Despite the fact that Valentine's Day has passed, my brain is still in a chocolate state of mind. I've eaten a lot of chocolate lately, so when I received a pouch of assorted Hershey's Extra Dark Chocolates, I was eager to try them.
At 60 percent cacao, Hershey's Extra Dark falls somewhere in between the brand's iconic Special Dark, which is only 45 percent cacao, and its newer Cacao Reserve, which has 65 percent cacao. Hershey's describes Extra Dark as a "velvety smooth, rich dark chocolate" with "just the right balance of taste, aroma, and sweetness," and has been touting it as a healthy source of antioxidants. The chocolates come in a slew of flavors, including raspberry, blueberry, cranberry and almond, pomegranate, and cranberry macadamia. To hear what Party and I thought of the different flavors, read more.
Pure Dark Chocolate: Hershey's bills its Special Dark as "the dark chocolate for milk chocolate lovers," but I think this flavor could also appeal to those who are weary of dark chocolate. Despite being dark chocolate, it still has lingering sweetness, a creamy consistency, and isn't bitter at all.
Raspberry Infused: This was our least favorite flavor. Party declared it "artificial smelling," and its taste wasn't much more authentic.
Pomegranate: Party and I decided this flavor was the best of our tasting: Because the dark chocolate already had fruity notes, it paired exceptionally well with the tart, juicy flecks of pomegranate, which were slightly chewy and added a pleasant texture to the bar. Unlike its raspberry counterpart, the pomegranate actually tasted like real pomegranates.
At $3.29 for 12 pieces, I would definitely buy this chocolate again, as it's a terrific bargain. The assortment is nice, too, for those of us (like myself) who can't decide which flavor to commit to. Have you tried any of the Hershey's Extra Dark Chocolates? What did you think of them?
John Lewis
Michael Kors
Robe Di Firenze
I haven't tried them yet, but you may have convinced me to try them. They sound really yummy and for the price, you can't beat them.
1I love, love, love dark chocolate. I like the pomegranate, blueberry, and plain ole dark chocolate. I agree that the raspberry isn't the best. And I couldn't tell you about the cranberry/almond or cranberry/macadamia since I don't eat anything with nuts in it.
2Haven't tried them yet...
3I've been trying to have dark chocolat instead of milk chocolate lately because of my whole new healthly and natural eating thing. Maybe I'll give these a shot (I tried the regular special dark with almonds and it wasn't too shabby. Still getting used to it not having insane amounts of sugar).
4Dark chocolate gives me a headache. I can only imagine what extra dark chocolate would do!
5my mom actually had these at home when i went to see her last weekend and they were good. i'm not really much of a chocolate eater - but they are good. i like when there's a little something that is added to the chocolate.
6I'm not much of a chocolate person, but when I do crave it, the darker the better
7These were surprisingly good.
8Not to be too pedantic, but Yum said this might be for people "weary of dark chocolate." Do you mean *wary* of dark chocolate? Because there's no way I'd ever get tired of eating the stuff.
9Interesting! I'm surprised that the pomegranate was good.
10Our painter at work brings me a pom one everytime he stops in to drop off an invoice. I swear I start salivating everytime I see his van pull into the parking lot. So yummy!
11shoney, just because some people might get weary of it doesn't mean that no one will ever get weary of it.
Not to mention, being wary seems much worse than being weary of it. One is that you don't want any more of it for a while and the other is that you think it's suspicious.
12Know what I'm weary of? Food blogs pimping mediocre corporate junkfood that's already in every candy aisle, in magazine ads, on TV, etc. Come on. There are some truly great chocolate bars out there and Hershey's isn't making them. Do your homework and recommend some good chocolate. Even if you just recommend bars you can find at gourmet shops and Whole Foods, such as French makers like Pralus, Cluizel, and Valrhona. Even better, the fabulous Italian makers Amedei and Domori. Or for something local, that's on par with the French and Italian chocolates, Google for Rogue Chocolate or Devries Chocolate or Patric Chocolate or Amano Chocolate. Go to a site like Chocosphere and order a box full of stuff, starting with chocolate made with beans from Madagascar or Venezuela, and see what you like. This isn't an article on the best dark chocolate or even good dark chocolate. It's analogous to asking what's the best wine you can get in a box.
13The darker the better when it comes to chocolate
14I haven't tried them yet, but now I probably will.
15I have to agree with what a previous poster said - this really isn't anything other than a cheap chocolate trying to sound like its great. As a true chocolate lover, I avoid Hershey's at all costs. I was intrigued one day a bought a bag of the assorted darks, and they have been in my fridge for the past year. There are so many GREAT chocolates out there, both gourmet at the market and from locally run chocolate shops, that there is no reason to settle for Hershey's. It is a cheap chocolate no matter what they say the "cacao" content is. Sorry...
16My mouth is watering just thinking about them.
17I think hershey's dark chocolate is way too sweet.
18Hershey's are absolutely horrible. I love love chocolates, but Hershey's gives me headache. I also don't think 65% cacao makes it 'dark chocolate'. Anyways, Hershey's are the lowest quality chocolates out there, yucky.
19i have these in my fridge.
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