Review: Fazer Pure Dark chocolates

Ever since I heard about these new chocolates from Fazer, I've eagerly awaited for their release date and a chance to taste them. All right, I may have forgotten them for a while... which is why, when I'd had a particularly bad day, the fact that my husband brought us all these three varieties for sampling was a sweet surprise. (I know! The husband is very sweet, too. Or at least he learns fast. Wife having a bad day → do not go home without some chocolate.)

The cocoa percentage of 70 is certainly promising. And there are three different flavours! There's also an unflavoured dark chocolate in the same series (titled ”cocoa”), but it was not included in this tasting.

The wrappings are nice but not particularly exciting (see the pic above). The inner foil is greyish, with the pattern we've already seen on the outer wrapping. The chocolate itself is patterned and divided in pieces in what seems a very haphazard manner (see the pic on the left, yes the one with the monstrous shadow :P). Our six-year-old associated some of the patterning (the same as on the wrappings) with fish scales! Probably not the image you'd want to go for, but I don't mind. Only, the pieces are hard to divide equally. That's all right if you're tasting them by yourself, or with a partner, or in adult company. With children that's going to be a problem! Everyone must have an equal piece! However, after staring at the chocolate for a moment, I was able to come up with various solutions to the problem (my mind is not the most logical of them all). So, not a problem, after all. The pieces are rather thin, which enhances the feel of luxury chocolate.

First, the mint chocolate. When I opened the wrapper, a strong aroma of mint wafted into my nose. While not unpleasant, it made me somewhat suspicious. I like mint chocolate, but if the mint flavour is too strong, the experience is akin to eating tooth paste. So I took a cautious bite... and was instantly reassured. While strong, the mint flavour is not overwhelming. The chocolate has that smooth, silky, melt-in-your-mouth quality that I associate with the best chocolates. This is the perfect after dinner (or any other time) mint: soothing yet refreshing.

Next, the roasted corn. The scent is that of roasted corn... yes, exactly – popcorn! And that's what it tastes like, too, with tiny, crunchy pieces of roasted corn scattered in the chocolate. It's slightly salty. There was a time when I couldn't understand the sweet and salty combination, but lately, I've become a fan (but a rather selective one). With this, however, I can't quite make up my mind. I've never been a fan of popcorn – those family members who do like popcorn also enjoyed the chocolate (all right, all right; I enjoyed it too, it just isn't one of my favourites!). I have a feeling that it needs time: a few more bites and I could get used to it.

Finally, the coffee and cardamom. Had I not known what's in this chocolate, I might not have been able to guess it from the scent and taste, at least not right away, even though the cardamom scent is fairly strong. The taste is interesting. The cardamom comes first – I can't help but be reminded of cardamom flavoured sweet buns. That's quickly followed by the coffee which gives the chocolate a nice toasted (roasted?) flavour and lingers as a bitter-sweet aftertaste, definitely not unpleasant, especially if you like coffee. I don't know which one it is (perhaps both?) that give the chocolate a little brittle, crunchy texture. Still, the chocolate is smooth and the flavours complement each other. This would be my go-to chocolate on dark and stormy nights, but, with the coffee content of 2,5 %, it might not be the smartest choice for someone suffering from chronic insomnia. Oh well, it's just as perfect for afternoons!

Overall, I enjoyed all three varieties, but if I had to pick a favourite, I'd choose the coffee & cardamom. I will definitely buy that and the mint chocolate again. From what I've seen online, some of Fazer's dark chocolates have been criticised because of their comparatively low cocoa percentage. With their 70 % cocoa content, I'd expect these to please those who favour darker chocolates.