Blue Bandana is the na
me of the single-origin chocolate bar line developed out of larger Vermont chocolate company Lake Champlain Chocolates. The line is run by Eric Lampman, the head of Lake Champlain’s research and development department, and son of the company’s founder. The larger company makes various excellent fair-trade confections, but Blue Bandana is its first foray into bean-to-bar, direct trade chocolate.
A sweet, bright smell like strawberries wafts off the 82% Madagascar Wild Pepper bar when it’s unwrapped. Very acidic at first taste, reminiscent of balsamic vinegar – the Blue Bandana website calls this “bright spikes of sour citrus.” The advertised wild voatsiperifery peppercorn is barely perceptible on the first bite, but I got it on the second, hovering subtly in the air around the chocolate as it melts on my tongue. I know it sounds a bit ridiculous, but that’s when I taste it, when I create some space around the melting chocolate and almost smell rather than taste the pepper around the roof of my mouth. When I chew a piece, I get a bit of spice as well. While I typically prefer a less acidic chocolate, there’s no doubt this is a very good product, a complex and delicious treat.
$7.49 for 2.6 oz
Found at Cambridge Naturals
23 White St, Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 492-4452
If you like chocolate, read more of my Very Dark Chocolate tasting reviews by clicking here!
Writing by Numbers 