Our bar of the week is the 2010 vintage Palmira from Valrhona, a 64% dark chocolate made from criollo cacao grown on the Palmira plantation in west Venezuela. Notes of fruit and cocoa are underlined by a pronounced honeyed sweetness that lingers for a long finish.

Since properly stored dark chocolate can keep indefinitely, Valrhona's policy of labeling each batch of Palmira with a year rather than just an expiration date suggests that it might a good candidate for aging.  Perhaps a few years in a cool, dry place would allow Palmira's flavor profile to develop even more character.  For comparison's sake, why not get one for snacking and one for cellaring? 

Be sure to come by for a taste of "fresh" 2010 Palmira on Saturday, December 18th.