Chocolate of the Day
LetterPress Chocolate
Tranquilidad (Bolivia) 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 158 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar (current price)
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order
Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Bolivia Theme Week.
Today's Tranquilidad 70% Dark Chocolate (Batch #0006) (bar) was from LetterPress Chocolate LLC (Los Angeles, CA).
The cacao beans used to make this chocolate were from northern Bolivia. "Designated Heirloom Cacao (HCP #2) by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund in 2014, Tranquilidad is an ancient and rare varietal known as Beniano."*
Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (fleeting freshly baked bread and butter, sweet green botanicals (green jasmine tea, sweet grass/hay); and fruit (light apricot)).
This bar broke with a snap, and had a buttery melt and mouthfeel.
Flavor notes included: much more subtle versions of the light green botanical and stone fruit notes mentioned above and rich dark chocolate (with a faint latte note) with balanced fruit acidity and relatively low bitterness. The buttery texture also gave this chocolate a luxe dark chocolate buttercream frosting feel.
The fragrance at the beginning was lovely. Hats off to the maker for preserving these more delicate notes-- that contributed pleasing complexity to the richer, buttery, chocolate-y taste and finish.
Unfortunately, this Tranquilidad, Bolivia 70% chocolate bar is currently showing as sold out on the site where I purchased this.
LetterPress tasting notes: "buttercream, espresso"
Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter* (*Certified Organic)
Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy"
*LetterPress Chocolate sources fine cacao beans from several countries to make their bean-to-bar chocolate bars. Chocolate makers often work with or consult cacao experts in cacao growing countries--such as Volker Lehmann in Bolivia. The maker's description of this cacao field expert is below.
Lehmann, "originally from Germany, relocated to Bolivia in 2000 as a trained agriculturist. Throughout the Beni Department, Volker works with wild cacao in the area and personally oversees the fermentation process to ensure the highest possible quality. We became enamored by these beans several years ago and were able to secure a very limited amount of these special cacao beans..."
