Valrhona Le Noir Extra Amer 85% cacao - Made in France

The red-brown and glossy appearance makes this chocolate look beautiful. The aroma is woody, rich and bittersweet. The snap is loud and the gradient is pleasing and crisp. It has a slow melt and a smooth, creamy texture. The flavor is bitter, not too sweet and dry. It has a fruity forward taste with a back taste of liqueur. The aftertaste is lingering but lasts too short for my tastes. This is a nice chocolate and gets a rating of 6.2 out of 10.

El Rey Gran Saman 70% cacao - Made in Venezuela

This chocolate has a dull brown appearance with streaks and lots of air holes. The aroma is chocolaty, smoky with a strong smell of fruit, cherries perhaps. The snap is loud and the gradient is rough and full of air holes. The texture is dry, chalky and grainy and this chocolate has a moderate melt. It has a very loamy flavor to it that takes away from the sweet fruity flavor. It has a burnt but tangy back flavor that also has a chalky, dry aftertaste. This chocolate may be better with a wine or cheese to help hide some of the burnt earthy tastes. I give this one a 5.6 out of 10.

DAGOBA Conacado 73% Dominican Republic cacao - Made in Oregon

This chocolate has a dull, even look to it and a licorice, smoky aroma. The snap is soft and the gradient is uneven and slightly rough. The texture is grainy, waxy and thick. This chocolate has a moderate melt. This chocolate has a subtle forward flavor and then finishes with a fruity tangy flavor. It is dry, deep and has a nutty aftertaste that is lingering. Overall, this is a tasty chocolate, a lot better than some of the other organic chocolates out there. I give this chocolate a 7 out of 10.