Sunday, July 10, 2022

TCHO - "Choco Latte" Coffee Truffle Filled Oat Milk Chocolate (bar) - July 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO
"Choco Latte" Coffee Truffle Filled Oat Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .833 oz. (23.3 g.)/2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 3 bars
Calories: 130 calories in 1 small bar
Cost: $N/A - part of sample pack, tour (gift from a friend)
Purchased from: N/A - part of a sample pack, tour (Thank you Toni!)

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

Today's "Choco Latte" Coffee Truffle Filled Oat Milk Chocolate (bar) was from TCHO Ventures Inc. (Berkeley, CA).

In late 2021 TCHO indicated they were making changes to their chocolate bar line-up, based on customer input they'd asked for. 

Among the changes: their existing (dairy) milk chocolate bars eventually would be replaced by a line of Organic, 100% Plant Based chocolate bars (including several filled bars). And the traditional square-shaped package would now hold 3 individually-wrapped bars, instead of one (larger) square bar. (Dairy milk would be replaced with oat and nut milks.)

If the established TCHO Mokaccino (dairy) milk chocolate bar--made with coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee, Inc. (Oakland, CA)--eventually disappears, today's Choco Latte bar with a "shot of dense mocha espresso" may be a logical successor. (Today's bar also contained Blue Bottle "premium and ethically sourced coffee beans.")

Today's 100% plant based bar had a relatively bold coffee and dark milk chocolate aroma and and a very smooth, creamy melt and texture (enabled by cocoa butter and cashew butter). 

There was also a slight caramel-like, sugar sweetness to the 47% cacao chocolate (shell) of this filled bar that enveloped the coffee-infused truffle core. The choice of coconut sugar helped add a faint brown sugar note and softened the sugar buzz a bit.

Unlike many filled bars, the texture and flavor differences between the coating and the filling were barely perceptible. The small differences between the two resulted in mild flavor depth and complexity--a good thing.

The oat milk was very well incorporated in this creamy blended bar; there was no detectable oat flour/milk grit or graininess. Although the oat milk may have neutralized coffee and chocolate flavors a bit (like dairy milk softens stronger flavors in traditional milk chocolate bars).

Ingredients: Organic, Fair Trade cacao beans; Organic, Fair Trade cocoa butter; Organic coconut sugar; Organic gluten free oat flour (Organic oat flour, Natural Vitamin E (to preserve freshness)). Organic cashew butter; Organic cane sugar; Organic coffee beans; Organic coconut oil; Organic sunflower lecithin; sea salt; Organic vanilla beans.

Allergen-related information: (Contains gluten free oats, cashews (cashew butter), coconut oil.) "May contain soy, milk, and other tree nuts." "Certified Kosher DE by Earth Kosher." 

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