Whenever I see the Endangered Species chocolate bars on sale, I have loads of fun playing mix and match with the dark chocolate varieties.  My husband is frequently on the chocolate rampage, and Endangered Species seems to soothe his savage beast nicely.  In the past, I had chosen from among their Ethically Traded 3-ounce bar line, but on my most recent shopping trip it seemed my store was stocking their newer (and smaller 1.4-ounce) organic bars, which were also on sale.

I snatched up the two dark chocolate flavors they had, one with Tangerine and one with Cherry.  Alas, their newest flavor with organic Blueberries was not yet being stocked…I shall return!  In the mean time, I returned home to share my find with my husband who would surely be fiending for chocolate at that very moment (we had just run out the day before).

Tangerine

I was excited to trial this flavor, as I had read another writer’s glowing review.  Alas, it did not live up to either my husband or my expectations.  Typically, we both love the extra flare that tangerine adds to juices and smoothies, but it seems the connection, at least for us, ends there.  The tangerine and dark chocolate just didn’t meld.  In fact, they really seemed to clash in a not so sweet way.  Granted, neither of us is an orange-chocolate fan either, a seemingly popular combination. 

Cherry

The cherry bar wasn’t cracked open for a day or two, as we made our way through some other chocolate bar selections.  As it faded from my memory, I actually forgot that this was an “enhanced” chocolate when I went to grab a square that was so neatly lying just away from its wrapper.  Needless to say, when I first bit in my taste buds were surprised…but…extremely pleased!  This was the blend I had been looking for, a complex yet complimentary mix of dark chocolate and cherry essence. 

Don’t get me wrong, while Endangered Species is a staple in our house, I purchase it for the interesting varieties, the fair price, their social stance, and well … the chocolate is pretty good.  It isn’t the smoothest dark chocolate I have ever sunk my teeth into, but it is above average.  For this reason, it seems to be an ideal background for these flavor enhancements.

Luckily, in my opinion, the cherry flavor hit it right.  It was very smooth at first almost like a milk chocolate.  As the light cherry scent hit my nose, and equally pleasant sweetness developed as the cherry notes gave way.  Finally the flavor exited with a slightly unrefined dark chocolate aftertaste.  I actually liked that it didn’t leave that sweet aftertaste that tends to leave me craving even more sugar.

Not to be mistaken with the chocolate covered cherry, which my husband loathes, this is purely a dark chocolate that avoids any hint of artificiality.  We both agreed that this flavor will be on our to purchase list the next time an Endangered Species sale rolls around. 

My Extra Notes & Tips:

Don’t let the color of the label fool you.  For some odd reason the folks at Endangered Species opted for a green color scheme on the cherry flavored bar.  Just look for the koala on the 1.4oz organic bar.
While the Endangered Species Dark Chocolate line is certified vegan (dairy-free, egg-free, animal-free) it is produced on the same line as their milk chocolate, and thus kosher certified OU-D.  Therefore, this may not be a suitable product for severe milk allergies, as trace amounts of milk protein may be present.

Where to Purchase: Endangered Species has a variety of other dark chocolates that you can check out here. For locations of where you can find Endangered Species, click here.  Endangered Species bars are also available via Amazon.

Be first to comment this article

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6
AkoComment © Copyright 2004 by Arthur Konze - www.mamboportal.com
All right reserved