The Theo vanilla nib dark chocolate bar is chocolatey and crunchy and, yes, vanilla-y. The crunch mostly comes from the roasted nibs, but I suspect that the ground vanilla bean contributes as well.
This bar is 65% cacao so it starts with a healthy dose of rich cocoa notes. The chocolate has some muted spicy and floral flavors that peak out after the vanilla dissipates. The chocolate is delicious.
The Not So Good...
I am, however, a little disappointed in the vanilla. It’s too mild. With the description on the label as “vanilla nib” and the ground vanilla bean on the label, my expectations were high that I would find an intense vanilla flavor, maybe even a “creamy” vanilla. I did not experience that.
Another disappointment was the occasional abnormal crunch that I believe came from bits of cocoa shell. That’s not a surprise I enjoy.
And The Interesting...
Both the chocolate and the vanilla used in this bar come from The Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa.
Cacao, vanilla, and chilis are some of the high-quality crops grown in Eastern Congo. Theo has created two limited edition, seasonal chocolate bars to spotlight their partner, Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), and to donate a portion of the proceeds to support the farmers and their families.
Theo puts words into practice. According to the Theo website, www.theochocolate.com, Congolese cacao represents 70% of Theo Chocolate’s total cocoa supply and is in every Theo product.
Overall, I enjoyed the chocolate flavor of this vanilla nib chocolate bar, but I was turned off by the shell fragments I kept biting into and the lack luster of the vanilla.
However, since I’m a huge fan of Theo Chocolates, I will continue to buy their chocolate, and I’m confident I will enjoy many of them. Just not this one.
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Bryn worked for nearly 10 years in a research and product development for Ambrosia Chocolate Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Now she develops all of the CUO lessons and coaches the members of the Primal Chocolate Club.
