Co Couture Blend II 69%

This is the second Co Couture bar I’ve tasted, and essentially it’s the Rum & Raisin Bar I reviewed a couple of months ago, but without the rum. Or the raisins. Described as a ‘moderate, aromatic dark chocolate’ the 69% cacao content leaves room for a little sweetness but thankfully there are no unwanted extras in here, and while the chocolate isn’t described as dairy free, there are no milk solids or other dairy based ingredients, just the essential four plus a little vanilla.

It’s light on the palate, melting quickly and with a light acidity and soft, slightly fruity opening notes. as the chocolate starts to melt, further depths are revealed as more of the cacao flavours are unleashed. Although it’s only a percentage point below 70% this chocolate doesn’t have the thickness some chocolate can have – it’s light on the tongue and easy on the palate. The balance of dark cacao and fragrant sweetness is done very well indeed.

When all’s said and done, it’s a nice enough chocolate, but it also happens to be kind of… ordinary, and with a top end price tag it really needs to have something special going on. The bottom line is that if you gave me £4 and told me to buy myself a bar of chocolate, this wouldn’t even come close to being in my top five, even though it’s a smooth, well balanced bar.

Of the two, I definitely prefer the rum & raisin version, mainly because those additional ingredients result in an excellent version of an old classic. On it’s own, Blend II is a decent but unremarkable chocolate compared to similarly priced offerings from other manufacturers.

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