocolate brownie with hint of honey. A stronger, roasted flavour came through at the end.

Taza Chocolate – Mexican-style Cacao Puro

These disks are made of 70% single origin Dominican dark chocolate, bursting with bold, wine-like flavour, accompanied by Taza’s signature gritty texture. Taza tell us that this is the “purest expression” of their proudly unrefined chocolate. We enjoyed the delicious, fruity notes. This is an unusual chocolate that is very easy to munch!

Zotter – Labooko Peru Criollo Cuvee 82%

Austrian chocolate maker Josef Zotter is known for his wacky and wonderful flavours, but this bar is a roasted and intense dark chocolate. The Peruvian cacao used by Zotter is unique to Peru and more specifically the Acopagro region. The beans are of the Criollo variety, with white Porcelana cacao added to the bar. And what’s more, you get two bars of it in this pack. Like most Zotter bars, the chocolate has a beautifully smooth texture and is also fairly traded and organic. Look out for notes of muscovado, burnt toffee and honey.

Latitude – Rwenzori, Uganda, Dark 80%

This dark bar is slightly more astringent than its 70% counterpart, but just as complex with lovely bright notes of fresh red fruits. With a local focus at the heart of everything they do, it’s no surprise that Latitude works very closely with local growers in sourcing cocoa beans. They’ve contracted over 1000 small-holder organic-certified farmers, about half of whom are women.  They set up bi-weekly collection points, at walking distance from the farms, so on the same day of harvest beans are weighed and farmers are paid in cash. So not only do farmers receive a premium price, but their costs of transport, labour, materials, and processing are reduced, as are the risks of theft and spoilage.

Pump Street Chocolate – Madagascar Dark 72%

Made from Akesson beans from the Sambirano River Valley, this 72% cocoa bar has a typically Madagascan fruitiness, with high notes of citrus and yellow fruits. It has a smooth and creamy texture that works well with the tanginess of its flavour notes.

Menakao – Dark Chocolate 63% with Cocoa Nibs & Sea Salt

This Menakao bar is an example of chocolate with inclusions done right. The chocolate is full of the typical pronounced berry notes of Madagascan cacao. The added cocoa nibs (the purest form of chocolate, pieces of dried and fermented cacao beans) give a powerful crunch, bursting with fruit and tannins, combining deep flavour with added texture. The hint of sea salt serves a double purpose. It opens the palate, helping you to get the full flavour of the berries and red fruits. At the same time, the salt cuts through some of the nibs’ intensity, revealing their roasted fruit and raisin notes while reducing the bitterness and prolonging the finish.

Firetree – Sambirano Valley, Madagascar, Dark 84%

This high-percentage bar enjoys zesty notes of raspberries and sweet red fruits with a pleasing astringency on the finish.

Bare Bones – Dominican 68% Dark with Salt

A balanced, nutty aroma greets this Dominican chocolate, with flavour notes of salted caramel and roasted hazelnuts. Salt from renowned salt producer Maldon brings out the natural sweetness of the cocoa, making this a bar you won’t want to put down.