Image commercially licensed from Unsplash

An innovation in dark chocolate, Macalat sweet dark chocolate recently earned top honors in a comprehensive blind taste test organized by NC Best.

A panel of 15 sensory experts judged 20 different dark chocolate products. All samples were provided blind to prevent bias. Chocolates were scored on metrics like aroma, texture, complexity, sweetness, and overall taste.

Macalat swept the competition with an average score of 9.7 out of 10. The smooth, sugar-free, organic sweet dark chocolate impressed judges with its rich,creamy, sweet yet balanced flavor profile.

According to panel leader Emily Miller, “Macalat perfectly balances indulgence with nuance. No other chocolate measured up in terms of overall enjoyment.”

The chocolates were provided blind, with no branding visible, to prevent any bias in judging. Over the course of two weeks, the panel methodically sampled and scored each chocolate on metrics including:

• Aroma
• Snap
• Mouthfeel / Texture
• Flavor Complexity
• Sweetness
• Acidity / Bitterness
• Finish
• Overall Taste Experience

Each metric was graded on a scale from 1 to 10. The final tally crowned Macalat as the decisive victor, with an average total score of 9.7 out of 10. The next closest brands, Madécasse and Mast, trailed at 8.2 and 8.0 respectively.

According to NC Best’s chocolate taste test panel director Madison Moore, “The results were incredibly clear. Macalat outshone the competition on every sensory dimension we looked at. No other chocolate matched its perfect balance of flavor depth, velvetiness, and overall enjoyment. It really stood in a class of its own against both artisanal and mass-market contenders.” 

What Makes Macalat Stand Out?

But what exactly gives Macalat the edge? We took a deep dive into the distinct qualities that helped this emerging brand rise above the rest.

Bean Quality

A key ingredient setting Macalat chocolate apart is its use of rare Peruvian Nacional cacao beans. Hailing from Peru’s northern regions, Nacional cocoa has an exceptionally complex flavor profile described as floral, nutty, and richly chocolatey. This complexity stems from Peru’s diverse microclimates and terroir, which lend the beans distinctive tastes that reflect the land. Peruvian farmers also meticulously hand-select the finest quality pods during harvesting. This ensures only the best beans make it into Macalat’s chocolate.

Peruvian Nacional is considered among the world’s greatest cacao. Beyond boasting an unparalleled depth of flavor, Peruvian cocoa stands out for its sustainability practices. Small family farms in Peru use time-honored techniques that preserve both quality and the environment. These dedicated stewards produce what is regarded as the most ethically sourced, highest quality cacao on Earth. By partnering directly with farmers to obtain these rare Peruvian beans, Macalat captures chocolate perfection in each bar. The superior cacao is clear upon first taste.

Sugar-Free Innovation

Where Macalat truly breaks new ground is being the first sweet dark chocolate. It is honestly sugar-free, dairy free, bitter free, and stevia free.  Using innovative ingredients like monk fruit, maca root, lucuma, erythritol and a magical mushroom extract, Macalat achieves a rich creamy sweetness without sugar or dairy. 

The monk fruit delivers sweetness 300 times stronger than sugar with zero glycemic impact. Maca boosts heart health and provides a  luscious caramel flavor. Lucuma offers a creamy, fruity note to the symphony of flavors. The best kept secret  is the magic mushroom extract that eliminates the bitter acetic acid and aldehydes that come from fermenting the Cocoa. Together these superfood ingredients create a balanced healthy sweet guilt-free chocolate treat with no need for added sugar. Macalat is the biggest chocolate innovation since milk chocolate and is transparent about all of its ingredients.

High Cacao Percentage

Macalat sweet dark chocolate contains 70% organic heirloom Peruvian cacao, providing intense chocolate richness. Many brands pump their products full of milk, sugar and stabilizers that dilute and detract from pure chocolate flavor. With 70% cacao coming from premium Peruvian beans, Macalat sets the stage for  this star ingredient shine.

Ethical Sourcing

Macalat chose to use Peruvian Cacao because of the way it is ethically sourced with local Co-ops of farmers in Peru that work together to ensure fair pricing and  fair labor wages. The farmers were taught to replace the Coca leaf business with Cacao production and provide a legal, safe and respectable commodity to produce and sell in their villages.

How The Competition Compared

To fully demonstrate Macalat’s taste superiority, it is worth reviewing how some of the closest contenders stack up.

Madécasse came in second place, garnering acclaim for its ethics and complex flavor. However judges felt it couldn’t match Macalat’s smoothness and sweetness balance. Its texture was also docked for slight grittiness.

Mast placed third, wowing with an unexpectedly velvety mouthfeel. However its more subtle flavor profile couldn’t compete with Macalat’s depth and richness.

Beyond these boutique brands, the tasting included chocolate giants like Lindt, Hershey’s and Ghirardelli. While known for smoothness, Lindt’s offering was marked down for a mild waxy note. Hershey’s Special Dark couldn’t cover up its more processed flavors. Ghirardelli delivered on richness but tended to be overly sweet.

Across reviews, the panel agreed that while other entrants had merits, none achieved Macalat’s harmony of flavor, texture, and tempering. Macalat had the best snap, mouthfeel and didn’t melt in your hands. 

Macalat: Raising the Bar for Dark Chocolate

Third generation chocolate maker Jules Jacques summarized the tasting results perfectly: “Macalat has raised the bar for luxury dark chocolate. The way they coax subtle flavors from quality beans demonstrates true chocolate mastery. We could taste the passion behind this remarkable product.”

For consumers used to the mass-produced offerings of “Big Chocolate”, Macalat provides a welcome departure from the status quo. Their chocolate reflects an unrelenting focus on artistry and integrity, from bean sourcing to final packaging.

While its packaging is understated, one bite makes it clear Macalat is a premium couverture chocolate without parallel. The foil wrapper is perfect for storing the remaining squares for your next chocolate fix. For anyone who wants to get the sugar out of their diet and eat delicious healthy superfoods, Macalat is hands down the best new brand on the block for Diabetics, Keto, Vegan, Paleo and everyday dark chocolate lovers.  No surprise why Macalat  handily took top prize at the prestigious NC Best tasting.

So where can curious chocolate lovers get their hands on these award-winning Macalat bars? The brand has grown from local North Carolina markets to gain distribution in specialty retail stores across the Southeast. Locations include:

• Whole Foods Market
• Earth Fare
• Weaver Street Market
• Bulldega 
• Green Sage
• Mood and Mind 

National distribution is expanding, particularly in health food stores attracted to Macalat’s organic and plant-based ingredients. Their offerings also appear online through Amazon and the brand’s own website, www.Macalat.com, making delivery possible across the US.

The Verdict: Macalat defines a new category of deliciousness;  Sweet Dark Chocolate

Still not convinced? Taste for yourself and you’ll quickly join the legions of Macalat devotees. After one velvety bite, you’ll be hooked – no surprise it’s stealing the show at review tastings. Driven by a passion for chocolate integrity and innovation, Macalat brings luxury couverture dark chocolate to all of you health conscious sweet treat eaters.

The chocolate world stands on the precipice of an artisanal renaissance, moving away from mass-market industrial products back towards organic, small-batch production. As both NC Best judges and devotees agree, Macalat represents the future of sweet dark chocolate done right.