Where I got it: Whole Foods
Price: $3.99 for 3 oz. (84g)
Cocoa percentage: 65%
Website: www.theochocolate.com

I was assisted in this review by my daughter Rachel, who works at Zingerman’s and is thus surrounded by high-quality chocolate from all over the globe, is trained to sell it, and gets to sample it frequently. I, on the other hand, am just a snob. You decide whom to believe.

Story: (from the wrapper)
In Eastern Congo, Theo Chocolate and Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) have teamed up with Congolese cocoa farmers to make this delicious and crunchy vanilla nib chocolate bar. The cocoa and vanilla used to make this chocolate bar are all grown in Eastern Congo by dedicated organic farmers focused on quality and sustainability…Proceeds from this chocolate bar will be donated to ECI…”

Appearance:
The wrapper is visually striking, which is the main reason it caught my eye at the checkout counter. Its exotic origin (Congo chocolate is not common) and the organic/fair trade/non-GMO labels also helped lead me to the impulse buy. Definitely a marketing win.

With such a striking presentation, I was somewhat disappointed with the appearance of the chocolate itself. It lacks the gloss of higher-end chocolate bars, and its large slab-like divisions are unappealing to me, resembling a mass-produced factory product.

Texture:
The bar snaps cleanly without shattering. It does not melt in the mouth quickly, and with chewing, breaks into small pieces before dissolving. The cocoa nibs provide a nice slight crunch to the bar, which I like.

Flavor:
The dark chocolate flavor is what I tasted first – quite nice, distinctive but not overpowering. The cocoa nibs provide a dark roasted coffee-like flavor when crunched. Despite “vanilla” being part of the bar’s name, I did not directly taste it. Given the suggestive colors of the wrapper, I was expecting fruity notes, but it turned sour at the end, leaving, to me, an unpleasant finish.

The Bottom Line

Jeff: This is not a bar I would purchase again. For me to spend $4 or more on chocolate, I have to really enjoy it, and while it has some qualities I like, they aren’t strong enough to overcome its sour notes.

Rachel: I like the flavor of this bar, and I would let my dad purchase it again.

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