Black Thunder – Kokutou Black Sugar Chocolate
It truly is a shame that Black Thunder is so hard to find here in the Frigid North. Even more of a shame that the few places you can find it will ask for your first unborn child in order to afford it. But given that I am a man of science, soul sacrifice is a small price to pay to try all the great flavours they come out with. This particular one is arguably one of the more tame ones and a promising one to boot.
Kokutou is a type of black sugar specific to the Okinawa region. Okinawa is known for it’s black sugar, with tons of products touting the exquisite quality and nature of it. I’ve seen it advertised on products ranging from normal, sane things like caramels and chocolates. I’ve even seen it on less sane things like face masks and creams. Or maybe I’m just not well-versed enough in that space and using sugar in cosmetics is perfectly normal.
The bar itself isn’t too different from normal Black Thunder bars in terms of texture. I don’t know if it’s intended but I do sense a hint of small malt like pieces, which give it a slightly grittier texture than what I recall normal bars having, which is a nice touch. Either that or I am going insane. Both are equally possible. More likely it’s intentional given the nature of black sugar cubes and all.
The flavour is familiar for anyone who has had black sugar candies. I can’t say that I can taste the difference between those and Okinawa black sugar, but it has a somewhat deep, almost earthy flavour like molasses. In fact, the best way to describe it is as if someone added some molasses into the bar. Except it’s essentially adding mineral-rich sugar into your bar. Given it’s flavour it’s certainly what I would consider more of a mature flavour. It’s not for everyone but those who enjoy it will definitely prefer it over straight up sugar.
The ultimate question though is, is the flavour worth the effort of procuring? Or would the normal, regular Black Thunder suffice? Well, given that it’s a limited flavour I want to say yes but the odds are you will probably struggle to find this exact flavour. Unless they decide to release it again under a different branding or name. But you will likely be just as happy with their regular flavours.
