J.D. Gross Extra Bitter 75% Trinidad Sticks

Posted by in Chocolate Reviews on May 15 2007 | Leave A Comment

Another offering from the J. D. Gross / LIDL stable of chocolate (which, as we now know thanks to our astute and helpful readers, is made by Rausch).

75% Trinidad SticksSo enthusiastic and knowledgeable are our readers that I received a comment about this particular brand before I had even had time to review it (thanks Ulli) so I thought it time I posted this in case any of you were wondering what this one is like.

As you can see, this particular variety comes in a handy ‘three-stick’ package, and is somewhat more expensive than an individual bar of J. D. Gross ‘Ecuador’ ( about 30% more expensive, in fact). Given the relatively low price of a bar, this is hardly great cause for concern – especially if you’re in the habit of shelling out £2 or more for the good stuff.

75% Trinidad Sticks Now to my mind, 75% cocoa sits in the upper limits of palatable chocolate – any more than that and I tend to think of it as cooking chocolate, simply because at 80% or above there isn’t enough sweetness to cut the cocoa flavour. Anyone who eats high-cocoa content chocolate will also tell you that when you get above 65% cocoa a relatively low increase in cocoa content can make a huge difference in taste.

These bars are branded ‘Extra Bitter’, and the smell of them certainly hints at a dark, rich taste. The chocolate is almost black, and the first taste is definitely bitter on the tongue, but as the chocolate began to melt my mouth was flooded with a mixture of bittersweet cocoa flavours. The underlying taste is most definitely dark, rich and with a very pleasing bittersweet finish, with less of the sugariness that you sometimes find in other brands, and it has none of the fattiness that you sometimes find in cheaper brands (possibly due to the use of different types of fats?)

Overall, I would rate this as an excellent dark chocolate for everyday consumption. It’s very easy on the palate with a distinctive flavour, and at around 40p per bar, it’s certainly easy on the wallet! It will be interesting to see if Rausch decide to sell their chocolate at similar prices if and when thy launch in the UK, because chocolate of this quality could certainly be sold at a slightly higher price.

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Comments On This Post

  1. Very interesting. I’ve never seen this particular brand of bar before. Maybe you would be interested in learning more about Trinidad’s cocoa? If so, check out the following article “Cocoa’s Sweet Feet”

    http://www.trinigourmet.com/index.php/cocoas-sweet-feet-article/

    take care! 🙂

  2. I just was given some of this chocolate by one of my French in-laws (a tasting box of all the different types, in the type of sizes the French usually offer with coffee) and was looking for more information on it and found your blog. I agree with you on the Ecuador, I was surprised by how good it was. And the Amazonas (a 60%) is excellent, with that silky, melt-in-your-mouth quality. I thought the Trinidad was a bit too pasty. I agree with you, it’s really hard to pull off 75%, although there are chocolatiers that can manage it.

    Thanks for the blog! I always enjoy reading about chocolate. 🙂

  3. Jay_Estee

    Hi, may I know which supermarket I could get Trinidad stick bar in UK? I was given a pack of it from a net-friend who live in Cardiff (and i lost his contact last week).I’m a foreigner who stay temporary in UK, and now desperately to buy some more to pamper myself and bring back to my home country. I hope someone could give me a hint before i travel back home. THANKS.

  4. David

    Lidl is the only place I know of that sells this wonderful stuff!

  5. Harry

    I had some of this to fortify me through a recent bout of decorating. It certainly went down very well, although it wasn’t my favourite of this range. I’d definitely recommend sampling a few different bars from this manufacturer, and at only about 1 GBP per bar, that shouldn’t break the bank.

  6. Andrej

    I really love this chocolate. I get it regularly in nearby Lidl store for about 1.3 EUR. I can agree that 80+% chocolate is somehow bitter and not so easy to enjoy, even if it comes from Lindt, the Rolls Royce of chocolate industry.

  7. Chris

    I have been buying this chocolate for a good while now and absolutely love it. It is as good as any other brand I have tried but comes at a fraction of the price. Imagine my horror and disappointment when my local Lidl store stopped selling it. Apparently it has been replace by individual chocolates with a fruit filled centre. There were round 15 packs of Trinidasd chocolate left on the shelf and I bought every one. I have 2 packs left and I am rationing them until I find another source! I also aim to complain to my local Lidl store about them discontinuing this fantastic product.

  8. Karl

    I recently (Jan 2010 CE) found a discounter (in the USA) who had boxes and boxes of the Amacado/60% and the El Cuador/70% for about USD10 per box of three dozen 40-gram sticks. I bought every single one he had… spent about USD120 but where are you ever going to find a deal like this again. It must have cost that much just to ship it here from Germany, let alone manufacture the stuff. I’ll keep it in the basement, cool and dry, and allow myself a half stick per day for… um… a very long time…

  9. Margaret

    We have just had a Lidl open nearby and when I looked at the packaging on the chocolate I strongly suspected that it was made by Fassbender & Rausch as the packaging was virtually identical. I had read about how good this chocolate was and I cant wait to load up tomorrow. Up until now we have relied on bringing lots of this great chocolate back from their Berlin store when we go on short visits. I have loved trying the different percentage chocolates as has my 17 year old.It really is great chocolate!

  10. amcaldas

    where can i buy this chocolates??? Im living in Brazil.

  11. Ik kreeg een chocalade vann j.p.gross en er stond op florentiner orange,waar kan ik deze kopen.Woon in oosterhout n.br.

  12. kreeg een chocolade van j.p.gross en er stond op florentiner orange.Waar kan ik deze kopen,woon in oosterhout 4904 sn. noord brabant.

  13. J. Saouk

    I am a lover of this wonderful chocolate, I ve been so for a while, maybe 5 years. I have one problem now: what to do when I no more find it in the Swedish market? Shall I order it by import?

  14. You are precisely right on this piece!!

  15. I am so sorry to hear about your Mom, Waves. As you noted, it could have been much worse, but still…I think there must be nothing hadrer in life than knowing that your child, or your Mother is injured or ill. These are the people you love best, and the ones you want always to be well, and safe. I hope her convalescence is short, and her recovery complete. Best of thoughts for your family, sincerely, Chris R.

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