The Good & Evil Bar Revisited

I can't believe I ate half a large chocolate bar in one sitting. Actually, I can, because it was the Good & Evil Bar.

Not long ago, my brother and his girlfriend asked me what my favorite chocolate is. I hesitated, thinking about all the chocolates I have tired. The ones from LeNotre in France stood out, of course, but there have been so many great chocolates in my past. There's something about the Good Evil bar, though, that makes it stand out as the best of the best. It's the texture, the flavor, the balance and the story behind it.

I love synchronicity. The day I got my best ever present: a gift bag filled with the Good & Evil Bar and a box of Eclat truffles, Sue Ann Gleason at Chocolate for Breakfast posted something on her facebook page about how she had just spent $20 on the very same Good & Evil Bar. I reassured her that she's not the only one who would spend that amount on chocolate and gave her the link to my review in which I admit that I would quite willingly purchase this bar again (and again) if I had the extra cash. In fact, I'd probably pinch and scrape in order to make the purchase.

Even opening the bar is a treat. It's packaged so nicely with bright red foil inside an elegant black box. There's a blurb and photo of each of the three creators of this bar: Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Curtin and Eric Ripert.

The aroma of the chocolate is enticing. My mouth was watering when I ripped open the foil package.

Oops, I couldn't resist a bite before sitting down. Mmmmmmm

Normally when I'm sampling chocolate, especially for the first time, I don't dunk it in a hot beverage. This is a habit I picked up from my mom, though, so I'm not opposed to dunking my chocolate into hot liquid now and then. I like it both ways, either served at the appropriate temperate or very briefly dipped into something hot. Do you dunk your chocolate? A friend of mine was nearly irate when I told her about this tradition. She insists that I'm crazy and that no chocolate should ever be dunked.


A BIG, big thank you to my friend L for getting me this most generous gift, and another thank you to her mother for her help with it. I can't even explain how much I have enjoyed these chocolates. I am so very touched by this gift.

The Good & Evil Bar Review

It arrived! The Good Evil bar landed on my doorstep early in the week, and the true chocoholic in me emerged. Like any typical junkie, I had to make excuses and skirt the issue when the Man confronted me after he discovered that there were only two squares of chocolate left for the review. Someone had to sample it beforehand, no? Hey, he's lucky he got a square. 

This chocolate will haunt you in a good way. It will linger on your mind long after your last bite. The Man and I took the time to sample it like any good chocolate should be sampled. First I smelled it. Then we listened to the perfect snap as I broke a piece of it in two. Of course, I made sure it was at room temperature before I popped it in my mouth, let it melt very slightly and then chewed it slowly. Mmmm

It's not what you might expect. This is actually a good thing. Part of what makes this chocolate so extraordinary is the fact that the cocoa beans come from a small grouping of trees in a remote area of Peru. Each season, only several thousand bars of chocolate are made using the beans that come from these trees. Usually, when I taste a chocolate bar, I pick up on familiar flavors that tap something in my brain that tell me I know this taste. It's like some chocolate center in my brain is stimulated. There was a delayed response with this chocolate. The subtlety of the chocolate fascinates and intrigues me. Perhaps the unfamiliarity of this cocoa bean is, in part, why the Good Evil Bar is so addicting, but it's allure is also because the chocolate is just really fucking good. Read anyone's description of this confection, and you will probably discover that an outstanding rating is unanimous. There's no doubt that the chocolate is top notch, better than most on the market, and, some will claim, the best that ever was. I won't go that far, but I rank it in the top five most memorable bars I have ever eaten.

The best way I can describe this bar is to equate it to that moment right before an orgasm. You know wonderful things are about to happen. You may not quite reach a climax, but it's a great place to be, anticipating, yearning, expecting and imagining what might come to pass. This is a chocolate that's on the verge of many things. It's on the verge of being bitter, but it's not. It's on the verge of being sweet, but it's not overly so. It's actually the perfect balance of bitter and sweet. Even though it's a 72% single-origin dark chocolate, I believe milk chocolate lovers will like the Good Evil bar, as it has qualities that are reminiscent of great milk chocolate, like Frigor.

The Good Evil bar is not at all typical of dark chocolate in that its flavor is subtle, very slightly fruity and spicy, but make note that the spicy bouquet doesn't interfere or compete with the chocolate taste. Something I found very sexy was that the smooth, smooth chocolate contrasts beautifully with the wonderfully lightly crunchy nibs that enhance the dark chocolate flavor as you eat the bar. Though the chocolate itself is not intense, those chocolate nibs give off a robust burst of earthy chocolate flavor. The dark chocolate notes then linger on the palate. That's partly what makes the Good Evil bar so addicting. Its flavors are complex and build without ever really coming to a climax. The desire is to keep eating more in order to explore and experience the full complexities of this chocolate. It's memorable without obnoxiously hammering your taste buds. The beauty of this bar is that it is truly distinctive, but it's also difficult to describe. It seems to change and evolve with each bite. The textures and flavors make you want to dive in with reckless abandon, but the price reminds you that it's supposed to be savored... in theory. It's definitely hard to resist. 

For me, sampling the Good Evil bar was like sipping a good liquor in front of a fire on a cold, rainy night. It brings comfort to the soul. So many people end their reviews with the comment that, with the expensive price, they probably wouldn't buy it again, but I can't claim the same. IF I found I had an extra $18 (pus shipping) lying around, I most definitely would splurge and buy it again.