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ysabetwordsmithGuittard Soleil d'Automne Milk Chocolate is a real favorite. The origin is West Africa and Indian Ocean, the varietals Criollo and Forastero.
This bar is listed at 45% cacao, rich and complex, but pleasantly sweet without any bitter notes. Milk chocolate must contain at least 10% cacao, and often it's around 20-25%. Dark milk chocolate or sweet dark chocolate is sweet and intense, ranging between 38% and 42%. Dark chocolate is legally anything over 15% in America, but Europe requires at least 35% and it typically runs 50-60%, prone to bitter or sour notes. So we may reasonably consider Soleil d'Automne to be a clinical-grade milk chocolate, because it is both high in cacao and sweet without bitterness.
The label also cites notes of caramel apple and crème fraîche. I think I catch more of the caramel than the apple, but it is very creamy. If you like a milk chocolate that is sophisticated in its own right without a lot of other stuff added to it, this is an excellent choice. It's a good choice for connoisseurs, or people consuming chocolate for medicinal purposes who dislike the bitter notes of dark chocolate. My partner Doug and I split this for dessert a couple of nights, and would happily eat it again.
I have consumed the last of it (and licked the foil) and am now a little sad, despite having a box still mostly full of chocolate bars and another 45% one on my desk.
This bar is listed at 45% cacao, rich and complex, but pleasantly sweet without any bitter notes. Milk chocolate must contain at least 10% cacao, and often it's around 20-25%. Dark milk chocolate or sweet dark chocolate is sweet and intense, ranging between 38% and 42%. Dark chocolate is legally anything over 15% in America, but Europe requires at least 35% and it typically runs 50-60%, prone to bitter or sour notes. So we may reasonably consider Soleil d'Automne to be a clinical-grade milk chocolate, because it is both high in cacao and sweet without bitterness.
The label also cites notes of caramel apple and crème fraîche. I think I catch more of the caramel than the apple, but it is very creamy. If you like a milk chocolate that is sophisticated in its own right without a lot of other stuff added to it, this is an excellent choice. It's a good choice for connoisseurs, or people consuming chocolate for medicinal purposes who dislike the bitter notes of dark chocolate. My partner Doug and I split this for dessert a couple of nights, and would happily eat it again.
I have consumed the last of it (and licked the foil) and am now a little sad, despite having a box still mostly full of chocolate bars and another 45% one on my desk.
Thoughts
Date: 2018-01-23 07:03 am (UTC)LOL yes. It's not actually rare for me to lick things, but if the chocolate is merely adequate I don't always bother.
>> Speaking of which, I had some NibMor 85% with cacao nibs last night... <<
I keep wanting to try NibMor. Some dark is okay, it's just hard to find any that's smooth enough for me. I don't like the harsh bitter or sour notes. Or the ones with no flavor, like the 98% we tried once that tasted like black wax. :/
>>I wish NibMor made milk. I 'spect if it were as good as the dark I'd have both of you eating out of my hand... ;) <<
I wish that too. When I first discovered them, I remember seeing that, but apparently I have drifted out of that universe and here they do not. :(