Krakus Classic 70% Dark Chocolate

Manufacturer: Krakus
Cocoa Content: 70% 
Rating: C-

During a recent trip to my local Polish deli my eye spied some dark chocolate bars for sale. When I saw a couple with the actual cocoa percentage listed on the label I snapped them up for tasting. The chocolate I am tasting today is a 70% dark chocolate from Krakus. Unfortunately, I really don't have much more detail than that.

The bar itself is very dark, almost black, with undertones of a deep plum/merlot purple. The nose finds fudge and the dreaded coconut. At first taste there is a rich, fudgy chocolate note. There is a hint of anise at first, but then it builds and becomes quite distracting over time. There is also a note of burnt pretzel as well. There is very little acidity or roasted notes to speak of. The Krakus Classic 70% has a very coarse mouthfeel. The finish is dominated by lingering, bitter anise.

Well, you can't win them all. I will frequently take a chance on unfamiliar or store brand dark chocolates, because you will frequently find a tasty, value-priced chocolate that is fairly easy to find. (See Trader Joe's for example) Unfortunately, the Krakus is a big strikeout. The dominating anise flavor tells me that this chocolate bar spent quite a bit of time in storage near some black licorice or something of that sort. But even without the poor storage, the chocolate itself was pretty flat in flavor and poorly constructed. Pass on this one.