Chocolate Tree - Colombia Arhuaco 70% Dark (bar) - Jan. 12, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Tree
Colombia Arhuaco 70% Dark (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories  (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Colombia Arhuaco 70% Dark (bar) was from Chocolate Tree (Knowes Farm, Scotland). 

The maker(s) have chosen a rare, ancient cacao that "comes from the indigenous Arhuaco community of Colombia who are Guardians of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta." The Arhuaco consider this land -- that covers vast areas of biodiversity -- to be the "Heart of the World."

Aroma and flavor notes for these bars included: fudge-y dark chocolate (dark chocolate ganache; cocoa; drinking chocolate); diffuse, ripe fruit (grape, apple, berry); chocolate covered almonds; and faint honey and sesame.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy texture and melt

I enjoyed the subtle complexity of aromas and flavors in this three-ingredient bar. This chocolate had a sweet finish and was relatively high in flavor--while being relatively low in acidity and bitterness.

Maker's tasting notes: "Liquorice, Sesame"

Maker's Pairing suggestions: Port, Salted Cheese, Peated Whisky

Ingredients: "Organic cocoa beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter."

Allergen-related information: "Nuts and dairy are used in our factory."

 

Dandelion Chocolate - 70% Tumaco, Colombia (2024 Harvest) (bar) - Jan. 11, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Dandelion Chocolate
70% Tumaco, Colombia (2024 Harvest) (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from a family at work. Thank you Maddy, Isla and Evan!
Purchased from: N/A - gift from family

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's 70% Tumaco, Colombia (2024 Harvest) (bar) was from Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA).

Dandelion is a small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate maker that produces bars made with just two ingredients: single origin cacao and sugar. No added cocoa butter, no vanilla, no lecithins. They also honor their individual makers.

For example, printed on today's bar were the words: "Bar Profile By Pablo." That short note connects us with the individual involved with making cacao bean roasting and other choices, as well as coaxing flavors from cacaos from different batches and countries of origin.*

Aroma notes for this bar crafted using cacao from Tumaco, Colombia, included: dark chocolate (fudge-y, chocolate-y), with trace amounts of fruit and green.

Texture: slow melt with a light astringency (slight sense dryness like you might see in certain red wines).

Flavor notes included: deep, chocolate-y notes with diffuse fruit (dark berry, red wine), barely there black and white ground pepper, nut, and dark, floral honey.

*Maker's notes: "Pablo values local ancestral cultivation traditions. He roasts the 2024 harvest short and hot, for rich chocolate-nut aromas with delicate floral accents...We taste chocolate-covered almonds and clover honey."

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans and Organic Cane Sugar

Allergen-related information: "Contains no Dairy, Gluten, Nuts or Soy" 

Tavi - Rich Dark - 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate single origin Colombia (bar) - Jan. 10, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Tavi Chocolates 

Rich Dark - 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate single origin Colombia (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (27 g.) oz. / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1 oz. of (1/3 of) bar
Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Lemon Pop - White Chocolate, Lemon & Popping Candy (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (27 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate & Citrus Theme Week, and Day #4 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Tavi Rich Dark 72% Cacao and the Tavi Lemon Pop White Chocolate bars were  manufactured by Vast Company SAS in Bogota, Colombia, and Imported into the U.S. by Tavi Chocolates Essoel, LLC (Miami, FL).

Rich Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (fudge, floral (vanilla), and faint, diffuse fruit (light, complex cherry, ultra-dark, black forest cake chocolate cake)).

Texture: smooth, with a uniform melt

I enjoyed the smooth, balanced, chocolate-y flavors. Not too dark or bitter, not ultra-sweet. (Relatively smooth for 72% cacao dark chocolate.) This will be in the "just right" zone, except for most dark chocolate lovers.

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

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

Lemon Pop White Chocolate, Lemon & Popping Candy (bar)

Aroma notes for this white chocolate bar included: very faint citrus (sweet, lemon candy) and sweet white chocolate.

Texture: smooth and relatively creamy with sparkles of lemon and popping candy. 

Flavor: sweet, white chocolate flavored with sweet, lightly sparkling, lemony candy.

The pop rocks added a touch of fizz, flavor excitement and fun. Otherwise, this chocolate was pure "white" and lacked trace cacao bean (cacao solids) flavors* -- usually the case with white chocolate.

Ingredients: White Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Milk Powder, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Vanilla Extract), Pop Rocks (Sugar. Glucose Syrup), Natural Lemon Flavor (50% Lemon Powder, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid)

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

* Most commercial white chocolates contain deodorized cocoa butter.

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.