Prestat Pink Everest Equatorial Dark Chocolate

Prestat's Art Deco Luxury Chocolate Bar collection is a kaleidoscope of colours and along with that hot pink motif it looks an exciting, eye-widening endeavour. This new collection (launched August 2013) follows a different packaging design compared to Prestat's other bars. I loved the shiny gold embossing and with Prestat's logo it was looking rather grand, though I felt the overall design looked a little 'loose'. With names like Knickerbocker and Tea Time Frolics, it really reflects the eclecticism of the Art Deco movement

Prestat, offering us such a diverse collection, know that variety is the spice of life. But by doing so, with this range especially, it just happens to manifest their creativity. They may be one of London's oldest chocolate shops, but they're certainly not, and far from being, obsolescent

Lets get back to the chocolate. Prestat use "Africa's finest cocoa beans", and although not certified Fairtrade, they commit to trading fairly. I think I'll start with the only dark chocolate; Pink Everest Dark Equatorial chocolate with Pink Himalayan Salt

The imprint upon the chocolate and being scored into only 6 pieces looked luxury. Very British. The aroma of this 53% cocoa solids was pretty standard, a little perfumed with a dominating sugar. I wouldn't say I could smell cocoa, more a nuttiness with strong white sugars overlaying a creamy coconut background

I hope that the cocoa within wasn't the finest Africa has to offer. It sadly tasted cheap and lacked complexity and quality. But then again, it was only 53% cocoa solids? However that's no excuse, Green & Black's 37% MILK was more cocoa defined than this chocolate

As the chocolate was very thick, it made it difficult to snap. The thickness made it more comfortable to just chew.  The salt was initiated straight away and was pleasant. But when left to melt, the salt became overwhelming and made it too sweet. I enjoyed chewing this chocolate more, hearing the crunch of the Himalayan salt and how the salt would come in bursts; just how salt in chocolate should be

With a finish of powdered cocoa and sugar, I wasn't so impressed with this chocolate. £3.50 for 85g seems excessive. As it was missing a creaminess, I really think it needed to be milk chocolate and there was a little too much salt. My family enjoyed it though! 

Prestat's focus is on balancing the perfect flavour pairings, and as it wasn't a flavour bean chocolate, I think I'll have a better experience with their milk chocolate. I'm a difficult one to please when it comes to dark chocolate and only find myself enjoying the delights of expressive, flavour bean chocolate

I've got the milk (Tea Time Frolics & Pecan Maple Dream) and white (Knickerbocker Glory & Toasted Pistachio) bars still to try, so stay tuned!