Recently my boss directed me to this link, which features a ranking of 25 kinds of milk chocolate with tasting notes. It's from the folks at Gourmet magazine, so I thought it would be pretty insightful, and maybe help me find a new favorite - something to share space on the pedestal with Michel Cluizel, who, IMNSHO, makes the best milk chocolate in the world, in addition to some amazing dark chocolate. Perhaps it is my preference for dark chocolate that fuels my love of the Cluizel milk bars - they have considerably higher cacao content than most of their peers. The Grand Lait has 45%, the Maralumi has 47%, and the Mangaro a full 50% - where most others who claim to have "lots of cocoa" in their milk blends only range between 37% and 41%.

Well, as the title of my post might suggest, I saw red when I saw their list. Grand Lait was skipped over completely, and they ranked the Maralumi BELOW HERSHEY'S. After counting to ten a few times and taking several deep breaths, I revisited the rankings. Bernard Castelain, a lesser known French chocolatier, received the top honor. I've had this bar, and was NOT able to consume three pieces of it. It certainly wasn't terrible, but it was awfully sweet and milky - "milk" may come before chocolate in "milk chocolate," but I want to taste the chocolate too. If you're having a sugar craving, it would be ideal. II have also tried the next two bars listed, Lindt and Green & Black's, but wouldn't go to any lengths to seek them out.

I have to admit I haven't tried everything on the list, but what I have tried is not nearly as good as Cluizel. Scharffen Berger? Lots of cocoa? Not in my book. The wrapper may say 41%, but what I taste first, second, and last is the supersweet milkiness. In fact, the Scharffen Berger has a heavier texture, but otherwise tastes no different from Castelain! How could they be ranked so differently? I know, I know, chocolate is largely a matter of opinion, and strong opinion at that. I can't completely justify why I love Cadbury milk chocolate, but my biggest Lenten challenge would be giving up Cadbury Mini Eggs - so I won't even try.

I personally have to rush to the defense of Maralumi, an exquisite milk chocolate full of flavor complexity. I am amazed every time I eat this single-origin bar! The ingredients are as follows, no more, no less: whole milk powder, cocoa, cocoa butter, cane sugar, Bourbon vanilla pod. [Cluizel is well-known for using "noble ingredients" - no soy, no veggie oil, resulting in cioccolato puro!] And yet! The flavors that evolve on the tongue make me double check the list for berries, spices, and salted caramel. I know there are many good milk chocolates with caramel notes, but none with Salt! I swear there's just the right amount of salt that weds the caramel and chocolate together, which makes Maralumi not only utterly unique but totally addictive. The nutrition facts betray the presence of 51 milligrams of sodium per serving, but which ingredient contributes this? The curious cacao beans from Papua New Guinea?

Mangaro is the other exciting offering from Cluizel's single-origin milk line, and this time the beans are from Madagascar. The Gourmet list notes quite appropriately that this would border on semi-sweet for a milk chocolate lover, and also that it offers the depth and range of flavor you might be more accustomed to finding in a dark chocolate. I taste banana in this one - a perfect banana that is neither too sweet nor too green. I don't think I've ever had plantains, but perhaps that is the flavor I'm trying to describe. There are also traces of honey, but again, nothing too sweet. Incredibly multi-faceted.

So that's my sermon. What do you think of the Gourmet list? Is your favorite milk bar listed, and if so, do you agree with its ranking?