Tavi - Honeycomb Orange 72% cacao dark chocolate (bar) - Jan. 9, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Tavi Chocolates 
Orange Honeycomb 72% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 (40 g.) oz. / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 222 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate & Citrus Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate & Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Tavi "Orange Honeycomb 72% cacao dark chocolate orange blend with honeycomb crunch" (bar) was manufactured by Vast Company SAS in Bogota, Colombia, and Imported by Tavi Chocolates Essoel, LLC (Miami, FL).

Founded by siblings Sofia and Esteban Varela, Tavi is a family-owned business focused on chocolates made in Colombia (using premium cacao(s) grown in Colombia) blended with creative designs and flavors.

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate with warm, malty and faint orange notes.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate studded with light and airy, crispy-crunchy honeycomb candy (that did contain some real honey).

Flavor notes included: smooth-tasting chocolate, sweet and crunchy honeycomb candy; subtle, authentic orange; and faint honey.

I liked the overall harmonious blend of flavors and textures. There was just the right amount of orange powder that -- when combined with a hint of vanilla -- added warm and appealing accent flavors to the smooth dark chocolate. 

I also appreciated the light and crispy honeycomb candy (that was not too sticky sweet or overwhelming), and the choice of 72% cacao. (Anything less than 72% might have been too sweet for me, a dark fan.)

Ingredients: Bittersweet Chocolate (Chocolate Liquor, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecit(h)in, Vainilla (sic)), Sugar Cane, Natural Orange Power (sic), Honey.

Allergen-related information: "Produced on Equipment That Also Processes Products Containing Milk, Peanuts and Other Tree Nuts."

Eigen Chocolate - Chocolate Orange 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) + Amparo Lebara 70% Huila Colombia Microlot (bar) - Jan. 8, 2026

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Eigen Chocolate

Chocolate Orange 70% Dark Chocolate with Orange Oil (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 136.4 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Eigen Chocolate, online order

San Jose de Isnos Huila Colombia - Amparo Lebaza 70% Cacao Microlot (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.74 (sic) oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 136.4 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Eigen Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate & Citrus Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate & Colombia Theme Week.

Today's two very tasty chocolate bars were: 

• 1.) Chocolate Orange - 70% Dark Chocolate with Orange Oil (bar)
• 2.) San Jose de Isnos Huila, Colombia - Amparo Lebaza 70% Cacao Microlot (bar). 

Both were crafted by the same maker: Eigen Chocolate (High Point, NC).

Chocolate Orange 70% Dark Chocolate with Orange Oil

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate and aromatic, sweet orange.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with a smooth, even melt

Flavor notes for this attractively packaged bar included: sweet dark chocolate and orange that extended into a pleasing orange finish. This was relatively sweet for a 70% dark chocolate, likely made more so by the orange oil that had an inherent citrus sweet orange taste to it and the use of cane sugar (which I've not tasted as often this week).*

This bar evoked memories of holiday dark chocolate oranges of the past. (Today's thoughtfully-executed bar would likely win in a taste-off against those chocolates from decades ago.)

I enjoyed the balanced blend of sweet and tasty authentic flavors and short list of quality ingredients. The orange oil tasted like real orange. 

Ingredients: "Cacao nibs, Organic cane sugar, Organic cocoa butter, Orange oil"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles nuts, dairy & soy."

San Jose de Isnos Huila Colombia - Amparo Lebaza 70% Cacao Microlot

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, dried fruit (raisin, citrus, pomegranate) and very faint herbal.

Texture: smooth, with a slight, but not unpleasant, astringency in the second half.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (fudge-y), diffuse dried fruit (raisin, mixed citrus, faint pomegranate), faint wood, and very faint, sharp floral/honey.

I really enjoyed the unique, slightly tart and tangy, yet grounded and balanced, flavors and complexity in this 70% dark chocolate bar--all elicited from just three ingredients. 

(After eating many holiday, milk and flavored chocolates these past few weeks, I loved tasting authentic and nuanced cacao bean flavors in a dark chocolate bar again.)

Maker's tasting notes: "Fudge, Hickory, Floral"

Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar*, cocoa butter* (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles nuts, dairy & soy."

*I've tasted many chocolates recently with less processed/brown sugars. The type of sugar can influence what a chocolate tastes like. "White" cane sugar is preferred for its clear sweetness, i.e. (lack of other flavors that may obfuscate more subtle cacao notes in chocolate. 

Cacao Hunters - 64% Limoncillo Lemongrass Dark Chocolate Bars - Jan. 7, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Hunters
64% Limoncillo Lemongrass Dark Chocolate Bars
Good ++ 
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 340 calories in 2 bars (1 package)
Cost: $6.99 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate & Citrus Theme Week; Day #1 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Cacao Hunters 64% Limoncillo chocolate (bars) were manufactured by Cacao de Colombia in Colombia. The package contained two, individually-wrapped (sealed) bars.

Aroma and flavor notes for these bars included: sweet, smooth, dark chocolate; light citrus (lemon); light green herbal/spice (vanilla*); and very faint lemon profiterole cookie.

Texture: The chocolate was well-tempered (broke with a snap); and it was smooth textured--with an even, satisfying melt. The relative thinness of these bars allowed better/quicker access to flavors and texture.

I liked the smooth texture and blend of gentle (Tumaco, Colombia) cacao and herbal lemongrass** flavors. I also appreciated the relatively short list of ingredients.

Ingredients: "Chocolate (cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin)), Lemongrass."

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk."

*Note: There was no vanilla; no vanilla appeared in the ingredients list.

** While native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, lemongrass (Cympobogon) has been cultivated for over a century in other tropical areas--that often overlap with cacao growing areas in South American and Central American countries like Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay and Guatemala.

TCHO - Dark & Zesty 62% Cacao (bars) - Jan. 6, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO
"Dark & Zesty" - 62% Cacao (bars)
Good ++
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 3 bars
Calories: 360 calories in 1 package of 3 bars
Cost: N/A - gift from a coworker
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a coworker

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate & Citrus Theme Week. 

Today's package of 3 individually-wrapped "Dark & Zesty" 62% Cacao (bars) was from TCHO Ventures Inc. (Berkeley, CA). 

This tasty and unapologetically orange chocolate was created as a small-batch chocolate collaboration between TCHO and The Florida Aquarium (Tampa, FL), and was given to me by the head zookeeper at the local Junior Museum & Zoo. (Thank you Sean!)

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate infused with aromatic, authentic and vibrant orange. 

Texture: These individually-wrapped bars had an attractively smooth texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: a blend of smooth, sweet dark chocolate with a zesty blend of 62% cacao dark chocolate and sweet citrus (orange, orange juice, candied orange peel). The orange flavor was authentic and bright and lingered into the chocolate fudge and tart-sweet citrus finish. This was like one of those holiday chocolate oranges -- only better.

I really enjoyed this cheery, citrus-infused chocolate, even if it was on the sweet side. (Think 100% orange juice (frozen) bar covered in dark chocolate.) 

This bar was similar to other TCHO citrus flavored chocolates released recently (most notably the "Winter Squeeze" 62% Cacao bars with orange oomph and a hint of grapefruit). I hope today's bar (and the Lemon with Sea Salt and Olive Oil bar) join TCHO's permanent (year-round) collection.

Thank you to the makers at TCHO for using orange powder (rather than just natural flavors or orange essential oils (where taste/quality vary quite a bit)). The orange powder gave this bar a much more full-bodied and authentic citrus flavor; and evoked memories of fresh, backyard oranges in childhood that brightened up winter days.

I appreciated TCHO's use of Organic ingredients, as well as the use of Fair Trade cacao beans and cocoa butter.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans*+, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*+, Orange Powder (Orange Peel and Pulp)*, Sunflower Lecithin*,  Citic Acid, Natural Flavors*, Vanilla Beans*

(*Organic; +Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: May contain tree nuts. 

Olive and Sinclair - Candied Lemon Chocolate 75% Cacao (bar) - Jan. 5, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Olive and Sinclair
Candied Lemon Chocolate 75% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 410 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate & Citrus Theme Week.

Today's Candied Lemon Chocolate 75% Cacao (bar) (Batch No. 012327) was from Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co. (Nashville, TN).

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate, faint malt (malty cracker) and lemon cookie/biscuit.

Texture: relatively smooth, stone-ground dark chocolate with bits of candied lemon and occasional tiny sparkles of sea salt. 

Flavor notes included: smooth 75% dark chocolate (Ecuador), faint malt, and multi-dimensional sweetness (brown sugar, candied lemon). I enjoyed the perfect balance of dark chocolate, lemon and sea salt in this bar. This was bittersweet at its very, balanced, best.

Each of the elements harmonized well with each other in this blend of smooth, 75% stoneground cacao, upbeat citrus, subtle brown sugar and (Maldon) sea salt, to create a sophisticated and delicious bar. Not too sweet. Not too dark. Not too bitter. Just right. This bar landed squarely in the Goldilocks* zone for me.

Maker's tasting notes: "Chewy candied lemon brings out the brightness of our 75%...chocolate" 

Ingredients: "Cacao Beans, Brown Sugar, Candied Lemon, Sea Salt"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts"

*The Goldilocks reference is to "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," a story based on a European/American folktale/fairy tale. In most recent versions of this story, a young girl (Goldilocks) visits the home of three bears (who are out on a walk) and tries their bowls of porridge, chairs and beds belonging to each of the three bears. Goldilocks selects items that were neither too hot nor too cold, and were not too hard or soft. She selects the porridge, chair and bed that were "just right" for her. 

Eventually, the bears come home to find Goldilocks asleep on the baby bear's bed. The girl wakes, and runs out before anything happens to her. One assumes the bears were left scratching their heads, and were not entirely happy about the intruder.

Some astronomers have also used the expression "the Goldilocks zone" to describe planets that may possess the right characteristics (not too cold, not too hot, etc.) to support life.

 

TCHO - "Winter Squeeze" - 62% Smooth Dark Chocolate + Vibrant Orange - Jan. 4, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO
"Winter Squeeze" - 62% Cacao Smooth Dark Chocolate + Vibrant Orange
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) for 2 bars / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total package of 3 bars
Calories: 200 calories in 2/3 of the package (2 bars)
Cost: $11.99 for 1 package of 3 bars
Purchased from: TCHO, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate & Citrus Theme Week. 

Today's "Winter Squeeze" 62% Cacao (bars) were from TCHO Ventures Inc. (Berkeley, CA).

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate infused with aromatic, bold, authentic citrus (orange).

Flavor notes for these two individually-wrapped smaller bars (part of a package of 3) included: a relatively smooth, and certainly sweet, blend of 62% cacao dark chocolate and sweet citrus (orange juice, lime*, lemon*, pink grapefruit). The flavors in this winter waker-upper were authentic, bright. and bracing. 

I enjoyed this cheery, citrus-infused chocolate, even if it was on the sweet side. (Think 100% orange juice (frozen) bar covered in dark chocolate.) 

Thank you to the makers at TCHO for using orange powder (rather than just natural flavors or orange essential oils (whose taste/quality vary quite a bit)). The orange powder gave this bar a much more full-bodied and authentic citrus flavor; and evoked memories of freshly picked oranges in childhood that brightened up cold, damp January days then as well.

I also appreciated the use of Organic ingredients and the Organic certification, as well as the use of Fair Trade Certified cacao beans and cocoa butter.

*Orange and grapefruit were the citrus fruit flavorings in this bar. There was no lime or lemon.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans*+, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*+, Orange Powder (Orange Peel and Pulp)*, Sunflower Lecithin*,  Citic Acid, Natural Orange Flavor*, Natural Grapefruit Flavor, Vanilla Beans*

(*Organic; +Fair Trade Certified)

Allergen-related information: May contain tree nuts.

Sted Foods - Pecan Orange Spice 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 3, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Sted Foods
Organic Pecan Orange Spice 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sted Foods, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate & Citrus Theme Week.

Today's Sted Foods Organic Orange Pecan Spice 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by TC Foods, LLC (Fergus Falls, MN).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (roasted cacao) and orange oil.

Texture: This relatively thin, segmented bar broke easily and had a smooth texture with tiny, soft nut (pecan) bits.

 Flavor notes included: slightly bitter (or at least unsweetened, slightly over-roasted, smoke-y; black licorice, rubber) 70% cacao dark chocolate (that tasted more like an 80% dark chocolate); orange (peel); faint nut (pecan); faint spice; and a few tiny upticks of (unexpected, but appreciated) salt. (The salt helped to balance the bitterness.)

Maker's tasting notes: "Bright + Zesty + Orange Grove"..."This bar celebrates the simple zing of wild clementines with the buttery richness of pecans and the warming spice of cinnamon and cloves in dark chocolate..."

I appreciated the relatively short list of organic ingredients, the choice of flavors in this blend, and the maker's philosophy of creating connection(s) and a sense of place as part of a backdrop for celebrating flavors. 

Right now, I'm imagining what it's like in January and Minnesota...It's 28 degrees F (-2 degrees C in Fergus Falls and St. Paul, MN as I write this. Chocolate with citrus and warm spices sounds like a good antidote for this chilly weather.

Ingredients: "organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic pecans, organic cocoa butter, organic cinnamon, organic cloves, organic orange essential oil"

Allergen-related information: "Contain pecans. Made in a facility that uses coconut, almonds, pecans, and milk." "Free From Soy, Gluten, & Palm Oil"