In the Dark

Indulge your deepest, darkest choco-fantasies — it's good for you! The purity of organic beans comes through loud and clear, so choose accordingly (Like sweet? Go low. Bitter? Aim high). We'll start with Lake Champlain's 55%, which testers said reminded them of their childhood Hershey's: smooth, sweet, "easy to eat." Next, The Grenada Chocolate Company's 60%, is decadently complex and "silky like a scotch." One popular health food-store brand, Chocolove's 61%, confirmed its fan base, with its light and mild, crowd-pleasing sweetness. Lillie Belle's The Wild Thing (68%) will knock your socks off with its wild cacao content. Vegan? Try Sjaak's 70% Extra Dark, with its cool, clean taste that hints of the confectioner's counter. Divine's 70% is remarkably silky, and though surprisingly mild for a dark bar, it's full-bodied and temptingly "nibble-able." Equal Exchange's Very Dark (71%) is much richer, taking you from deep to the very edge and back, a cacao adventure. Nirvana's 72% is "a little exotic," and overall a "high quality, simple dark chocolate." Though several chocolatiers made bars as dark as 87%, our testers weren't quite that committed to the dark side, finding Lillie Belle's majestic The Other One (74%), as powerfully punch-packing as one can go without hitting the "pucker" factor.