Taza - 70% Dark Chocolate Lemon Cookie Crunch (bar) - Sept. 17, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Taza Chocolate
70% Dark Chocolate Lemon Cookie Crunch (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Taza, online order 

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Tea Theme Week.

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate Lemon Cookie Crunch (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA). 

Taza founders have been making stone ground ("perfectly unrefined") chocolate bars, discs and confections since 2005--and were early adopters of organic cacao and direct trade efforts/practices.

There was no tea in this bar, but this lemon cookie 70% chocolate paired well with a creamy matcha tea latte and with an aromatic black tea with citrus notes.

Aroma notes included: lemon, lemon cookie, dark chocolate and vanilla.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate and crunchy (lemon cookie bits)

Flavor notes included: sweet lemony flavor and lemon cookies that lightened up the earthy dark chocolate. 

The bright, light floral qualities of the creamy smoothness of the matcha green tea latte (pairing item) complemented the sweet lemon cookie and helped reduce the spikier/bolder earth notes in the 70% dark chocolate. (The cacao used to make this chocolate was from The Dominican Republic.) A high-quality black tea with a squeeze of lemon also worked nicely.

Always a pleasure to explore different chocolate + tea pairings and to try to get everything to harmonize. I was hoping to try a pairing without adding dairy, but the matcha latte (with milk) seemed to be the best pairing match.

I appreciated the use of organic, fair trade and less processed ingredients.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Lemon Cookies* (Gluten Free Whole Oat Flour*, Cane Sugar*, High Oleic Safflower Oil*, Pear Juice from Concentrate*, Tapioca Starch*, Lemon Juice from Concentrate*, Lemon Extract*, Salt, Pure Vanilla Extract*, Cream of Tartar, Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate), Sunflower Lecithin*, Xanthan Gum, Rosemary Extract*), Cocoa Butter*, Lemon Flavor Oil* (Sunflower Oil* and Natural Flavors), Sunflower Lecithin*. (* Organic)

Allergen-related information: May Contain Traces of Tree Nuts and Sesame Seeds.

Kessho - Boba Tea 44% Cacao Ecuador (bar) - Sept. 16, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Kessho Craft Chocolate
Boba Tea Milk Chocolate 44% Cacao Cayapas Rivers Ecuador (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 369 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate & Tea Week.*

Today's Boba Tea Milk Chocolate 44% Cacao Cayapas Rivers Ecuador (bar) was made and distributed by Kessho, LLC (Austin, TX).

The Nacional variety cacao used to make this chocolate was from northern Ecuador. The Cayapas (River) runs from the Andes mountains to the Pacific Ocean. (Of the 100s of rivers and streams that begin in the Andes, some flow to the Pacific Ocean, and others run eastward toward the Amazon River system.) This vast water network sustains large forest ecosystems--as well as farmers growing cacao--in South America.

Aroma and flavor notes included: pleasing, aromatic high-end tea and Boba/Thai iced tea with fleeting clean mineral/tea, almost floral, brown sugar, smooth and tasty milk chocolate, cream and sugar. The tea kept re-surfacing above cloud-like layers of sweet creamy milk chocolate and lingered into a long finish.

Texture: ridiculously creamy and smooth with a rich creamy melt. (Cocoa butter is the first ingredient listed.)

I really enjoyed the short list of high-quality ingredients, the aromatic and tasty (Fujian Province, China) tea blend and the fact that this tea was able to shine through the smooth milk chocolate. This was a lovely, creamy, single origin cacao rendition of boba tea. (Also somewhat addicting.)

Maker's Tasting Notes: Ecuador Cacao Flavor Profile: "Floral, woody aroma"...Overall bar: "Boba, caramel and chocolate fudge"

Ingredients: "Cocoa butter, brown sugar, whole cacao beans, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, black tea powder, sugar, dark brown sugar"

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk...Made in a facility that processes tree nuts, wheat, sesame and eggs"

Maeve Chocolate - Pumpkin Spiece Chai Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar - Sept. 15, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Maeve Chocolate
(Seattle Chocolate Co.)
Pumpkin Spice Chai Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar
Good ++ 
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh to You, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Tea Theme Week.

Today's Maeve Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Chai Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar was produced by Seattle Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).*

Aroma and flavor notes for this sweet confection of a bar included: very sweet milk chocolate infused with authentic-tasting pumpkin spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice) and vanilla. (The black tea was very subtle.)

Texture: soft, seductively thick and creamy (truffle-like) texture. (This bar will not break with a snap. It had a very creamy milk chocolate fudge texture that I could slice with a butter knife.)

I think most milk chocolates are too sweet. (I do prefer dark chocolates.) But then, as if to show the addictive power of sugar, I find myself devouring a whole milk chocolate bar (especially the ones with salt and/or ones with chai/pumpkin spices and aromatic tea blends). Reminder to self: don't eat bars like this if you're hungry.

I appreciated the use of real spices and black tea in this truffle bar, additives and emulsifiers were kept to a minimum (soy lecithin), and that this bar was gluten-free.

Ingredients: milk chocolate (cane sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter*, cocoa mass*, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), coconut oil, sea salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, organic black tea, allspice.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk and Soy. This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, and wheat products.

*Maeve Chocolate is a trademark of Seattle Chocolate Co.

Xocolatl Chocolate - Barrel-Aged Dark with ASW Distillery Duality Double Malt Whiskey 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 14, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Xocolatl Chocolate
Barrel-Aged Dark with ASW Distillery's Duality Double Malt Whiskey (R) 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.6 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate & Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Barrel-Aged Dark with ASW Distillery's Duality Double Malt Whiskey (R) 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Xocolatl LLC (Atlanta, GA). 

Founders Elaine Read and Matt Weyandt started their chocolate making journey with Costa Rican cacao over a decade ago, and are committed to sourcing sustainably grown cacao from farmers in the Americas--where cacao originated. Their company name (Xocolatl, the "Aztec word for chocolate") is a tribute to the civilizations and people who have cultivated cacao for many centuries. 

Today's bar is a collaboration with ASW Distillery (Atlanta, GA). Presumably cacao nibs were barrel-aged in whiskey casks that imparted the very subtle, smooth and naturally sweet spirits aroma and flavor that mingled with the cacao flavors.

Aroma and flavor notes for today's chocolate (bar) included: rich dark chocolate with medium, balanced acidity; faint diffuse fruit (very faint sweet pomegranate and fig syrup); sweet green botanical (with a touch of spirits, brown sugar, smooth wood/oak, red wine); and very faint (barely detectable), fleeting herb (dill pickle chips, salt)--that dissipated soon after opening the wrapper.

Texture: smooth was a very faint (fruit) astringency.

I appreciated the short list of high-quality and organic ingredients and the subtle, balanced flavors that gently lingered into the finish. You may want to savor this bar slowly; and lean in a little to get some of the nuances.

Ingredients: Cacao*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, ASW Distillery's Duality Double Malt Whiskey(R) (* = organic)

Allergen-related information: "Made on equipment that processes peanuts, soy, wheat & tree nuts (almond, coconut, hazelnut, pecan)."

Seattle Chocolate Co. - Maeve - Maple Bourbon with Maple Sugar and Crunchy Toffee (bar) - Sept. 13, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Seattle Chocolate Co.

Maeve Chocolate - Maple Bourbon Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar with Maple Sugar and Crunchy Toffee
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh to You, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Maeve Chocolate - Maple Bourbon Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar with Maple Sugar and Crunchy Toffee (bar) was a trademark of Seattle Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate (roasted cacao), brown/maple sugar, vanilla and very faint spirits.

Texture: soft, creamy texture with just the right amount (a light smattering) of crunchy toffee bits.

While this dark chocolate truffle bar was relatively sweet, I enjoyed the rich complexity of the sweet flavor inclusions and ingredients. Roast-y cacao, toasted brown sugar toast, sweet brown sugar, caramel, maple, vanilla and faint woodsy/oak, bourbon-like notes. A touch of salt helped balance the sweetness and  the whole bar was somewhat addicting.

Ingredients: dark chocolate (cocoa mass, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), toffee (beet sugar, glucose syrup, cream, butter, skim milk powder, salt), coconut oil, maple sugar, organic natural flavor, organic natural flavor, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk and Soy. "This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, and wheat products." "sorry, this bar does not contain alcohol"; Kosher Dairy.

*Maeve Chocolate is a trademark of Seattle Chocolate Co.

Millcreek Cacao Roasters - Whiskey Infused Farm To Bar Dark Chocolate 78% Chuno Matagalpa, Nicaragua (bar) - Sept. 12, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Millcreek Cacao Roasters
Whiskey Infused Farm to Bar Dark Chocolate 78% Chuno Matagalpa, Nicaragua (bar)

Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 138 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

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

Today's Whiskey Infused Farm to Bar Dark Chocolate 78% Chuno Matagalpa, Nicaragua (bar) was from Millcreek Cacao Roasters (Salt Lake City, UT).

This single origin cacao (Nicaragua) bar comes with a special pairing recommendation for: Whiskey -- from High West Distillery (Park City, UT). The two Utah companies formed a bond over their mutual devotion to high-quality, delicious fermented offerings.

Aroma notes for today's 78% dark chocolate included: appealing rich, smooth dark chocolate, and faint, smokey-smooth oak, whiskey cask wood (almost smoked caramel/brown sugar).

Texture: initially very smooth, followed by some astringency (dryness)/rustic granularity in the middle and end of the taste. (This astringency was not spikey or objectionable to me, but may be noticeable to others.)

The chocolate had smooth, rich and balanced flavors and was relatively low in acidity and bitterness -- for a 78% dark chocolate.

This bar was infused with a subtle whiskey flavor by "aging the chocolate with charred barrel staves..."

I could imagine pairing this dark chocolate with the High West Distillery's Double Rye whiskey would yield an extra dimension of pleasing richness and roundness to this chocolate. (A possible pairing for future chocolate tastings.) However, just this bar all by itself would be a great tasting option for a dessert plate or fine meal.

Ingredients: "Cacao, Pure Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter"

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

Nuance Chocolate - Special Series Cherry Whiskey 70% Dark (bar) - Sept. 11, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Nuance Chocolate

Spirit Series - Cherry Whiskey 70% Dark (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 1.9 oz. (55 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Nuance Chocolate, order by phone/online 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week. And Happy 19th Year of Chocolate Banquet.*

Today's Spirit Series - Cherry Whiskey 70% Dark (bar) (Batch #40413) was from Nuance Chocolate (Fort Collins, CO). Nuance is a small-batch, bean-to-bar maker producing high-end bars and confections.

This bar was a Colorado collaboration between Nuance Chocolate's blend of premium cacao beans and a lovely whiskey from Leopold Bros., an independently-owned distillery in Denver, CO.

Aroma notes for this chocolate (from Nuance Chocolate's "Spirit Series" of bars) included: rich, smooth chocolate-y chocolate with subtle, rounded red fruit notes (cherry) and faint spirits (whiskey, brown sugar, oak, vanilla).

Texture: Pleasing, hearty, creamy melt and mouthfeel. Just the right thickness, that enabled easy access to aroma and flavors as well as a great melt.

Flavor notes included: deeper, richer, smooth dark chocolate and more of the layered spirits (whiskey) notes mentioned above. Lingering, balanced, cherry, chocolate-y (dark chocolate chips, chocolate torte, and the ghost-of-a-good-whiskey in the pleasant finish. 

I loved the rich, nuanced flavors in this bar, all coaxed from just four ingredients. This subtly spirited 70% dark chocolate was great all by itself...

...But, if you want to fancy things up, this Cherry Whiskey bar could be a part of a dessert plate, a chocolate and spirits flight, or incorporated into almost any chocolate dessert. There was enough natural sweetness to evoke a high-end chocolate cocktail or a slightly-spiked hot chocolate. Warm and inviting; nothing too harsh or spiky. Relatively low in acidity and bitterness. Versatile and classy, with warm overtones.

Maker's description: "A transcendent pairing of barrel-aged Leopold Brothers Cherry Whiskey and a special blend of fully-fermented cacao from around the world. First on the palate is chocolate, followed by cherry, whiskey and charred-oak barrel. No trickery--just cacao, cane sugar and real American whiskey."

Ingredients: "cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter, cherry whiskey."

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat, and soy."

*Chocolate Banquet is the blog-site that celebrates cacao and chocolate makers--and has featured Corinne DeBra's tasting a different chocolate every day for (as of today) 19 years.