McCormick World of Flavors Chocolate Bars, Part 1

As of right now, all McCormick chocolate bars are only available for purchase from the McCormick World of Flavors store in Baltimore, MD. My friend who bought these bars for me said that McCormick is planning on opening an online store soon.

Chili Cinnamon & Cocoa Bean

Place purchased: McCormick World of Flavors, Baltimore

Number of reviewers: 3

Appearance - 6.3

The chocolate bar looks very plain. 

Flavor and Taste - 8.7

The chipotle imparts an umami taste to the chocolate. There are also large salt granules (I tried taking a picture of one, but my camera couldn't focus in on it) in the bar, despite salt not being listed in the ingredients and the nutrition facts claiming 0% sodium. 

C: Warm, rich. Makes me feel happy. Reminds me of cookies. Has umami and salty tastes. Really well balanced. 
S: Delicious, salty, a little heat at the end. 

Texture - 8.0

The chocolate is creamy, and the cocoa nibs give added texture. 

C: Nice creaminess, not too hard. 
S: Smooth. I liked the pieces in it. 

Aftertaste - 7.8

The aftertaste is mostly salty. There is also some heat from the chipotle powder. 

Overall - 8.0

The Chili Cinnamon & Cocoa Bean bar has a very complex and enjoyable flavor. McCormick's expertise in spices and flavors really shines through in this chocolate bar.  

54% Dark Chocolate

Place purchased: McCormick World of Flavors, Baltimore

Number of reviewers: 3

Appearance - 4.7

The mold McCormick uses for their chocolate bars is very generic. Additionally, the entire bar is coated with a thin layer of bloom. 

S: Not very creative - looks more like a baking chocolate. 

Flavor and Taste - 6.8

The chocolate bar initially tastes like nothing. Not chocolaty, not sweet, not bitter... just nothing. After I chewed the chocolate awhile, the chocolate tasted like semi-sweet chocolate chips. 

C: Bitter, but not overly so.
S: Not bitter at all. Not very characteristic.  

Texture - 5.0

The chocolate is hard, crunchy, and dry. It is surprising that the 54% dark chocolate bar would be significantly drier than the 72% dark chocolate bar. 

C: Has a nice snap. Creamy texture when it melts. 
S: Crunchy. 

Aftertaste - 7.0

The aftertaste was slightly sweet. 

C: Tastes like chocolate. 
S: Sweet. 

Overall - 6.0

Overall, this chocolate bar was incredibly underwhelming. The texture of the chocolate was so dry that no flavor could be detected until it had been chewed for a short time. Also, the bar was coated in chocolate bloom. I understand McCormick making chocolate bars to showcase their spices, but this one was just poorly made dark chocolate. 

S: Ok, but not great. I really didn't like the texture.