Tony’s Chocolonely – 70% Dark Chocolate
I’ve talked about Tony before, and while I wasn’t super wowed or bedazzled by them, I did appreciate the effort and it’s a brand I might consider from time to time, if the price allowed. I haven’t been following the brand too closely, so I’m not sure if it’s changed owners or if it’s still trying to do what it intended, but ultimately it’s about the taste in the context of this sphere.
This is one of their smaller sized bars. I figured the full sized bar may be a bit too much to handle. I generally don’t like large, thick bars of chocolate especially when they are solid blocks. Call me a philistine but I prefer thinner bars, or bars with filling so as to not struggle trying to bite through a mouthful of solid chocolate.
The flavour is a nice smoky, earthy, dark and rich cocoa flavour. It’s not too sweet but has enough to keep it from being overly bitter. A random thought that pops into my head as I eat this is how it would be good in a chili. Or melted down and added as a ganache or icing for a cake. There’s something to be said for simplicity, so I count that as a positive for this bar. I enjoy my gimmicks sure, but ultimately it’s the simple things done right that I appreciate most. This may not be the best dark chocolate I’ve had, but it’s solid, much like it’s texture.
The texture is nothing out of the ordinary, just a thick block of dark chocolate that has all the hallmarks of a darker chocolate – it’s not as melty as milk chocolate, but still got enough dairy to keep it nice and smooth. It also leaves the mouth feeling a bit chalky after the fact, similar to darker chocolates. The chocolate is generally tempered well, so it has a nice clean snap when you try to bite into it without letting it sit and simmer in your mouth first.
While this is a nice bar, it’s not exactly something I would opt for, especially given the price point. It’s good, but not great. Unlike a cheap, mass market bar this is at least double what I would pay, so the value proposition isn’t exactly there. The scenarios in which I would find myself getting this are a bit slim, but not nil. What I will say is it has a simple taste, and there’s nothing fancy which I can appreciate. Beyond that I don’t see much of a selling point in the taste department over much cheaper bars.