Best Spicy Chocolate

[ariw99]

Last spring, my wife and I bought a Pink Pepper Sheep's Milk Chocolate Bar (70%) in Salzburg, made by Choco-lina. Since then, we've been trying to replicate it and find the best pepper or chili chocolate. We bought pink peppercorns from Williams-Sonoma and Guittard Morsels (61%). The peppercorns were great, very moist and sticky when broken up, but the chocolate was not so good.

We found the Lindt Excellence Chili to have too much corn syrup and the same for Chuao Spicy Maya (which also had cinammon). The Green and Black's Maya Gold had orange essence, which really didn't work with the spices.

So, I just visited the Food Emporium Chocolate Shop in Manhattan to find some more candidates - and to see if they stocked Choco-lina. To my surprise, they did. (Not bad for an A&P outfit).

I picked up the following:
Choco-lina Pink Pepper (70%)
Heilemann Green Pepper (62%)
Christopher Elbow Dark Spice - Ancho, Chipotle and Cinammon (61%)
Coppeneur Hacienda Iara - Pink Pepper and Chili(72%)
Dagoba Xocolatl - Chilies and Nibs (74%)

I haven't made it through them all yet, but wanted to see if anyone else has taste tests to report.

[tinymango]

as far as pink pepper chocolate goes, i think dolfin makes a superior dark chocolate pink pepper bar. their garam masala milk chocolate bar is absolutely addicting.

[anzu]

Actually, have you had the teuscher pink pepper bar? http://www.teuscherfifthavenue.com/ca...
Does it taste anything like this?
I had the teuscher and wasn't excited by it. I mean, it was good, but it didn't wow me the way a teey $4 bar should. For that price, I'd stick with my under $3 dagoba bar, but I wonder if the sheep milk makes it taste different. . ..

[ariw99]

So far, the Choco-Lina Pink Pepper is top for chocolate quality and taste. Heileman Green Pepper is little bit smoother chocolate and a farily sharper peppery taste.

The Coppeneur wasn't very good. Too chalky and not enough taste.

Two more to go.

[anzu]

Is this choco-lina pepper something I can get somewhere in the U.S.? You're now making me curious. :)

[anzu]

I like the Dagoba. It's very reasonable, and has a nice bite to it. Don't like the Lindt one and didn't like the Maya Gold, either. I like the Chuao, but the one in the purple wrapper, not the red one, which I think is the one you tasted. I don't think the purple one has chili. Haven't tried the others you mentioned.

[madgreek]

Vosges Oaxaca is tasty. What did you think of the Dagoba? I liked the xocolatl (along with most of their bars).

[jaime79]

I really like the Dark Spicy Aztec bar by Lake Champlain chocolates. It is 55% cocoa, and it has cayenne, pepitas, and cinnamon. It is a great spicy/sweet balance.

[jef G]

I have only once tasted spiced chocolate, I forget what "natural food" store I got it from. There is a "less-like-a-chocolate-bar-and-more-like-a-breakfast-bar" Mole flavored bar that is on the right track. It's made by the Lara company. Called the Lara Bar, of course. Mole seems to be my flavor of choice.

[Ruth Lafler]

Sheep's Milk chocolate? I must have it. Now. I wonder if I can get it in the Bay Area.

My favorite spicy chocolate is Richard Donnelly's chipotle bar. I haven't tried that Coppeneur bar, but I've been very impressed with some of their other bars.

[HillJ]

Cowgirl Chocolates; bars, truffles and dessert sauce.
http://www.cowgirlchocolates.com/

[typetive]

What do you mean by corn syrup in the Lindt Excellent Chili? I don't see that on the ingredients - did you get yours from a different country?

[ariw99]

it was just too sweet

[paulj]

what sweeteners does it list? Glucose, fructose, sugar, etc?