Castronovo Chocolate - Colombia Arhuacos 66% Ancestral Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar)

Chocolate of the Day

Castronovo Chocolate 
Colombia Arhuacos 66% Ancestral Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Castronovo, online order

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

Today's Colombia Arhuacos 66% Ancestral Cacao* Dark Milk Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar) was from Castronovo Chocolate (Stuart, FL).

Aroma and flavor notes included: pleasing, authentic milk chocolate (malted chocolate milkshake); light caramel; and faint nut cookie.

Texture: creamy (milk chocolate) and crunchy (nibs). A few of the nibs had a hard crunch; but the overall flavor was one of subtly complex, relatively light, cacao.

Naturally sweet attributes (and lack of bitterness) gave this ancestral cacao-based chocolate a sweet nature.

I enjoyed the gently complex flavors in this special chocolate. 

Maker's tasting notes: "...subtle flavors of white wine, pecan, honey, and a malty rich chocolate creaminess with a crunch of roasted cacao nibs."

Ingredients: "cocoa beans*, cane sugar*, whole milk*, cocoa butter*, cocoa nibs* (* = organic ingredients)

Allergen-related information: "Made in a nut-free facility that uses milk and wheat."

*Many cacao farmers have long ties to the land where they are harvesting cacao. This is especially true in countries closer to the Amazon Basin in South America, where indigenous peoples have had a relationship with cacao for thousands of years. 

The maker included advice (printed on the packaging of this bar) from a Colombian spiritual leader of the Arhuacos, of Katansama, Colombia. "...listen to the elements: the wind, water, and the ancestral cacao from our forest"...."protect Mother Earth" and "be mindful of how you change nature."