Typical well-moulded Lindt look, matt with promising hints of burgundy, but overall a little too dark too indicate premium beans, but then this is chocolate made for a middle-range price point, so we shouldn’t expect too much.

Tobacco candy aroma, with hints of grass and ash, which though clean lacks any sweetness with only slight hints of berries. Not dissimilar to an unfortunate whiff of an over-used ash tray.

The bar is well made, as you’d expect from Lindt, with a good snap but perhaps grainier than is ideal.

The initial flavour hit is strong candy liquorice, and the lack of sweetness you’d imagine for the percentage. There’s some slight trace of almonds – reminiscent of Cluizel’s very successful 85%, but this is very underdeveloped and the flavour never really goes anywhere. The melt is relatively good and reveals some apricot, the after effect on the tongue is fairly dry but clean. Tannic, but not unpleasantly so, though after a few minutes I wish I’d eaten something else.

No doubt this is a well balanced and clean blend, but I can’t escape the burnt shadow at the back, which seems common in many Lindt bars these days – their philosophy seems to be to over-roast to hide defects then refine to hide the flaws through texture.

Opinions differ as to the quality of this middle-market chocolate, but for me it can never be a replacement for better chocolate from better brands, and while I might have it on my eating list, it would only be consumed when all other options are exhausted.

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It’s a good looking bar, showing no physical traits to fuss over, while the aroma presents nothing to get riled up about either. It’s strong, I admit, but it’s fairly nondescript and quite frankly boring, presenting a theme that’s been done ad nauseum. A prevailing redness is key, with coconut and sweet spice accenting, but again, nothing new here, folks.

Transferred to flavor, however, the flavor starts out beautifully, showing coconut, cherries, and a lovely intensity that if allowed to proceed unadorned would be quite magnificent. A chimney explodes, however, as ash and bitterness completely litter the flavor, along with Dutched cocoa notes that are no doubt a result of the recently added cocoa powder. Texturally, there are some problems, chiefly dryness breaking the otherwise thick melt and like the UK version of this bar it seems to accent the Dutched notes and deliver the final nail in the coffin.

Previous incarnations of this bar were amazingly awe-inspiring, one of the seven wonders of the chocolate world, but today (22 July, 2008) Lindt Excellence 85% is a dilapidated chocolate whose once epic flavor has been eroded through poor decisions (or inconsistency) in the production process. It seems that having one of the best 85% bars on the market was too great a burden to bear, so Lindt decided to keep things simple by placing the bar in such a constant state of mediocrity that no one would ever be the wiser of further changes in its recipe.

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The bar is well-finished although somewhat dark in appearance, nearly blackish. The surface is as smooth as glass and blemish-free, well-tempered if not perfectly glossy. The aroma quickly crowds out all thought of appearance, powerfully chocolatey, with walnut accents. There's also a floral hint in here, really quite delightful for a bar of this intensity.

Biting into this bar is like reaching enlightenment. That chocolatey aspect of the aroma asserts itself here with even greater intensity. It's a truly center-point chocolate flavour, much like Cluizel's Noir 72% but at even greater strength. A side hint of earthiness manifests, and there are hints of tropical fruits - suggestive of Criollo beans in there somewhere. And there's no bitterness. None. This is just perfection realised in the 85% class, a perfection sealed with something missing: this chocolate is one of the few at this percentage that doesn't have a flat finish. It's a chocolate that never disappoints.

Texture is similarly authoritative, ultra-creamy and with outstanding smoothness. It's hard to go wrong texturally at this percentage but Lindt even here stays ahead of the pack. In every way this is the reference 85% bar, showing the competition how to interpret high-percentage extra bitter. Given that it happens to be a mass-market chocolate to boot, this means you should run, not walk to your nearest Lindt stockist and buy. It's especially pleasing to think that most people will probably be introduced to 85% chocolate through this bar. You couldn't get a better introduction.

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