Valrhona Abinao chocolate

A pleasant but slightly "dry", clinical and bitter 85% lacking the roundness of flavour or superior texture of lower % Valrhonas.

I don't agree about the dry (presumably texture) for this bar. Valrhona is know for being incredibly smooth chocolate generally. It sounds more the case that 85% generally is too bitter for your taste as there is always less fruit in a high cocoa bar due to the much reduced sugar content, which personally I prefer, and the lower Valrhonas are actually quite a bit lower (70% the highest) and so comparing with them is like chalk and cheese. Be interesting to know if you like other 85% bars as its as much about the cocoa content isn't it than the origin and brand - only because i've learnt through this website, i'm no expert :)

I thought this chocolate bar was one of the best from my chocolate delivery. Valrhona has definitely got a smoother texture to it than many other chocolates but the flavour counts much more to me and this really just hits the spot. I preferred it to the Michel Cluizel 85% bar I had as it had a little more of a roasted flavour to my taste.

This is a wonderfully smooth 85%, with complex flavours coming through. I loved it! I would buy the Valrhona over the Michel Cluizel.

I agree with others that this is the superior bar to the Cluizel 85% but I much prefer Pralus' Fortissima at 80%. I think if you're going to produce an 85% bar you should harness the natural bitterness rather than kill it but that may just be me. That said, I do admire Amadei's Chuao at 70% despite the fact they also kill the bitterness but the flavour of that bar is spectacular!

I liked this well enough but I personally find Valhrona to be overrated.