The Good: Flavorful and fruity, Affordable, Decent ingredients
The Bad: Dry aftertaste that endures
The Basics: Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Blueberry is a delightful new flavor of Ghirardelli chocolate squares that are worth trying, even if they are not perfect.
One of the things I love about leaving my little town for events is that I often find it is a good excuse to go shopping at places I don't have locally and find things that I cannot find locally. So, when my wife and I went down state to see Doctor Strange (reviewed here!) on a decent screen, we made a point of shopping after the film. She started her holiday shopping early and she picked me up a bag of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Blueberry chocolate squares. The Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Blueberry chocolate squares are quite good, even if they are a little dry.
Basics
Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Blueberry chocolate squares are one and 3/4” squares of chocolate that are 5/16” thick. Each of the squares comes individually wrapped in a metallic purple colored foil wrapper. It is worth noting that while I usually rail against the environmental impact of such things, it is hard to imagine Ghirardelli chocolate squares not wrapped. This keeps each one clean, unmelted and intact.
Each chocolate square is a seamless square that is a milk chocolate patty with the Ghirardelli symbol stamped into the top. In this form, the 6.3 oz. bag, the individually-wrapped chocolate squares are packaged together in a thick foil paper bag. This size has twelve squares and the thick foil paper bag does little to protect the squares. The bag is not resealable, though this matters very little considering that the chocolate squares do not go bad as they are individually wrapped.
One of these bags, even with twelve squares, tends to run in the $4 - $5.00 range, which is a good deal.
Ease Of Preparation
These are candy, so preparing them is as simple as opening the bag and then opening one of the foil wrappers around the actual chocolate square one wishes to eat. There is no grand secret to eating Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Blueberry chocolate squares. That said, they do need to be kept comparatively cool or these squares will melt.
Taste
The Dark Chocolate Blueberry Ghirardelli squares smell mostly of chocolate. The strong chocolate scent is instantly recognizable to anyone who loves chocolate with an above average cacao content.
The scent does not foreshadow the full flavor of the Dark Chocolate Blueberry chocolate squares. These chocolate squares explode with blueberry flavor the moment the chocolate shell is cracked. The dark brown, or very purple, ganache is powerfully fruity and it compliments the dry chocolate of the exterior exceptionally well. The dry chocolate and the sweet play off each other in the mouth delightfully.
There is a very dry aftertaste to the Dark Chocolate Blueberry chocolate squares that overcomes the sweet, fruity flavor of the chocolate squares.
Nutrition
The Dark Chocolate Blueberry chocolate squares are candy, so it is tough to look at these for something nutritious and then blame them for not being healthy. Ghirardelli chocolate squares have decent ingredients, though, which is probably why they are so expensive. The primary ingredients are sugar, unsweetened chocolate, and high fructose corn syrup. There is nothing unpronounceable, nor unrecognizable in these candies.
A serving of the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Blueberry chocolate squares is considered a single square. From one square, one takes in 70 calories, 35 of those calories coming from fat. There is no cholesterol and no sodium and only trace amounts of Iron (4%) in each square.
Honestly, these are candy and anyone looking to them for actual nutrition needs to get a reality check. These are not Vegan-compliant and they have allergy warnings for tree nuts and milk. They are, however, kosher.
Storage/Clean-up
The bags of these Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Blueberry chocolate squares remain fresh for quite some time. Our bag, which we just picked up today, had a November 30, 2016 expiration date. Given that it is chocolate, one assumes that if they are kept in a cool, dry environment they will not melt or go bad. It is hard to imagine just what it would take for these to go bad outside melting and refreezing.
As for cleanup, I applaud those who actually throw the wrappers away in socially appropriate places, as opposed to litter. Outside that, there is no real cleanup needed, unless one is eating them in a hot environment. In that case, it is likely one would need to wash their hands. If these chocolate squares melt into most fabrics, they will stain.
Overall
Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Blueberry chocolate squares are one of the new flavors of Ghirardelli chocolate squares that effectively blend the promised flavors, even if the aftertaste is a little strong and enduring! Anyone who loves a good fruit and chocolate blend will enjoy the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Blueberry chocolate squares!
For other Ghirardelli chocolate squares reviews, please check out:
Dark Chocolate With Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Squares
Mocha Chocolate Squares
Intense Dark Cherry Tango Chocolate Squares
8.5/10
For other candy reviews, please visit my Candy Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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