The best of the dark, bar none

To create a bar, each manufacturer adds its own proportion of additional cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla, and lecithin, an emulsifier. The cocoa butter and lecithin provide a smooth mouth feel. Somerville-based Taza’s Stone Ground Chocolate was the only entry with no lecithin; the result was that it felt “gritty’’ and “bitter’’ to some and was voted least favorite.

The quality of the bar depends on the quality of the cacao beans and how they are processed. Beans come from around the world, even from unfamiliar places such as Säo Thomé and Príncipe, an island country off West Africa, to be used in Lake Champlain chocolates. Lake Champlain was the favorite.

The language used to describe chocolate is similar to that for wine and coffee. “Complex and fruity with hints of raspberry,’’ wrote one student. “Smoky, robust and bitter,’’ said another. The tasters also noted texture when biting into the chocolate. Some had a “good snap,’’ while others were “waxy and molded to the tongue.’’ All agreed that a daily dose of dark chocolate would be a welcome addition to a healthy diet. But probably not 11 doses at once.

Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate Twilight Delight

72 percent cacao

$2 for 3.5 ounces

Established in 1852, the California company is named for its Italian founder, Domingo Ghirardelli. Tasters found the flavor ordinary. “If you close your eyes, it has no flavor. Smells like chocolate on a Mars bar.’’ “Shaped like Nestle squares; dull appearance.’’ On the texture: “Yields easily to the teeth. It has a pleasant snap, like burnt caramel.’’ “Smells like tobacco, with a musky, sweet taste.’’ “Too sweet, uneven mouthfeel.’’

Godiva Chocolatier Dark Chocolate

72 percent cacao

$3.99 for 3.5 ounces