Plantation Mangaro Madagascar 71% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order
In 2006, my daughter bet I couldn't eat a different chocolate each day for a year. I enjoyed that year so much that, after 18+ years, I'm still eating a different chocolate every day. Happily, even after 6,600+ chocolates, there are still many more to try. Thank you to chocolate makers everywhere, and to all who continue to be part of this global adventure.
Chocolate of the Day
Stonegrindz
Ucayali River, Peru 70% Cacao (bar)
Good++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (27 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Stonegrindz, online order
Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.
Today's Ucayali River, Peru 70% Cacao (bar) was crafted by the makers (Kasey McCaslin and Steven Shipler), and team, at Stonegrindz Small-Batch Chocolate (Scottsdale, AZ).
Aroma notes for this award-winning* single origin bar included: dark chocolate, and very faint fruit and spice.
Texture: smooth, relatively creamy texture with a light fruit astringency (dryness) in the finish.
Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (ganache, sweet earthy mocha-chocolate-y tart), moderate tart-sweet fruit acidity (citrus, pomegranate, red cherry plum); very faint warm spice; and fleeting, soft earth and sweet green herbal.
There were additional flickers of fruit and botanicals (very faint sweet green herb - barely detectable mint, licorice) in the finish. The fruit notes--somewhere between peach, mango, pineapple, cherry and something else I couldn't quite grasp (possibly cacao fruit pulp)--were fun, and elusive/difficult to pin down.
I enjoyed the subtle complexity of this chocolate. Savor slowly to find the "hidden treasures" in this Peruvian cacao.
Maker's tasting notes: Notes of mocha, cedar, dark cherry, anise
Ingredients: Cacao*, cacao butter*, cane sugar* (*Organically farmed)
Allergen-related information: "Soy Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free"
*Gold 2019 - International Chocolate Awards (Tasters) in Italy