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.