Black is beautiful ... and really delicious.

• Position: What's New? - Dark chocolates - Buyers guide

If you're a regular reader of these pages, you know that food, especially sweet treats, is a favorite of our reviewers. Norman Love Confections always seems to bring something new and delicious to the table. This time around it's the single-origin dark chocolate line--Black--featuring five distinct profiles from around the world:

Maracaibo 88%. A high percentage of Venezuelan cacao provides the confection with an uncommon intensity of flavor that will delight those with an adventurous palate and an affinity for dark chocolate. The strong dark chocolate flavor is pleasantly supplemented with a licorice note, which then transfers into a roasted coffee flavor, rounded by a hint of prune. A black tea note accompanies the slow and intense finish.

Tanzanie 75%. Created from a very special breed of cacao that has been grown and appreciated by local civilizations since ancient times, Tanzanie 75% comes from the Southeast African region of Tanzania. This dark chocolate couvature is at once intense and subtle, spicy and fruity, with acidulous notes. It comes from a rare and highly prized Criollo and Forastero blend that makes up only a minor percentage of the world's total production.

Peru 74%. Gently processed according to tradition on the longitudinal conche, the taste sensation of 74% Cru Peru porcelana couverture begins with a harmonious cacao flavor enveloped in an intensive "Earl Grey" black tea note. The confection's unique fruity prune bouquet, enhanced by a licorice note with a hint of pepper, then is replaced by a fruity, slightly woody vanilla note to create a long-lasting finish.

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