Monday, August 24, 2020

Tabal Chocolate - Bolivia 58% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 24, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Tabal Chocolate
Bolivia 58% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 390 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Organic Bolivia 58% Cacao (bar) was made bean to bear with stoneground cacao by Tabal Chocolate  (Wauwatosa, WI).

This chocolate had a sweet, dark chocolate aroma (with very faint bright fruit and spice notes) and a smooth, stoneground* texture. It was hard to tell whether the "brightness" in this thick, sweet (58% cacao) chocolate bar was due to fruit notes or sugar, or both. There was a pleasant, chocolate cake like taste, encouraged by a faint hint of vanilla in addition to a relatively high sugar level.

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic vanilla bean.

*Stoneground cacao often has a rustic, thick, almost grainy texture. But, the stoneground process (using a granite/stone wheel or mortar) may also help to maintain cacao flavors--as the smaller the cacao bean particles become (as they are ground into a smooth paste in chocolate-making), the more particle surfaces are exposed to air and oxidation (and potential flavor loss). Grinding cacao longer may offer smoother texture, but more delicate (e.g. floral) notes may attenuate with longer grinding times. Today's stoneground chocolate was slightly thicker in texture, but still smooth (i.e. not rough or coarse), in part due to added cocoa butter. 

Crow and Moss - Bolivian Rose Salt 67% (bar) - Aug. 23, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Crow and Moss
Bolivian Rose Salt 67% (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: $8.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Bolivian Rose Salt Chocolate 67% bar was from Crow and Moss Chocolate (Petoskey, MI). The firm specializes in hand-crafted bean-to-bar chocolate bars. 

This bar was made from Colombian Aruaca cacao beans and Bolivian Rose Salt from the Andes, and the chocolate had an aroma with dried fruit (nectarines, peaches) and pleasant sweet notes.

Last week's Ghana and Ivory Coast bars were full of bold, deep dark Forastero and Forastino cacao flavors. Today marked a change to lighter and brighter chocolates. 

This bar had a flavor with mild stone fruit; fleeting cream/faint fermented milk notes; a light array of savory salt sparkles (with a fleeting pepper note as well); and a relatively subtle finish. The sweetness was nicely balanced with the salt.

Ingredients: Cacao blend, Bolivian rose salt, organic cane sugar.



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