Taste Artisan Chocolate - 58% Madagascar Milk Chocolate bar - Oct. 31, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Taste Artisan Chocolate
58% Madagascar Milk Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.96 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere, online order

Happy Halloween! And welcome to Day #3 of Single Origin Milk Chocolate Theme Week.

Nope, no chocolate pumpkins or scary cocoa ghosts this year. We're going for tasty, comfort chocolates.

The chocolates featured this week are dark milk chocolate bars that contain a higher percentage cacao (solids) than most milk chocolate bars on the market, above 40% cacao. The more cacao, the more true chocolate flavor. (By contrast, some milk chocolates may contain only 10%-12% cacao—the approximate threshold that a chocolate manufacturer must meet to call their product milk chocolate.)

Today's 58% Madagascar Milk Chocolate bar was from Taste Artisan Chocolate (Provo, Utah). Taste is a "food experience lounge," located in downtown Provo, and is next door to a manufacturing facility (Coleman and Davis, an operation managed by Char and Morgan Coleman and local chocolate expert Phil Davis) where Taste chocolate is made, from bean-to-bar.

This gluten free, four ingredient* dark milk bar was made with cacao grown in the rich, volcanic soils of Sambirano Valley region of Madagascar. An additional detail provided on the packaging: the cacao used from this region had "both Venezuelan and Mexican heritage (and) the natives call (it) "green gold." (Note: All cacao originally came from the Americas.)

The bar broke with a well-tempered snap, and had slightly malty, caramel, true chocolate notes. The texture was smooth and the melt and mouthfeel slow and luxurious.

The red fruit and berry notes often associated with Madagascar were more evident after the third small, careful bite; and, as expected, were muted a bit by the milk. The characteristic red color associated with cacao from this African island nation, however, was not. It could be seen immediately upon opening the silver foil wrapper. The bar had a pleasing finish with no off notes.

*Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, milk powder.

K'ul Chocolate - Soyle Leve Dark Milk Chocolate bar - Oct. 30, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

K'ul Chocolate

Soyle Leve Dark Milk Chocolate bar

Good + 

Weight: 1.45 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.9 oz. (65 g.) in total bar

Calories: 217.5 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar 

Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Draeger's, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Single Origin Milk Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's beautifully packaged Soyle Leve* Dark Milk Chocolate bar was from K'ul Chocolate (Minneapolis, MN).

This "100% Haitian bean" dark milk chocolate was flavored with star anise and cinnamon—in the style of spiced breakfast hot chocolate prepared in Petit Bourges, Haiti. 

Star anise was the dominant flavor, masking some of the more subtle cacao notes. A hint of cinnamon added some warmth; and milk added some creamy texture.

Ingredients: Direct Trade Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Whole Milk Powder, Organic Cacao Butter, Spices

*Soyle Leve is the Creole name for sunrise.

Belvie - Milk Chocolate Single Terroir (Vietnam) 55% Cacao bar - Oct. 29, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Belvie Chocolate Maker
Milk Chocolate Single Terroir 55% Cacao bar
(Chocolat Noir Au Lait)
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 226 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week, and Day #1 of Single Origin Milk Chocolate Week.

Today's Milk Chocolate Single Terroir* 55% Cacao bar was from Belvie Chocolate Maker (Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam).

Start with high-quality dark chocolate and add a hint of milk, and odds are you'll end up with a high-quality dark milk chocolate bar that mutes strong or even slightly off flavors, and still allows desirable flavor notes to shine through. This bar achieved this goal.

This lovely, complex chocolate had balanced, high-end caramel, muted red fruit and true chocolate flavor notes, and a very faint, pleasant whiff of aromatic tobacco smoke and buttered toffee toast in the initial aroma. The bar had a milky smoothness and a lingering, clean finish.

*This bar was made with Trinitario cacao beans grown in Dong Nai province, "a hilly inland area underlaid by volcanic rock" in Vietnam.

Arete Fine Chocolate - Lam Dong 100% Dark Chocolate bar - Oct. 28, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Arete Fine Chocolate
Viet Nam Lam Dong 100% Dark Chocolate bar
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 172.5 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

Today's Viet Nam Lam Dong 100% Dark Chocolate bar was thoughtfully crafted by Arete Fine Chocolate (Spencer, TN). This was one of the best 100% cacao bars I've tasted in awhile. (Sadly it is sold out, so it's not possible to order some for future tastings.)

The chocolate was made with just one ingredient: cacao beans that were grown in the Lam Dong province of Vietnam northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, in the southern part of the country.

It had a mild malt aroma and flavor note (faint dark pumpernickel bread, stout). The melt and texture was creamy and smooth.* The deep, dense, robust chocolate flavor with a balanced touch of bitterness in the second half, grows on you and is very consistent (no off flavors). The finish lingers a bit, in a pleasant way.

Note: I wouldn't sample this with other sweet chocolate. It deserves to be enjoyed separately.

*If there was additional cacao butter added it wasn't clear. However, if it was, these makers have made it a point to press their own cacao butter (using the same beans they're using for the cocoa solids in a bar), which is more work than it sounds like.

Belvie - Hao Moc Single Terroir Dark 80% bar - Oct. 27, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Belvie Chocolate Maker
Hao Moc Single Terroir Dark Chocolate 80% Cacao bar
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 239.2 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.60 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere, online order

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

Today's Hao Moc Single Terroir (Vietnam) Dark Chocolate 80% Cacao bar from Belvie Chocolate Maker (Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam) had an attractive true chocolate aroma, with a slight sweet butter caramel/toffee and fruit note.

For an 80% cacao bar, the flavor was relatively fruity and sweet. The mouthfeel was smooth and relatively creamy. The finish had a less sweet, balanced bitterness with a slightly earthy note.

Belvie Chocolate Maker - Thien Tuy Dark Chocolate 75% bar - Oct. 26, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Belvie Chocolate Maker
Thien Tuy Dark Chocolate 75% bar
Good++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 267 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere, online order

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

Today's Thien Tuy Dark Chocolate 75% bar had a creamy melt and smooth texture. The bar had all the bolder flavor (bright red fruit, light citrus, chocolate) of a darker chocolate, and the smoothness of a very dark milk bar.*

The makers at Belvie craft their bars using fair trade cacao beans (Trinitario), and make their chocolate "in the Belgian tradition."

Thien Tuy is in a mountainous region of the Lam Dong province, located in the Central Highlands region of southern Vietnam known for agriculture (coffee, tea and vegetables).

*This Thien Tuy cacao bar was gluten and dairy free and contained only two ingredients: cacao and cacao butter (75%) and cane sugar (25%).

Belvie Chocolate Maker - Tien Giang Dark Chocolate 70% bar - Oct. 25, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Belvie Chocolate Maker
Tien Giang Dark Chocolate 70% bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 224 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Tien Giang Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao bar was from Belvie Chocolate Maker (Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam).

This bar had a pleasing aroma and rich, fruity chocolate flavor and finish.

Map Chocolate Co. - Vietnam Lam Dong 73% Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright bar - Oct. 24, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Map Chocolate Co.
Vietnam Lam Dong 73% Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 187 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

Today's Vietnam Lam Dong 73% Tyger Tyger Burning Bright* bar was the creation of Map Chocolate Co. (Eugene, OR), and chief chocolate maker, Mackenzie—who is, from what I gather, a master storyteller.

The chocolate itself was a blend of cocoa beans, organic cane sugar and cocoa butter, decorated with small clumps of candied ginger, masala chai spices, maple syrup and baking soda. And the chocolate tasted smooth and chocolatey with a hint of red fruit (plum).

*The bar's name is a reference to the poem "The Tyger" by William Blake. 

Belvie Chocolate Maker - Vietnam Ben Tre Single Terroir - Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao bar - Oct. 23, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Belvie Chocolate Maker
Vietnam Ben Tre Single Terroir - Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225.2 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

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

The best thing about this Ben Tre Single Terroir Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao bar from Belvie Chocolate Maker (Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)) was its delicious, multi-faceted aroma—with true chocolate, intermingled with ripe red fruit, light spice, malt, and green notes. The flavor was good too.

This particular bar lacked the indulgently creamy mouthfeel the other Belvie bars had that we've sampled this week. This one had a faint, granular/astringent quality, but without the off flavors that sometimes accompany this trait in other craft chocolate bars.

Belvie Chocolate Maker - Dong Nai 70% bar - Oct. 22, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Belvie Chocolate Maker

Dong Nai Single Terroir Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao bar

Good +++ - Very Good

Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar

Calories: 224 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Vietnam Theme Week.

Today's Dong Nai Single Terroir Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao bar was made by Belvie Chocolate Maker (Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam).

The aroma and flavor for this bar contained notes of red fruit (tart cherry, plum), warm spices and true chocolate. The melt was fairly creamy and the texture smooth. There was a slight, but balanced bitterness in the finish. 

Belvie Chocolate Maker - Black Diamond - Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao bar - Oct. 21, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Belvie Chocolate Maker

Black Diamond - Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao Chocolat Noir bar

Good ++

Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar

Calories: 240.8 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $8.25 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere, online order

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

Today's Black Diamond Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao Limited Edition bar was created from Belvie Chocolate Maker (Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam), using cacao grown in the Dong Nai province, in the central highlands of Vietnam.

A growing number of chocolate bars made with Vietnamese cacao have become available in the U.S. in recent years. And, this week, we're featuring several Belvie Chocolate single origin bars made with Trinitario cacao grown in Vietnam.

The description printed on the back of this bar's packaging read in part:

"As a black diamond is the fruit of a volcano, these beans are the fruit of cacao trees growing on an ascent volcanous (sic) soil. The result is a bar with exceptional flavours of red fruit and deep chocolate."

The aroma of this single ingredient (100% cacao) bar included balanced malt/toast and red fruit notes. The bar had a creamy and even melt; and the flavor was a complex blend of true chocolate, (mostly red) fruit, and balanced ebony bitterness. Even this bean-to-bar chocolate did not contain sugar, it still had a hint of fruit sweetness. The finish lingered a bit, but was clean with no off notes. Altogether, this was a good 100% cacao bar.

Don't Go Nuts - Gorilla Power Chewy Granola Bar with Chocolate Chips - Oct. 20, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Don't Go Nuts
Gorilla Power - Chewy Granola Bar with Chocolate Chips
Good
Weight: 1.26 oz. (36 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $0.50 for 1 bar (2 for $1.00)
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Gorilla Power - Chewy Granola Bar with Chocolate Chips was from Don't Go Nuts (Salida, Colorado).

The kid-sized bar contained organic honey, and was (as advertised) chewy, with semi-crunchy (gluten free) grains (oats, rice) and chocolate chips.

The company specializes in nut-free items. This bar was also gluten free and Certified Organic.

Madecasse - Honey Crystal Dark Chocolate 63% Cocoa bar - Oct. 19, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Madecasse LLC

Honey Crystal Dark Chocolate 63% Cocoa bar

Good - Good +

Weight: 1.32 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar

Calories: 220 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $4.49 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Sprouts Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's Honey Crystal Dark Chocolate 63% Cocoa bar was from Madecasse LLC (Brooklyn, NY).

Made with Heirloom Cocoa, this dark bar had some of the hallmark flavor notes associated with Madagascan cacao (citrus, bright berry fruit acidity).

The honey was less obvious. There weren't honey crystals that I could detect per se, but there was both sugar and honey granules (honey and sugar) in this bar. 

Ritter Sport - Milk Chocolate with Honey Salt Almonds bar - Oct. 18, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ritter Sport
Milk Chocolate with Honey Salt Almonds bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 315 calories (per label - seems high) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Ava's Downtown Market and Deli, Mountain View, CA

Guten Morgen (Good Morning) and Willkommen (Welcome) to Day #5 of Chocolate and Honey Theme Week.

Today's Ritter Sport Milk Chocolate with Honey Salt Almonds bar was from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. KG (Waldenbuch, Germany).

Honig (honey) is an important part of German cuisine. Going beyond the vastly popular clover honey on grocery shelves in most of the U.S., a variety of honeys from flowers, trees and forests can be found in German markets. Today's milk chocolate bar incorporates honey covered, salted, roasted almonds.

This bar had a rich milk chocolate and nut aroma. The milk chocolate around the generously sized (largely whole) almonds emitted a strong sweetness (from the base chocolate and the slightly crunchy candied honey and salt coating), as it melted and was eaten.

However, the sweetness receded markedly about half way through, and I enjoyed the natural tasting flavor and texture of the almonds—an authentic flavor that lingered, along with a trace of chocolate, in the finish.

Gelato Fiasco - Deep Maine Woods - Chocolate Gelato Smoky Caramel Swirl Honeycomb Candy - Oct. 17, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Gelato Fiasco
Deep Maine Woods - Chocolate Gelato Smoky Caramel Swirl Honeycomb Candy
Good+
Weight: 1/2 cup (100 g.) / 1 Pint (400 g.) total container
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 cup (100 g.) serving
Cost: $2.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Honey Theme Week.

This morning's Deep Maine Woods Chocolate Gelato Smoky Caramel Honeycomb Candy from Gelato Fiasco (Brunswick, ME) was sweet, chocolatey and rich, but, oddly, wasn't as objectionably sweet as it might have been. Higher-quality ingredients (deeper chocolate, bits of dark chocolate, smoky caramel, other flavors) helped balance the sweetness.

Is there any honey in your honeycomb candy? If not, you can always add some, drizzled over the top...And, speaking of over the top...I'd say this gelato might be for breakfast. But, what the heck, that's the way we live sometimes.

This was enjoyed in the early morning deep woods of my backyard. I could almost smell the wood smoke coming from a stone fireplace. I say "almost," because, sadly, fireplaces are discouraged (for air quality reasons) in our urban neighborhood. But, one can imagine.

Have a honey of a day.

Primal Kitchen - Dark Chocolate Almond bar with Grass-Fed Collagen bar - Oct. 16, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Primal Kitchen 

Dark Chocolate Almond bar made with grass-fed collagen bar

Good ?

Weight: .85 oz. (24 g.) / 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar

Calories: 115 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $3.79 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Almond bar made with grass-fed collagen bar from Primal Kitchen (Oxnard, CA) was made with roasted almonds and pumpkin seeds and was enrobed in dark chocolate.

This honey-sweetened, paleo, gluten free and dairy free bar also contained grass-fed collagen that helped to boost the protein content (15 grams), and to give the bar a slightly transparent, glossy shine. 

Seitenbacher - Energy Bar Honey Almond Snack Bar - Oct. 15, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Seitenbacher GmbH

Energy Bar - Gluten Free - HoneyAlmond Snack Coated with German Chocolate bar

Good +

Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 115 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $ missing information for 1 bar

Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Honey Theme Week.

Today's Honey Almond Snack Coated with German Chocolate bar was from Seitenbacher GmhH (made in Buchen, Germany).

The relatively light filling (almost fluffy for ground nuts and honey) was natural tasting and satisfying. While similar to marzipan in appearance, this center lacked the stronger "almond extract" taste (that some love and some don't). The coating added a touch of rich chocolate flavor.

Ingredients: Almonds, Honey, Chocolate (Brown Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Cocoa, GMO Free Sunflower Lecithin.

Natural Decadence - Gluten Free Chocolate Creamless Pie - Oct. 14, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Natural Decadence
Raised Gluten Free - Gluten Free Chocolate Creamless Pie
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total pie
Calories: 150 calories in 1 serving/piece of pie
Cost: $4.99 for 1 pie
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Hello and welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Honey Theme Week.

Today's Raised Gluten Free - Chocolate Creamless Pie was from Natural Decadence (Eureka, CA).

The chocolate pie filling, made with organic coconut milk, organic guar gum and other organic ingredients, including chocolate (with sugar and cocoa butter) and chocolate extract (that latter giving the pie a slight alcohol flavor tinge), cocoa nibs and vanilla. The filling was smooth and fairly creamy (without the dairy cream), as promised.

And yes, it did contain honey. It was the sweetener in the gluten free graham cracker crust.

This demure pie was just the right size to share with a small group—or for one or two people to enjoy over the course of a few days. I like smaller portion desserts. They allow people to comfortably sample a few different chocolate items at a time, and do side-by-side, comparison tastings.

Endangered Species - Pumpkin Spice Almonds bar; Second Nature - Dark Chocolate Medley - Oct. 13, 2018

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Endangered Species
Natural Dark Chocolate with Pumpkin Spice with Almonds 72% bar
Good
Weight: .75 oz. (21.25 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: ??? calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $3.19 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Almond Theme Week. Today I celebrated this day with two chocolate items.

It's October, officially the month to celebrate pumpkins and pumpkin spice, and today's Natural Dark Chocolate with Pumpkin Spice and Almonds 72% bar from Endangered Species Chocolate (Indianapolis, IN) seemed like a great choice. The dark chocolate was dark but smooth and the touch of spice was light and balanced. Almond pieces gave the bar a bit of texture.

The locally famous, annual Pumpkin Festival was under way today in Half Moon Bay, CA. And traffic was backed up for miles as city folk made their way over to this community nestled by the Pacific Ocean to view fields of pumpkins, purchase pumpkin-related items and enjoy pumpkin-related fun.

Thank goodness we have some open spaces left for local wildlife in the mountains that separate the cities and coast. Endangered Species Chocolate donates 10% of their net profits to conservation-related partners/causes. Each bar or chocolate item the company makes features an animal (or area) that may be threatened or endangered. (Today's bar was graced with an image of an Arctic Fox.)

One of the best things a chocolate consumer who care about such things can do is to be curious about supply chains and best practices when it comes to food and chocolate.

Second Nature Snacks Company
Dark Chocolate Medley
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 12 oz. (340 g.) in total package
Calories: 160 calories in 1 oz. serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Almond Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Medley was from Second Nature (Madison Heights, MI). (It was one of several chocolate and nut and fruit and nut medley mixes the company offers.)

This blend contained small dark chocolate squares mixed with almonds, pecans and cashews.

It was an appealing, natural mix: not too sweet, and not too salty.
(It was also marketed as Gluten Free and Low in Sodium.)

Surprise. An hour after I wrote this, I discovered that I'd already had this mix several months ago, so I sampled a second chocolate today (above).

After 4,500 chocolates, it's sometimes difficult to remember which chocolates I have tried. (Thank goodness for giant Google spreadsheets, where I keep track of each and every one.)

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate - Candied Almond with Cinnamon 73% bar - Oct. 12, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate
Candied Almond with Cinnamon 73% Northerner Blend bar
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.20 for 1/2 bar
Purchased from: Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate (online order)

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Almond Theme Week.

Today's Candied Almond with Cinnamon 73% Northerner Blend bar was crafted by Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate (Eureka, CA).

Packaging is the first level of a chocolate tasting experience. And in the case of Dick Taylor, seeing this bar was like coming back to an old friend. The duo behind Dick Taylor (Adam Dick and Dustin Taylor) has focused with great attention to detail on all aspects chocolatemaking, from outer packaging to the bar inside.

What a great bar to warm up an early fall morning.

This bar had an intriguing aroma, with a hint of malty nuttiness and faint fresh bread (freshly baked and toasted rye bread). This bar might pair quite nicely with a beer. (In fact, there is a note on the Dick Taylor website that suggested a Dick Kukmin IPA was enjoyed with this bar.)

Upon biting into the bar, one was greeted with sweetness and chocolate with flavor depth (with balanced stone fruit acidity and true cacao notes). A well-made bar will have few ingredients, but will have the multi-layered voice of a choir.

This four-ingredient bar (organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic almonds and organic cinnamon) was relatively thin, making flavors very accessible. The flavorful dark chocolate (73% cacao) was interspersed with bits of finely chopped California almonds, "candied" with sugar and cinnamon.

The base chocolate, Dick Taylor's own Northerner Blend, was made from a combination of Madagascan and Brazilian cacao.

tinyB Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Almond, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate brigadeiros - Oct. 11, 2018

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

tinyB Chocolate
Four-piece box of Brigadeiros

1.) Dark Chocolate Almond - Good ++

2.) Coconut and Cream - Good

3.) Dark Chocolate and Sprinkles - Good ++

4.) Milk Chocolate and Milk Sprinkles - Good

Weight: 2.6 oz. (73.5 g.) in total box of 4 pieces

Calories: 240 calories (per tinyB) in 4 pieces 

Cost: $ N/A - gift/sample from tinyB Chocolate

Purchased from: Sample box was supplied by tinyB Chocolate 

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Almond Theme Week. 

Today's box of brigadeiros from tinyB Chocolate (San Francisco, CA) were made in San Francisco, by Renata Stoica who was born in Brazil.

What is a brigadeiro? Think of this popular confection as a Brazilian cousin to the American chocolate truffle. Brigadeiros have a smooth, creamy texture, and no hard shell. (They are related to other Latin American confections that are carefully stirred and cooked in a pot on a stove.)

My favorites in this 4-piece box were the Dark Chocolate Almond (upper right in photo) and Dark Chocolate and Sprinkles (lower right in photo). The company also offers a variety of other tempting flavors, including Raspberry and White Chocolate, Cinnamon and Dark Chocolate, and Half Dark and Half Passion Fruit.

Eaten fresh they are creamy, sweet and wonderful. Store in the refrigerator to prolong life.

Ingredients for the base chocolate were: organic sugar, organic milk, organic butter, organic chocolate + flavor inclusions (most of which are organic).

barkthins - Dark Chocolate Almond with Sea Salt - Oct. 10, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

(Made for Ripple Brand Collective, LLC)
barkthins snacking chocolate
Dark Chocolate Almond with Sea Salt
Good - Good+
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 4.7 oz. (133 g.) in total package
Calories: 220 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Almond Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Almond with Sea Salt barkThins were manufactured for Ripple Brand Collective, LLC (New York, NY).

These snack-size dark chocolate pieces were embedded with pieces of dry roasted almonds and seasoned with sea salt, as advertised. They were just the right size to share with family and friends or to take to a staff meeting at work.

Hageland - 54% Cocoa Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar - Oct. 9, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Hageland

54% Cocoa Dark Chocolate with Almonds (bar)

Good+

Weight: 1.02 oz. (29 g.) / 10.5 oz. (300 g.) in total package

Calories: 150 calories in 2 pieces 

Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Almond Theme Week.

Today's rather gigantic Hageland 54% Cocoa Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar was made in Belgium and was distributed in the U.S. by Sco Laden, LLC (Hayward, CA).

This bar was made with a short list of ingredients (no added "stuff"). It was not clear where the chocolate came from, but at this (low) consumer price, I'm guessing Africa. The chocolate was smooth and had a darker chocolate taste (a bit less sugar too, thank you) than other bars with cacao percentages in the 50s. And it had a relatively smooth, even finish with a very slight fruit acidity.

This large (and thick) bar might be good for baking, desserts and fondue, or as chocolate chunks for s'mores at a campfire. The thickness prevented overly fast consumption. It is not a bad thing to savor your chocolate more slowly; but you really have to get your molars around each bite to take off a piece. So, this may not be to everyone's liking.

Eating Evolved - Primal Chocolate Almond Sea Salt 72% bar with Organic Coconut Sugar - Oct. 8, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Eating Evolved
Primal Chocolate - Almond Sea Salt 72% Cacao bar (Made with Organic Coconut Sugar)
Good+ - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1 oz. (28 g.) of bar
Cost: $4.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sprout's Farmers Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Almond Theme Week.

Today's Primal Chocolate Almond Sea Salt dark chocolate (72% cacao) bar was made by Eating Evolved (Setauket, NY).

First, I feel I need to make a few personal disclosures:
I prefer chocolate bars with five (or fewer) ingredients.*
I like a bar that can convey balanced sweetness with less sugar.
I believe "salt," if added, should not eclipse other flavors.
I will buy almost any chocolate item with a monkey on it.

This 72% cacao, coconut sugar sweetened dark bar resonated with the preferences mentioned above. It had smooth, authentic chocolate flavor, without a sugar buzz. It was dairy free, soy free, paleo, vegan, and organic. And while there was no explicit claim of this bar being gluten free, there were no gluten-containing ingredients listed on the label.

And, having a monkey on both label and bar did not hurt either.

*Today's bar contained five ingredients: organic cacao, organic coconut sugar, organic cacao butter, organic almonds, and Himalayan sea salt.