Appearance:
Chocolove's entry in our showdown is a stunning glossy near-black, neatly molded and pretty. The Lake Champlain bar is neither as dark nor as glossy. It has a more flat unassuming appearance but is lovely all the same.

Aroma:
The Lake Champlain bar has a very sweet and fruity aroma. Too sweet to my untrained nose. The Chocolatour offering wasn't quite as sweet and left me with high hopes for the bar (I don't like overly sweet dark chocolate).

Taste:
The fruit and sweetness promised in the aroma are there along with a nice hint of vanilla but aren't quite as stong as one would expect. The flavor has more chocolate than the aroma but isn't overly bitter and has a nice balance between the chocolate and the other notes. It was smooth but dry, though I think the added cocoa butter keeps it from being too dry.

The Chocolatour bar was similar to the Lake Champlain bar but the chocolate was stronger, more bitter, and the other flavors were more subdued. I don't know if it has anything to do with the lack of added cocoa butter but the taste is much more chocolatey with vanilla arriving toward the finish. The lack of added cocoa butter is really evident in the texture, though. It is very dry.

Finish:
The Lake Champlain finish was lightly fruity (and woody?) and lingers nicely. The Chocolove bar continued very dry and has a strong lingering dark chocolate finish.

Scores:
I'm a big fan of Chocolove and I enjoyed this bar with it's more straightforward chocolate flavor but I actually think that I like what the other flavors brought to the table in the Lake Champlain bar a little more. And I found the Chocolove bar to be a bit dry for my liking as well. Overall I have to give it an 8. I enjoyed it a lot, but it was lacking somewhat. The Lake Champlain bar was very nice. It was smooth and not overly dry and the other notes in the flavor were very nice. I'll call it a 8.75 and will probably give it a try again in the future.