Zotter Chocolate - Opus 5 - Cuvee 72% Dark Chocolate (2023 Edition) - May 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter Chocolate
Opus 5 - Cuvee 72% Dark Chocolate (2023 Edition) 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 210 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Zotter, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Virtual Caribbean Cruise Week.

Today's Opus 5 - Cuvee 72% Dark Chocolate (2023 Edition) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter US LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

This "island hopping" bar was made using a blend of five cacaos from Madagascar, Sao Tome, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Belize. Zotter describes this cuvee as having "Caribbean flair...and a harmonious, and at the same time incredibly exciting aroma profile." 

Each cacao variety was individually roasted (with their own roast profile), and then combined together, and the chocolate was conched for 20 hours.

Aroma notes for this 72% chocolate included: bittersweet chocolate; faint, fleeting molasses; diffuse fruit (cherry, faint salted lime). 

Texture: smooth texture with a very faint, barely detectable astringency/fruit tannic acidity toward the finish.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (with very, very faint aromatic wood) and  a complex and delicious fruit blend (dark, ripe-sweet berry; sapote; dried tropical fruits; elderberry juice/sangria with a little squeeze of citrus, and warm spice).

Maker's tasting notes: "...The intense fragrance and flavor of speculoos, spices, and citrus fruit take center stage. In the nose, you'll experience especially festive accents of spiced shortbread and almond marzipan, enhanced by strong notes of orange and lime. On the palate, you'll initially perceive a mildly roasted flavor or biscuits, almonds, and cream, which eventually culminates in a spritz citrus fruit aroma (oranges, limes, and grapefruit) with herbal and mildly spicy characteristics. The finish gracefully fades into subtly roast accents and gentle notes of wood.

Ingredients: Cocoa Mass**, Cane Sugar**, Cocoa Butter** (** = Organic and Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, peanuts, milk, gluten, soy and sesame."

Zotter - Labooko Dominican Republic 62% Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 7, 2024 (bonus entry)

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Dominican Republic 62% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotter, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Virtual Caribbean Cruise Week. This bar was the second chocolate (bar) featured today--a bonus entry. 

Today's Dominican Republic 62% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter USA LLC (Fort Myers, FL). It was created with cacao from Zorzal* in the Dominican Republic.

Aroma notes for this Fair Traded and Organic bar included: chocolate-y, faint green-white floral (orchid, lily).

The texture was smooth and creamy, almost like thick, creamy, high-end dark chocolate frosting (on a warm day).

Flavor notes included: rich chocolate-y (hot cocoa, chocolate chocolate frosting; smooth, moist, nut brownie); lots of naturally sweet and chocolate-y notes continued into the finish. The true chocolate notes were bold/flavorful enough to keep this 62% bar from tasting over-sugared.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Fragrance profile: nutty caramel; Taste profile: very mild and sweet, chocolatey, with notes of walnut, caramel and pickled cherries"

Ingredients: Cocoa Mass**, Cane Sugar**, Cocoa Butter** (** = Fair Traded and Organic) Fair Traded, Fair Trade Content in Total = 100%.

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, peanuts, milk, sesame and soy."

*Zorzal is a private bird sanctuary and nature reserve that "extends over 412 hectares of land, and 70% of that has been designated to remain wild rainforest. The cacao is grown and harvested directly within this nature reserve. And Zorzal also cooperates with neighboring farmers who are actively included in the project and supply their own cacao....As a result, cacao is an ideal conservation tool: it thrives as a mixed crop and is traditionally well suited to wild harvesting."

White Label - Trinidad Garcia Estate 72% (bar) - May 7, 2024

 Chocolate of the Day

White Label
Trinidad Garcia Estate 72% (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: Missing information
Purchased from: White Label/Mutari - Santa Cruz

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Virtual Caribbean Cruise Theme Week.

This Trinidad Garcia Estate 72% dark chocolate (bar) was from White Label Chocolate (Santa Cruz/Watsonville, CA).

This cacao was grown on the Garcia Estate in Trinidad--sourced from producer Joseph Garcia. (The cacao was harvested in the 2019 season, fermented for six days inside wooden fermentation boxes, and dried for 8 days using raised beds.)

Aroma and flavor notes for this smooth, even-textured bar included: dark chocolate (dark ganache), herb/spice (very faint star anise), very faint botanical/floral (vanilla-tobacco).

This bar had a natural sweetness to it and an interesting, balanced and subtle complexity.

Maker's tasting notes: "Nutty, Sweet, Tabacco, Floral"

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: (none listed)

Spinnaker Chocolate - 58% Trinidad Dark Milk (bar) - May 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
58% Trinidad Dark Milk (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Virtual Caribbean Cruise Theme Week.

Today's 58% Trinidad Dark Milk (Batch: Jun 2023/71.1 bar) was from Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate (cocoa, milky/buttery caramel).

Texture: creamy texture, melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate with butter, caramel; and very faint sweet fruit-floral (vanilla; flowers (very muted butterfly pea flower and almost undetectable rose); and very faint, balanced, aromatic pepper in the finish.

I loved the cream and caramel notes (and creamy texture), as well as the traces of other, almost floral-fruit nuances in this bar. It was borderline addictive. At least two people I shared this bar with were converted from dark chocolate only lovers to dark milk fans. 

Sadly this Trinidad bar is not currently available; however, other single origin dark milks are listed for sale on the Spinnaker website. Hoping today's bar will return in the future. 

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Dried Milk, Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk.