<p>Chocolate gurus, I am looking for a dark chocolate that is respectably but not overly dark, for a gift basket (which will include, I think, some coffees and teas and a few other treats).</p>
<p>In my fridge right now I have a bar of Ghirardelli 86 percent cacao, and it is almost too bitter. But that could just be me–I don’t eat a lot of chocolate (it’s my “emergency chocolate”).</p>
<p>Suggestions?</p>
<p>I suggest you try something like El Rey’s Gran Saman, an earthy single bean origin chocolate from Venezuela. It’s a 70%.</p>
<p>Any of the 70% and up bars made by Theo are great:</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.theochocolate.com/taxonomy/term/72[/url]”>https://www.theochocolate.com/taxonomy/term/72</a></p>
<p>If you can find them at your local stores… If not and you have to place a web order, I think Consolation might be able to help… :)</p>
<p>Consolation beat me to it: El Rey Gran Saman. Not so easy to find, but really good.</p>
<p>I buy Gran Saman by the case. 
But El Rey’s Mijao is actually my go-to dark for most purposes. It’s a 61%.</p>
<p>I love the Trader Joe’s dark chocolate bars with pecans and raisins.</p>
<p>Lived in St. Louis for a number of years and discovered one of the greatest chocolatiers–Bissinger’s. This company sells an all-natural, 60%, dark chocolate bar that’s really good. Additionally, you can also buy solid chocolate (it’s comes in 1 lb chunks) and it is 75% dark chocolate.</p>
<p>[Solid</a> Chocolate - 1 lb | Chocolate Bars | Gourmet Candy, Chocolate Assortments, Fruit Candy | Bissinger’s](<a href=“http://www.bissingers.com/category/detail/detail.php?item=20032]Solid”>http://www.bissingers.com/category/detail/detail.php?item=20032)</p>
<p>I bought the Ghirardelli at Whole Foods a month or two to ago as the nutritional stats were good. Tried a piece when I got home and it was like eating chalk. The Trader Joes 72% (or maybe 78%) is about the highest that I can stand that tastes reasonably good.</p>