Organic Chocolate Review

Green & Blacks Chocolate Bar Taste Review

Loving chocolate is a passion, it has to be creamy, yet full of the flavour it says it is! So I thought, why not get in touch with Green & Black’s, asking them if I can taste review some of their products that have a Green (not just the name) angle.

Guess what? They sent me loads of Organic chocolate bars of all differing flavours. How ‘Green’ with envy are you right now?? Oh well, better go and taste them all!

Their founders, Jo Fairley and Craig Sams, were on holiday in Belize and inspired by the taste of Kukuh and the aroma of the rainforests.

Jo and Craig decided to initiate an agreement with the local farmers, paying them a guaranteed fair price and a premium for their organic cocoa. So from the very first batch in 1994 the cocoa has been sourced directly from the farmers, giving them a fair price for their crop. Their Maya Gold bar was the first chocolate product in the UK to be awarded the Fairtrade mark.

The first flavour from Green & Black’s Organic range that I tasted was the Butterscotch, with crisp, crunchy toffee pieces. Melted in the mouth, leaving a lovely rich and creamy texture. Then came along the crunchy bits, which were not too hard to crunch but the Butterscotch flavour was a little lacking. Overall, a definite future purchase.

Next was what I believed was going to be my favourite bar, Dark 85%. It did not disappoint. A strong cocoa and rich Madagascan vanilla flavour that melted in my mouth, I was in heaven. I went out that day and bought another bar. Number one in my book of any dark chocolates that are on the market today.

With 34% cocoa, the Milk was my next flavour to be tasted. Not being a fan of “plain old milk chocolate” I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. Was it the smoothness or the increased cocoa that most other milk chocolates do not possess, an extra 9-15% compared to most on the market. Quite intense for a Milk Chocolate bar.

Next in line for my taste buds, probably my joint favourite chocolate, was the white bar. made with the finest “organic Fairtrade Madagascan Vanilla for its sublime flavour” I could not wait to bite into this bar. Upon opening, you can see the flecks of Vanilla in the white chocolate, instantly salivating at the thought of placing this into my mouth. Wow, mmmmmmmmmmm, perfect flavour and creaminess. Enough said.

Raisin & Hazelnut, a crunchy and chewy delight for any lover of chocolate, fruit and nuts, all in the one mouthful.  Full of Hazelnut flavour and the soft chewy flavour of the raisin, with the support of the velvety milk chocolate, this was by far better than any other bar of fruit & nut mix I had ever tasted, richer and creamier and full of crunch.

Last but by no means least, on this day of tasting, is the Dark 70%. Still better than any other dark chocolate equivalent that has been tasted by me for flavour, richness and that smooth melt in the mouth feeling. Made with Fairtrade Trinitario Cocoa beans, giving it a slightly fruity flavour, this has to be a must-buy for any serious chocaholic!

These bars typically retail for around £2, and for the quality, eating pleasure and ethical production values they represent very good value for money in my opinion.

Written by Karl Tullett.