Friday, October 8, 2021

LetterPress Chocolate - Hacienda Azul, Costa Rica 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 7, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

LetterPress Chocolate
Hacienda Azul, Costa Rica 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 156 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar (+ summer shipping)
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, featuring chocolates from Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Today's Hacienda Azul, Costa Rica 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by LetterPress Chocolate (Los Angeles, CA). 

The cacao used to craft this two-ingredient bar was from a small farm named Hacienda Azul,* "located in the rural town of Turrialba in the province of Cartago a couple hours east of Costa Rica's capital, San Jose."

Aroma notes included (in order of appearance): bread, green tea, subtle bright fruit (light goji berry), faint tart green (oxalis), and very faint sweet white grape/golden raisin.

This well-tempered bar had an even melt and smooth texture and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included Boston brown bread (molasses, raisin); subtle, diffuse tropical fruit, and true chocolate (dark chocolate cake, chocolate torte, dark chocolate pudding) that lingered into the finish.

Maker's tasting notes: "chocolate sunflower seeds"

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic unrefined cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy" (Made with certified organic ingredients.) (Parve, Kosher LA)

*Hacienda Azul roughly translates into English as a blue house/dwelling on a plantation or estate. The Hacienda is "managed by the Zeuner family and employs 8 people full time." Also of note is the nearby Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigacion (CATIE) university of agriculture. CATIE "has provided 5 different clones to the farm. The (cacao) beans are washed prior to drying and we (LetterPress) have found this cacao fascinating by its versatility."




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