According to the packaging Super Novanta Amazzonia 90% cocoa minimum is a gourmet chocolate, with a noble character.  It has been developed through a careful selection of valuable cacaos wisely blended to enhance the notable fruity flavour and the aromas of the best cacaos from Venezuela.

The lovely Amazzonia 90 percent cocoa chocolate bar from Italy

The chocolate isn’t as earthy as you’d expect.  It is very strong and the large pieces mean you get a lot in each piece. 

This chocolate is strong but not overpowering.  It has a smooth flavour which lacks the fattiness of other chocolates.  The strong flavour has a hint of the bean and the fruitiness.  The taste of the individual beans is hard to detect but you do get a distinct taste within which is a hint of the fruitiness mentioned on the back of the bar.

Despite the high cocoa content of this bar, it is easily edible.  It is a robust flavoured bar which will be enjoyed by people who enjoy good quality chocolate.  As I pop the second large piece of this chocolate into my mouth, I can’t help but think how lovely this high cocoa content bar is.

Too many people are afraid of high cocoa content bars, having only tried the burnt flavoured bars from the likes of Lindt.  This lovely bar proves that a high cocoa content bar can be delicious and have a personality all their own, from the first bite to the lingering distinctiveness after the piece is finished.

This heaving shop still had staff who were friendly, knowledgeable and willing to help.  The woman who helped me took the challenge seriously, selecting for me what she felt to be the best of the best in the shop.  She was patient as I tried one chocolate she graciously gave me to sample and very unhurried despite the huge number of people in the shop.  I think of all the shops I went in to, this gave off the most posh atmosphere, with some of the best, most knowledgeable help.  I tried one chocolate in the shop and a further three at home.

Salvador – The chocolate was disappointingly reluctant to melt.  The raspberry pulp filling was nice – not overwhelming but OK.  The chocolate was slightly flat without a well-rounded raspberry filling.  I have to say, the scent of the chocolate was so weak I stuck myself in the nose trying to smell it.  I’m not surprised that the chocolate would not melt as there is likely something in it to help it keep longer or something… maybe

Caracas – again the chocolate coating the centre was bland and reluctant to melt with a slight grainy texture.  The centre was delicious as a simple dark chocolate ganache but I would have chosen a different chocolate base which had a fuller, more rounded flavour which had legs.  The chocolate was overall OK but not great.  A disappointment.

Guayaquil – This chocolate is a heavy disappointment.  There is something on the underside of the chocolate between the chocolate and the ganache which is gritty and unpleasant in flavour.  The chocolate itself still refuses to melt in the mouth and has a grainy flavour.  Very disappointed.

Dentelle – A new chocolate of the season.  It is a praline which isn’t my favourite but this one is OK once heated up by my laptop CPU.  It was a milk chocolate square choc and the chocolate was completely overwhelmed by the praline so it was lacking any personality.  OK but again a disappointment.

As an experience, I cannot rate it highly enough.  As a chocolatier I have serious reservations.  I did not find these chocolates to be in the same league as William Curley or Paul A Young and yet I must say these are miles better than Theobromo and Auberge du Chocolat therefore they earn a place in my “top notch” chocolate selection.

The shop is an experience in and of itself. A wonderful visual feast, it is a bit of a walk from Sloane Square station but everything in life is worth a bit of extra effort. The chocolates though – the chocolates were an absolute treat.

I started with a sample of the sea salt caramel. Now, everyone seems to think that this is their signature chocolate (except for Adam & Eve) and to be honest, I am really fed up with asking for a representative and getting this. I’m going to get violent soon. This sea salt caramel has been made darker and slightly heavier than others. With a more distinctive almost molasses flavour poking through the sweetness of the caramel, only slightly calmed by the addition of salt, it was perfectly balanced off with the Amedei chocolate covering it. This is a flavour in your mouth that you are happy to have linger.

The house dark truffle was a beautiful chocolate flavour. Perfect mingling of the centre with the whiff of cream, it was covered in Amedei chocolate and dusted in cocoa powder. Quite possibly now my favourite chocolate truffle. In face I’ve decided it is

The olive oil and rosemary – chosen for me by William Curley himself, was surprisingly pleasant. Slightly soft and therefore delicate (probably due to the olive oil), the rosemary flavour, which could have overpowered the whole chocolate experience, was a background flavour, letting the chocolate shine through and creating a comforting balance. I could not detect the olive oil but it likely had brought the tone of the rosemary down. The Amedei Chuao, also chosen for me by William Curley himself, was an absolute sex-in-your-mouth pleasure. The silky centre and beautiful Amedei chocolate has been combined together to create a beautiful chocolate.

The beautiful box of chocolate bars, nibs, cocoa powder and hot chocolate buttons was a delight of unique packaging, exciting printing and wondrous chocolate. Each bar seems to be bagged in brown generic paper which is the stamped up to reflect the Askinosie chocolate content. The name of the bean, area it was grown in, an image of the lead farmer and other details are printed on each bar. It is a beautiful packaging style – rustic and yet very chic. The bars would be at home in the Ritz as well as Harrods and are currently at home in Selfridges in London where I recommend visiting and picking up some.

The box included white chocolate which I must reluctantly admit to leaving not only for last, but for a different day. The joy of the chocolate was too great to risk having it ruined by an oversweet, waxy, un-chocolaty chocolate bar. I lined up the bars from lightest to darkest and set about trying them.

I have often commented that I worry that I am too harsh on chocolate makers. When trying chocolates such as may be found in the finest chocolate halls and finding them wanting, I am concerned mayhap my standards are too high. This chocolate reminds me that my standards are not too high, everyone elses are too low

The first bar is Dark Milk & Fleur de Sel made from Trinitario beans grown in Davao in the Philippines. It is a 62% dark milk chocolate. The fruity favour of the chocolate is slightly hidden here but it is a rich, creamy chocolate with a gentle scent and not overpowering chocolate flavour. It melts slowly in the mouth and is not too sweet but still satisfies those less inclined to dark chocolate with the goats milk offering a creamy finish. The flavour does not linger as long as a dark chocolate would but this is an extremely pleasant chocolate bar. There is no salty flavour and after one particular experience of salt in chocolate went wrong, I was pleasantly surprised that the salt was used to perfectly enhance the chocolate flavour. If you’ve never had a dark chocolate before, or never experienced high quality chocolate, this is an excellent introductory bar. I’m likely to buy lots of these for the holiday season to introduce my team and all my friends to it.

The 70% dark chocolate bar from Arriba Nacional beans grown in San Jose Del Tambo, Equador is a joy. The sharp snap sings the praise of the chocolate tempering and the scent you get as you smell the chocolate before tasting it fills your nose with the smell of ripening beans, fruit and sun. The flavours are intensely chocolaty with a slightly floral fruity flavour wrapping itself around the mouth like a lover. The chocolate scent tickles its way into the nose, infusing every area with this intensely fruity floral sweet chocolate. The chocolate is not sweet from sugar, the chocolate itself is a beautiful gentle chocolate. Of all the bars, this one ended up with most missing from it by the end of the tasting.

Next up is the San Jose Del Tambo Nibble bar with the 70% dark chocolate and crunchy cocoa nibs using the Arriba Nacional bean. That same fruity bean scent is there with this bar but the crunchy sweet nibs (because the bean itself is sweet, not from excess sugar) are liberally sprinkled on the back of the bar. They explode that fruity bean flavour in to your mouth with each bite so instead of letting it melt, I chewed away on it (sorry Paul – don’t be too cross). This has to be the most exciting of all the flavours I have tried recently and I cannot rave enough about it. From the first fruity scent through to the explosion of fruity bean flavour with each bite, this chocolate is as exciting in favour as experience. If you know a chocolate lover and want to get them something different, focus on this bean and if possible, this bar.

Soconusco, Mexico is the origin of the Trinitario beans used in the 75% dark chocolate bar and the origins of this bar show. The earthier flavour of the bean grown in this region give an even darker flavour to this bar, making it a dark chocolate lovers delight. You can taste the dark soil of Mexico in this bar with tobacco, earth and if you can detect it a light fruity finish. You can feel the depths of the surrounding forests in the rich earth as the chocolate melts in your mouth and it leaves you with a hint of mystery – as if there is something more on your palette just out of reach that is pleasant but hard to grasp.

Davao, Philippines Trinitario brans bring us to the 77% dark chocolate bar. Tasting this bar you can feel the difference between the growing regions. From the first tendril of scent that curls up into your nose as you place the chocolate in your mouth, you know this dark chocolate is different. Lacking that dry-mouthed, burnt and slightly sour flavour other dark chocolate bars assault our mouths with, this dark chocolate bar brings the sun, soil and seasons of the Philippines to our mouths. This chocolate dances across the tongue as it melts in your mouth and wakes all your senses up with only hints of the tobacco so prominent in the Mexican origin Trinitario bean and more of the earth itself shining through with a fatty chocolate rich in complex flavours. This chocolate fills your mouth with a complex chocolaty joy while transporting you to the Philippines and the chocolate beans drying in the sun.

Finally the White chocolate nibble bar. This bar and I had been in a standoff for days. I stared at it, it stared unapologetically back. Refusing to apologise for being white chocolate, it remained unashamed of its nature and dared me to try it.
The white chocolate remains a sweet alternative to milk chocolate but Askinosie has added a rich cocoa content which renders not only a beautiful golden hue to the chocolate but a flavourful experience to the sampler. The white chocolate has that deep, rich chocolate flavour which sparkles through in each Askinosie bar. The added cocoa nibs create a depth of chocolate flavour you are highly unlikely to experience elsewhere. The white chocolate from Askinosie finally converted me from a white chocolate hater to a white chocolate fan. I’d never eat anyone else’s white chocolate though – only Askinosie. You always remember your first love.

All in all my favourite is the 70% dark chocolate bar from Arriba Nacional beans grown in San Jose Del Tambo, Equador with the nibble bar a close second. In a strong third place is the milk chocolate with fleur de sel. I think I’ll be popping over to Selfridges and stocking up on even more as I’ve heard rumours of a cookie and mint bark for the holiday season!

Truffles of the chocolate variety had captivated the whole of my attention and demanded more, promising things beyond my wildest imagination like Pimms, Mango, strawberry champagne cocktail and espresso. The delicate dusting of gold, the brush of bronze, the drizzle of cucumber and strawberry, all lightly caressed the darkness which enrobed the seductive interior like a lover embracing his partner one last time before parting forever. Intense and a struggle to part, the truffles merged their flavours and yet remained distinct entities – chocolate and filling.

Beyond the chilled interior of the shop was more yet to come. The chocolate, coming up to a warmer temperature, would be a whole new experience we were promised. I can attest to that. The most pleasure I have ever experienced in a chocolate was a freshly made truffle. The centre had, of course, been prepared earlier but I will never forget the flavour. Each day that passes I mourn that I may never again experience the like. That was at Pierre Marcolini and those who took over the shop – Luento Santoro made me fall in love with Indonesia. The chocolate truffle from Indonesia to be exact. I love the flavour of that chocolate encompassing a delicious ganache filling like a gentle fruit flavour that intensified the natural flavour of the mild chocolate.

I have gone to a few chocolate tastings and each has given me something new to think about. I think I’m almost comfortable when I taste tobacco now but I’m still unsure of leather. I did enjoy the 100% chocolate bar though few others did and was well honoured to get to try the criollo bar which is a rare delicacy. Each taught me even more about chocolate and I hope I’ll be able to pass that along as well. I’m so often asked for chocolate advice now I had better start talking like a professional

Paul A Young fine chocolates have gained notoriety in part through education and in part through celebrity. Paul himself has appeared on TV and was most recently involved in “The Apprentice” where while his creations were highest rated on taste, they were apparently not cheap and mass-market enough for Sir Alan Sugar who seems happier with a Costco model. His shop is tucked away down Camden Passage, not far from one of the LondonSEO pub locations and he has a second one in the city. Perfect for corporate events, the tasting evenings require a minimum of 8 people, a maximum of 12 people and can be the chocolate experience, chocolate and whiskey, chocolate and wine and chocolate and cheese. I’m hoping someone will gift me one of each frankly

This is not your cheap eat a ton with lots of sugar and fat chocolate. Paul takes great pride in the fact that he uses the highest quality ingredients and creates the best quality chocolate possible. That also means you don’t eat as much, the flavour lasts in your mouth for longer and therefore you don’t crave moore and feel full longer. That’s it, I’m starting the chocolate diet tomorrow!