Aiello Ciocolady Menta

I've tried several of the Italian chocolatier Aiello's chocolate bars before, Liquirizia being my favourite. This one is fairly similar ingredient-wise to all the others, cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin as emulsifier, vanilla and mint oil (0.1%). The cacao content is at 53%.

How does it taste? Aiello's chocolate is good, a good eating chocolate, the mint in this bar is not too strong; if you like mint and chocolate together, then this is a bar you might like. I far prefer the Liquirizia certainly, but this one is good now and again, despite the $5-6 price tag.

Aiello Ciocolady Latte Nocciole

Most of the Italian chocolatier Aiello's offerings are dark chocolate; this is the first I've tried that is milk chocolate. It also has hazelnuts, a favourite of mine. Being milk chocolate, the cacao content is low, 33%. The ingredient listing is okay, sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, hazelnuts (20%), soya lecithin as emulsifier and vanilla.

How does it taste? This is my least favourite of Aiello's chocolate bars, despite the whole hazelnuts. It is a good milk chocolate bar, the chocolate is flavourful, but it just does lend itself to repeat eating. It suffers from the whole hazelnuts being on top; when you break the bar, you often don't get an even amount of milk chocolate per hazelnut. I don't think I would buy this bar again.

Aiello Ciocolady Liquirizia

Liquorice is a favourite flavour of mine; I was definitely most interested in this offering from the Italian chocolatier Aiello. The liquorice flavour comes from liquorice root (from the picture on the packaging), as opposed to anise-flavoured versions. The cacao content of this bar is at 53%, and the ingredient listing looks good, cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla and liquorice.

How does it taste? This has easily become my favourite of Aiello's bars. I like the chocolate taste, the liquorice flavouring and the crunchiness as you chew it. It reminds me of eating good liquorice candy. I definitely would eat this bar again, and have now several times. The bar cost about $3 on sale.

Aiello Ciocolady Assenzio

Absinthe is a forbidden flavour, as it has been banned in several countries because of supposed psychoactive ingredients, and potential addictive qualities. Because of this, it's not a well known or readily available flavour. Long vilified, it is a flavoured alcohol available in many places, flavoured with wormwood and green anise and florence fennel (though other herbs can be used). This is the first chocolate bar I've seen with this flavour, too. The cacao content of this bar is at 53%, and the ingredient listing looks good, cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla and absinthe oil.

How does it taste? The chocolate itself is pleasant, like most of Aiello's bars, a good eating chocolate. I was interested in trying this, having read about absinthe, but, to be honest, I was a little disappointed. Not that I didn't like the bar, absinthe has an anise flavour, which I like, it's just that it wasn't fantastic (and maybe it needs a little boosting of flavour). I think that I would eat this bar again given the chance. The bar cost about $3 on sale.

Aiello Ciocolady Fondente

I've tried several of the Italian chocolatier Aiello's offerings, this is one which showcases their chocolate, it has no added flavour. The cacao content of this bar is at 72% (most of their other bars are at 53%), and the ingredient listing looks good, cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin and vanilla.

How does it taste? The chocolate itself is pleasant, like most of Aiello's bars, a good eating chocolate. This is not a fantastic bar, though, and I don't think I would choose to buy this again. The bar cost about $3 on sale.

Aiello Ciocolady Zenzero

I have had, and enjoyed, many bars with chocolate combined with ginger, but most of them do not have ginger oil (rather, they mostly have candied ginger). The cacao content of this bar from the Italian chocolatier Aiello is at 53%, and the ingredient listing looks good, cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla and ginger oil.

How does it taste? The chocolate itself is pleasant, a good eating chocolate. The ginger flavour is interesting, it's throughout the chocolate, rather than in small pockets surrounded by chocolate, and the ginger is not overpowering or hot (something I like with most ginger dishes, but I would say it's not something that I would think would appear in a chocolate bar, it may have limited appeal). This is a bar I would choose again to eat. The bar cost about $3 on sale.

Aiello Ciocolady Bergamotto

The Italian chocolatier Aiello makes several interesting flavoured chocolates, this one features a flavour I've never tried before combined with chocolate, bergamot. Bergamot, as I've discovered, comes from the Bergamot orange, and is used in perfumery, but also in flavouring Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas. The cacao content of this bar is at 53%, and the ingredient listing looks good, cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla and citrus bergamotto.

How does it taste? The chocolate itself is pleasant, a good eating chocolate, and I must say I've never drunk either of the Grey teas (not liking black tea), so I don't know what bergamot tastes like really, but I find the flavour not citrusy like some of the orange-chocolate combinations, too citrusy even, but not that interesting a flavour to me. It's not a bar I would choose again to eat. The bar cost about $3 on sale.

Aiello Ciocolady Peperoncino

This chocolate comes from an Italian chocolatier, though I can't find much information about it; I found this bar and others of theirs on sale at Whole Foods. The ingredient listing is good, cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin and chili pepper oil (2%). The cacao content is at 53%.

How does it taste? I've had other peperoncino bars, essentially chili pepper and chocolate, a good combination normally; this one is deceptive, in that when you first eat it, you don't get the heat, you get it in the aftertaste. Even so, it's not too hot. The chocolate itself is good but not great, overall a pleasant eating bar. This bar cost me $4; normally $5.