Friday, December 2, 2022

Hogarth - Peru Single Origin 66% Cacao Piura Blanco (bar) - Nov. 30, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Hogarth Chocolate Makers
Peru - Single Origin 66% Cacao Piura Blanco (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 77.7 calories in 1 serving (1/5 bar)
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order  

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

Today's Peru Single Origin 66% Cacao Piura Blanco (bar) was created by Hogarth Chocolate Makers (Nelson, New Zealand). 

The Hogarth company name refers to chief chocolate maker, Karl Hogarth. And the company offers a variety of bean-to-bar chocolates, including today's single origin Peru bar.

Aroma notes for this single origin Peru chocolate included: gentle fermented cacao, cream; very faint, balanced earth; and very faint diffuse spice and lemon-herb (oxalis).

Texture: smooth with a very slight granularity (astringency). 

Flavor notes included: chocolate (warm cocoa/drinking chocolate), natural diffuse fruit sweetness (faint, slightly tart-sweet pink lemonade and goji berry), and fresh fleeting green (sweet green tea latte with lemon).

Ingredients: Organic fair trade cocoa beans, organic fair trade cocoa butter, organic cane sugar.

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of milk and nuts. "100% Organic, vegan, gluten free, soy free"

Coco Polo - Ginger dark chocolate - Nov. 29, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Coco Polo 
Ginger dark chocolate
Good +
Weight: .49 oz. (13.8 g.) (estimate) in small sample packet 
Calories: 70 calories (estimate) in 1 sample packet
Cost: $N/A - free sample
Purchased from: N/A - free sample

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Holiday Spices Theme Week.

Today's Ginger dark chocolate (sample) was from Coco Polo (Highland Park, NJ). The company offers a line of sugar-free, stevia-sweetened chocolates.

Ginger spice triggers holiday memories for me, with associations of gingerbread people, holiday gingerbread houses and castles, hot ginger tea, and gingerbread molasses cookies.

This sample Ginger chocolate had smooth dark chocolate, faint ginger spice, and very faint menthol (cooling feeling in mouth) flavor notes.

(Note: In fairness to Coco Polo, this sample was one I received quite a while ago. However, the full-sized 70% Ginger Root bar dark chocolate bar was still available when I checked the Coco Polo website today.)

Ingredients: (Ingredients were not listed on small sample packet.)

Allergen-related information: Not listed on small sample packet.

Thomas Keller Armando Manni - K+M Extra-Virgin Milk Chocolate Winter Spice (bar) - Nov. 28, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Thomas Keller - Armando Manni
K+M Extra-Virgin Milk Chocolate Winter Spice (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 193 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12+ (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sweet Shop, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Holiday Spices Series.

Today's K+M Extra Virgin Milk Chocolate Winter Spice (bar) was a collaboration bar between Chef Thomas Keller and extra virgin olive oil maker Armando Manni. (K+M Chocolate is based in Napa, CA.)

Aroma: The initial sniff revealed pleasing, balanced, warm holiday spices, faint chocolate and very faint citrus (sweet orange). Note: after being opened for a few hours, the spice aromas were not quite as strong.

Texture: This Thomas Keller + Armando Manni (K+M) holiday milk chocolate bar had a very special, smooth texture with a relatively creamy, luxurious slow melt. The collaboration between chef + olive oil expert delivered a unique, rich mouthfeel.

Flavor: The smooth, relatively mellow dark chocolate (made with cacao from Hacienda Victoria, Ecuador) had notes of faint warm spices (star anise, allspice, cinnamon, ginger). A blend of whole milk powder, cocoa butter and extra virgin olive oil provided splendid texture, but may have muted some of the chocolate and spice (smooth and balanced) flavors a bit. However, it was still a very enjoyable and interesting bar to try. 

K+M maker's tasting notes: "Allspice, Citrus, Lush, Velvety"

Note: K+M also offers a Winter Spice hot chocolate, made with spices (such as: allspice, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper)

Ingredients: (Note: missing complete packaging. As I recall ingredients included: Cocoa beans, whole milk powder, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic extra-virgin olive oil, spices, tangerine oil)

Allergen-related information: (Contained milk.)

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