Good Dark Chocolate—and we mean very dark chocolate—is hard to find. Sure, any chocolatier can pile on the sugar and emerge with a bar that tastes good. But what about a creamy, flavorful bar that thoroughly scratches that chocolate itch, without all the sugar? You're in luck: we found it.

We loaded up on easily available chocolate bars from local grocery stores, all with 80- to 92- percent cacao, including Seattle favorites Theo and JCoco, and regional brands like Ghirardelli. Here are our picks.

BEST DARK CHOCOLATe

JCoco Single Varietal Contamana Cacao 85%

This Seattle-based brand was by far the sweetest of the bunch, and our hands-down favorite. Its sweet and velvety taste and consistency is the stuff of dark-chocolate-lovers' dreams. Even our tester who doesn't typically enjoy dark chocolate said, "I would eat this."

Very GOOD DARK CHOCOLATE

Theo Extra Dark 85% Chocolate

Our testers universally liked this bar, which is smoother than other brands, with a notably more complex flavor: rather than one blanket taste, its flavor lands in an initial wave of sweetness that hits the tongue, followed by a citrus tang in the mouth. "It's just more interesting," said a tester.  Theo is also widely distributed at local grocery stores, and half the price (per ounce) of our top pick.

Divisive dark chocolate

Ghirardelli Intense Dark 86% Dark Chocolate

This thin, oversized bar is dark chocolate at its most affordable and crowd-friendly: smooth, basic, mild. A tang flavor comes through, at times overwhelming the chocolate taste. Testers deemed it "fine" and "alright." We'd eat it in a pinch. 

Endangered Species Extreme Dark 88%

This gritty bar was not popular among most tasters, who found it "chalky" and dry, but testers that regularly eat dark chocolate appreciated it. It's flecked with bits of cocoa, and best for die-hard dark chocolate lovers who like a granular consistency.

Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate Bar 85%

This is a less flavorful, grainy chocolate. "I like it because it's not as intense," said one tester. Those who typically enjoy milk chocolate were not enthused. Its online reviews indicate a loyal following who tend to break it up into tiny squares, and eat one at a time for a chocolate fix as needed. Which is to say: no one is eating this in big bites. 

Dark chocolate to avoid

Equal Exchange Organic Total Eclipse 92%

One tester visibly winced. Another commented, "This is an inch away from baking chocolate." It is notably smooth, though due to being nearly pure chocolate, you get a lot of bang for your buck: one serving size is enormous. "This is chocolate to eat when you want a challenge," said a tester. There's no reason to go this dark. We also tasted its sibling, Equal Exchange Organic Total Eclipse 88%, which tasted only mildly better, with a notable sourness and consistency of cardboard. "This doesn't do anything for me," concluded a tester.