Dagoba xocolatl

This chocolate was my favorite before the Galler Noir 85 came along. It's inspired by the drink ancient Mayans used to drink, and similarly has chilies and nibs of cacao beans in it. As I'm passionate about chocolate, I am also a big fan of spicy food and I love that this chocolate satisfies both my cravings at once.

Xocolatl smells like a dry bark of wood with red glitter. The chili smell is the first thing you'll notice and it goes straight up your nose. It smells freshly ground and has a real kick to it. If you have a nasal congestion, this chocolate might help. Then after a few sniffs your nose gets used to the chili smell and the chocolate aroma emerges. It has a rustic quality and smells slightly astringent and ever so bitter. It smells excited to be eaten.

Take a small bite, break it down a bit, and clamp down. WIthin a second you will taste the pungent taste of the chili pepper in the back of your throat. This becomes even more apparent when you oxygenate the chocolate. It's like they're dancing and having a party back there! You feel it tingling while the front of your tongue is busy sucking down the richness of the chocolate. The chocolate itself tastes warm in contrast to the chili. It almost tastes like butter rum which works well with all the spiciness. When it all melts you're left with the nibs, which don't have much flavor but have a nice crisp to it. You have just enough to crunch up twice or thrice and they're gone. Perfect. I hate those bars that have too much stuff and you end up with a mouth full of toffee or almonds or whatever and you're eating stuff and not chocolate. No. Dagoba really perfected the amount of nibs as it comes and goes quickly without burdening the experience.

If you're a chocophile and love spicy food, you're going to love xocolatl. Even if you're not into spicy food, it's worth trying just for its unique flavor combination.