Endangered Species Chocolate: Enchantment for the Senses

Time Cupsoul has tasted the delicious Endangered Species Chocolate bars, before. Mostly, we pick up these bars at Whole Foods Market, but with this article, it is with great honor to announce: Time Cupsoul was gifted the Endangered Species Chocolate: 60% Cocoa, Smooth Dark Chocolate with Salted Peanuts bar before it’s full launch by the brand (Endangered Species Chocolate), and you’re in on the secrets!

According to a contact affiliated with the company, this “Dark Chocolate with Salted Peanuts” bar is a new product. As with the other Endangered Species Chocolate bars that are aligned with animals, this bars’ packaging includes an elephant.

Firstly, even before Time Cupsoul unwrapped the outer layer of the packaging, it was absolutely impossible not to notice the wonderful cocoa aroma. The smell of this bar is deliciously spicy yet “bright.” The aroma overwhelmed the mail parcel. This Endangered Species Chocolate bar smells like a combination of a piece of rich dark chocolate peanut butter cheesecake, combined with the smell of whole peanuts (still in their shells) that you may get at a baseball game, and then, includes the smell of a fresh-from-the-oven, melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate brownie. Hungry yet?

Back to the packaging itself, the interior fold revealed a section dedicated to the African Elephant. This packaging feature is typical to the brand; the interior is where Endangered Species Chocolate shares more about various endangered animals, including sections on habitat, threats, population, and how to help. Time Cupsoul continued to read the text to learn that the chocolate bar “supports wildlife conservation efforts and is certified to be fairly traded, vegan, kosher and free of GMOs.” Finally, we read that “10% of net profits of the sale of this chocolate bar are giving back to support the work of Rainforest Trust and Wildlife Conservation Network.” Read more about this bar’s association with Elephant Crisis Fund, here. DC readers, learn more about the Endangered Species Chocolate CEO’s recent trip to Capitol Hill, here.

As far as Time Cupsoul knows, Endangered Species Chocolate is the only chocolate brand to 1) showcase their donation model within the packaging, and 2) showcase it in such a unique, educational and aesthetically pleasing manner. According to their website homepage, the company has donated $1.4 million to wildlife over the past three years. Kudos.

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It was time to further survey and to taste the bar, at last! Breaking off a piece from the molding of small rectangular chocolate pieces donning the Endangered Species Chocolate logo (a small branch or the outline of a tree), Time Cupsoul was ready to taste the flavor notes of this pretty bar. The snap of the chocolate square wasn’t extremely sharp, and was instead, leaning more towards fudge-like in consistency. Would it taste as velvety as the snap promised? Yes.

Upon first bite, the initial taste that Time Cupsoul registered was salty peanut. On a chocolate flavor wheel, this peanut flavor would categorize into nutty: peanut shells, or peanut skins. The salt in this bar is simply delectable. With more savoring, Time Cupsoul experienced how chocolate: wet brownie and baked brownie come through in a deeply satisfying way, leaving your tongue begging for more.

There’s an undertone of brightness in the tasting notes of this bar that is difficult to place but is absolutely savory. The most logical alignment on the flavor wheel would lean towards spicy: nutmeg or clove.

All in all, this bar is one of those chocolate bars that is a dessert in itself; it’s a rich as a piece of fudge or rich chocolate cake, with the capacity to stand on its own and serve the taste buds with an adventure requiring nothing more than a quiet and happy moment and perhaps a glass of cold milk (dairy or non)! 

Time Cupsoul really wanted to be tough on this chocolate bar, but alas, simply can’t. It’s just salty sweet deliciousness. This bar is definitely a time cupsoul. Have you tried Endangered Species Chocolate?

*Please note that chocolate bars consumed and reviewed by Time Cupsoul are randomly chosen and are generally purchased with personal funds. This particular bar was generously gifted to Time Cupsoul by Endangered Species Chocolate for an honest review and costs approximately $4.00.