Seventy% - Topic: Favorite Blended Bar

marioh on Favorite Blended Bar

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 09:39:10 +0000

I have tried the Cluizel 72% as it was strongly recommended here. To be honest I was quite sure that I would not like it that much as I’m not a great Cluizel fan (I have never tasted their blended bars, only the Hacienda bars.). But I have to say that I’m quite surprised. It is really not bad. Now I know what is meant by the term "chocolatey" taste. Moreover the bar is really cheap (compared to others of course). A really good bar.
Nevertheless my favourite bar is still the Amedei 70%.

Alex Rast on Favorite Blended Bar

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:44:07 +0000

quote:

Originally posted by Chrissie

I agree about the pricing of Amedei's 1 cru collection, it's pretty high, but boxes of napolitains generally are. The Toscano Black bars however don't seem too overpriced for 100g bar at £3-£3.50($6-$7) here in the UK, just marginally more expensive than Cluzel or Valrhona and with much nicer packaging.

Chuao is amazing and incomparable to anything else so I don't feel the price they charge for it is unjust (usually under £5/50g). If you buy it by the kilo it works out 1/4 the price and is a positive bargain!

Their Porcelana however is probably their worst offender for overpricing. It should not cost more than their Chuao, nor is it worth more than Domori's Porcelana which is probably even slightly superior.

It seems that the prices for Amedei in the USA are substantially higher than in Europe which is strange since many other brands seem to be slightly cheaper if anything. I wonder why there is such a huge price differential. I'm not sure I would be willing to pay the prices you guys in the States are charged for Amedei either, especially when you can get Domori and others at much lower prices.

U.S. prices may well suffer markup at the hands of the importer. Pricing isn't necessarily 100% at the control of the manufacturer because the various distributors, and this includes importers, add different markups, sometimes exorbitant. I know some importers in the USA, without naming names, have a reputation for extreme markups.

Chuao is expensive in any country but worth the price. As the best chocolate in the world it can justify, if necessary, being the most expensive. The best way to get value is to buy the bloc, which nobody will have a problem in consuming. [:D]

Porcelana is I agree overpriced but the overpricing isn't nearly as bad as, e.g. Valrhona Porcelana. I'm not thrilled with the blended bars with the exception of 9, and so there again I think US prices are a bit steep, but again this could be the importer and distributor. Amedei has had a tendency to do things their own way, which may not always be the industry-standard way, when it comes to sales. Whatever impact that may have on price it also means that if a distributor were set up around very strong industry-standard assumptions dealing with Amedei might mean extra costs for them that they would then pass on to the consumer.

US import regulations have recently imposed a lot more red tape and depending on the size of your company that can have a larger or smaller impact. Cluizel IIRC is sufficiently big that he can minimise the impact. Amedei again IIRC falls below the threshold. It's a no-so-subtle form of corporate protectionism thanks to the now-discredited Bush administration.

Another way of looking at it, though, is to say that perhaps other chocolatiers on a similar quality plane - such as Cluizel and Domori - are actually underpriced. I think so. Cluizel chocolate represents exceptional value for money relative to the quality that you get. From a value for money perspective, indeed, I think Cluizel is a better bargain than Callebaut, Nestle, Hershey's, or Generic Manufacturer X.

Alex Rast
Alex_Rast_Alternate@hushmail.com

Chrissie on Favorite Blended Bar

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 13:29:39 +0000

I agree about the pricing of Amedei's 1 cru collection, it's pretty high, but boxes of napolitains generally are. The Toscano Black bars however don't seem too overpriced for 100g bar at £3-£3.50($6-$7) here in the UK, just marginally more expensive than Cluzel or Valrhona and with much nicer packaging.

Chuao is amazing and incomparable to anything else so I don't feel the price they charge for it is unjust (usually under £5/50g). If you buy it by the kilo it works out 1/4 the price and is a positive bargain!

Their Porcelana however is probably their worst offender for overpricing. It should not cost more than their Chuao, nor is it worth more than Domori's Porcelana which is probably even slightly superior.

It seems that the prices for Amedei in the USA are substantially higher than in Europe which is strange since many other brands seem to be slightly cheaper if anything. I wonder why there is such a huge price differential. I'm not sure I would be willing to pay the prices you guys in the States are charged for Amedei either, especially when you can get Domori and others at much lower prices.

Anyway, (whilst living in the uk) my favourite blends are:

Amedei Toscano Black 66% and 70%

marioh on Favorite Blended Bar

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 09:51:45 +0000

That’s really a bad think to hear as Amedeis other products are great as well. Has anyone any idea why the prices are so high? It can not be because of an expensive import to the US, e.g. Domori bars are even cheaper than in Germany. Perhaps there is someone how what’s to make big profit?
In Germany Amedei bar prices have increased slightly but converted they are about 7$, which is ok (but of course I hope it stays that way…).

Masur on Favorite Blended Bar

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 06:41:18 +0000

Current favourite is Valrhona Araguani.

"Porcelana: The Holy Grail of Pure Criollos" (Maricel E. Presilla)

aguynamedrobert on Favorite Blended Bar

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 06:38:59 +0000

wow they went up again? I have tried all their single origin bars and I liked all of them but they are just soooo expensive...hopefully something will happen to where they lower their prices soon because you just can't order that stuff all the time...

Robert
http://www.chocolateguild.com

Eshra on Favorite Blended Bar

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 03:23:32 +0000

I will second Amedei's 70% La Tavoletta bar. This bar is simply magnificent, bringing some of the best flavours cacao has to offer. Despite what people say, I do not detect any classical bitterness, which lingers in the back of the throat. Strong, yes. Harsh/bitter, no.

Of course, I do not buy Amedei anymore. They increased their La Tavoletta bars' prices from 8 to 12 dollars. A 50 gram serving of Chuao now fetches around 12-13 dollars, and Porcelana is slightly higher. They are not justified in charging this amount.

Hans-Peter Rot on Favorite Blended Bar

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 01:12:28 +0000

quote:

Originally posted by Alex_Rast

Valrhona's Guanaja is excellent, although I've heard rumours that in recent years it seems to have slipped. I've also heard that Araguani has improved (I have a couple of new ones to try) and since it was already IMHO pretty good it will be interesting to see how the new one compares.

Alex Rast
Alex_Rast_Alternate@hushmail.com

Last August I had a bar of Guanaja and it was just as good as ever. I noticed no decline in quality whatsoever.

Alex Rast on Favorite Blended Bar

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 23:47:44 +0000

quote:

Originally posted by aguynamedrobert

I was just going through one of my own tastings and had a few blended bars in the 70% area. I have a couple I like a few I do not care for...my favorite had to be either Valrhona 71% or Divine 70%...
Divine is not the most complicated bar in the world but It has a good flavor that I think appeals to the average joe...The valrhona on the other hand I think has those subtle flavors and really is a good blended chocolate.

What are your guys' favorite blended bars?

Michel Cluizel's 72% is the best blended bar, bar none, at least IMHO.
If you want to taste what "chocolatey" tastes like, then this is the one to get.

I suppose Noir Infini also classifies as a blended bar and again, is top-notch, although probably not what people were expecting in this category.

Domori's Blend No. 1 is also superb, in a totally different sense - explosion of complexity. However it also has a more mercurial character.

Valrhona's Guanaja is excellent, although I've heard rumours that in recent years it seems to have slipped. I've also heard that Araguani has improved (I have a couple of new ones to try) and since it was already IMHO pretty good it will be interesting to see how the new one compares.

And Guittard's L'Harmonie is very good at a lower percentage. Gourmet Bittersweet 63% is one of the very best chocolates of all, however, it's not a bar as such, being strictly couverture. It's also mildly Dutched, and in some aspects this is an achievement in itself because most Dutched chocolates have a thin, metallic flavour that is very disappointing.

Alex Rast
Alex_Rast_Alternate@hushmail.com

aguynamedrobert on Favorite Blended Bar

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 19:34:31 +0000

I forgot one...the special bar that Scharffen Berger put out called Las Islas 72%...It had such an extreme aroma and the flavor was excellent.

Robert
http://www.chocolateguild.com

Hans-Peter Rot on Favorite Blended Bar

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:01:46 +0000

Cluizel Noir de Cacao 72% is an absolute sensation in my book. Read the review here for further elaboration; but in short, it's a wonderful chocolate that captures every essence of the word "chocolate." With just the slightest inflection of one or two other notes, it doesn't need complexity to make it successful.

marioh on Favorite Blended Bar

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 12:29:00 +0000

Definitely the 70% Tavoletta from Amedei. The aromas simply explode in your mouth. It is a very strong bar, perhaps some people may find it too strong. But I love it. Very dark with a sweet change and the end, perhaps some coffee, flower and nut. And, of course, the “Amedei-aroma” (which someone once called to be mushroom like) which is evident in all Amedei bars. Great.

aguynamedrobert on Favorite Blended Bar

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 10:59:25 +0000

I was just going through one of my own tastings and had a few blended bars in the 70% area. I have a couple I like a few I do not care for...my favorite had to be either Valrhona 71% or Divine 70%...
Divine is not the most complicated bar in the world but It has a good flavor that I think appeals to the average joe...The valrhona on the other hand I think has those subtle flavors and really is a good blended chocolate.

What are your guys' favorite blended bars?

Robert
http://www.chocolateguild.com

Robert