Zotter Chocolate - Gin & Lemon Dark milk chocolate 60% gin ganache, lemon cream (bar) - Dec. 7, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter Chocolate
Gin & Lemon Dark milk chocolate 60% gin ganache, lemon cream (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 360 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotter US, online order 

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Gin & Lemon Dark milk chocolate 60% filled with gin ganache, lemon cream (bar) was from Zotter Chocolate US LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, spirits (gin) sour-sweet lemon (and almost lime, other citrus), and very faint coconut (there was no coconut) and warm spice.

A thin layer of smooth, 60% dark chocolate surrounded a soft, but substantial, lemony, gin-infused filling that had a range of bright, citrus-like flavors (lemon, tart apple, grapefruit), and very faint vanilla.

The faint juniper note in the gin and the citrus provided an authentic gin cocktail flavor. 

I enjoyed this flavorful, very slightly boozy bar made with 85% Organic ingredients (and several Fairly Traded ingredients as well). It teetered on the edge of too many flavors and spices (star anise, cloves, cardamom), but it worked. 

Those adults I've shared this bar with so far have all given it a thumbs up. (Because of the alcohol in this bar, I only shared this with adults.*)

Ingredients: Cocoa Mass**, Cane Sugar**, Cocoa Butter**, Dry Whole Milk, Gin*(7%), Invert Sugar Syrup*, Dry Skim Milk, Lemon Juice (2%), Glucose Syrup*, Dry Sweet Whey, Lemon Juice Concentrate*(0.5%), Salt, Vanilla Bean Powder**, Grapefruit Concentrate*, Apple Balsamic Vinegar*, Cinnamon**, Star Anise*, Cloves*, Cardamom* (* = Organic (85% Organic) (** Organic and Fair Traded)

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk. "Manufactured on Equipment That Processes Other Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Eggs, Soy, Gluten and Sesame."

* Children can have remarkably sophisticated palettes when it comes to dark chocolates. And I'm often interested in hearing their opinions if I'm sharing chocolate with a family. 

Years ago I was surprised to see that some under 10 years old even liked darker (>70% cacao) chocolates as well. I would still limit the dose to under 1 oz. (28 g.); but there you go. You can't generalize about people, at any age. Everyone has different tastes and preferences. 

 

Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Limited Release Dark Chocolate Demon Seed Whiskey 77% Cacao (bar) - Dec. 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Limited Release Dark Chocolate Demon Seed Whiskey 77% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $35.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Goodnow Farms Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Limited Release Dark Chocolate Demon Seed Whiskey with Maple Sugar 77% Cacao was made by Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA) in collaboration with Boston Harbor Distillery (Dorchester, MA). The cacao bean origin was Colombia (Boyaca).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (dark cocoa, ganache), and very faint spirits (whiskey) and maple sugar. 

When I bought this bar, I didn't know it contained scorpion pepper, one of the world's hotter peppers. (The name Demon Seed Whiskey should have clued me in.) If you don't detect a chili/pepper smell to this bar, you might be surprised by the bit of heat that kicks in a bit later. So, for the heat-sensitive, I'd advise taking a small bite first.

Texture: relatively smooth (all ingredients were fully incorporated), with a tiny bit of (possibly imagined) astringency toward the end.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (bittersweet chocolate), warm maple sugar, and very faint whiskey, chili spice and earth notes. The whiskey added flavor depth without being obvious.

Given the relatively bold flavor elements, this was a very balanced and well-executed chocolate. There were no pyrotechnics or rushes to grab a glass of water because of the scorpion pepper. Yes, the pepper had some heat, but it wasn't overwhelming (thank you). The ginger was barely detectable, but it likely added some warm spice that melded flavors together nicely.

The 77% cacao (single origin Colombia, Boyaca) seemed relatively smooth for a higher percentage chocolate, and the sweetness level seemed to be just right. The maple and ginger were subtle but added some warmth that makes it appealing for colder/winter days. And this is a fun bar to share with others.

Maker's tasting notes: "...Heat from scorpion peppers dances with ginger and melds with flavors of rich, maple fudge. A warm caramel syrup sensation lingers..."

Ingredients: Single Origin Cacao Beans, Maple Sugar, Single Origin Cocoa Butter, Whiskey, Scorpion Pepper, Ginger

Allergen-related information: "Soy Free, Gluten Free"

Zotter Chocolates - Rum Coconut 70% filled bar - Dec. 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter Chocolates
Rum Coconut 70% filled bar
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.19 + shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotter, online order 

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

Today's Rum Coconut 70% filled with coconut ganache and rum cream (bar) was made in Austria by Zotter Chocolates and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

Zotter's filled (or "hand-scooped") bars contain ultra-thin layers or fillings, sometimes two or three. In this case there were authentic coconut and rum layers inside a thin coating of 70% dark chocolate. 

Aroma notes for this slightly boozy*, filled bar included: rum, tropical fruit (pineapple, mango, lemon), dark chocolate and subtle coconut. The smooth, dark chocolate became more prominent when I bit into it, and the fruit notes receded.

Texture: mostly smooth and creamy with a few tiny coconut shreds.

I liked the layering of flavors, the use of organic and fair trade ingredients, and the fact that this was an authentic winter warmer, in almost every respect. The rum clearly raised the temperature in my room. Neat trick. 

Maker's description: "A tropical dream..."Brown rum adds...flavor to a rich dark chocolate ganache...accompanied by a light coconut layer made from almond praline, coconut couverture, coconut milk, and a hint of pineapple juice, and crunchy coconut flakes..." The whole treat is then coated with a layer of 70% dark chocolate. 

Ingredients: Cocoa Mass**, Cane Sugar**, Cocoa Butter**, Rum** (6%), Invert Sugar Syrup*, Toasted Coconut**(4%), Rice Drink Powder (Rice*, Sunflower Oil*, Salt), Coconut Milk* (3%), Coconuts*, Water, Thickener: Guar Gum*), Almonds*, Pineapple Concentrate*, Glucose Syrup*, Coconut Powder* (1%: Coconut Paste*, Coconut Milk*, Coconut Flour*), Dark Brown Cane Sugar**, Salt, Vanilla Bean Powder**, Lemon Powder* (Lemon Juice Concentrate*, Corn Starch*, Sugar*), Emulsifier: Lecithin (Soy)*, Emulsifier: Lecithin (Sunflower)*, Ginger* (* = Organic (100% Organic) (** = Organic and Fair Traded). Fair Trade Content in Total: 83%

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Coconut, Almonds, Soy" "Manufactured on Equipment That Processes Other Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Milk, Eggs, Sesame and Gluten." 

*No Chocolate and Spirits Week would be complete without a filled chocolate from Europe that contains a bit of real alcohol. Zotter Chocolates offers organic and fair trade chocolates with a variety of spirits, for those who are looking to upgrade in this category.

Creo Chocolate - Whiskey Milk 65% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 4, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Creo Chocolate
Whiskey Milk 65% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 250 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Creo Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Whiskey Milk - 65% Milk Chocolate Infused with Westward Whiskey (bar) was from Creo Chocolate (Portland, OR).

The single origin cacao used to make this bar was from Ecuador, which contributed to the smooth rich chocolate-y flavor.

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate; very faint, sweet spirits (whiskey); and subtle rich caramel.

Texture: creamy, smooth chocolate.

Flavor notes included: smooth, dark milk chocolate; subtle sweet spirits (whiskey) and rich caramel and light cream; and an unexpected (but wonderful) sparkling of salt. But, not just any salt -- mesquite sea salt. 

Disclaimer: I like savory/smokey chocolates. Chocolates with a judicious dose of sea salt that also was smoked. Yes, that is just fine. I find that salt and/or a savory element balances out higher levels of sugars, even natural and authentic-tasting sweetness. I can't be sure; but the 65% cacao might have been too sweet for me. But the maker's choices of salt, milk and whiskey all blended very nicely in this case.

Maker's tasting notes: "Flavor notes: barrel-aged whiskey, malt, smoked sea salt -- creamy and sophisticated"

Ingredients: cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic whole milk powder, mesquite smoked salt, malt whiskey. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Milk" "Manufactured on shared equipment with products containing eggs, wheat, sesame seeds, soy, peanuts & tree nuts"

 

Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Limited Release Dark Chocolate Unfiltered Hard Cider 70% Cacao (bar) - Dec. 3, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms Chocolate 
Limited Release Dark Chocolate Unfiltered Hard Cider 70% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $19.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Goodnow Farms Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Limited Release Dark Chocolate Unfiltered Hard Cider 70% Cacao (bar) was made by Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and crisp, relatively tart fruit (apple) and sweetness.

Texture: smooth, almost creamy dark chocolate 

Flavor notes included: deep, relatively robust (but smooth) dark chocolate with very slight earth and faint apple/cider; and a fleeting warm spice (apple cinnamon) in the finish. 

* Maker's description: "...Dominican Republic Zorzal Communitario cacao nibs are soaked in 23 gallons of Downeast's locally crafted 8% hard cider. This infusion process creates a perfect balance of tart apples and rich dark chocolate. Our take on fall in New England!"

Ingredients: Single Origin Cacao Nibs, Organic Cane Sugar, Single Origin Cocoa Butter, Hard Cider (Hard Cider, Fresh Pressed Apple Cider, Water, Sugar, Malic Acid, Sulfites to Preserve Flavor)

Allergen-related information: Soy Free; Vegan. 

Kasama Chocolate - Tanduay Rum 75% Cacao Barrel Aged Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 2, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Kasama Chocolate
Tanduay Rum 75% Cacao Barrel Aged Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 166.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $19.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Tanduay Rum 75% Cacao Barrel Aged Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Kasama Chocolate (Vancouver, B.C., Canada).  

This Special Release bean-to-bar chocolate was made using cacao beans and rum from the Philippines.

These roasted cacao beans (broken into pieces, aka nibs) were aged with Tanduay Gold Philippine Rum*. The nibs were then "dried and stone ground to create a rich, dark chocolate with tropical notes of coconut, caramel cream and hints of spice and sandalwood..."

I didn't pick up all these notes, but it was still a very enjoyable tasting experience. Aroma and flavor notes I experienced included: smooth dark chocolate and subtle, sweet spirits (rum) and subtle green/botanical/floral (orchid) and very faint cookie (brown sugar, rum).

Texture: smooth, creamy chocolate-y with a pleasing melt and mouthfeel.

I enjoyed the subtle, smooth flavor and natural sweetness in this chocolate. The choice of 75% cacao dark chocolate seemed perfect. (A 70% cacao version might have tasted too sweet, and might have made the already subtle flavor notes too subtle--for a bar where I want to enjoy the taste imparted by the spirits.) 

Like yesterday's Kasama Single Malt Canadian Whisky bar (with bolder flavors), today's rum bar might be a great bar to share with friends and family over the holidays, and would be a nice winter warmer. (Both could be part of a chocolate and spirits (side-by-side) tasting flight.)

Ingredients: Tanduay Gold Rum Aged Cacao Nibs, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cacao Butter* (* = Organic)  

Allergen-related information: None listed, except "Made in a facility that contains nuts."

*"In 1854, a distillery was built on Isla De Tanduay, a small piece of land bordering the Quiapo & San Miguel districts in Manila." (It became most well known for its rum.)

Kasama Chocolate - Odd Society Single Malt Canadian Whisky 70% Cacao (bar) - Dec. 1, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Kasama Chocolate
Odd Society Single Malt Canadian Whisky 70% Cacao Barrel Aged (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 163 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $19.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week. 

Today's Odd Society Single Malt Canadian Whisky 70% Cacao Barrel Aged (bar) was from Kasama Chocolate (Vancouver, B.C., Canada).  

This Special Release bean-to-bar chocolate was made using cacao beans from Northern Ecuador (Costa Esmeraldas). These roasted cacao beans (broken into pieces, aka nibs) were "aged with Odd Society Distillery's Commodore single malt whisky*. The nibs were then dried and stone ground to create a...rich dark chocolate with oak and whisky notes."

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth, dark chocolate; a bouquet of marinated fruits (ripe cherry, sweet/boozy orange, citron and sweet lime); barrel-aged whiskey; very, very faint (fleeting) vegetable (green beans + nopalitos cooked with a little lemon); and very faint herbal (licorice). In the finish: fudge brownie, whiskey, vanilla and cherry tobacco, subtle oak.

Texture: smooth, chocolate-y with a pleasing melt and mouthfeel.

I enjoyed the balanced, rich complexity and unexpected fruitiness in this bar. It was flavorful, not too sweet (thank you!), and satisfying. I liked that the complex cocktail of flavors extended into a relatively long finish with mellow, authentic, barrel-aged whiskey, vanilla and light cherry. 

This would be a great bar to share with friends and family over the holidays, or to provide a little warmth to any winter day/evening.

Ingredients: Commodore Whisky Aged Cacao Nibs, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cacao Butter* (* = Organic) 

Allergen-related information: None listed, except "Made in a facility that contains nuts."

*The Odd Society Commodore small-batch whisky in this bar tasted closer to Bourbon than Scotch. It was "distilled with 100% BC grown, malted barley, and aged in ex-bourbon barrels, giving it a...peppery-sweetness, along with dark fruit, clove, and toffee notes." 

Intrigue Chocolate - Bourbon & Vanilla Bean Truffle - Nov. 30, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Bourbon & Vanilla Bean Truffle
Good ++
Weight: .314 oz. (8.9 g.) / 4.09 oz. (116 g.) (estimate) in total box of 12 (13) truffles
Calories: 49 calories (estimate) in 1 truffle
Cost: $44.00 for 1 box of 12 (13) truffles
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week. 

Today's Bourbon & Vanilla Bean Truffle was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA). It was part of a baker's dozen of different flavors. Each truffle was labeled with its flavor name and individually-wrapped.

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth but rich dark chocolate, spirits (Bourbon) and vanilla, with a pleasing, light lingering (very slightly boozy) finish.

Texture: soft, creamy/buttery, very slightly fudgey, with a generous coating of cocoa powder.

I enjoyed this well-balanced, thoughtfully created adult truffle confection. This small truffle was full of flavor, not too sweet (thank you!), and very satisfying. 

Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, soy lecithin), Cream (milk), flavors (as described in the truffle name).

Allergen-related information: Contains Dairy, Soy. 

Intrigue Chocolate - Scotch Whiskey Truffle - Nov. 29, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Scotch Whiskey Truffle
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .314 oz. (8.9 g.) / 4.09 oz. (116 g.) (estimate) in total box of 12 (13) truffles
Calories: 49 calories (estimate) in 1 truffle
Cost: $44.00 for 1 box of 12 (13) different truffles
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Scotch Whiskey Truffle was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).

Intrigue Chocolate's Chef Aaron has created an estimated 400 different chocolate flavors in the past few decades. (A person after my own chocolate-marinated heart.) I found 13 of those flavors (including some with spirits) in this baker's dozen truffle assortment box--as well as several flavors in bar form (ordered online) that I'm looking forward to trying soon.

Aroma and flavor notes for today's, precision-cut, very slightly boozy square truffle included: rich, true dark chocolate and spirits (Scotch whiskey).

Texture: buttery, soft, creamy (yet firm enough not to melt in your hand immediately) with a generous dusting of cocoa powder.

This satisfying, small chocolate was one to savor. It landed squarely in the Goldilocks zone for me: not too sweet or acidic, subtle and authentic flavors. If you like dark chocolate and you like whiskey, especially Scotch Whiskey, try this one.

Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, soy lecithin), Cream (milk), flavors (as described in the truffle name).

Allergen-related information: Contains Dairy, Soy.

Intrigue Chocolate - Jamaican Hot Chocolate Truffle - Nov. 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Jamaican Hot Chocolate Truffle 
Good ++ 
Weight: .314 oz. (8.9 g.) / 4.09 oz. (116 g.) (estimate) in total box of 12 (13) truffles
Calories: 49 calories (estimate) in 1 truffle
Cost: $44.00 for 1 box of 12 (13) truffles
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate this holiday. Chocolate turkeys were handed a pardon this year. Instead, today's holiday chocolate treat was a small, square, spiked chocolate truffle.

Today's Jamaican Hot Chocolate Truffle was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this dark rum infused truffle included: subtle, sophisticated, warm, dark chocolate with very subtle rum and warm spices (nutmeg, vanilla). An additional bit of heat came from (what was for me just the right amount of) habanero chili, mid-way through.

Texture: creamy ganache, with a generous coating of cocoa powder.

Bittersweet, and not too sugary, this blend of flavors was a perfect chocolate warmer for a cold day. Enjoyed as a small bite of joy on a Thanksgiving dessert plate, it evoked sunny, subtle Caribbean island warmth and spiced rum flavor you might hope for in a dark truffle.

Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, soy lecithin), Cream (milk), flavors (as described in the truffle name).

Allergen-related information: Contains Dairy, Soy.

Honoka'a Chocolate - 55% Cacao Drunken Goat Milk Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 27, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honoka'a Chocolate
55% Cacao Drunken Goat Milk Chocolate (bar)  
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Honoka'a Chocolate, online order

Aloha and welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's 55% Cacao Drunken Goat Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Honoka'a Chocolate (Honoka'a, HI). Honoka'a is a small town on the green, lush Hamakua coast on the northeast side of the Big Island of Hawaii.

This bar was made with "Kahlua infused Ecuadorian (Camino Verde Fermentary) cacao with a hint of organic cane sugar and goat milk." To make this barrel-aged bar, cacao nibs and Kahlua were "aged in oak barrels for 4 to 5 months before processing into chocolate."

Aroma notes included: rich milk chocolate (mild, with a refreshing clean edge to it). 

Texture: thick and creamy, with a luxuriously thick mouthfeel and clean melt. Very faint, fleeting (barely there) astringency in the finish.

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate with very faint caramel. I did sense a super faint plant stalks and muffled wood from the barrel aging process; but these notes were so subtle as to be undetectable. There were no strong acid or bitter notes.

For a 55% chocolate, this was not too sweet (thank you). The relative lack of sugar meant it was easier to taste the subtle nuances of flavor in the chocolate and the milk.

I appreciated the creamy texture; the clean taste of the goat milk; the delicate caramel; the short list of ingredients; and a wee bit of intriguing complexity. 

It felt like taking a quiet walk outside in the fog, with clean, recently rain-washed air. There was no strong weather here; but it was a refreshing, interesting walk well worth taking.

I recommend adding this bar to a dark milk tasting flight (side-by-side tasting with other dark milk chocolate bars). This bar might help show tasters that the type and quality of the milk used in a chocolate bar does matter. And that dark milks don't always have to be very sweet to be enjoyable.

Ingredients: Ecuadorian cacao (Camino Verde Fermentary), organic turbinado cane sugar, organic goat milk.

Allergen-related information: Contains: Dairy

Honoka'a Chocolate - 70% Cacao Barrel Aged Bourbon Bar - Nov. 26, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honoka'a Chocolate
70% Cacao Barrel Aged Bourbon Bar 
Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 (estimate) (1 of 3 bar trio for $48.00)
Purchased from: Honoka'a Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #20 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week; and Day #2 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's 70% Barrel Aged Bourbon Bar (bar) was from Honoka'a Chocolate (Honoka'a, HI). Honoka'a is a small town on the scenic (and green) Hamakua coast on the northeast side of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate; faint sweet green (tree/maple syrup, very faint banana, citrus (orange), and barely detectable (possibly imagined) Mediterranean green walnuts in sweet green syrup/honey); faint, fleeting herbal (sweet, not quite licorice/fennel--but close); and barely detectable warm spice (vanilla).

Texture: very smooth, with a well-executed melt and mouthfeel. 

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (very tasty dark chocolate ganache with faint caramel/brown sugar, bourbon, and subtle, smooth wood (oak)), and citrus (orange).

I really liked the luxurious, silken texture and the subtle and intriguing complexity. The aging/soaking of cacao nibs in spirits and/or oak barrels (that have held spirits) can result in some truly beautiful, rich flavors. And each spirit (in this case bourbon) has its own unique flavor to impart. This bar--and yesterday's Kuleana Barrel Aged Rum Bar from the same maker--were both great examples of what's possible using these techniques.

I also really appreciated the very short list of (two) high-quality ingredients, and the use of Hawai'i grown cacao in all the Honoka'a bars I've tried this week.

Ingredients: "100% Hawai'i island cacao, organic turbinado cane sugar. Cacao nibs and bourbon are aged in oak barrels for 4-5 months before processing into chocolate."

Allergen-related information: ("Gluten Free, Fair Trade, Non GMO, Vegan, Dairy Free")  

Honoka'a Chocolate - 70% Kuleana Barrel Aged Rum Bar - Nov. 25, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honoka'a Chocolate
70% Cacao Kuleana Barrel Aged Rum Bar 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 (estimate) (1 of 3 bar trio for $48.00)
Purchased from: Honoka'a Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #19 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's 70% Kuleana Barrel Aged Rum Bar (bar) was from Honoka'a Chocolate (Honoka'a, HI). Honoka'a is a small town on the Hamakua coast on the northeast side of Hawai'i. Kuleana Rum Works is also located on the Big Island.

Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate; faint sweet green (tree/maple syrup, very faint banana, and even fainter Mediterranean green walnuts in sweet syrup/honey); faint, fleeting herbal (almost, but not quite licorice/fennel) and warm spirits (high-quality rum; maybe a little rum baba without all the sugar) and a little oak.

Texture: silky smooth, with a luxurious, buttery (almost dairy milk/cream) mouthfeel and melt. (Note: there were no milk/dairy ingredients listed.)

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (attractive and tasty dark chocolate ganache with faint sweet green), with flavorful hints of faint rum, caramel and oak.

I really liked the luxurious, silken texture and the subtle and intriguing complexity. 

The aging/soaking of cacao nibs in spirits and in oak barrels often results in some very attractive, full-bodied flavors. Today's Barrel Aged Rum Bar was a great example of how well these techniques can work. 

I also really appreciated the very short list of (in case case, two) high-quality ingredients, and the use of Hawai'i grown cacao, in all the Honoaka'a bars I tried this week.

Ingredients: "100% Hawai'i island cacao, organic turbinado cane sugar. Cacao nibs and rum are aged in oak barrels for 4-5 months before processing into chocolate."

Allergen-related information: ("Gluten Free, Fair Trade, Non GMO, Vegan, Dairy Free") 

Honoka'a Chocolate - 85% Cacao Hawaiian Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 24, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honoka'a Chocolate
85% Cacao Hawaiian Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 (estimate) (3rd of 3-bar trio for $45.00)
Purchased from: Honoka'a Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #18 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's 85% Cacao Hawaiian Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Honoka'a Chocolate (Honoka'a, HI).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache, dark cocoa); very faint and fleeting milk/cream, marshmallow, brown sugar, and sweet green herb; and very and faint diffuse sweet green nut and floral--the latter disappeared fairly quickly after exposure to air for several minutes.

Texture: silky smooth, with a luxuriously thick mouthfeel and melt--like other bars from Honoka'a. I'm guessing the cacao(s) were naturally high in cocoa butter. (Often the case in Hawaii, located farther than 20 degrees Latitude (from the Equator).*

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate; very faint, diffuse and fleeting fruit (tropical fruit, very faint and buttery avocado); and barely detectable yogurt/earth (faint loam). Overall the flavor was very smooth for an 85%er. I was really leaning in to try to pick up the more subtle notes--not typical for most high-percentage bars with stronger, more intense flavors.

The sweetness level was relatively moderate-high and the bitterness and astringency levels were relatively low for a high-percentage cacao bar like this.

Oddly, there was less earthy flavor in this 85% cacao bar than the 65% and 70% Hawaiian cacao-based bars from this same maker, featured in the past few days. 

The turbinado cane sugar added a bit of brown sugar flavor and possibly a slightly tangy note. (It was hard to tell if this was from the sugar or the cacao.) I plan to share this 85% bar with a few dark milk chocolate fans who are uncomfortable with high-intensity dark chocolates. 

I enjoyed the subtle, natural complexity; the remarkable buttery texture; the use of Hawaiian cacao; and the short list of only two ingredients. 

Ingredients: "100% Hawai'i island cacao, organic turbinado cane sugar."

Allergen-related information: ("dairy free")  

*Hawaii is sometimes referred to as the North Pole for growing cacao. Almost all of the world's cacao is grown closer to (less than 20 degrees from) the Equator. And most of that (probably at least 70-75%) comes from less than 10 degrees from the Equator. 

Honoka'a Chocolate - 70% Cacao Hawaiian Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honoka'a Chocolate
70% Cacao Hawaiian Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 (estimate) (2nd of 3 bar trio for $45.00)
Purchased from: Honoka'a Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #17 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's 70% Cacao Hawaiian Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Honoka'a Chocolate (Honoka'a, HI). Honoka'a is a small town on the Hamakua coast on the northeast side of the Big Island of Hawaii.

The relatively light and fresh aroma notes included: mellow dark chocolate, very light green fig flavored marshmallow, and barely detectable light herbal (licorice/fennel). Note: most of the lighter, and floral-leaning "green" notes were gone after the inner wrapper had been open for a few hours.

Texture: silky smooth, with a luxuriously thick mouthfeel and melt.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark chocolate ganache with very faint milky caramel/brown sugar; earthy dark chocolate milk); very faint milk (Greek yogurt); and barely detectable earth (loam). (Note: the "dairy" notes were very subtle; and there were no milk/dairy ingredients listed on the packaging.)

I liked the luxe--silken, with an almost chewy caramel-like--texture; the very short list of ingredients: just cacao and sugar; and that there was a bit of intriguing complexity.

The very slightly earthy cacao helped balance out the sweetness, and vice versa. Also, the turbinado sugar used was a little less processed than some white sugars, resulting in a slightly more rich (brown sugar) flavor and less sugar buzz.

Ingredients: 100% Hawai'i island cacao, organic turbinado cane sugar. 

Allergen-related information: ("Gluten Free, Fair Trade, Non GMO, Vegan, Dairy Free")

Honoka'a Chocolate - 65% Cacao Hawaiian Chocolate with Coconut Milk (bar) - Nov. 22, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honoka'a Chocolate
65% Cacao Hawaiian Chocolate with Coconut Milk (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 (estimate) (1 of 3 bar trio for $45.00)
Purchased from: Honoka'a Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #16 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's 65% Hawaiian Chocolate with Coconut Milk (bar) was from Honoka'a Chocolate (Honoka'a, HI).

Aroma notes included: rich, authentic coconut milk and sweet chocolate.

The texture was velvety smooth. (Frequently you get this lovely silky/creamy texture with coconut milk + cocoa butter.)

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate, authentic coconut milk and yogurt/earth (faint loam).

I liked the short list of only three ingredients and the authentic flavors. This was almost too sweet for me but the slightly earthy cacao helped balance out the sweetness, and vice versa. Also, the turbinado sugar used was a little less processed than some sugars, resulting in more flavor and less sugar buzz--which I appreciated.

Ingredients: 100% Hawai'i Island cacao, organic coconut milk, organic turbinado cane sugar. 

Allergen-related information: ("dairy free") 

Javier Confectionery + Sunridge Farms + Rum = Hawaiian Hot Chocolate - Nov. 21, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Javier Confectionery
Shaved Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix with Homemade Marshmallows
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / Approx. 15 oz. (weight unknown) total package
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. serving
Cost: N/A - gift from a neighbor (Thank you Nallely!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Sunridge Farms
Dark Chocolate Coconut Chews
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 5.5 oz. (156 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 1 (2-piece) serving
Cost: $5.59 for 1 package
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA 

Aloha, and welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week. 

Today's Hawaiian Hot Chocolate was made with three ingredients (listed below).

The last few days I've recreated a Hawaiian dessert/drink memory with available chocolate items from the chocolate vault. Tomorrow, I'll go back to featuring one (single) chocolate item per day that's either from Hawaii and/or made with cacao grown in Hawaii.

Javier Confectionery - Shaved Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix

The base for this Hawaiian-themed hot chocolate was Shaved Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix With Homemade Marshmallow(s) from Javier Confectionery (Burlingame, CA). 

After adding hot water, and stirring, the dark milk shavings melted into a nice, almost velvety, warm drinking chocolate. Very satisfying--and a good choice for a hot chocolate or as a base for experimentation (if you'd like to add liqueurs, flavorings).

Ingredients: Shaved dark chocolate (that I believe contained some milk) + homemade marshmallows in a separate packet.

Sunridge Farms - Dark Chocolate Coconut Chews

The Dark Chocolate Coconut Chews were manufactured by Sunridge Farms (Royal Oaks, CA). Aroma and flavor notes for these hearty, two-bite sized, dark chocolate covered chews included: dark chocolate, coconut macaroon and very faint vanilla. 

These tasty, chewy, sweet, bite-sized coconut chews would be enjoyable as a sweet snack. Their small size was perfect. I could see these being part of a holiday dessert plate with fruit and other items.

These were like high-end dark chocolate covered coconut macaroon cookies, only with a slightly shorter and healthier list of ingredients.

And two chews mixed into the hot chocolate achieved the rich coconut and chocolate flavor I wanted (in addition to the dark rum) to recreate today's Hawaiian Hot Chocolate memory.

(Note: straining out the small coconut shreds after allowing hot chocolate to sit for a few minutes is optional if hand-stirring ingredients and you're not using a blender.)

Ingredients: Coconut Bar (coconut, brown rice syrup), Dark Chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy or sunflower lecithin [emulsifier], vanilla extract, milk). 

Allergen-related information: Contains Coconut, Milk, Soy. "Manufactured on shared equipment with peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and sesame."  

Rum

Last, but not least to be stirred in was the rum. I chose Myers's Original Dark Rum as that most closely replicated what was in the Hawaiian Hot Chocolate I had almost 20 years ago in Honolulu. (An updated version might include a small-batch Hawaiian rum.)

Result 
The resulting combination of the three ingredients was very close to the (memory of the) Hawaiian Hot Chocolate I enjoyed years ago while on vacation in Hawaii.

 

King Arthur - Chocolate Macadamia Cookies with Hawaiian Nibs and Sea Salt - Nov. 20, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

King Arthur Baking Company, Inc.
Gluten Free Ultimate Fudge Chocolate Brownie Mix
(Chocolate Macadamia Cookies with Hawaiian Nibs and Sea Salt)
Good + - Good ++ (See below)
Weight: 1. oz. (45 g.) mix used / 17 oz. (1 Lb., 1 Oz.) total box of mix
Calories: 165 calories for dry mix only)/ 400 calories (estimate) for 2 cookies
Cost: N/A - multiple ingredients
Purchased from: N/A - multiple ingredients, locations

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Hawaii. 

Today's tiny (two cookie) batch of Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies with Guava Smoked Hawaiian Sea Salt were made using (a) Gluten Free Ultimate Fudge Chocolate Brownie Mix from King Arthur Baking Company, Inc. (Norwich, VT).

I added the following ingredients to this mix:

1.) Olive Oil + (Coconut) MCT Oil
2.) Hawaiian Macadamia Nuts (chopped)
3.) Cacao Nibs from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, Oahu, HI)
4.) 1 tiny banana (mashed)
5.) Cold Brew Coffee and Cream Liqueur
6.) Hawaiian guava smoked sea salt

I liked the combination of flavors. But the texture (when microwaved -- not recommended) was a little off. Following a standard cookie recipe and using a conventional oven (later) yielded better results.

The cocoa used in this mix was made more alkaline (less acidic and bitter) so it was sweet and agreeable. (Think Swiss Miss Cocoa in the U.S.) Happily, the Hawaiian cacao nibs helped restore some fine cacao flavor.

Notes: I used a gluten free brownie mix to make cookies. This King Arthur mix was optimized for brownies; and, if you're vegan (or not), the package specifically discouraged trying to make these brownies without using egg. (I'm not good at following recipes.) The end result: the last half of this micro-batch was folded into a great vanilla ice cream. That worked!

Brownie Mix Ingredients: Cane Sugar, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Tapioca Starch, Rice Flour, Baking Powder (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Corn Starch, Monocalcium Phosphate), Salt, Natural Vanilla Flavor. 

Allergen-related information: This mix was certified gluten-free by GFCO (GFCO.org) and was "Non-Dairy." "For information on allergens and cross-contact program, visit: KingArthurBaking.com/Allergen-Program"

Ocho Candy - Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Minis - Nov. 19, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ocho Candy

Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Minis
Good ++

Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total package of 8 minis

Calories: 280 calories in minis
Cost: $ Missing information 
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week. 

This post is about good memories.

Today's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Minis were from Ocho Candy, Inc. (Oakland, CA). Ocho closed down earlier this year after 14 years in business. (Fortunately, these were in my chocolate vault.)

Ocho Candy's founders were committed to making higher-quality chocolate candy bars--before many companies had even considered Organic and Fair Trade, or gluten-free, chocolate bars, or dropping artificial colors and ingredients. They made some great small candy bars.

And speaking of memories, I chose today's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter mini bars because they reminded me of a chocolate, peanut butter and fresh banana milk shake I fell in love with--at a poolside bar in Maui, many years ago. I made a delicious fresh banana milkshake at home and enjoyed these Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Minis with the shake, and pretended I was back in Hawaii. 

The two-bite bars had a smooth dark chocolate outer layer and a both creamy and very slightly crunchy peanut butter interior. The sugar and salt levels in the peanut butter filling were perfect for my taste. 

These individually-wrapped treats were easy to share and transport; but a smaller bar size didn't help with portion control. I'll just have one more...I thought, three times.

Ingredients: *Dark Chocolate, (*+Cacao Beans, *Evaporated Cane Sugar, *+Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Lecithin), *Peanut Butter (*Peanuts), *Cane Sugar, *+Cocoa Butter, *Peanut Flour, *Sugar (*Cane Sugar, *Tapioca Starch) and Sea Salt. (* = Organic; + = Fair Trade Certified by Fair Trade USA)

Allergen-related information: Contains: Peanuts. Made on Shared Equipment That Processes Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Milk, Eggs, and Wheat.

 

Raaka - Coconut Milk 60% Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 18, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Coconut Milk 60% Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25.4 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar
Calories: 127 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ (Missing information)
Purchased from: (Missing information)

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

Today's while today's Coconut Milk 60% Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar) from Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY) does not come from Hawaii (cacao origin is Uganda, Semuliki Forest), it did spark some fond Hawaii memories.

I enjoyed this Coconut Milk bar by itself, and then with two different Hawaiian coconut milk-based smoothies made with fresh banana, orange, guava and passionfruit. Today's virtual travel to Hawaii via chocolate and island fruits was inspired by the onset of colder, winter weather where I live.

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (fudge, cocoa, dark chocolate milk); authentic, aromatic and sweet coconut (milk); and very faint, diffuse fruit (ripe red berry).

The texture was smooth, silken, cream-y. (Most coconut chocolate confections are loaded with sugar-saturated coconut. You won't find dry or over-processed coconut in this bar.) 

Raaka's chocolates tend to be less processed, and feature bars like this one made with unroasted cacao. Why unroasted? The flavor can be milder/smoother as a result. And less processing of high-quality cacao is often associated with preservation of certain desirable flavor characteristics and nutritional properties.

I liked that this chocolate was gluten-free, soy-free, organic, and made with a short list of quality ingredients. For dairy-free and/or vegan chocolate lovers, Raaka offers some good options.

Maker's description: "...silky smooth...with...lush notes of berries and cream."

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic coconut, organic cacao butter

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut.

Lydgate Farms - 70% Dark Hawaiian Sea Salt + 70% Dark (bars) - Nov. 17, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Lydgate Farms Kaui Chocolate 

1.) 70% Dark Hawaiian Sea Salt (bar) (2024 release)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 157 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 + shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lydgate Farms, online order

2.) 70% Dark (bar) (2024 release)
Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 157 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 + shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lydgate Farms, online order

3.) Dulcey Coins 35% White
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .18 oz. (5 g.) / 3 oz. (84.9 g.) in total package 
Calories: 28 calories (estimate) in 1 piece/coin
Cost: $8.00 + shipping for 1 package
Purchased from: Lydgate Farms, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week, featuring three chocolates from Lydgate Farms Kauai Chocolate (Kapa'a, HI). 

The cacao grown on the family estate in Kauai has a history that stretches back to the 1860s, when cacao arrived from the Americas (as a gift to the Royal Family of Kamehameha) and was planted in Hawaii.

Today's three chocolates include: 1.) 70% Dark Hawaiian Sea Salt (bar) (2024 release), 2.) 70% Dark (bar) (2024 release), and 3.) Dulcey Coins 35% White Chocolate. The two bars were manufactured for Lydgate by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI); and the white chocolate coins were a product of France. 

70% Dark Hawaiian Sea Salt (bar)

Aroma and notes for this Hawaiian sea salt bar included: dark chocolate; light, sweet green (molasses, green fig, sweet green walnuts in syrup); faint coffee/latte; and faint (very fleeting) warm spice and botanical seasoning (sweet celery salt).

Texture: smooth with a creamy/buttery mouthfeel.

I enjoyed the rich, dark chocolate with multi-layered sweet green notes. It made me feel like I was I a green, tropical jungle/paradise. I would have liked to have tasted a little more salt in this sea salt bar; but others who don't care for salty chocolate may think the amount is just right.

Ingredients: Hawaiian grown cacao beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, Hawaiian sea salt 

Allergen-related information: (None listed/found on label.) 

70% Dark (bar)

Aroma and flavor notes for this Hawaiian chocolate included: dark chocolate; sweet green (banana, molasses, green fig, sweet green walnuts in syrup, maple syrup); and very faint citrus (fresh lemon, honey) and spice (vanilla, tobacco) and wood (cedar).

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy mouthfeel, luxe, lingering melt.

I loved the hearty, balanced, botanical complexity of the rich, dark chocolate with multi-layered sweet green notes. It was similar to the sea salt version but with more banana, some very faint wood/cedar; and I found it to be more vibrant. Both bars were recently created (2024 releases). 

Both bars tasted similar to releases I'd tried a few years ago. (I remember the lovely sweet green notes.) But, since I no longer have the previous versions, I can't say how they differed. This was one of those rare times when I did "re-taste" a bar; however, if I'm sure it's a different/new harvest/release I will sometimes make an exception. (It's like drinking a wine that may differ slightly with the year/harvest.) 

Ingredients: Hawaiian grown cacao beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter 

Allergen-related information: (None listed/found on label.) 

Dulcey Coins 35% White Chocolate (Dulcey Les Feves) 

Aroma and notes for these white chocolate confections included: strong, sweet and rich caramel; white chocolate; and vanilla.

Texture: smooth with a creamy mouthfeel.

I enjoyed the rich caramel tones in the aroma and taste. These were a bit sweet for me; but you're a white chocolate fan, these are worth trying.

Ingredients: White chocolate (35% cocoa minimum, pure cocoa butter), cocoa butter, sugar, whole milk powder, dried skimmed milk, whey, butter, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), natural vanilla extract, milk.  

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. May contain nuts, soya. Product of France. (Note: Lydgate Farms repackages some offerings (that could result in) traces of peanuts, tree nuts, eggs & milk protein, gluten and soy."

Aloha - Coconut Chocolate Almond protein bar - Nov. 16, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Aloha 
Coconut Chocolate Almond (plant-based protein bar)
Good + 
Weight: 1.98 oz. (56 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 260 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Mollie Stone's Markets, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Hawaii Week.

Today's Coconut Chocolate Almond (bar) was manufactured for Aloha (an employee-owned, Certified B Corporation based in Littleton, CO). The company sources ingredients like coffee and macadamia nuts from Hawaii-based farms and partners with other Hawaii-based organizations.

Aroma notes included: chocolate, coconut, nut (almond), and very faint vanilla.

The texture was substantial and chewy (but not overly tough). This bar was both moist (cohesive) and slightly dry (mouthfeel)--for a chocolate bar at least--from protein powder (ground rice, seed), ground almonds and coconut shreds, and fiber. 

Flavor notes included: chocolate (cocoa, coconut brownie), coconut, and nut (almond). 

The chocolate-y flavor came from incorporated (I'm assuming melted/softened) chocolate chips as well as added chocolate liquor, cocoa powder and cocoa butter. 

While it's unfair to compare a bean-to-bar craft chocolate bar with a protein bar, I liked that this thoughtfully produced chocolate plant protein bar was organic, not too sweet, lacked lecithin and vegetable gums, and contained 14 grams of plant protein as well as a tiny amount of salt. 

And if you're launching into a big day--going outside to watch high surf on a King Tide day on San Francisco Bay in this case--it's nice to have some protein + cacao under your belt.

Ingredients: Protein Blend* (Brown Rice Protein*, Pumpkin Seed Protein*), Tapioca Syrup*, Almonds*, Coconut*, Chocolate Chips* (Chocolate*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, Vanilla Extract*), Vegetable Glycerin*, Tapioca Fiber*, Chocolate Liquor*, Cocoa Powder*, Cocoa Butter*, Evaporated Coconut Water*, Natural Flavor*, Sea Salt, Vanilla Extract*, Monk Fruit*

Allergen-related information: "Contains Tree Nuts (Almonds and Coconut)" "Manufactured In A Facility That Also Processes Fish, Milk, Peanuts, Sesame, Soy, and Wheat."

Lydgate Farms - 55% Dark Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts - Nov. 15, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lydgate Farms Chocolate 
55% Dark Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts  
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total package 
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 1/2 container
Cost: $20.00 + shipping for 1 package
Purchased from: Lydgate Farms, online order

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

Today's 55% Dark Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts from Lydgate Farms (Kapa'a, HI) were manufactured for Lydgate by Feve Chocolates (San Francisco, CA).

Aroma notes included: chocolate (dark ganache) and sweet nut (cashew shortbread cookie).

The texture was a blend of softly crunchy macadamia nuts covered with a smooth, creamy dark chocolate.

The chocolate covering was just thick enough to add flavor, depth and chocolate richness, but not so thick that it prevented the subtler sugar, light caramel, vanilla, salt and macadamia nut flavor notes to shine.

I really enjoyed these well-executed, well-balanced, flavorful and slightly addictive Hawaiian cacao and macadamia nut confections. Definitely a cut above what you'll usually find in stores.

Ingredients: Hawaiian macadamia nuts, dark chocolate (Hawaiian cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, vanilla beans), sugar, salt, cocoa butter, cocoa powder 

Allergen-related information:  Contains tree nuts (macadamia). 

Valley Isle Chocolate - 70% Oahu North Shore 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 14, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Valley Isle Chocolate 
70% Oahu North Shore 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 109 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's 70% Oahu North Shore 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Valley Isle Chocolate (Kahului, HI). This family-owned, small batch chocolate maker is located in Maui.

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (dark ganache); very faint tropical fruit (pineapple, mango); butter; and honey/honey caramel.

Texture: creamy, cocoa buttery

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache, torte), earth (loam), sweet green (fig, floral vanilla).

The sweetness level was relatively high; the complexity was interesting. 

All four of the Valley Isle chocolates I tried this week had three things in common--most notably a natural/ganache sweetness, creamy/buttery texture, and earth (loam) notes. (All four bars were made with a three-ingredient, 70% cacao chocolate.)

Maker's tasting notes: Raisin, Caramel, Nutty

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar*, Organic Cocoa Butter* 

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes: Milk, Peanuts, Tree Nuts"  

Valley Isle Chocolate - Ua Hanai Orchards Hilo Hawaii 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 13, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Valley Isle Chocolate 
Ua Hanai Orchards Hilo Hawaii 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 109 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Ua Hanai Orchards Hilo, Hawaii 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Valley Isle Chocolate (Kahului, HI). This small-batch chocolate maker is located in Maui.

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (dark ganache; dark, silky fudge), sweet green floral (orchid, vanilla), and very faint cream and soil (loam).

Texture: nice and creamy/cocoa buttery smooth

Maker's tasting notes: Hazelnuts, Cherry and Maple Syrup

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar*, Organic Cocoa Butter* 

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes: Milk, Peanuts, Tree Nuts"    

Valley Isle Chocolate - Kona Hawaii 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 12, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Valley Isle Chocolate 
Kona Hawaii 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 109 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Kona Hawaii 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Valley Isle Chocolate (Kahului, HI). The company is a bean-to-bar, small-batch chocolate maker located in Maui.

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (dark ganache, fudge brownie); faint malt; diffuse, ripe (almost fermenting) fruit (sweet red berry); faint and balanced earth (loam); and a strong sense of natural sweetness--that I sometimes taste with certain less processed (organic) sugars; honey; or other sweet fruit and/or green botanical notes.

Texture: Smooth, with a very, very faint light astringency.

The sweetness for this 70% dark chocolate was relatively (naturally) high, but the organic cane sugar did not diminish the pleasingly subtle and balanced complexity.

Maker's tasting notes: "Raspberry, Malt, Winey"

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar*, Organic Cocoa Butter* 

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes: Milk, Peanuts, Tree Nuts"   

Chocolove - Hawaiian Sea Salt in Strong Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 11, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolove 
Hawaiian Sea Salt in Strong Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 225 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Hawaiian Sea Salt in Strong Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa (bar) was from Chocolove (Boulder, CO). 

Timothy Moley founded Chocolove in 1995. Chocolove chocolates and flavors inclusions have evolved over the years; but since I started Chocolate Banquet in 2006: they've continued to make bars using Belgian chocolate and there have been love poems* of different sorts printed on the inside of their wrappers.

Texture: smooth, creamy (in part due to a bit of added cocoa butter (not dairy)) dark chocolate interspersed with small, almost crunchy crystals of salt.

Aroma and flavor notes included: very smooth, uniform dark chocolate (cocoa, ganache, brownie with vanilla and very faint raspberry jam) and substantial sparkles of embedded Hawaiian sea salt. (Don't worry, there wasn't strong acidity or bitterness in this "strong" dark chocolate.) A touch of vanilla helped evoke that smooth chocolate baked goods taste and/or cocoa flavor.

Ingredients: Cocoa Liquor, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin And/Or Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla), Cocoa Butter, Hawaiian Salt. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains Soy. Made in a Facility That Also Processes Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, and Tree Nuts." 

*Today's love poem was from "I Will Tell Thee What It Is To Love" by Charles Swain.

Valley Isle Chocolate - Ecuador 70% Dark Chocolate with Macadamia Nuts & Sea Salt (bar) - Nov. 10, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Valley Isle Chocolate 
Ecuador 70% Dark Chocolate with Macadamia Nuts and Sea Salt (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 109 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Ecuador 70% Dark Chocolate with Macadamia Nuts and Sea Salt was from Valley Isle Chocolate (Kahului, Maui, HI). The cacao was sources from Costa Esmeraldas--a family-owned cacao farm in the Esmeraldas Province of NW Ecuador.

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate and very nut, faint vanilla, floral, sweet green and tobacco. 

Texture(s) varied from smooth dark chocolate to softly crunchy nut pieces and salt crystals to cocoa buttery melt/mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate, sweet green (floral honey, faint green coconut, vanilla).

I enjoyed the subtly complex "green" (botanical) flavors in this single origin, small-batch chocolate bar.

Ingredients: "Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar*, Organic Cocoa Butter*, Macadamia Nuts, Hawaiian Sea Salt" 

Allergen-related information: "Contains Tree Nuts (Macadamia). Manufactured in a facility that also processes: Milk, Peanuts, Tree Nuts"

Maverick Chocolate - Hawaiian Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Maverick Chocolate Co. 
Hawaiian Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .918 oz. (26 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 4 squares of bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from: Maverick Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Special Reserve Hawaiian Coffee Dark Chocolate Dark Chocolate was from Maverick Chocolate Co. (Cincinnati, OH). This bar was a collaboration between Maverick Chocolate and Made Like Iron Coffee (Pahala, HI).

Aroma notes for this bar included: complex dark chocolate with very slightly savory, diffuse fruit and coffee.

Texture: I liked that the coffee was completely incorporated in this bar, resulting in a smooth dark chocolate; i.e. there were no crunchy coffee bits/grounds. I like layered flavors; but in this case the total integration worked very well.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark brownie with sea salt*); freshly roasted coffee; fleeting, fruity, buttery green olive; brown/less processed sugar; and faint botanical/floral; and a very faint aromatic tobacco note. 

I enjoyed the deeply complex, nicely balanced, and interesting flavor notes; and the barely detectable savory taste. (Note: I'm a fan of savory and umami chocolates.) I'm not sure whether the light fruit (sweet citrus) came from the Belize cacao Maverick used to make this bar, or the Hawaiian coffee -- or whether it was a product of both; but the fruit and other flavors complemented each other well in this bar.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Rich, dark chocolate with a smooth quintessential Hawaiian coffee flavor enhanced with brown-sugary sweetness and hints of citrus and flower notes."

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic Hawaiian coffee beans. 

Allergen-related information:  "Manufactured in a facility that also processes: Milk, Eggs, Wheat, Peanuts, Almonds, Coconut, and Hazelnuts. Soy Free. Vegan."

*Note: There was no sea salt. I write down what I'm sensing, which doesn't always correlate 100% with the actual ingredients. In this case there was a savory/umami quality that reminded me of certain chocolates or foods with salt.

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Blueberry Lavender Chocolate Medallions - Nov. 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate, Inc.
Blueberry Lavender Chocolate Medallions
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.65 oz. (53.3 g.) / 4.94 oz. (160 g.) (per label) in total package of 3 
Calories: 291 calories (rough estimate) in 1 medallion
Cost: $25.00 for 1 package of 3
Purchased from: Lonohana Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week; and Day #2 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Blueberry Lavender Chocolate Medallions were from Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). The company uses cacao grown on their estate in Oahu (and cacao grown on neighboring islands). Their bars and occasional confections are "grown and made in Hawaii." 

Aroma notes for this generously-sized chocolate medallion included: aromatic fruit (blueberry), warm spice (vanilla and cinnamon) and lavender. (And, yes, lavender is part of the large, extensive mint family.)

The medallion's round shape and thickness (relatively thin, and tapered down around the edges to be a little thinner) provided excellent mouth and palette access to great flavors.

Flavor notes for this special chocolate included: smooth, almost velvety, dark milk chocolate and the warmth of a spiced, blueberry compote style jam on buttered toast-laced with just enough floral lavender and vanilla to transport one to an extra level of bliss. 

Yes, it was sweet, but this chocolate was very well-balanced and thoughtfully executed so that the sugar (while it was the number one ingredient) and milk didn't mask or dampen the bouquet of high-quality flavors in this medallion. 

Sadly, this addictive and flavorful beauty (and virtual vacation to Hawaii this morning) was part of a limited run; and these medallions are no longer listed on the Lonohana website (online store) to order. 

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, Hawaiian cacao, organic cocoa butter, organic whole milk powder, Hawaiian vanilla, lavender essential oil, organic blueberry powder.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "Soy and gluten free. Made in a peanut-free environment."

Aloha - Chocolate Mint Organic Protein Bar - Nov. 7, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Aloha  
Chocolate Mint Organic Protein Bar
Good +
Weight: 1.96 oz. (56 g.) in 1 bar 
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sigona's, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Mint Organic Protein Bar was manufactured for Aloha (Littleton, CO). Aloha is a plant-based protein company (B Corp) that was founded in 2013 by three Hawaii-based partners.

Today's offering contained 14 grams of plant protein; but it had enough dark chocolate that it qualified as being a chocolate bar.

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, mint (peppermint), and very faint nut and seed cookie.

The texture was relatively firm but pliable; and it had some crushed seed/nut heft and a faint crunchiness to it. The dark chocolate helped tie the ingredients together; added some pleasant mouth feel and rich flavor; and helped prevent the feeling of dryness that some protein bars can have.

I liked that this monk fruit-sweetened bar wasn't too sweet; that it was organic and gluten free; and the flavors seemed authentic and well-balanced for a more functionally-oriented chocolate protein bar. The 14 grams of protein (rice, pumpkin seed, cashew) helped make it feel satisfying.

Ingredients: Protein Blend* (Brown Rice Protein*, Pumpkin Seed Protein*), Tapioca Fiber*, Dark Chocolate* (Chocolate*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*), Cashew Butter* (Roasted Cashews*, Sunflower Oil*), Tapioca Syrup*, Vegetable Glycerin*, Cocoa Powder*, Sunflower Seed Butter* (Roasted Sunflower Seeds*, Sunflower Oil*), Sunflower Oil*, Sunflower Lecithin*, Peppermint*, Monk Fruit*

Allergen-related information: "Contains Tree Nuts (Cashews). Manufactured in a Facility That Also Processes Fish, Milk, Peanuts, Sesame, Soy, and Wheat." 

Equal Exchange - 67% Cacao Mint Crunch Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Equal Exchange
67% Cacao Mint Crunch Organic Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 226.6 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh, online order

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

Today's 67% Cacao Mint Crunch Organic Dark Chocolate (bar) was produced in Switzerland and distributed by Equal Exchange (San Francisco, CA).

Aroma notes for this 67% Peruvian cacao-based bar included: dark chocolate and peppermint. 

The texture was smooth, with a relatively creamy base chocolate and some sparkles of mint.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate and peppermint. I liked that the peppermint wasn't totally overwhelming. And the chocolate was relatively bold, but well executed. Overall, it tasted a little better than I expected. (It wasn't a mint bomb.)

Happily, the sweetness level and the mint flavoring were both just about right.

Ingredients: "*Organic Chocolate Liquor, *Organic Raw Cane Sugar, *Organic Cocoa Butter, Peppermint Crisps 10% (*Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Peppermint Oil), *Organic Unrefined Whole Cane Sugar, *Organic Ground Vanilla Beans." (* = Fairly Traded Ingredient) 

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Milk, Peanuts, Hazelnuts, Almonds & Coconut"

Seattle Chocolate - Mint Chip truffle (bar) - Nov. 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Seattle Chocolate
Mint Chip - green mint chip chocolate truffle bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.)/ 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh, online order 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and the Mint Family Week. 

Today's Mint Chip - green mint chip chocolate truffle bar was from Seattle Chocolate Company (Seattle, WA).

This relatively soft-textured (almost velvety) truffle bar was filled with a creamy green mint center.

The mint aroma and flavor was refreshing without being too overpowering; and this bar was, surprisingly, not overly sweet either. 

I also liked that this bar was gluten free; and (in reading the label) was reminded about Equal Exchange's transparency*--and work they've done with many small cacao farmer co-ops (across the cacao-growing world) over the years. (There was a picture of one of the Peruvian farmers on the packaging.)

Ingredients: white chocolate (cane sugar, cocoa butter*, milk, soy lecithin, natural vanilla), dark chocolate (cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), chocolate chips (cocoa mass*, cane sugar, cocoa butter*, natural vanilla), coconut oil, alfalfa extract (color), pure peppermint oil.

Allergen-related Information: "Contains milk, soy, and coconut. This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, and wheat products." "Gluten Free"

*Equal Exchange has remained committed to building partnerships that "are economically just and environmentally sound" in cacao-growing countries. They are a large co-op organization--one of the largest "Alternative Trade Organizations" in the world, that has long been involved with Fair Trade. 

The cacao used to make this bar was from farmer co-operatives the Dominican Republic and Peru. The sugar came from Paraguay; and the vanilla hailed from Madagascar.

Sweet Loren's - Chocolate Mint Cookies - Nov. 4, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Sweet Loren's 
Chocolate Mint Cookies
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.6 oz. (46 g.) / 9.6 oz. (272 g.) in total package
Calories: 180 calories in 2 cookies
Cost: $7.99 for 1 package of 12 cookies
Purchased from: Farm Fresh, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and the Mint Family Theme Week.

Today's gluten-free, dairy-free Chocolate Mint Cookie dough was manufactured for Sweet Loren's, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA). 

Aroma notes included: peppermint and chocolate (cookie). And as with any "freshly baked" cookies, these small, pre-formed cookies (that came from a package of refrigerated dough) smelled good right out of the oven.

The baked Chocolate Mint cookies had a relatively soft texture, with slightly more crispy edges. And yes, as the name Sweet Loren's suggests, the number one ingredient was sugar.

For those wanting something sweet, but needing strictly allergen-free, companies like Sweet Loren's offer some convenient and attractive options. The cocoa powder, molasses and chocolate chunks added flavor depth that I appreciated.

Ingredients: "Sugar, Flour Blend (oat, tapioca, potato starch), Palm Oil**, White Confectionary Chips (sugar, palm kernel** and palm oil**, natural flavors, sunflower lecithin, salt), Filtered Water, Cocoa Powder, Molasses, Chocolate Chunks (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, vanilla, salt), Sea Salt, Baking Soda, Peppermint Oil."

Allergen-related information: "Made in a dedicated room free of gluten, wheat, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame. Manufactured on shared equipment with products containing egg and soy. Strict allergen cleaning controls and testing are in place to ensure allergen control standards are met."

 

Intrigue Chocolate - Lavender, Coffee, Long Pepper (bar) - Nov. 3, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate
Lavender, Coffee, Long Pepper 64% Dark (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5) / 2.5 (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 194 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and the Mint Family Theme Week--featuring several days of chocolates flavored with different members of the very large mint family: peppermint, yerba buena, basil, rosemary, lavender and more.

Today's Lavender, Coffee, Long Pepper 64% Dark (bar) was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA), a small-batch maker offering bars and confections--most with at least one local, Pacific Northwest flavor inclusion. 

Origin story: The cacao ("mostly Trinitario and Amelonado") used to make this chocolate was from Uganda, Rwenzururu, Semuliki Forest. And the lavender was from B&B Family Lavender Farm (Sequim, WA).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, slightly woodsy, distinctive floral (lavender) with light menthol (mint), sweet green, and very faint and harmonious savory (pepper). I could not smell the coffee, but I think it added a richness and a grounded quality, and somehow tied together these 4+ flavors in an unexpectedly successful way.

Texture: smooth, well-tempered dark chocolate with both a very slight crunchiness (likely coffee), and a relatively creamy texture and melt.  

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (chocolate-y, dark ganache), with a blend of authentic lavender, faint fruit (blueberry), and very faint savory (pepper) and barely detectable (in most bites) coffee.

This 64% cacao bar was sweet without being overly so--allowing one to really appreciate a skillfully executed blend of complex, bold flavors--that could've been pulled in many directions; but instead the finished blend was almost smoother and greater than the sum of its parts. 

Makers tasting notes: "Medium-roast coffee draws together the perfume of the lavender and the musky bite of the long pepper."

Ingredients: "Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin [emulsifier], natural vanilla flavoring), lavender, coffee, long pepper"

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility with milk, soy and nuts."

    

Intrigue Chocolate - Lavender 60% Cacao (bar) - Nov. 2, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate
Lavender 60% Cacao (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28) in total bar
Calories: 194 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and the Mint Family Theme Week--featuring several days of chocolates flavored with different members of the very large mint family: peppermint, yerba buena, basil, rosemary, lavender and more.

Today's Lavender 60% Cacao (bar) was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA). 

Origin story: The cacao ("mostly Trinitario and Amelonado") used to make this chocolate was from Uganda, Rwenzururu, Semuliki Forest. And the lavender was from B&B Family Lavender Farm (Sequim, WA).

Aroma notes included: chocolate and woodsy, distinctive floral (lavender) with light menthol (mint).

Texture: smooth, well-tempered dark chocolate  

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (chocolate-y, dark ganache), authentic lavender. 

I liked the slightly smaller tasting size package, and that it was sweet without being overly so--allowing one to taste the underlying chocolate and authentic lavender flavors. Lavender did dominate a bit, but if you like lavender, that is not a bad thing.

Makers tasting notes: "Made with hand-harvested Angustifolia (English) lavender flowers, this bar has complex floral aromatics, deep chocolatiness, a surprise blueberry note, and hints of Scotch whisky."

Ingredients: Roasted cacao nibs, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter, lavender flowers. 

Allergen-related information: Vegan, no dairy, no soy, no gluten. 

   

Moonstruck Chocolate - Black Cat Bar - Dark Chocolate + Dark Chocolate Strawberry & Basil (bars) - Nov. 1, 2024

Chocolate(s) of The Day 

Moonstruck Chocolate

Black Cat Bar - Dark Chocolate
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.1 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in (approx.) 1/3 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Dark Chocolate Strawberry & Basil 
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 3.25 oz. (92 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in (approx.) 1/3 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week, featuring chocolates that contain a member of the very large mint family--that includes basil.

And in honor of Halloween Week (and the fact I tried a similar Strawberry & Basil bar from the same company many years ago), I added the Black Cat Bar to try along with its lightly basil-flavored chocolate sibling. 

Both were Moonstruck Chocolate bars from Portland, OR. (The Black Cat Bar was manufactured by CW Moonstruck LLC (Portland, OR); and the Strawberry and Basil bar was manufactured by Moonstruck Chocolate Co. in Portland, OR). Both were made with UTZ Certified Cocoa.*

Black Cat Bar - Dark Chocolate

Aroma and flavor notes for this smooth, attractive, (and I assume) seasonal chocolate included: roasted, smooth and chocolate-y dark chocolate (pudding, mousse), vanilla, and faint marshmallow.

I loved the simple but striking appearance of a dark (black) cat silhouetted against a full moon (white chocolate), and the light sparkling of stars (vanilla sugar crystals) in the dark chocolate sky and reflected in dark ground below.

Ingredients: "Dark Chocolate (Unsweetened Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor), White Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Nonfat Dry Milk, Butterfat, Soy Lecithin (An Emulsifier), Vanilla Extract), Vanilla Sugar (Cane Sugar, Vanilla Powder), Natural Toasted Marshmallow Flavor Extract (Vegetable Glycerin, Natural Flavor)."

Allergen-related information: "Allergens: Milk, Soy."

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Basil bar

Aroma and flavor notes included: chocolate, warm spices (clove, cinnamon), and refreshing, tart-sweet fruit (red berry). 

The basil was fleeting and faint, but the tiny green pieces were an attractive, colorful complement to the red strawberry bits on the dark chocolate. I was a little confused by the faint warm spices; but 'tis the season.

Ingredients: "Semisweet Chocolate (Unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, soy lecithin, vanilla extract.) Basil Herb Sugar (sugar crystals, basil), Freeze Dried Strawberries."

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on shared equipment. May contain traces of milk, wheat, soy, peanuts, sesame and tree nuts"

*The UTZ Certification program is now part of Rainforest Alliance. Both stress values such as sustainability, fair wages for farmers and training for farmers, and require that certain standards are met for certification. Farms and companies are audited by independent organizations.

Intrigue Chocolate - Rosemary, Blackberry Honey, Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt (bar) - Oct. 31, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate
Rosemary, Blackberry Honey, Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 194 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and the Mint Family Theme Week. Most chocolates with mint contain peppermint oil/flavoring. This week also features bars and confections with mint family members such as  yerba buena, basil, lavender, and rosemary.

Happy Halloween to all those who celebrate this (pumpkin- and chocolate-fueled )holiday. 

Today's Rosemary, Blackberry Honey, Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt (bar) was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache, honey); faint berry (ripe blackberry); and faint rosemary. The salt was very subtle.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate

I enjoyed trying this flavor combination. The rosemary was present without being too strong; it contributed a light, refreshing, pine-y, mint flavor that meshed well with a little salt. Throw in some faint blackberry and honey, and you've captured many flavor memories I have of the Pacific Northwest/Seattle area.

Maker's description: "Rosemary, Blackberry Honey, and Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt is a campfire get-together by the ocean."

Ingredients: "Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin [emulsifier], natural vanilla flavoring), honey, rosemary, smoked salt" 

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility with milk, soy and nuts."   

Verse Chocolate - 90% Mint Dark Chocolate Mint Medallion - Oct. 30, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Verse Chocolate  
90% Mint Dark Chocolate Medallion
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .705 oz. (20 g.) / 4.23 oz. (120 g.) in total package of 12
Calories: 120 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $11.69 for 1 package of 12 chocolates
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and The Mint Family Theme Week.

Today's 90% Mint Dark Chocolate Mediallion(s) were distributed by Verse Chocolate LLC (Nixa, MO). The company also offers 12-serving boxes of individually-wrapped medallions in other flavors (e.g., plain, salted almond, coffee).

Aroma notes for these medallion-shaped mint dark chocolates included: strong mint (peppermint) that almost eclipsed the dark chocolate.

Texture and shape: relatively dark chocolate with tiny crunchy bits. The size (less than 5 cm across), was just right for a few bites; and slim medallion's slightly-curved shape enabled easy access to textures and flavors in one's mouth.

Flavor notes included: ultra-dark chocolate tempered with upticks of strong peppermint. There was a  slight astringency toward the finish.

This blend of two very strong flavors--90% dark chocolate and peppermint oil--may be a bit overwhelming for some; but I appreciated that these 90% dark medallions were not overly sweet, and the acidity and bitterness in the chocolate was not excessive (for me at least).

Any more sugar might have bumped up the mint into the mint toothpaste zone for me. Disclaimer: you'll rarely hear me complain about lack of sugar as I enjoy darker chocolates and I don't want sugar to mask the underlying cacao flavors. For this reason (and if you want to reduce sugar/carbohydrate consumption) it's nice to have ultra-dark chocolate options like this.

Maker's notes: "With better cacao, we can use less sugar, giving you more of the inherent benefits within dark chocolate"

Ingredients: Cocoa beans*, cane sugar*, cocoa processed with Alkali*, cocoa butter*, peppermint oil*. 
(* = Organic ingredient)

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of tree nuts and sesame seeds." Certified Organic; U; gluten free.

To'ak Chocolate - Chocolate Alchemy Andean Mints (bar) - Oct. 29, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

To'ak Chocolate
Chocolate Alchemy - Andean Mints 65% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in total package 
Calories: 360 calories in 1 package (4 smaller bars)
Cost: $16.00 for 1 package of 4 smaller bars
Purchased from: To'ak Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and the Mint Family Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Alchemy - Andean Mints 65% cacao bar(s) were created by To'ak (Tierra & Arbol S.A.S.) / To'ak International Inc. (Quito, Ecuador).

The heirloom cacao used to make this chocolate (from tree-to-bar) was sourced from Piedra del Plata, Manabi, Ecuador. And the four different mint flavors used grow in the Andes region.

Inside the attractively illustrated package were four, smaller, gold foil-wrapped, square bars. And, pleasant surprise, rather than a mint melange, each bar featured a different mint: Sunfo, Ecuadorian Tipo, Peru Muna and Yerbabuena.

Sunfo
Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate and bold but balanced mint (spearmint + sage).

Equadorian Tipo 
Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, mellow mint (mild peppermint + sage + marshmallow and very faint lemon balm), and very faint nut (peanut).

Peruvian Muna
Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate and subtle smoky/savory (lemon) mint + gentle sage. Light astringency. Lovely nuanced mint notes in this one.

Yerbabuena 
Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate and vibrant mint with floral (light geranium, malva), light citrus (lemon) and very faint pepper and tomato notes. Incredible symphony of flavors.

The dark chocolate was good; but the four amazing mints stole the show. I liked the sweetness level; i.e. there was enough sweetness to add brightness, but the sugar didn't eclipse the four unique and authentic Andean mint flavors.

I appreciated the care taken to make this a true, single origin Ecuador dark chocolate, with both heirloom cacao and different mints that grow in the region.

Ingredients: "Dark chocolate (65% heirloom cacao, 35% cane sugar), sunfo/yerba buena/ecuadorian tipo/peruvian muna (each mini bar contains one type of Andean mint), cacao butter" 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk, soy, or nuts."

 

Intrigue Chocolate - Basil Truffle Bar - Oct. 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Basil Truffle Bar  
Good ++
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70.7 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 388 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 truffle bar + shipping
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Mint Family Theme Week. The extensive mint family* includes not only peppermint and spearmint, but also rosemary, basil, sage, oregano, thyme, lavender, lemon balm and others. 

Today's Basil Truffle Bar was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA). The company offers a variety of chocolates (bars and confections) with interesting flavor inclusions.

Aroma and flavor notes for today's basil-infused chocolate included: dark chocolate (chocolate torte, ganache), subtle and savory basil, and very faint vanilla cookie.

This truffle bar had a smooth, creamy, buttery, truffle-like texture.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (rich, creamy dark chocolate truffle ganache) and subtle basil (a plant my brain associates more with savory dishes (pasta dishes and pizzas), and that lacks the (sometimes overly) sweet toothpaste-like sparkle that mint confections/candy can have). 

This cocoa-hued truffle bar was about the size of a small stick of butter; it was dusted in cocoa powder and had authentic soft/creamy truffle texture and flavor. 

The price ($14 USD) may seem high, but this small but mighty bar was the equivalent of 4-5 large, high-quality truffles; and if you eat the whole bar you may feel quite full.

This bar can easily be sliced into (thin or thick) chocolate truffle slices (with a knife or a butter or cheese slicer) and shared with others as a dessert by itself, or as part of a chocolate tasting, flight or pairing (with wine, spirits or cheese). It contains real cream and refrigeration and timely consumption is encouraged.

Note: I enjoy trying chocolates that are on the savory side, and Intrigue Chocolate also makes a Parmesan (cheese) truffle that would make for an interesting pairing with this basil Truffle bar. (A tomato truffle if you can find or make one might make an interesting trio.) 

I appreciated the authentic basil flavor in today's chocolate, and it wasn't overly sweet (thank you!).

Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, soy lecithin), Cream (milk), flavors (basil) 

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, soy. 

*The mint family (Lamiaceae) contains approximately 7,000 species across more than 230 genera.

Loon Chocolate - 70% Heirloom Bolivia (bar) - Oct. 27, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Loon Chocolate
70% Heirloom Bolivia (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 212.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from: Loon Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Loon Chocolate 70% Heirloom Bolivia (Batch 924-34) bar was manufactured by White Birch Living LLC (Manchester, NH).

Aroma and flavor notes for this Bolivia bar included: dark chocolate (chocolate-y, dark ganache), fleeting tangy/acidic fruit (dried fruit: cherry, nectarine, raisin), faint earth and very faint oxalis.

I appreciated the short list of (three) ingredients; the maker's choice of organic cane sugar and organic heirloom cacao (that seemed naturally sweet); and fleeting complexity--that included some tangy fruit. 

The makers at Loon Chocolate, like many other small batch, bean-to-bar chocolate makers, work to showcase the range of unique and special, often nuanced, flavors present in cacao. And I feel grateful for their dedication.

Ingredients: "70% Organic Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter"

Allergen-related information: "Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan" "Produced in a Facility That Uses Almonds and Milk."

Intrigue Chocolate - 60% Bolivia Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 26, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate
60% Bolivia Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 60% Bolivia Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).

Cacao source: 2021 wild harvest HCP Heirloom cacao--from tall trees* in a forest canopy setting--used to make this chocolate were from Tranquilidad Natural Forest Estate in Bolivia.

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate, sweet green (plant stalks, hay, tree syrup, slightly floral honey).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate, sweet green (hay, tree syrup) and slightly floral honeycomb.

I really enjoyed the gentle complexity and natural sweetness (even the higher sugar level than yesterday's 78% version of this chocolate). 

The sealed, smaller, tasting bar size, package helped preserve the heirloom flavors. (If I have leftover chocolate, I share with others; but if that opened bar can't be sealed up quickly, the aroma and flavor profile may be less "fresh" or more subdued. The tasting experience may be different.

Makers tasting notes: "Expect full-bodied chocolatiness with notes of molasses and aged balsamic."

Ingredients: "Roasted cacao nibs, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter."

Allergen-related information: "Vegan, no dairy, no soy, no gluten."

*Cultivated cacao trees are often shorter (for easier harvesting) and grown in denser rows (to increase yields). More delicate heirloom varieties left to grow wild often yield more nuanced, complex and flavorful cacao. 

Intrigue Chocolate - 78% Bolivia dark chocolate (bar) - Oct. 25, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate
78% Bolivia Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Bolivia Theme Week.

Today's 78% Bolivia Dark Chocolate (bar) was made and distributed Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).

The 2021 (wild) harvest certified HCP heirloom cacao used to make this chocolate was from Tranquilidad Natural Forest Estate in the Bolivian Amazon basin. The maker describes these cacao trees as quite "tall and spindly, nestled among the forest giants..." with smaller cacao pods and brands that are nonetheless "packed with flavor."

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (dark ganache, torte), and very faint green floral and light paraffin/beeswax notes. 

Texture: Smooth with a very faint, fleeting astringency in the finish.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache, torte), subtle sweet green, floral honey, and barely detectable wood, nut (coconut, blanched peanut) and cookie. (Note: there were no coconut or peanut ingredients.)

I appreciated the slightly floral notes and the inherent sweetness of the wild Bolivia cacao used to make this bar. The maker's choice of 78% cacao--a slightly higher cacao percentage (and slightly lower percentage of sugar) also made it easier to detect the subtle, attractive aroma and flavor notes that are more likely to be present with heirloom cacao(s).

Makers notes: "...aromas of chocolate sheet cake, clover hay bales, and aged firewood."

Ingredients: Roasted cacao nibs, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "Vegan, no dairy, no soy, no gluten."

L.A. Burdick - Bolivia 68% Drinking Chocolate - Oct. 24, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

L.A. Burdick 
Single Source Bolivia (Beni River) 68% drinking chocolate
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 12 oz. (?? g.) in total package
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. serving + water
Cost: $32.00 + shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: L.A. Burdick, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Bolivia Week.

Today's Single Source Bolivia (Beni River) 68% drinking chocolate was from L.A. Burdick (Walpole, NH). The company offers a variety of chocolates, including chocolate mice, and single origin (bars and drinking) chocolates.

Aroma notes for today's Bolivia drinking chocolate included: dark chocolate with very faint grain, pickled/fermented sweet pepper and black pepper; and (I must have been imagining this) barely detectable grilled cheese on a corn tortilla.

After adding water, microwaving for 30 seconds, and using the whisk that was included, the mix quickly dissolved into a smooth, rich, velvety, warm drinking chocolate. The texture was very pleasing. (I added less water for a thicker drinking chocolate with less diluted flavor.)

Flavor notes included: rich, nuanced drinking chocolate with very faint pepper. It was sweet without being too sweet, and balanced (not too acidic).

I really appreciated the small metal whisk that was included; it created a smoother texture and enhanced the tasting experience. And I enjoyed the relatively smooth, but lightly complex chocolate-y flavor.

Maker's notes: "Grapefruit and floral notes mingle with roasted nuts and give way to a smooth finish."

Ingredients: "Dark chocolate (Cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar, sunflower lecithin, soy lecithin, vanilla bean)"

Allergen-related information: Contains soy. Gluten free (made in a gluten free kitchen). "Our chocolates are crafted in a kitchen where milk, eggs, tree nuts, soy, and sesame are present."

L.A. Burdick - Single Source Bolivia (Beni River) 68% (bar) - Oct. 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

L.A. Burdick 
Single Source Bolivia (Beni River) 68% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 238 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 + shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: L.A. Burdick, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Bolivia Week.

Today's Single Source Bolivia (Beni River) 68% bar was from L.A. Burdick (Walpole, NH). The first store opened was in New York, and the company now has locations in multiple U.S. cities.

Aroma notes for today's Bolivia bar included: roasted (nuts, cacao), dark chocolate, earth (peat, wood), fruit (cherry, citrus) and dark chocolate tart/cake.

Texture: smooth, cocoa buttery

Flavor notes included: pleasing dark chocolate with some complexity (dark brownie; mellow, roasted;  subtle earth spectrum; and fruit (citrus)).

I liked that this dark chocolate was well-balanced and tasted at least 4 percentage points darker and richer than a 68% cacao chocolate. (It wasn't too sweet.) Also, the fruit/citrus added some brightness without making it too acidic.

Maker's tasting notes: "Grapefruit and floral notes mingle with hints of roasted nuts and give way to a smooth finish."

Ingredients: "cocoa, sugar, cocoa butter. may contain soy lecithin, may contain vanilla."

Allergen-related information: "Our chocolates are produced in a kitchen where nuts are used and where nut traces may be present. Allergens: dairy, soy, eggs, tree nuts"