I've become a major convert to 100% cacao dark chocolate bars recently after attempting to clean-up my diet and reduce my sugar intake. Because of this, I've been trying out different types of 100% cocoa bars from the likes of Hotel Chocolat (I previously reviewed their Saint Lucia 100% Bar) and various brands available from Chocolatiers.co.uk.
After reading this article on high cocoa chocolates by the lovely Zoe Perrett of Foodepedia recently, I decided to make it my mission to try every 100% cocoa bar I could get my hands on, and luckily Rococo were kind enough to send me one of theirs!
As usual with Rococo chocolates the packaging looks very nice indeed, with a rustic paper wrapper with various animal designs printed on it. Opening it revealed a green foil-wrapped bar, which is a rather unique color for chocolate that works very well. So far so good - Rococo get top marks for presentation!
Removing the foil revealed a dark slab with Rococo imprinted in the center and a lovely block design around it. The bar looked glossy and smooth, and had a strong rich aroma. I could tell this was going to be an intense chocolate bar!
Snapping a piece off, I carefully placed a block in my mouth. I wasn't sure what to expect since many 100% chocolates can be bitter and dry, whilst others are rich and smooth. Initially I was met with an intense cocoa hit, and it took a few chews until my palate became acclimatized to the taste. Then I could detect a wonderful richness from the chocolate; it tasted intense yet smooth, rich and slightly fruity. In fact it was the perfect balance - not so smooth that there was no flavour, but not so rich that it was too intense. It skirted both lines perfectly and brought out the best of both.
Whether that's a good thing or not will depend on your personal tastes. If you're new to 100% cocoa chocolate you may prefer something milder such as The Grenada Chocolate Company's 100% Bar. If you prefer something a bit richer then this is the bar for you! In my opinion both are excellent, but this Rococo bar is more of a "treat" whereas the Grenada bar is more of an "everyday" 100% bar (if such a thing exists!)
I'm by no means an expert on 100% cacao chocolates and don't pretend to be, but as someone who's eaten plenty of cheap stuff from the likes of Nestlé, Cadbury etc over the years I can certainly appreciate how fantastic this bar is in comparison!
Overall, I love all Rococo chocolate bars I've tried so far but this 100% Noir really is the bees knees! (speaking of which, they also make some cute "bee bars" - see my review here).
To peruse Rococo's range of award winning chocolates check out their website here:
http://www.rococochocolates.com/
Allergy Information: Produced in a factory that handles nuts, gluten & soya.
*This bar was sent for an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.
