Fruition Chocolate - Cinnamon Maple Bourbon 65% (bar) - Feb. 24, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Fruition Chocolate
Cinnamon Maple Bourbon 65% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 172 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's Limited Release Cinnamon Maple Bourbon 65% (bar) was made by Fruition Chocolate Works (Shokan, NY).

This tasty bar had rich, layered flavors including rich milk chocolate, caramel and faint echoes of an aged bourbon cask. (Cocoa nibs used to make this bar were aged with cinnamon and "locally distilled" bourbon.)

The choice of (Tree Juice brand) maple sugar made in the Catskill mountains of New York (vs. cane sugar) and cinnamon, added warmth and flavor depth. (And, like many other high-quality dark milk chocolate bars, this one was mildly addictive.)

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, organic maple sugar, whole milk powder, organic cocoa butter, bourbon, cinnamon

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk. May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts and wheat."

Wildwood Chocolate - Cardamom and Honey Caramel with Sea Salt (bar) - Feb. 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day 

Wildwood Chocolate

Cardamom and Honey Caramel with Sea Salt (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.176 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 182 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar

Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend ($12.75 on website)

Purchased from: N/A - gift from friend (thank you Wendy!)

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Spices Weeks.

Today's Cardamom and Honey Caramel with Sea Salt (bar) was from Wildwood Chocolate (Portland, OR). The company offers chocolates inspired by nature in the Pacific Northwest; e.g. this bar was embossed with an attractive fern pattern.

Instead of spice, the aroma of this honey caramel filled bar had notes of chocolate sandwich cookies and milk and faint caramel. The (cardamom) spice was in the core--part of a thin layer of cardamom seasoned honey caramel--surrounded by 70% dark chocolate.

Breaking off a piece of this bar resulted in a thin gooey sheet and tendrils of caramel (that may be softer on a warm day). I'd advise dividing this bar into bite-sized pieces on a plate, or eating this chocolate with a napkin.

The smooth dark chocolate lacked identifiable cacao flavor notes. The caramel center added a pleasing mild, authentic cardamom spice flavor, and was relatively sweet. Although the salt helped balance this sweetness. 

Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, soy lecithin, vanilla), cane sugar, cream (milk), honey, rice syrup, butter, vanilla extract (vanilla, alcohol), sea salt, cardamom seeds.

Allergen-related information: "Contains soy and milk. May contain traces of the following if not listed above due to shared equipment: tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and eggs."