Ranger Chocolate Co. - Kablon Philippines Dark Chocolate 75% (bar) - Sept. 29, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Ranger Chocolate Co.

Kablon Philippines Dark Chocolate 75% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.25 oz. (64 g.) in total bar
Calories: 349 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Philippines Theme Week, featuring several chocolate bars made from cacao grown in the Philippines.

Today's Kablon Philippines Dark Chocolate 75% (Batch 1) (bar) was distributed by Ranger Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR). Kablon Farms (Davao, Philippines)-- owned by the Pantua family--grows a mix of Criollo variety cacao and more modern cacao hybrids.

Aroma and flavor notes included: bold, balanced drinking chocolate with a very faint (and well balanced) bitterness; very diffuse sweet fruit(s); subtle spices (warm spices, star anise); and very faint molasses cookie. The texture was smooth. 

I appreciated the well-executed complexity in this flavorful dark chocolate.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "graham cracker, cinnamon, nutmeg, molasses, peanut butter"

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic sugar 

Allergen-related information: Manufactured in a facility that uses gluten, egg, milk, and tree nut ingredients. ("Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Nut Free")

Puchero - Philippines 75% Mana Single Origin (bar) - Sept. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Puchero 
Philippines 75% Mana Single Origin (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 207.5 calories for 1/2 bar 593 calories in 100 g of bar 
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and The Philippines Theme Week.

Today's Philippines 75% Mana Single Origin (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Puchero* (Valladolid, Spain).

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (rich drinking chocolate with a light, balanced bitterness); tropical fruit (sweet, ripe mango; mangosteen); very faint fermentation (fruit, red wine grape); faint, fleeting spice (black pepper); and very faint white floral (orchid).

This upbeat, flavorful dark chocolate reminded me of a festive glass of dark sangria with tropical fruits. It was a celebration of single origin, Trinitario (cacao variety) flavor. I associate Trinitario with its bright fruit flavors. The Mana cacao (from the Philippines, used to make today's chocolate) "consists of 5 selected Trinitario varieties."** 

Maker's tasting notes: "A bright and balanced profile with a cascade of flavours: tropical fruit, bergamot and fresh flowers."

Ingredients: Cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter.

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of nuts, milk and gluten

*Tostarix S.L. (Spain)

**Trinitario cacao(s)--thought to be a cross of Forastero and Criollo cacaos--have some of the boldness of a Forastero, but with bright/tart fruit and sometimes other nuanced (stone fruit, gentler, honied) notes of a Criollo heritage variety cacao.