Some of you may remember when I first wrote about Bare Bones and their exquisite 68% Dominican Salt (still one of the best chocolates of all time) and how its multi-layered taste transported me back/forward/all over the place into another, perfect universe. And their 70% Philippines which was the best dark chocolate I’d tasted. Lara and Cameron of Bare Bones don’t bring out new bars willy nilly, so when they do, I take note.
It was a busy day when I got sent their new, 55% milk Panama bar, a collaboration with Special Guests Coffee (the bar does not contain coffee, it’s just that the cocoa beans and the coffee beans are grown on the same farm).
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I was stepping over multiple boxes in my hall (pre-Christmas as a chocolate correspondent is a busy and cardboard-rich time) and I shoved the sample into my mouth expecting something good but not expecting to have to physically rebalance my body and steady myself as the full effect of this marvellous, marvellous chocolate took hold and the tastes ricocheted over my taste buds: toffee, cream, fudge, childhood, afternoon TV…
I could make a fool of myself if I continue but think intense milk chocolate. The bar is a micro lot so it will sell out and it will cost £9 and I know this is a lot but if you have the money and you like craft chocolate and you like dark milks, you’ve got yourself a ticket straight to chocolate heaven.
More M&S chocolate offerings soon but for now, look out for its rather good Dark Ginger Sticks, £5. Candied ginger covered in 85% cocoa chocolate in a nice little tin. Perfect stocking size.