Three Magic Ingredients, One (Almost) Great Taste

Last May, Vosges, maker of uniquely flavored chocolates, came out with "Mo's Bacon Bar." The bar uses applewood smoked bacon and Alder wood smoked salt, wrapped in deep milk chocolate. Really, all it took to get me to want to try it was the words "bacon," "salt," and "chocolate" together. It's taken me this long to finally find a bar - Whole Foods finally came through - and I can't say that I'm disappointed... or outright pleased.

Overall, it's tasty and not too different than I imagined. The chocolate is a deep, rich, and very smooth - it would be enjoyable even on its own. The bacon, which texture-wise is like Bac-Os, isn't overpoweringly strong, nor is it a mild afterthought. The salt is quieter, enhancing the meatiness of the bacon and the sugar in the chocolate.

My one issue with the confection, though, is the use of smoked salt. Having two components that issue a rather strong, smoky flavor is a bit too much. Not all bites were very smoky, so perhaps I got one chunk of salt that was overly seasoned, but it still detracted from the chocolate bar. I expect that smokiness from the meat, but not from the other ingredients. A less flavorful salt would, I think, balance the entire thing out a little more.

Will I be buying this again? Probably not for the $8 it set me back. It's good, but the overly-smokiness of some bites turned me off. It would be a fun inclusion in a gift to a fellow foodie, or perhaps as an entry into a Yankee swap, but I can't see myself chowing down on one of these after a hard day at the office.