Omnom Chocolate - Peru 100% (bar) - Dec. 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Omnom Chocolate 

Peru 100% (bar)

Good + 

Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar

Calories: 194.4 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Limited Edition Peru 100% bar* was designed and made by OmNom Chocolate (Reykjavik, Iceland), using Gran Nativo Blanco cacao beans.

Aroma notes for this single origin, single ingredient ultra-dark chocolate included: 

hearty, ultra-dark chocolate; very faint, fleeting clean mineral (clay); natural sweetness; very faint sweet green (herbal/floral); and faint, fleeting freshly baked bread (yeast, fermentation).

The texture was relatively smooth with faint astringency/tannins.

Flavor notes: balanced bitter and sour notes (think sour+bitter ale with a complex but pleasing flavor profile); ultra-dark dense chocolate; very faint naturally sweet, green herbal/floral.

Like many 100% (unsweetened) chocolate bars, this may be a bit strong even for dark chocolate lovers. But this one also had its own special charms and belongs in a 100% tasting flight. 

I braced myself for bolder flavor, taking a tiny nibble first. And even as I was thinking this may be too much, I was enjoying the lack of sugar and all the subtler notes. The bitter/sour notes faded. Then I found myself wanting to go back and take a few more bites.

Ingredients: Peruvian Gran Nativo Blanco Cocoa Beans

Allergen-related information: "Designed and made in Iceland, in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten."

Note: The post for this entry was delayed due to international travel in Iceland. And, yes, I did buy this Limited Edition Peru 100% OmNom (crafted in Iceland) bar in the U.S. and then traveled to Iceland with this chocolate with me in my chocolate suitcase--back to its place of "birth" to kick-off Chocolate and Iceland Week. (This 100% Peru bar was no longer available at the OmNom Chocolate Factory and Ice Cream Store in Reykjavik.)

Pascha - 55% Cacao Barely Dark, Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 10, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Pascha 
55% Cacao Barely Dark, Organic Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .95 oz. (27 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 4 pieces (1 serving) of bar
Cost: $2.39 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's 55% Cacao "Barely Dark" Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) was a product of Peru and distributed by Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Aroma notes for this sweet, dark chocolate Peru bar included: sweet herbal + green floral; faint brown sugar and molasses; dark chocolate (dark ganache); and very faint dried fruit and licorice herb.

The texture was relatively smooth with a very faint graininess (more similar to stoneground chocolate than fruit astringency). 

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache (truffle filling), dark chocolate cookie); faint nut (walnut brownie); sweet, slightly floral herb; and faint licorice herb. (There were no walnuts or herbs in this bar.)

This certified Organic, sweet, dark chocolate bar with interesting and balanced complexity was made in Peru. And the chocolate liquor and cocoa butter used to make this chocolate were from Rainforest Alliance Certified (www.ra.org) farms.

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, organic chocolate liquor, and organic cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "Made in an allergen-free facility...No peanuts, no nuts, no gluten, no egg, no wheat, no soy, no dairy, no emulsifiers"

Note: This post was delayed due to international travel.

 

Pascha - 85% Cacao Very Dark Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 9, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Pascha Chocolate Company 
85% Cacao Very Dark Organic Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .95 oz. (27 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 4 pieces (1 serving) of bar
Cost: $2.39 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's 85% Cacao Very Dark Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) was a Product of Peru and distributed by Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Aroma notes included: fragrant sweet green herb; earth; dried fruits (date, fig); maple sugar; brown sugar; graham cracker; very faint fleeting menthol (Pine Sol cleaner); woodsy; and almost nutty (walnut).

The texture of this high-percentage bar was creamy smooth, fudgey chocolate with a very slight astringency.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes listed above, with more dark chocolate (ultra-dark chocolate fudge)--more similar to a 75% than 85% cacao dark chocolate. This Peru bar had interesting complexity and was low in bitterness.

Ingredients: Organic chocolate liquor, organic cane sugar and organic cocoa butter. (UTZ certified cocoa.)

Allergen-related information: "Completely free from the 8 major allergens"

Note: This post was delayed due to international travel. 

 

La Feverie - Chuncho Urusayhua 75% Peru (bar) - Dec. 8, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

La Feverie

Chuncho Urusayhua 75% Peru (2019 Harvest) (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar

Calories: 163 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Chuncho Urusayhua 75% Peru (2019 Harvest) (bar) was made at La Feverie, Hasnaa Chocolats Grands Crus (Bordeaux, France).

Aroma notes for this handcrafted dark chocolate included: fermented cacao (the faint fermentation and fruit vinegar notes dissipated after the package had been opened), and faint, floral peppercorn and sweet, ripe blackberries.

This 75% single origin dark chocolate was relatively smooth, with only a very slight graininess/fruit astringency.

The flavor notes for this bar included: floral (pink and black) peppercorn (that faded after package had been opened for about 30 minutes); sweet green and maple sugar; very faint and fleeting olive; sweet red berry; and slightly tart-sweet, ripe lush blackberries.

This was an enjoyable single origin bar with a pleasant, layered complexity that included balanced flavors and sweetness level(s). It was slightly tart-sweet, and low in bitterness.

Maker's flavor profile description/tasting notes read as follows: "Succession of fresh and greedy notes of red fruits (cherry, wild strawberry...) on a slightly Moka finish (coffee)."

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans and organic sugar

Allergen-related information: (No information listed on packaging.)

Note: The post for this entry was delayed due to international travel.

Casa de Chocolates - Organic Peruvian Espresso (bar) - Dec. 7, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Casa de Chocolates

Organic Peruvian Espresso (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) in total bar

Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar

Cost: $4.25 for 1 bar 

Purchased from: Napa Farms Market at SFO (airport)

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Organic Peruvian Espresso (bar) was from Casa de Chocolates (Berkeley, CA). The company specializes in high-quality, small batch chocolates--many of them with a Meso-American flavor or twist/connection.

Aroma notes for this small bar included: sweet, almost floral, dark chocolate and coffee.

The texture was creamy, almost velvety, smooth dark chocolate with crunchy bits of finely ground espresso coffee beans.

This bar had a smooth, creamy dark chocolate flavor with bright sweetness and satisfying espresso coffee flavor accent notes, and a very faint touch of vanilla spice.

Ingredients: "Cacao, sugar, cocoa butter, crushed organic Peruvian espresso beans, vanilla, sunflower lecithin..."

Allergen-related information: "Dairy and gluten free"

Note: This entry was posted late due to international travel.