Ghirardelli Intense Dark Twilight Delight 72% Cacao

Manufacturer: Ghirardelli
Cocoa Content: 72%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B+

Up for review today is the Twilight Delight. This dark chocolate weighs in at 72% cocoa and occupies the middle of Ghirardelli's Intense Dark line based on cocoa content. The Twilight Delight is deep brown in color with reddish-orange highlights.

The Twilight Delight has a rich chocolate note up front. Acidity slowly builds to a moderate level with notes of orange peel and red raspberries. There is a mild bitter kick of black coffee. Roasted walnuts and almonds are here as well as a faint earthy note in the background. The Twilight Delight melts smooth and creamy on the tongue. Chewing the chocolate brings forward notes of vanilla, walnuts and a faint earthiness. The finish is straight-ahead semisweet chocolate with lingering espresso bitterness and a hint of lemonade.

While it does little to set itself apart from the crowd, the Twilight Delight is a very good dark chocolate bar. What it lacks in complexity it makes up for in rich chocolate flavor. I'd love to see Ghirardelli branch out into some single-source chocolates, because this bar shows their potential for producing top-notch chocolate.