Dark chocolate lovers! If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between cacao percentages and how they affect taste, here is your definitive guide.
The percentage you see on your dark chocolate bar indicates the ratio of cacao to sugar and other ingredients in the bar. Higher percentage bars are more concentrated, allowing the natural chocolate flavors to come forward. The flavors you taste can vary by variety of beans used in the bar, post harvest care (fermentation), their origin, the terroir, the roast and the conche.
Creo Chocolate crafts four dark chocolate-only bars at varying percentages, offering a well-rounded selection. The naturally-occurring flavor notes of our chocolate are honey, caramel, nuts, and red fruit, which come from our single-origin Ecuadorian beans.
Our lowest percentage dark chocolate bar, Purely Dark 62% is the sweetest while still offering a rich and full-flavor mouthfeel. This bar is perfect for those who love the more intense flavors of dark chocolate, with a bit more sweetness than our higher percentage bars.
Wine: Shiraz, Cabernet, or Chardonnay
Cheese: Manchego or Cheddar
Hitting the sweet spot of sweetness, our Purely Dark 73% makes for beautiful pairing chocolate. All of our flavored dark chocolate bars have this chocolate as their base. It’s rich and flavorful— while still deliciously sweet.
Wine: Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, or Chenin Blanc
Cheese: Gouda, Comté, or Goat Cheese
Only lightly sweetened with a melt-in-your-mouth feel, our Purely Dark 85% lets the cacao’s natural flavors shine. Rich and smooth, this bar is perfect for those who prefer a deeper chocolate flavor.
Wine: Merlot or Malbec
Cheese: Blue or Gruyere
Crafted entirely from cacao solids, it doesn’t get darker than our Purely Dark 100%. The rich, nutty, and savory notes of our single-origin, direct-trade Ecuadorian beans are intensified, and without sugar, this pure chocolate bar is notable for its deep flavor and mild acidity.
Wine: Zinfandel or Port
Cheese: Blue or Parmigiano