Lindt Excellence Review: Why This Ultra-Thin Chocolate Bar Has a Cult Following
15.01.2026 - 06:39:52
You know that moment when you promise yourself “just one piece” of chocolate… and then the entire bar mysteriously disappears? The sweetness hits hard, the guilt hits harder, and what should have been a small luxury turns into a sugar hangover. Most supermarket chocolate is built for impulse, not intention.
If you care about flavor as much as feeling, that’s a problem. You don’t just want a sugar rush. You want complexity. Texture. The quiet satisfaction of breaking a perfectly thin square and letting it melt slowly while the rest of the world keeps rushing.
This is where Lindt Excellence steps in as more than just another chocolate bar. It’s designed, almost engineered, for people who want to savor instead of snack.
Meet Lindt Excellence: The Thin Bar Built for Slow Pleasure
Lindt Excellence is Lindt & Sprüngli’s flagship range of extra-fine chocolate tablets, available in varieties like Excellence 70% Cacao, 85% Cacao, 90% Cacao, as well as flavored options such as Chili, Orange Intense, and Sea Salt (availability varies by market). The signature move: these bars are exceptionally thin, with precise, snappable segments that are clearly made for tasting, not mindless munching.
On Lindt’s official pages, the brand frames Excellence as chocolate crafted for connoisseurs, emphasizing the fine texture, carefully developed cocoa profiles, and the way each variant is meant to be tasted—almost like wine or specialty coffee. That alone separates it from the usual candy aisle crowd.
Why This Specific Model?
So why Lindt Excellence instead of yet another dark chocolate bar from the store shelf? After combing through Lindt’s own materials and user discussions on forums and Reddit, a few themes keep coming up.
- It solves the “too sweet, too flat” problem. A lot of mass-market bars lean heavily into sugar and milk, especially in the US and European grocery aisles. Excellence, particularly the 70% and above cacao variants, aims for depth over sweetness. Users consistently highlight how much more satisfying a single or double square feels compared to several chunks of regular milk chocolate.
- Ultra-thin format, big sensory payoff. Lindt emphasizes the fine, thin tablet format, and this isn’t a gimmick. The thinness means it melts faster on the tongue, releasing aromas and flavors in layers. It’s essentially a built-in tasting experience. People on Reddit often mention the “snap” and melt as key reasons they keep buying it.
- Variety without chaos. From high-cocoa options like 70%, 85%, 90% (and even higher in some markets) to carefully balanced flavors like Chili or Orange Intense, Excellence gives you choice—but within a cohesive, clearly defined range. You’re not guessing what you’ll get; you’re dialing in your preferred intensity and style.
- Premium feel, accessible price. Compared with many bean-to-bar or boutique craft chocolates, Lindt Excellence usually sits at a mid-range price point. On community threads, you’ll see it described as a “go-to affordable dark chocolate” and a “default weeknight treat that still feels special.”
All of this ladders up to the main benefit: Lindt Excellence gives you permission to slow down. You’re not just eating chocolate; you’re curating a small pocket of calm.
At a Glance: The Facts
Exact details like cocoa percentage and ingredients vary by specific Excellence bar (70%, Chili, Sea Salt, etc.) and country. Lindt provides these specifications individually on its packaging and official product pages. Here’s how the core characteristics translate into everyday benefits for you:
| Feature | User Benefit |
|---|---|
| Ultra-thin chocolate tablet format | Faster, more even melt on the tongue, letting you taste subtle notes instead of just sweetness. |
| Available in multiple high-cocoa variants (e.g., 70%, 85%, 90%) | Lets you choose your preferred intensity, from approachable dark to deeply robust and bitter. |
| Wide range of flavor profiles (such as plain dark, chili, orange, and more, depending on market) | Gives you options for pairing with wine, coffee, or tea, or simply matching your mood. |
| Precise, snappable segments | Makes portion control feel intentional and elegant—easy to break, share, or save for later. |
| Positioned as premium yet widely available | You can pick it up in many supermarkets and online stores without paying boutique-chocolate prices. |
| Backed by Lindt & Sprüngli's long-established chocolate expertise | Benefit from consistent quality and flavor balance from a specialist manufacturer with a global reputation. |
For specifics like ingredient lists or allergens, Lindt is very clear: you need to check the packaging or the individual product page, as these differ by variety and country. In line with that, this review does not assume or list any particular ingredients that aren’t shown on Lindt’s own product information.
What Users Are Saying
Looking at Reddit threads and chocolate forums, the consensus around Lindt Excellence is largely positive, especially for the darker variants.
Common praise:
- Reliable go-to dark chocolate: Many users call it their “default” or “baseline” bar—good enough to enjoy regularly, consistent across purchases.
- Great balance at 70%: The 70% cacao option is frequently singled out as a sweet spot between intensity and approachability. People who are “learning” to like dark chocolate often start here.
- Excellent for pairings: Wine, espresso, whiskey, and even cheese boards—Excellence shows up again and again in pairing recommendations.
- Thin texture love: Comments like “the melt is perfect” or “that snap is addictive” come up often. Texture is part of the fandom.
Recurring criticisms:
- Not as complex as high-end craft bars: Serious bean-to-bar aficionados sometimes describe Excellence as "very good for the price," but less nuanced compared to small-batch single-origin chocolates.
- Flavor variance by type: Some flavored options are more divisive. For instance, on community threads you'll see comments that some love the Chili or Orange Intense, while others find them too bold or sweet compared with the plain high-cocoa bars.
- Regional differences: A few users note that recipes and taste can vary slightly between countries, which means a 70% bar in one market may not taste identical to the same percentage elsewhere.
Overall, the sentiment is that Lindt Excellence hits a sweet (or dark) spot: much more grown-up and refined than generic candy bars, but still easy to find and easy to afford.
Behind the scenes, the range is produced by Lindt & Sprüngli AG, a Swiss chocolate manufacturer that's also listed on the stock market under the ISIN CH0010570759, underscoring just how established and scaled this brand really is.
Alternatives vs. Lindt Excellence
The premium dark chocolate landscape is crowded, so where does Lindt Excellence sit?
- Versus mass-market milk chocolate bars: If you’re used to standard milk chocolate, Excellence (especially 70% and above) will feel richer, less sugary, and more intense. It’s an upgrade in both flavor and ritual, though it may be an acquired taste if you’re new to dark chocolate.
- Versus other supermarket dark chocolates: In many head-to-head comparisons on forums, Lindt Excellence is praised for its texture and overall balance. Some competitors may offer slightly cheaper bars, but users often report that Excellence feels more refined and consistent.
- Versus craft bean-to-bar brands: High-end artisanal chocolates might deliver more origin-specific flavors, unusual roasting profiles, or experimental ingredients. However, they usually cost significantly more and can be harder to find. Lindt Excellence positions itself as the practical, everyday premium choice rather than a rare treat.
- Versus “functional” or diet chocolate: If you’re chasing specific nutritional claims (like added protein or certain sweeteners), specialty bars might be more targeted. Excellence, by contrast, focuses squarely on taste and texture rather than pushing dietary branding.
The takeaway: Lindt Excellence is that sweet spot between everyday and elevated—a bar you can buy in a hurry but still feel good about savoring slowly.
Final Verdict
Lindt Excellence is not trying to be everything to everyone. It’s not a novelty bar with wild flavors, and it’s not a hyper-niche craft chocolate chasing obscure cocoa origins. Instead, it’s a masterclass in doing one thing very well: making dark (and dark-leaning) chocolate feel luxurious, accessible, and intentionally slow.
If you’re tired of chocolate that tastes like a sugar bomb, if you want something you can break into dignified little squares and actually savor, this range delivers. The ultra-thin format, the variety of cocoa percentages, and the carefully tuned flavors make it a reliable, almost ritualistic choice for evenings, work breaks, or post-dinner moments when you just need a pause.
For beginners to dark chocolate, start with a mid-range cacao option (often 70%) and see how the thin texture changes the experience. If you’re already a fan of bold, bitter notes, step up to the higher percentages available in your market and treat them like you would a good espresso—potent, focused, rewarding.
No chocolate bar will fix a stressful day. But with Lindt Excellence, that five-minute break at least feels like you chose something intentional—something that respects your taste as much as your time. And sometimes, that’s exactly the small luxury you need.
