Lindt Excellence 99% Cocoa Bar

99% cacao, para disfrutarlo en trozitos muy muy pequeños y saborearlo sin prisa. NO recomendable pasar de las chocolatinas a esto, mejor sube poco a poco la intensidad.

From health point of view this is about the best (exceeded by 100% compressed Cocoa which I have tasted in a store but this comes very close.) One should go for maximum cocoa content. Eating 70%, 85% etc are fine and better than most Hershey?) chocolates available in India which have mostly sugar which caused cavities, obesity, heart problems etc. which is prevalent amaong Indias, but one should aim for maximum bitterness possible. Even 70% contains 30% sugar and can hardly be called healthful. If you are eating for fun then it is entirely different story but once one gets used to 99% this can be fun too. The trick for most is to graduate to this slowly, maybe starting with 50% and then moving upto 99% if possible. Internet provides some rumor (unsubstantiated) that most Lindt chocolates are dutch-process except for 85% one. In one response company stated that if it is dutch-processed it will be clearly mentioned on the label. There is no mention of it or the work 'alkali' which leads one to that this is not dutch processed. Does the 85% mention that it is NOT dutch processed or is special? I will request others not to go by rumors and select 85% over 99% one because of its apparent health benefit when in actuality the reverse might be true. Given all the evidence I think 99% one is the healthiest and 85% is not very healthy because of 15% sugar in it. Of course you might like it more because of sugar and opt for it over 99% one but that is a totally different story.

I'm a major chocoholic, and when I learned about the health benefits of higher concentrated dark chocolate I had to give it a try. I started off with 90% or so, and predictably I wasn't prepared for the chalky bitterness and spit it out. I knew the higher cacao percent would be different, but this was nowhere near the typical sugary sweet milk chocolate that's popular today! I then tried it again with 82%... not bad, not bad. Much easier to get into. Just a little bitter, but still very, very enjoyable. The time after that was spent experimenting with different brands and getting mixed results. I wanted to go up to 99% and decided to order this one off Amazon after I couldn't find the bar in Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Whole Market, etc. One thing I love about this "bar" is that it's actually just a bunch of small chocolate squares pre-cut and arranged. Perfect for sampling/handing out for others to try. As for the taste itself... interesting. The first bite caught me off guard, and memories of my first ever dark chocolate experience came flooding back to me. Initially very bitter, but after a few more squares and experimentation it actually became quite delicious. The key to full appreciation is to just let it melt in your mouth. Place the square on your tongue and enjoy the flavors slowly release. Going back the next day, I've also discovered this stuff is great in coffee! Overall it's very good, but it's definitely an acquired taste. Don't let the initial bitterness deter you, this is delicious! If you've never had dark chocolate before, I highly recommend starting lower (around 50-70% cacao) and working your way up.

Buono. D'altronde è Lindt. Però 99% è davvero eccessivo. Per me l'ideale è tra 70 e 75%, non di più.

I tried this wonderful chocolate recently, and decided to order 5 bars directly from Lindt USA. It is excellent in my opinion. What a wonderful, deep, robust flavor! I enjoy a small piece with a cup of green tea. It is a bit expensive at $5/bar, but it is so full of flavor that it is worth it. Since it is to be taken in small quantities, each bar will last a bit. This kind of strong, full flavored dark chocolate is definitely an acquired taste, and for the true lover of high quality chocolate. I might even say that this is an "adult" chocolate, not your kids Mars bar.