Moonstruck Dark Chocolate Espresso Bean
June 6, 2018
Moonstruck Chocolate Company is crafted in Portland, Oregon. According to their website, http://www.moonstruckchocolate.com, they pair “…decadent chocolate with fresh flavors found in the Pacific Northwest and beyond…”
Today’s review comes from Moonstruck’s 68% dark chocolate with crushed espresso beans from Sumatra. I found this at a local grocery store among a long aisle of chocolates and candies. Perhaps it was the fun packaging with moon and stars that caught my eye. But more likely, it was my inner “chocolate homing device” that instantly targeted and locked on to the dark chocolate and coffee combination!
How Does This Dark Chocolate Espresso Bean Bar Taste?
The aromas are of ripe and dried fruit, mild chocolate and coffee. The chocolate flavors, however, are intensely chocolatey and full of robust, roasted coffee notes. There are some earthy and nutty notes as well.
I noticed that when I smelled the chocolate, I found fruity notes that I didn’t find when tasting the bar. And when I tasted the chocolate, I found earthy notes along with a much stronger and richer cocoa and coffee. This happens sometimes. Sometimes the chocolate’s aromas are sufficiently volatile that they escape the chocolate instead of being trapped as a flavor.
The texture is a combination of smooth chocolate and crunchy coffee pieces. I liked the lingering coffee flavor at the finish because I’m chewing the bits of espresso bean to the very end.
I think the choice of using Sumatra coffee was a good one. Sumatra coffee is low in acidity and has very pleasant chocolate and earthy notes. This also pairs well with the percentage of chocolate (68%) as the chocolate is not too bitter and it doesn’t over power the coffee flavors.
After you open up the wrapper on the Moonstruck Dark Chocolate Espresso Bean, there’s a surprise for you. The bar is molded with “Share If You Dare” on top. It gives you the courage to eat it all up, all by yourself. That’s my kind of surprise!
Here you can find the bar on Amazon.
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I quite enjoyed this bar. Whether it’s the crunchiness from cocoa nibs or roasted coffee beans, it adds a depth and playfulness to the chocolate.