Saturday, August 31, 2019

Chamisa Chocolate - little fox: pistachio and cherry 71% (bar) - Aug. 31, 2019

Chocolate of the Day:

Chamisa Chocolate
little fox: pistachio and cherry 71% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (60 g.) total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chamisa Chocolate, Santa Fe, NM

Welcome to Day #1 of Chamisa Chocolate Theme Week.

It's with much gratitude that I've been able to feature 4,600+ different chocolates over more than 12 years. Chocolate Banquet would not have been possible without 100+ chocolate makers and many 100s more small and large chocolatiers.

I have special respect for bean-to-bar, craft chocolate makers. Women chocolate makers make up a growing percent in this rather technical, dynamic field. And they tend to be fascinating multi-faceted (both halves of the brain) people.

As local San Francisco Bay Area chocolate maker, Nancy Nadel* once told me, "you have to be comfortable fixing broken machines along with making and selling the chocolate, and everything else that is part of running a small business."

Amanda Hatherly, Chamisa Chocolate
So, it is with much delight that I am dedicating this week to featuring a selection of bars from Amanda Hatherly, chief chocolate maker at Chamisa Chocolate (Santa Fe, New Mexico). Amanda** is very involved with energy and sustainability. And, as it turns out, she also makes great chocolate.

After a recent visit to New Mexico, Amanda's food of the gods bar made with 81% Honduras cacao (featured recently)—found at a local New Mexico shop (Cashmere + Chocolate)—got my attention.

Today's organic and vegan Chamisa Chocolate "little fox: pistachio and cherry" 71% (bar) was made with Oko Caribe (Dominican Republic) cacao. The (compostable) wrapper was adorned with a beautiful watercolor painting of a fox.

This dark bar had well balanced flavors, was not too sweet (thank you!), and an attractive smattering of light green pistachio nut and ruby colored cherry bits occupied the back of the bar. The dark chocolate was uniform and densely dark, and relatively low in fruit/acidic flavors, which gave the cherry a chance to sparkle.

*Nancy Nadel, owner and founder of The Oakland Chocolate Company (Oakland, CA), is trained as an engineer and an artist, and she has used cacao grown in St. Mary's Parish in Jamaica to make an impressive array of confections, bars and spreads for many years. (She also previously served on the Oakland City Council.)

**Amanda is the Director of a regional energy efficiency training center for the Department of Energy, and is also involved in water efficiency training. Her commitment to sustainability carries over into her chocolate making as well. (She uses organic cacao, compostable packaging, and Chamisa Chocolate is located in a solar-powered facility. Her bars are also vegan.)






Friday, August 30, 2019

Libeert Belgian Chocolate Creators - Ecuador 71% Dark Origin Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 30, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Libeert s.a. - Belgian Chocolate Creators
Ecuador 71% Dark Origin Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.35 oz. (40 g.) / 2.7 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 255 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Ecuador 71% Dark Origin Chocolate (bar) was from Libeert s.a. - Belgian Chocolate Creators (Comines, Belgium).

Belgian chocolates have been made from cacao blends (no origin listed), and/or been made with West African cacao (where most of the world's supply is currently grown).

However, a larger number of Belgian chocolate bars are now available made with cacao from other/single origins, including Central and South America.

This thin bar had a slightly buttery melt, and cocoa/true chocolate, light floral, fruit, earth and nut notes. A balanced, subtle bouquet of flavors.

The maker's description read: "Roasted cocoa with...hints of humus and flowers." 

Palette de Bine - Equateur Esmeraldas 75% bar - Aug. 29, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Palette de Bine
Equateur Esmeraldas 75% (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 185 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Equateur Esmeraldas 75% bar was from Palette de Bine (Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada).

In art, a wood palette might be used to mix paints that are applied to a surface to create a finished work of fine art. One could draw an analogy here and apply it to chocolate. Or, a literal translation of the company name, would be "palette of good." Either way...

This bar was shaped like a wood plank and had an appealing true chocolate flavor throughout, with balanced fruit (peach/nectarine with a touch of raspberry), an upbeat floral note, and a faint nuttiness.

There was a very, very slight astringency/graininess in the texture toward the finish, but the bar was very well crafted overall. Together, these flavors and textures created a fine, finished piece.


Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Holy Cacao - 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate Ecuador bar - Aug. 28, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Holy Cacao
70% Cacao Dark Chocolate Ecuador bar
Good +++
Weight: .1.26 oz. (50 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 255.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate Ecuador bar was the creation of Holy Cacao Chocolate (Pnei Hever, Israel). The company has been perfecting that process for bean-to-bar chocolate for the past decade.

This well-tempered dark chocolate broke with a hard snap and had a true cocoa/chocolate aroma and flavor with a fleeting hint of green (green tea, certain green plants). Some delicate whisps of other very faint flavor notes included: green, sesame seed, poppy rose floral and light dried fruit (very light golden fig) and very light licorice.

The texture and finish were smooth and uniform.









Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Pump Street Chocolate - 100% Hacienda Limon Ecuador bar - Aug. 27, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pump Street Chocolate
100% Hacienda Limon, Los Rios Province, Ecuador bar
Good +++
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 174.3 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Strawberry Village, Mill Valley, CA

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

Today's 100% Hacienda Limon, Los Rios Province, Ecuador bar (Batch #9404) was made by Pump Street Chocolate, a company known for its baked goods* as well as its bean-to-bar chocolate. The company is located in the village of Orford in Suffolk, England.

When biting into a 100% cacao bar, one's brain is expecting chocolate with some sugar, and is sometimes ill-prepared for a chocolate wholly without sugar unless it's made the new association with fine, un-sweetened chocolate.

After tasting many 100% bars, my brain no longer suffers from this fleeting disconnect about sugar vs. no sugar. But when trying a new 100%er, I still find myself bracing for some strong, overpowering flavors.

I needn't have been concerned about today's bar. It was quite smooth and delicious. The chocolate had a slightly green, aroma and flavor (characteristic of many Ecuador bars).** It had bold, balanced and smooth, deep chocolate flavor with a faint, uniform earthy undertone.

*Pump Street chocolate bar flavors include sourdough and sea salt, rye crumb, hot cross bun(s). Unfortunately, we're unable to try these bars due to gluten restrictions; but they sound delicious.

**Green and floral notes are characteristic of many Ecuador bars. This particular bar was made using a long conche time for the cacao, giving it a "subtle earthiness and a low acidity." 

When cacao is conched for a longer time, the particle size grows smaller, cocoa butter and solids are more thoroughly incorporated, and particles are "polished," giving a bar a smoother, creamier mouthfeel. The longer conche time can also result in the loss of volatile or stronger flavor elements. The flavor is smoother. There may be fewer objectionable flavor spikes. However, any floral or more fragile flavors may also be lost, so there are some trade-offs to be made.


Monday, August 26, 2019

Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Esmeraldas Ecuador 70% Cacao Premium Dark bar - Aug. 26, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Esmeraldas Ecuador 70% Cacao Premium Dark Chocolate bar
Good +++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 135 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Esmeraldas Ecuador 70% Cacao Premium Dark Chocolate bar was made by Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA).

The company specializes in high-quality, small batch, single origin bars (some with flavor inclusions). They make their own chocolate (and press their own single origin cocoa butter) at their farm in New England.

This bar was flavorful and very well balanced. It had bright berry fruit and true chocolate flavor with nicely balanced acidity, and a very faint, pleasant, roasted sourdough note. A very light, astringency/acidity tickled the back of the throat in a lingering, late finish.

The maker's notes read as follows:

"The cacao for this bar comes from the Salazar family farm in Ecuador's Esmeraldas region. The family controls the entire post-harvest process resulting in an exceptionally flavorful bean. This bar has intense flavors of berry jam and classic cocoa, with a long, pleasantly tannic finish."







Choquiero Chocolate - Luca Maca Lucuma and Vanilla Bean bar - August 25, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Choquiero Chocolate
Luca Maca with Lucuma and Vanilla Bean 60% bar
Good+++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.59 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Luca Maca with Lucuma and Vanilla Bean 60% cacao bar was from Choquiero Chocolate (Grass Valley, CA; Made in Santa Cruz, CA). *

The company is committed to creating bars using ethically sourced, organic, unroasted cacao (in this case Ecuadorian Wild Arriba Criollo cacao), sweetened with coconut sugar.

This bar had subtle smoked toffee/caramel and fruit (mango) notes. I associated some of this aroma and flavor with lucuma, a Peruvian/South American fruit, aka egg fruit, that also contributes a thick, creamy texture.** Unfortunately, like cacao fruit, it doesn't travel well, so most of us in the U.S. have only experienced lucuma in powdered or, more rarely frozen, form.

Maca and coconut sugar added rich, subtle sweetness to this bar and vanilla added an upbeat, slightly floral sweetness of its own.

Beware, this creamy, silky little number with lovely chocolate and spiced cookie flavor highlights went down very easily, and quickly. Poof! And it was gone.

*Congratulations to Choquiero Chocolate on the opening of their new store in Nevada City, CA, near Grass Valley.

**Some have described lucuma fruit as a green-skinned, round, golden-orange relatively sweet avocado (with a pit in the middle) with the texture of a slightly starchy fruit + a cooked sweet potato.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Chocolate Fondue Night - Ecuador + other origins - Aug. 24, 2019

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Several different Ecuador (70% - 100% cacao) bars
Good +++
Weight: Approx. 3 oz. of dark and ultra-dark fondue
Calories: 450 calories (estimate) in two servings of fondue(s)
Cost: $N/A - various bars with different price points
Purchased from: Various Sources

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Tonight's impromptu fondue backyard get-together involved two vats of solar-melted dark chocolate: one was made with 15 different melted 70%-75% cacao chocolate bars.

And the second pot was made from a collection of 100% cacao bars (i.e. no sugar). Ecuador bars were heavily represented.

Both dark and ultra-dark chocolate fondue blends were good, and were enjoyed with fresh fruits, marinated figs, persimmon bread, roasted walnuts and almonds, graham crackers and marshmallows, and many other shared items. (Thank you to those who participated!)













Goodnow Farms - 77% Dark Lawley's Rum bar - Aug. 23, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Special Reserve - Single Origin bar
77% Cacao (Ecuador) Dark Chocolate with Lawley's Rum bar
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 290 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week, and the first day of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Today's Special Reserve 77% Dark Chocolate with Lawley's Rum bar from Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA) was a collaboration with Boston Harbor Distillery.

The result was a very fine, award-winning dark chocolate bar with a buttery mouth feel and creamy melt. The chocolate was infused with a whisper of warm, high-end, rich rum flavor.





Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Dark Chocolate with Putnam Rye Whiskey 77% bar - Aug. 22, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Special Reserve - Single Origin bar
Dark Chocolate with Putnam Rye Whiskey 77% Cacao (Ecuador)
Good +++
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 290 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week, and the first day of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

In the early 2000s, people were being exposed to new $6.00 (USD) or, gasp, $8.00 (USD) single origin, craft chocolate bars. Was it worth it they asked me? In response, I would set up a blind taste test for friends and family to let them see/taste for themselves.

Most people I spoke to agreed that most of the relatively new, carefully crafted chocolate they experienced was worth the higher price. And once they learned about supply chains and fair prices for cocoa farmers, more came to accept this model.*

Fast forward to almost two decades later...Today's Special Reserve Single Origin Dark Chocolate with Putnam Rye Whiskey bar—from Goodnow Farms Chocolate (located on a beautiful farm in Sudbury, MA)—was $18.00. Times have changed and there is a better understanding of value vs. volume in many craft foods, including chocolate, distilled spirits, coffee, and beer.

This award-winning bar won a Good Food Awards prize in 2019. The Good Food Awards organization has focused on recognizing the best in high-end, small batch artisan foods.

The chocolate for this 77% cacao dark bar,** was made from (Esmeraldas) cacao beans grown in Ecuador. The beans were soaked in Putnam Rye Whiskey. It was creamy and smooth and the bar was thin enough to allow direct palette access to all the rich flavors and textures in this infused bar.

Flavor notes included chocolate with very faint green/floral notes, and balanced and subtle whiskey, light caramel, cream/milk (there was no dairy or milk in this bar**), and mild red berry.

*Similar trends were taking place with coffee, beer, organic farmers market produce, preserves, distilled spirits, etc. Coffee and cacao are also grown farther away from markets in the U.S. and Europe (than, e.g. grapes, hops, fruit and vegetables), so it took some education for people to understand that most cacao growers were small, subsistence farmers in Africa, Central/South America, or Caribbean and Pacific islands and were barely eking out a living. 

In turn, small chocolate makers spent (and continue to spend) more time and money cultivating these relationships with far-away farmers, which meant not every craft chocolate startup succeeds initially without a second income. (Chocolatiers, who buy their chocolate from chocolate makers, have an easier go of it.)

**Ingredients: cacao beans, organic sugar, single origin cocoa butter, whiskey

Ghirardelli Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Bourbon Caramel Squares - Aug. 21, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Dark Chocolate Bourbon Caramel Squares
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) / 5.3 oz. (151 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 3 squares
Cost: $2.99 (estimate) for 1 package of 10 squares
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's individually-wrapped Dark Chocolate Bourbon Caramel Squares were made by Ghirardelli Chocolate Company (San Leandro, CA).

These squares might hit the spot for those looking for a sweet, smooth, dark chocolate treat with a touch of spirits* infused into a thin layer of soft caramel filling.

No surprise for a caramel chocolate, the number one ingredient was sugar, followed by unsweetened chocolate, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk.

*"natural bourbon flavor"




Chocolate Tree - Rum Pineapple and Coconut 75% bar - Aug. 20, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolate Tree
Rum Pineapple and Coconut 75% bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in package of 2 bars
Calories: 158 calories in 1 bar (1/2 package)
Cost: $11.00 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Rum Pineapple and Coconut 75% bar was from Chocolate Tree (Dunbar, Scotland).

The rum in today's bar created a rich, background flavor note that complemented balanced tropical flavors (pineapple and coconut).














Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Chocolate Tree - Pisco Sour Nibs 70% Dark bar - August 19, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolate Tree
Pisco Sour Nibs 70% Dark bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 196.4 calories in 1 bar (1/2 package)
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Pisco Sour Nibs 70% Dark bar was made by Chocolate Tree (Dunbar, Scotland).

The company has created a series of bars that combine origin-based spirit-infused cacao nibs with cacao grown in the same region. Very nice idea.

In today's case, Pisco (and the popular Peruvian Pisco Sour cocktail made from this spirit mixed with lime and bitters) was blended with "ultra-premium cacao nibs from the Chililique community of Piura" (Peru), and organic chocolate from the same origin.

This chocolate was smooth. The cacao nibs tasted fresh, and had a soft chew/crunch. The lime (lime oil) and bitters gave the bar a subtle citrus accent. The Pisco (6%) liquor* was very subtle.

*Pisco is a pale amber (or clear) brandy made from fermented grape juice (from grapes grown in the wine-making regions of Peru and Chile (south of the Atacama desert and north of Santiago). The fermented juice is distilled to make a spirit. Pisco was developed by early Spanish settlers centuries ago. The Pisco Sour (cocktail) is popular throughout Peru and neighboring South American countries.



Monday, August 19, 2019

Chocolate Tree - Mezcal with Nibs bar - August 18, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolate Tree
Mezcal Nibs 70% Cocoa Dark bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8  oz. (80 g.) in total package (2 bars in pkg.)
Calories: 196.4 calories in 1 bar (1/2 package) (per label)
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Mezcal Nibs 70% Cocoa Dark bar was made by Chocolate Tree (Dunbar, Scotland).

This relatively sweet 70% chocolate, made with criollo hybrid cacao Tabasqueno (Mexico) was studded with crunchy cacao nibs and had a boozy aroma and flavor from the mezcal (also from Mexico).*

The description for this bar on the Chocolate Tree packaging read as follows: "400 years ago, the Spanish conquistadors discovered a love for cacao in Mexico and they also taught distillation to the Aztecs. We have soaked the ancient criollo hybrid cacao of Tabasqueno in Mezcal, the agave spirit, to bring you a chocolate with deep rich notes of bloodlust, agave, and smoke."

*Ingredients: organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic cocoa nibs, mezcal



Somerville Chocolate - Hops Dark Milk bar - Aug. 17, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Somerville Chocolate
Hops Dark Milk bar - Dark Milk infused with Beer Hops bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 188 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Hops Dark Milk bar - Dark Milk infused with Beer Hops bar was crafted by Somerville Chocolate (Somerville, MA).

This dark milk bar had citrus and hoppy earth notes with a slight bitterness in finish. That is, it tasted very much like beer hops. (The maker's description also suggested we might taste pineapple and evergreen notes from the hops.)

The 53 percent cacao (37% cacao nibs + 16% cocoa) chocolate was made with a blend of cacao origins, and infused with Mosaic beer hops.




Fossa Chocolate - Sake bar; Goma Goma - Sesame Bar; Askinosie Sake Nibs over green tea ice cream - Aug. 16, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fossa Chocolate
38% White Sake bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .67 oz. (19 g.) / 1.34 oz. (38 g.) in total bar
Calories: 101 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Fossa Chocolate
PekoeAndImp Tea Chocolate Honey Orchid Dancong Hongcha bar
Good ++
Weight: .618 oz. (17.5 g.) / 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 93 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Cloudforest and Fisk (Fisk Projects)
Goma Goma (Gray Chocolate Sesame) bar
Good
Weight: .61 oz. (12.4 g.) / 1.234 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 91 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today was an Asian-themed day featuring two clever and rich flavored bars that contained cacao butter, but no cacao solids. And, we sampled a bowl of green tea ice cream topped with sake-soaked cacao nibs.

And, in the spirit of this theme week, we paired these bars with refreshing green teas, and a small Singapore Sling cocktail.

The Sake bar from Fossa Chocolate (Singapore) was sweet, creamy, ivory-colored white chocolate with small honey-colored chunks of sake and rice (sakekasu) with a faint umami twist.

The Goma Goma "Gray Chocolate" had the creamy texture and mouthfeel of cacao butter and milk, and an interesting subtle sweet, black sesame flavor. What was noteworthy was the absence of cocoa solids. The ground black sesame seed base looked almost like a conventional chocolate bar.

Last but not least, our favorite item today, that did contain cocoa solids, was a bowl of green tea jasmine ice cream topped with a generous serving of Askinosie roasted cocoa nibs (single origin, Tenende, Tanzania) that had been marinated in sake with a few grains of ginger and matcha. We'd rate this a Good ++ - Good +++.





Saturday, August 17, 2019

Goodio Chocolate - Cranmary - 62% cranberries, rosemary, coconut and gin bar - Aug. 15, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Goodio Chocolate
Cranmary - cranberries, rosemary, coconut and gin bar
Good ++
Weight: .848 oz. (24 g.) / 1.69 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Cranmary - cranberries, rosemary, coconut and gin bar was handcrafted in Helsinki, Finland, by Goodio Chocolate.

The maker's description for this bar read: "Chocolate like Nordic summer night meadow, flavoured with tangy cranberries and herbal rosemary."

The aroma of this raw, vegan bar had fruit, herb, chocolate and light coconut notes. The texture was relatively creamy (cacao butter) for stoneground chocolate. The dominant layered flavors were an interplay of cranberries (tiny bits and powder) and rosemary, with a hint of coconut (coconut palm sugar, coconut flakes). The gin contributed a very subtle layer of herbal/botanical flavor.

And speaking of gin, this 62% dark chocolate bar was developed in collaboration with Kyro Distillery Company (Finland). The distillery produces single malt rye whisky and a Napue rye-based gin...with botanicals that include "meadowsweet, sea-buckthorn and cranberries"...with a slight "spicy pepper note."




Thursday, August 15, 2019

World Market - 64% Strawberry Champagne Dark Chocolate square - Aug. 14, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

World Market 
64% Cacao Strawberry and Champagne Dark Chocolate small bar
Good
Weight: .375 oz. (10.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 49 calories in 1 small bar
Cost: $0.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: World Market, N. Scottsdale, AZ
Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

This individually wrapped square had a sweet dark chocolate and red berry/strawberry flavor.

The 64% cacao chocolate was embedded with tiny red-pink morsels, and it even had a few very tiny authentic strawberry seeds to embellish the tasting experience.

One had only to imagine a tiny crystal goblet of pink bubbly champagne along with it.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Coco Chocolatier - Gin and Tonic Dark Chocolate 60% bar - Aug. 13, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Coco Chocolatier
Gin and Tonic Dark Chocolate 60% Cocoa bar
Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 212 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: World Market, N. Scottsdale, AZ

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

Summer is the time to enjoy a simple chilled cocktail like a gin and tonic with a twist of citrus peel over ice.

But even if your cold summer drink doesn't include alcohol, you might want to try today's chocolate bar which evokes herbal lemonade or limeade (with an herbal touch of juniper).

Today's Gin and Tonic Dark Chocolate 60% Cocoa bar from Coco Chocolatier (Edinburgh, Scotland) was swathed in a wrapped printed with a colorful piece of art.*

The base chocolate was smooth, creamy and dark, with a hint of nuttiness, followed by mild aromatic citrus (lemon followed by lime) with a subtle earthly herbal juniper finish.

* Coco Chocolatier is a creative endeavor that incorporates images from artists/an art collective in Europe.

Ingredients: "Dark chocolate (cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor), juniper oil, lemon oil, lime oil."





Monday, August 12, 2019

Haagen-Daza - Spirits Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle Ice Cream - Aug. 12, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Haagen-Dazs
Spirits - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle Ice Cream
Good ++
Weight: 2/3 cup  (132 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) in total container
Calories: 340 calories in 1 (2/3 cup) serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Spirits - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle Ice Cream was from Haagen-Dazs* (Minneapolis, MN).

This ice cream, laced with soft bits of dark chocolate, had creamy rich texture and flavor with a hint of bourbon and vanilla. (Brown sugar, molasses, maple, vanilla bean and coconut oil also gave the taste some natural flavor depth.)

*The Haagen-Dazs ice cream brand originated with Reuben and Rose Mattus in Brooklyn Heights, New York, in 1961. The couple started with three flavors: vanilla, chocolate and coffee, and opened their first retail store in Brooklyn, NY, in 1976. 

The brand was acquired and is now associated with two larger corporations (Nestle and General Mills). Somehow, thankfully, against all odds, the ingredients list has for a growing number of ice cream flavors been kept relatively short, and is usually of a higher quality than most large brand name ice creams. (Haagen-Dazs is also one of the few brands that doesn't add a lot of vegetable gums. Thank you!)


Haagen-Dazs - Coffee and Vanilla Layers Ice Cream; Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co. - Bourbon Nib Brittle - Aug. 11, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Haagen-Dazs
Crispy Trio Layers - Belgian Chocolate with Coffee and Vanilla Ice Cream(s)
(topped with Chocolate Banquet special bourbon-soaked nibs)
Good ++
Weight: 1/4 cup (44 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) in total container
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 1/4 cup serving + 50 cals. for nib topping
Cost: $3.50 (sale, 2 for $7) for 1 container
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

The Haagen-Dazs (Minneapolis, MN) Crispy Trio Layers collection is part of the companies expanding family of ice cream-related products. Flavors include Belgian chocolate, vanilla ice cream and a featured third flavor (blackberry, coffee, caramel, etc.) The line-up also includes a triple chocolate flavor and non-dairy variations as well.

Today we're featuring the Belgian Chocolate Coffee and Vanilla ice cream, that was quite tasty. It contained a nice blend of crispy darker chocolate layered pieces and creamy and flavorful coffee ice cream, mellowed by a smooth and upbeat vanilla ice cream.

Recently, Haagen-Dazs announced a line of ice creams with spirits. (We'll feature one tomorrow). But, in the spirit of spirits, we jumped the gun with our own spirited inclusion to today's Crispy Trio Layers flavor.

We amped up the chocolate flavor by topping this ice cream with Chocolate Banquet's own secret recipe for bourbon soaked cacao nibs (with bitters and orange peel).

And speaking of bourbon and cacao nibs...

Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co.
Bourbon Nib Brittle
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package
Calories: 280 calories in 1/3 package
Cost: $18.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Cashmere + Chocolate, Santa Fe, NM

We also re-tasted two small pieces of Bourbon Nib Brittle from Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co. (Nashville, TN). We originally enjoyed this back in 2012. (How time flies.) It was sweet, crunchy and satisfying, with a very light Bourbon touch.


Saturday, August 10, 2019

Fruition Chocolate - Hudson Bourbon Dark Milk 61% bar - Aug. 10, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fruition Chocolate
Hudson Bourbon Dark Milk 61% bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chokola, NM

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

Today's Hudson Bourbon Dark Milk 61% bar was made by Fruition Chocolate in "their workshop in the Catskill Mountains" (Shokan, NY).

Today's bourbon bar, a Good Food Awards winner, was spirited chocolate at its best: high-quality bean-to-bar chocolate blended with balanced, well-executed flavor inclusion(s).

The chocolate had an aroma with light fruit, chocolate and faint roasted coffee latte notes, and a creamy, even melt and texture. The warm, round, almost buttery flavor, also embraced a very subtle, rich bourbon presence.

The chocolate maker (Bryan Graham's) tasting notes and bar description read as follows: "Roasted nibs, aged with Hudson Baby Bourbon and barrel staves, are crafted into a creamy dark milk chocolate with hint of oak."

Friday, August 9, 2019

The Chocolate Cartel - 73% Dark Chocolate with Local Lavender bar - Aug. 9, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Chocolate Cartel
73% Dark Chocolate with Local Lavender bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Airport Shop (ABQ), Albuquerque, NM

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and New Mexico Theme Week.

Today's 73% Dark Chocolate with Local Lavender bar was from The Chocolate Cartel (Albuquerque, New Mexico).

The Chocolate Cartel has partnerships with several other New Mexico businesses—that furnish flavor inclusions for the company's chocolates. For example, the lavender in today's bar comes from Los Poblanos, the site of a historic inn and organic farm where they grow 25 acres of lavender. I recommend eating at their excellent restaurant (Campo) on-site and stopping in at their Farm Store which is open to the public during open hours.)

The simple, clear wrapper allowed one to see whole lavender buds on the chocolate, and was used by the company for local inclusion bars, where a separate label identifying the type of local ingredient could be easily affixed. In this case a small white label read: "local lavender."

This chocolate had an herbal-floral aroma, and a blossoming true lavender flavor. The dark chocolate was relatively bold in flavor and had a very slight tartness and/or astringency in the finish that one could feel in the throat.

Thursday, August 8, 2019

The Chocolate Cartel - Red Chile + Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds - Aug. 8, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Chocolate Cartel
Red Chile + Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds
Good - Good +
Weight: .75 oz. (21.25 g.) / 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) in total package
Calories: 112.5 calories (per label) in .75 oz. (21.25 g.) serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Airport Shop (ABQ), Albuquerque, NM

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and New Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Red Chile + Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds were from The Chocolate Cartel (Albuquerque, New Mexico).

The Chocolate Cartel partners with local businesses for their chocolates with flavor inclusions. For example, the chiles today could have some from "The Chile Guy." And the lavender in tomorrow's bar comes from Los Poblanos, the site of a historic inn and organic lavender farm.

This red chile laced offering incorporated a blend of Western flavors. These spicy almonds had a slightly malty, nutty aroma and a light touch of dark chocolate with a hot, red chili sizzle in the middle. The almonds helped to balance the heat.

Ingredients included: Cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, lecithin, caramelized almonds, vanilla extract, dried red chile, spices, sugar, cornstarch.
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