Choco-Lisa Classic Goat Milk Chocolate Review

Typical price:

£2.95

We like:

That it's organic and suitable for allergy-sufferers; the sweet and simple taste; the cute good looks and recyclable packaging

We don't like:

That we can't uncover much about the greenie or ethical creds; that the goat's milk taste -- though faint -- takes a little getting used to

SmartPlanet judgement:

This isn't the kind of niche product that's only tolerated because there's no alternative, like the early days of gluten-free bread. It has its own, delicate taste -- the flavour comes from the sugar and the milk, not from the cocoa. We wish we knew more about how it's made.

Score:

Contact:

Nice Car Company at http://www.chocolatetradingco.com/mainpage.asp?
Telephone: +44 (0)8700 508 244

First things first: no, it doesn't smell of goat's cheese. The aroma of the Choco-Lisa Classic Goat Milk Chocolate is more like the classic, chocolaty-sweet smell you get from a standard Easter egg or Advent calendar. But once you know it's there, you'll be trying to taste the goat's milk -- and we think we could tell the difference. The texture is slightly sandy and the flavour is sweet and delicate at first. Then, as it melts properly, there's a more full-bodied and ever-so-slightly goaty flavour. The chocolate taste doesn't go on and on -- it's fairly slight -- but there is a faint, farm-yardy aftertaste.

The Chocolate Trading Company, the UK distributor for Choco-Lisa and its sheep milk sister Choco-Lina, is an expert in its field and only sells what it considers to be the very best chocolate, using top ingredients like cane sugar and bourbon vanilla. We can see why it includes Choco-Lisa in its range, as it's great for people with intolerances and allergies -- this is the only chocolate we've tested that doesn't use the emulsifier soya lecithin, which may be helpful for people with a soy allergy. But the big draw is for people allergic to cow's milk. Choco-Lisa chocolate is also gluten-free.

The bar is divided into an unusual pattern of squares and rectangles, which doesn't affect the quality one jot, but makes the eating experience a bit more fun. Choco-Lisa's more established sibling is Choco-Lina, made with sheep's milk, which may explain why there's a cute little shape of a sheep, rather than a goat, pressed into each square.

We made overtures to the company in Austria to find out a bit more about its production processes and how it buys its beans. We didn't get a response and the website isn't very clear, but the 'Bio-Siegel' (site is in German) certification is Germany's umbrella organic mark, guaranteeing that the ingredients come from organic farming without stipulating any other green initiatives. We know that the three company directors include a sheep farmer, so we're hoping for good animal husbandry on the goat side too.

The company develops its own sheep and goat milk products and makes seasonal ranges by hand, but the bulk of its output is manufactured for it by the large Austrian company, Manner. Approaches yielded no information about where Manner buys its beans and on what basis -- we couldn't even get through. So despite our best efforts Choco-Lisa's ethical credentials remain something of a mystery and we had to mark it down. All we can say for sure is that this chocolate is organic.

One last thing. This chocolate bar is pretty pricey at nearly £3 -- quite a good deal more expensive than others of similar standards. We suppose that you're paying for the goat's milk instead of plain old boring cow's milk, but it still feels a bit dear for a chocolate bar.

Score breakdown:

 

Read more reviews of green and ethical products at www.smartplanet.com