Preston's Candy + Javier Confectionery - Glazed Nib Pomegranate All Natural Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 25, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Preston's Candy + Javier Confectionery
Glazed Cocoa Nib Pomegranate All Natural Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 255 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week -- a series that includes a variety of fruits blended with chocolate(s). (This will be another theme week that exceeds the conventional 7-day "week" by a wide margin.)

Today's generously-sized Preston's* Glazed Cocoa Nib and Pomegranate All Natural Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Preston's Candy + Javier Confectionery (Burlingame, CA).* 

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth, rich dark chocolate with faint vanilla (brownie batter, dark chocolate desserts) as well as very subtle upticks of red fruit (sweet, authentic pomegranate).

Texture: This hearty bar had a generously thick, smooth (almost creamy) dark chocolate base. Atop this chocolate-y base was a field of crunchy cacao nibs and ruby-hued (real) pomegranate seeds.

I enjoyed the rich, chocolate-y flavor, the hint of vanilla, and the blend of textured--with the interplay between creamy-smooth and crunchy elements.

Ingredients: 63% bittersweet chocolate (cacao beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla beans), cocoa nibs, pure cane sugar, Glucose Pomegranate Kernels.

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that also makes products containing milk, soy, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat. 

*Preston's Candy & Ice Cream opened in 1946 and, until fairly recently, served up sweet treats to customers in downtown Burlingame, CA, at 1170 Broadway Ave. Happily the store is still there, although it became Preston's Candy + Javier Confectionery--after Javier Santiago, a chocolatier from Mexico--a country with a very long cacao history)--who purchased the historic Preston's a few years ago. 

Javier offers his own chocolate bars and creations as well as many Preston's classic flavors/items. And he has worked to preserve elements of the original business (e.g. the historic sign, original flavors/crowd favorites). Great combination of old and new (and some would say, timeless) chocolate bars and confections.

Ethel M. Chocolates - Lemon Satin Creme Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 23, 2026

Chocolate of The Day 

Ethel M. Chocolates 
Lemon Satin Creme Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: AJ's Fine Foods, Scottsdale, AZ

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

Today's Lemon Satin Creme Dark Chocolate (bar) was from and distributed by Ethel M(R) Chocolates, LLC (Henderson, NV). 

Aroma notes included: Citric lemon (with a very faint lemon wax), and faint, smooth dark chocolate.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate with an even melt contributed to a pleasant blend of dark chocolate, relatively creamy and sweet lemon. (The lemon flavor was more authentic in the flavor than the aroma.) There was a fair amount of sugar in the ingredients, but it didn't taste overly sweet (a good thing).

Texture: fairly smooth dark chocolate with an even melt, and a satiny smooth lemon filling.

I enjoyed the combination of dark chocolate and sweet lemon, and the smooth textures. I wasn't that excited about the long list of ingredients; but the overall flavor wasn't bad. (I appreciated the honesty in the labeling.)

Maker's description: "Lemon buttercream center made with European lemon puree, wrapped in gourmet dark chocolate and topped with crystallized lemon juice."

Ingredients: "Dark Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate, Chocolate Processed with Alkali, Cocoa Butter, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor), Cane Sugar, Corn Syrup, Heavy Cream (Cream and Carrageenan), Whey Powder, Lemon Puree, Lemon Oil, Natural Flavor, Citric Acid, Modified Food Starch, Invertase, Lemon Juice. No Artificial Flavors."

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk and Soy. May Contain Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Egg and Wheat...Contains Food Ingredients."

Fossa Chocolate - 72% Dark Cheng Tng (bar) - Oct. 22, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Fossa Chocolate 

72% Dark Cheng Tng (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate & Fruits Theme Week,

Today's 72% Dark Cheng Tng (bar) was from Fossa Chocolate (Singapore). This bar was inspired by a fruity ("clear soup") dessert from southeast China.

Fossa crafts single origin chocolate bars flavored with a beautiful, authentic array of beverages and food items from southeast China, including specialty teas, flowers, fruits, sweet desserts and savory dishes. For those who love to be transported by food, Fossa's chocolate and Asian-inspired flavor blends offer tasty virtual journeys to Singapore and beyond.

Aroma and flavor notes for today's 72% dark chocolate bar included an attractive blend of refreshing fruits: red date (jujube), dried goji berry, candied persimmon and candied winter melon, with very faint seed/nut and clear sweet green (brown sugar-sweetened matcha green tea).

The slightly smoky dark chocolate--made with cacao from Vanuatu, an island nation in the southwest Pacific Ocean--was flavorful and well-balanced, as was the blend of fruits and the sacha inchi nuts. It had a surprisingly clean, sweet and refreshing aroma and taste.

Texture: smooth texture with an even and satisfying melt and mouthfeel. The blend of smooth-textured dark chocolate, slightly chewy, dried fruit bits and softly crunchy (nut-like) inchi seed bits was very appealing. (The seeds had a fruity (almond) nut-like flavor.)

I recommend trying this aromatic (sweet and slightly smoky), tasty chocolate. This was another well-executed bar from Fossa Chocolate with high-quality, single origin chocolate + flavor inclusions. 

It couldn't have been easy to perfectly balance the dark smoky chocolate with the light and refreshing, almost tea-like, sweet fruit blend. But, Fossa successfully harnessed dark and light in a perfectly complementary way.

I also appreciated the choice of the single origin cacao and the short list of quality ingredients.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "A cooling, refreshing taste with natural sweetness and gentle smokiness"

Ingredients: "Cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter, brown sugar, sacha inchi seed, goji berry, red dates, longan, persimmon, candied winter melon (winter melon, sugar)

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a facility that processes nuts & dairy." 

Likkle More Chocolate - Tropical Fruit Punch 65% Cocoa Limited Edition (bar) - Oct. 21, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Likkle More Chocolate
Tropical Fruit Punch 65% Cocoa (bar) Limited Edition
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #16 of Chocolate & Jamaica Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week,

Today's Tropical Fruit Punch 65% Cocoa Limited Edition (Passion Fruit, Mango, Pineapple) (bar) was from Likkle More Chocolate (Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies).

Aroma notes for this Limited Edition chocolate included: Smooth dark chocolate (chocolate-y, cocoa, very faint pleasant cedar wood, red fruits and marshmallow) with additional, diffuse subtle tart-sweet tropical fruits (mango, passion fruit, pineapple with a hint of melon and peach)

Flavor notes included: similar chocolate and fruit notes that were present in the aroma, but with a deeper immersion into the chocolate -- smooth, dark, subtly flavorful--plus tiny hints of warm spice and wood.

This chocolate was well-executed with relatively low bitterness, and had balanced (fruity) acidic notes consistent with blend of island fruits: passion fruit, mango and pineapple. There was a gently complex and balanced finish, and that resolved into something that was clean and not too astringent or acidic.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with an even and satisfying melt, that was adorned on the back side with light, peach and honey-hued freeze-dried fruit bits that dissolved effortlessly along with each bite of chocolate. 

I really appreciated the subtly complex and layered flavoring enabled by the maker's choices. Freeze dried fruit pieces could have been finely ground and fully incorporated into the chocolate (creating a unified mouthfeel and taste), or the fruit bits could have been larger and chewy creating more texture and flavor separation. The middle approach--where the layers of dark chocolate and fruit flavors (that were still detectable) were melting together perfectly and slowly in real time--was just right.

Ingredients: "Cocoa nibs, cane sugar, freeze dried passion fruit pulp, cocoa butter, freeze dried mango diced, freeze dried pineapple." 

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package)

Likkle More Chocolate - Fresh Ginger 70% Cocoa (bar) - Oct. 20, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Likkle More Chocolate
Fresh Ginger 70% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate & Jamaica Theme Week.

Today's Fresh Ginger 70% Cocoa (bar) was from Likkle More Chocolate (Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies).

Aroma notes included: pleasant, relatively subtle, dark chocolate with faint spice/ginger.

Flavor notes included a richer deep chocolate-y flavor than the aroma indicated. This smooth Jamaican chocolate was low in bitterness and acidity. And a warm, authentic ginger flavor (with a serene glow in the finish) completed this balanced blend.

Texture: This well-tempered chocolate broke with an audible snap, and had a smooth mouthfeel and melt. The ginger was fully integrated into the dark chocolate. (There were no chewy candied ginger bits or stringy ginger pieces/shreds; and there was no powdered ginger spice grit.)

I appreciated the subtle complexity, the balanced flavors--as well as the short list of local ingredients and attractive packaging--in this well-executed chocolate. 

And I enjoyed the warm, authentic ginger glow that gently blossomed in the finish. This smooth Jamaican chocolate was low in bitterness and acidity. 

Ingredients: "Cocoa nibs, cane sugar, cocoa butter, dehydrated fresh ginger root. All-natural colors derived from plants, fruits & vegetables." 

Allergen-related information: "Made in a kitchen that handles milk, seeds & nuts."

Likkle More Chocolate - Bachelor's Hall Estate 72% Cocoa (bar) - Oct. 19, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Likkle More Chocolate
Bachelor's Hall Estate 72% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate & Jamaica Theme Week.

Today's Bachelor's Hall Estate* 72% Cocoa (bar) was from Likkle More Chocolate (Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies)...as in, please give me a "little more" chocolate.

Aroma and flavor notes for this attractively decorated, single origin Jamaican dark bar included: smooth dark chocolate (nutty cocoa); faint red fruit and red apple jelly; barely there warm spice; and a wee bit of balanced (coffee-like) bitterness/acidity and in the finish.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with an even melt. Finish: There was a very slight fruit/coffee/menthol sensation that resolved into a faint, red apple tartness at the tail end of the finish.

I liked the subtle complexity, especially the nutty cocoa notes up front in this single origin/estate Jamaican chocolate. The very faint coffee, wood, apple and menthol notes in the finish were interesting and balanced. Overall it was fairly low in bitterness. 

I appreciated the short list of ingredients (only three ingredients), the fact that they press their (own) cocoa butter, and the attractive packaging art and compostable inner wrapper.

Ingredients: "Cocoa nibs, cane sugar, cocoa butter. All-natural colors derived from plants, fruits & vegetables." 

Allergen-related information: "Made in a kitchen that handles milk, seeds & nuts."

*Bachelor's Hall Estate is a large farm (in St. Thomas Parish) in southeastern Jamaica, owned and operated by Desmond Jadusingh--who inherited what had been a cocoa farm from his grandfather, and brought it back to life. Despite hurricanes and other challenges, he developed fermentation techniques and his Estate became known for great Jamaican cacao. 

Likkle More Chocolate - Jamaican Dark Milk bar with Plantain Crisps 55% Cocoa - Oct. 18, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Likkle More Chocolate
Jamaican Dark Milk bar with Plantain Crisps 55% Cocoa (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate & Jamaica Theme Week

Today's Dark Milk 55% Cocoa bar with Jamaican Plantain Crisps was from Likkle More Chocolate (Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies). 

The company offers a variety of attractively packaged, bean-to-bar chocolates (bars) that include several different Jamaican flavor inclusions, and are decorated with pastel-hued, decorative splatters of what I assume is cocoa butter-based "paint."

Aroma and flavor notes for today's Plantain milk chocolate bar included: subtle milk chocolate with a gentle aroma and milky flavor and an even subtler plantain taste and texture.

Green, unripe plantains used in cooking and crisps (chips) are less sweet, flavorful and floral than bananas. They contributed a mellow, starchy, mild vegetable flavor.

Texture: smooth milk chocolate with a milky/creamy melt and mouthfeel, interspersed with tiny bits of plantain chips.

The percent of cacao was almost too low (for me, a dark chocolate fan); however, the sweetness level was just about right (not too high). This 55% milk chocolate was low in bitterness; there were no unexpectedly bold/funky notes.

Ingredients: Cocoa nibs, cane sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, plantain crisps (sunflower oil), salt. Natural colors derived from plants, fruits & vegetables.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Made in a kitchen handling milk, seeds & nuts."

*The image of golden sunlight glowing through tropical foliage--framed in black and gold on the outside packaging was beautiful.