First: Bare Bones Christmas Special 70%, £6.50/70g, came top in a recent Christmas Club tasting. It’s hard to believe there are just two ingredients: cocoa and sugar. (I wrote this before I saw this is almost exactly what’s written on the wrapper, but it’s so true one can’t argue with it.) The flavours just concertina on your tongue, a right proper lingual trip. There’s vine fruits in there, berries, spices, it’s all going on. Bare Bones is up there in chocolate making and if you know someone who loves dark chocolate it would be really remiss not to get them some. (Once you’re there do try the 68% Dominican Salt, £6.50/70g, which is one of my favourite ever bars of chocolate.)
Something very different is Venchi’s Choconougatine, £3/35g, which is a small bar of caramelised Piedmont hazelnut covered in dark chocolate. Think nut brittle. Fun and delicious.
