Recently, I was approached by Matchstick, a word-of-mouth marketing agency who is working on behalf of Dove chocolate to launch their all-new line of chocolate. I was sent a package of 4 varieties: 71% cocoa, Dark, Dusk and Milk and was encouraged to share the sample packs with my chocoholic family and friends. Not so hard to give out free chocolate.
When asked to participate, I wasn't sure what kind of package to expect. I had asked what percentage of cocoa was in the new line of chocolate and the person on the phone didn't seem to know. No problem, but when I received the package, I was a bit disappointed that out of all the samples, there was only one bar of 71%. It was hardly enough to conduct a proper survey with such a small sample. However, I had people sample them from the lightest to the darkest: milk, dusk, dark, and a tiny nibble of the 71%. I also did not tell them what it was for. Just that I wanted their honest feedback on the chocolate they were about to eat.
I recorded people's comments as they sampled each one. Here is a compiled list of results:
Milk Chocolate (first in line to taste)
- didn't taste it until finished eating, then it had a bite in the back of the throat
- cheap milk chocolate bar, unnatural, trying to be fancy, thick
- too sweet, sugary
- isn't Dove a brand of soap? don't usually buy milk chocolate, it tastes like it's for kids
- tiring in back of throat
- smooth texture, I like milk/white chocolate though, wouldn't buy but would eat if given
- weird, doesn't melt, pasty and chewy, not natural, has a caramel flavor
- can taste chocolate, not very strong, tastes like caramel, soft, smooth, creamy
- ok texture, dry flavor, lower quality than used to
- ok flavor, good for smores
Dusk (second in line to taste)
- more flavor, chewier, creamier, very sweet on after taste - really sweet actually
- too sweet, too thick, liked this one better though
- better but still too sweet
- too sweet still, couldn't eat a whole chocolate bar of this
- less creamy, don't like the flavor
- just average
- liked it better than milk, layers of flavor, heavier texture, couldn't eat a whole lot
- pasty, same texture, seemed saltier, better flavor
- better than the milk chocolate
- stronger flavor, chewy
- ok flavor, good for a treat on its own
- sticks to my teeth
Dark (third in line to taste)
- less bitter, smoother, less after taste
- trying to be high end but not
- like this one better than dusk at first, but weird aftertaste, less waxy
- like better but weird aftertaste, less sweet up front, not as creamy, waxy coating in mouth
- liked the aftertaste, little bit bitter, better texture, not as thick aftertaste, bittersweet
- not as bitter
- bitter, not as much flavor as other dark chocolates
- let down, yucky aftertaste, makes me like dusk better
- sweeter caramel flavor, moister, would buy
- too strong, hits back of throat instead of taste buds, bitter
- had a squishy, oily texture that didn't do it for me
- this one is the most disturbing
71% (fourth in line to taste)
- bitter, chalky, longer after taste
- I'm used to flavor left behind from chocolate, this one was bitter and lingered, more cocoa taste but crumbly
- horrible, not much taste
- much waxier, bitter, not much flavor
- very different, bitter aftertaste, creamy but no flavor
- same flavor, slightly different consistency, doesn't feel as mushy, same bitterness, not very chocolaty
- seems synthetic
- tastes like lard (not like chocolate)
- is this the same one as before? bitter, not as sweet
-
I prefer the texture of dark but found the flavor elusive, not
as robust, I had to move it around and think about it to find the
flavor
Overall Comments:
- wouldn't buy; usually buys Lindt, Denman Island Dark Chocolate, quality chocolate from Spain
- wouldn't buy, seems cheap/fake
- educated about cocoa content, so I wouldn't buy
- wouldn't buy as a gift and won't take extra samples to eat
- wouldn't buy based on no cocoa content - it's the first thing I look at on the list of ingredients
- why do I only get one small piece of 71%? (because there was only 1 bar in the whole lot)
- none of them melt in your mouth - wouldn't buy
- none really seem like the kind of thing we'd normally have in the house
What I found interesting, is that most people, even if they aren't foodies or pastry connoisseurs, know about cocoa content. The general public is more aware of what quality chocolate consists of and I think, unfortunately, Dove fell short on this one. Overall, people seemed to like Dusk the best, but weren't racing out to buy it.
Personally, I'm a huge fan of quality, dark chocolate, so I wouldn't purchase the milk, dusk or dark (especially because no cocoa content is listed). For me, there are many superior chocolates out there which contain 71% cocoa mass. I feel bad that the reviews aren't the greatest, but I was asked to provide honest feedback. Not-so-great chocolate makes me sad.
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Posted by Kimberley Slobodian on July 23, 2008
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. To obtain a shiny surface on raw cacao nibs, place them on a tray, in a very low oven for 30 seconds at a time. You do not want to heat them or burn them. Just stir them around and take them out as soon as they have a nice, dark sheen. 
