SCHARFEEN BERGER Artisan Chocolate Bars, Bittersweet, 3 Ounce (Pack of 6)

Oh for heavens sake; these are supposed to be reviews of chocolate, not legal complaints about buttons found in a chocolate bar bought *at your local store*, not through Amazon.com. Yeesh. Scharffen Berger 70% (that's 70% cacao) is the perfect degree of darkness, in my opinion; their milk chocolate tastes pretty much like everybody else's (maybe a little better), and their 82% is too caffeineated for me (I would find myself clinging to the ceiling with fingers and toes, like a Gekko); but if you have a higher caffeine tolerance, you might like the bitterness of the 82% more than the 70% -- experiment! (I haven't had occasion to try the 62% yet, but I would probably consider it not dark enough.) This is sipping chocolate, not chugging chocolate: It's best to nibble a little bit with each tiny bite, focusing all of your attention on the flavor, consistency, fragrance, and the aftertaste. Valrhona is another good chockie, sweeter that Scharffen Berger and (in my opinion) with a simpler taste. If I were cooking something with chocolate, I would choose Valrhona; but for eating straight, I prefer SB. Valrhona (from the Rhone Valley, hence the name) is a classic European chocolate -- French, in this case. Scharffen Berger is American, despite the name, from Berkeley; in 2005, Hershey bought them out; but I don't believe the parent company has monkeyed with the manufacture of SB chocolate. Wikipedia says that Scharffen Berger was the first American chocolate manufacturer to open in 50 years that creates its own chocolate "from bean to bar." They taste very different, each being at the top of form for the region (Europe or America). I think Valrhona has a wider selection of flavors in their chocolate, but they all tastes a bit too sugary to me; Scharffen Berger is more a dessert than mere chocolate, but neither one is a simple candy bar. The prices are comparable to buying the same chocolate from Whole Foods or some other store that sells gourmet chocolate. However, since it's sold by third-party grocers, you can't get free shipping; at least I don't see any reference to it. And shipping is pricey: eight dollars for chocolate costing up to thirty dollars worth... so if you can find it at a local store, you're better off buying it from there. But if you live in a chocolate desert, this is an alternative, if you must have a truly fine chocolate.

If you're a choco-holic you probably like everything that comes your way, like Hersheys, or even lesser brands. As long as it's chocolate, it's good. But then we had the pleasure of having a German girl come to visit us, and she brought some of the "real" stuff from her country, and it just strikes you how much better the higher quality stuff is. I'm not denigrating Hershey's or Nestles or whatever--all right, I am, though I still like those brands too. But try this chocolate, and you'll know what I mean. It's a semi-sweet bar and therefore made for cooking, so it's not going to taste as sweet as normal chocolate you get in this country, but trust me: you'll probably never get to cooking with it. We handed some out to friends to show them the difference, and ate the rest ourselves. It's pricey (we paid about $16) but you get six bars for it. The pieces are a bit big, so the bar goes pretty fast. But taste it: it's sweet, but the most amazing quality is its RICHNESS. It has a very full quality to it--there are three real sensations with most food: the first taste when you bite it, then the "mouthful" taste, then the lasting or after-taste as it disappears down your gullet--and all of these tastes are of CHOCOLATE. Not sugar, not additives..nothing but full, rich CHOCOLATE. It's really wonderful. There's nothing quite like it.

I bought my wife a pack of Scharffen Berger for her birthday even though a few of the reviews warned of poor packaging/delivery and a disappointingly average taste. However, one of my teachers raved about it so we had to give it a try. Before eating it, we read all about how they preserve the older chocolate-making traditions so that the chocolate keeps all the subtle flavors it inherently has--which put us both in a hungry mood! And we LOVED it. The chocolate is the healthy medium between brittle and soft. Also, there are so many subtle, citrus-y flavors in the chocolate bar, we easily devoured three bars in two days!! The chocolate bars are about half a centimeter thick, 3 in x 8 in rectangles, patterned into easily breakable triangles that don't quite fit into your mouth for one bite. The most wonderful part of eating this chocolate is how nibbling only a small amount of the chocolate triangle releases a big taste, enabling you to enjoy small pieces for longer. The flavor is not quite American and not quite European, but you definitely have to try it at least once!

This does not taste like typical milk chocolate. I don't mean "Hersheys" -- I mean whatever milk chocolate you might get from a good chocolatier. This bar tastes very much like dark chocolate that has milk/cream mixed into it. I guess that certainly makes sense with the 41% cacao. For me, personally, I prefer my dark chocolate to taste like dark chocolate and my milk chocolate to have a milder taste. But certainly the more "sophisticated" taste probably prefers stronger tasting chocolate - even in milk. I'm not going to ding this bar for tasting like 41% cacao when that's what it is and how it's advertised. So: If you love dark chocolate and just want a milder, creamier version of it, this bar is great for you. If you love milk chocolate but want to ease your palate to dark chocolate, this bar is great too! If you love milk chocolate and just wanted to check out a higher quality version, but didn't necessarily want the stronger/bitter flavors of dark chocolate, this bar might be a disappointment. Overall, I will certainly enjoy my bars. But I will probably not order these again. I, personally, prefer the milder milk chocolate taste. But I certainly think many people would prefer these bars. Especially true dark chocolate fans. Although they may just prefer dark chocolate to being with. Who knows. Enjoy!

Nothing bad about this chocolate - it is luscious and elegant and sophisticated as other reviewers have stated - except the price. The price - currently $25 for just over a pound of solid chocolate in six bars - is the deal breaker. With super exotic bean origins (Papua New Guinea? Really?) and bragging rights from "vintage chocolate making equipment", I can only guess this is marketed for chocolate hipsters. If you have watched coffee hipsters lecturing about proper pouring styles for a vintage Chemex coffee maker, you may know what I mean by coffee hipster. All that said, this chocolate is good. I really wouldn't call it great, but my taste and palette is probably too pedestrian too appreciate the subtlety of the "artisan chocolate making resurgence". I do wish to state that at 41% cacao, the flavor of this milk chocolate bar seems far closer to a semi-sweet. No doubt that sophisticated and experienced tasters will find bliss in this chocolate, assuming that 1) price is no object and 2) they don't want their milk chocolate either creamy or particularly sweet. But the rest of us everyday chocolate lovers, people looking for a satisfying chocolate at a reasonable price, should probably keep searching.

Our friends in Japan covet this artisan chocolatier's luxurious, milk chocolate bar. Unlike the jaw-aching, super-sweet chocolates prevalent in the U.S., Scharffen Berger chocolate highlights the true, rich flavors of cacao. This confectionery chocolate is creamy with a hint of caramel. From personal experience, this 41% Cacao Milk Chocolate pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc, Wheat Beer, figs, hazelnuts, and (especially) strawberries. While I haven't yet paired this chocolate with either cheese or a full-bodied coffee, I can attest to its delicious pairing with a cup of black tea. We send a box of American delicacies to our Japanese friends each New Year's holiday. Scharffen Berger Chocolate Bar, Milk Chocolate (41% Cacao) is our choice because it delivers a European flavor profile, which is favored in Japan as well. In summary, Scharffen Berger makes a decadent gift for an adult who can appreciate its delicate balance. My wife has it on her wish list. Rating: Five stars.

I have found no better 70% dark chocolate than Scharffen Berger. If you told me I would be ordering my chocolate on-line ever before in my life, I would say you were crazy. When my local supplier runs out, I try all of the other high end chocolates. I have not, to date, found a chocolate that is as good as this one. In a taste test, side by side or trying something else on its own, nothing compares. The taste is a perfect blend of bitter with a hint of sweet. No waxy or milky tastes. The texture is excellent as well as the flavor. I don't know how they make it but I'm glad they do. I used to be the only one who ate them, but once my red wine loving husband found out about them ... now I have to keep a stash hidden or it is gone with the next bottle he opens, if not before.

In the past when I have bought this brand of chocolate, it has been excellent in quality and taste. The packaged product I received was old and very hard to bite into. The bars had white splotches on them , indicating that they had possibly melted in storage and then hardened again. I will not order this chocolate through the mail again.