The Organic House - Chai Latte 55% Cacao Belize Maya Mountain (bar) - Sept. 18, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Organic House
Chai Latte - Mylk chocolate infused with chai tea 55% Cacao (Belize) (bar)
Good ++
Calories: 142 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Organic House, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate & Tea Week. This is the third tea-themed chocolate week this year, and I'm finding a lot of blends and pairings I like in 2025.

Today's Chai Latte - Mylk chocolate infused with chai tea 55% Cacao Belize - Maya Mountain (bar) was from The Organic House (Burlington, ON, Canada).

The cacao used to make this chocolate was from Maya Mountain (I'm assuming this means Maya Mountain Cacao*), in southern Belize.

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: chocolate, brown/less refined sugar, and an aromatic blend of warm, chai spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, very faint anise, other). The single origin cacao added very faint, diffuse and smooth fruit and authentic cacao complexity.

Texture: uniformly smooth and relatively creamy throughout. (The tea and spice bits were fully incorporated; no detectable particle grit--made this chocolate more latte-like.)

Every chai tea tastes a little different depending on the tea and spice blend(s). Here the rooibos tea added a very light herbal tea flavor. And the warm spices tasted authentic, albeit a bit more like pumpkin spice than chai spice. (The cardamom and pepper were further down on the ingredient list.)

This was a rich and sweet, friendly and authentic bar that will please those who enjoy a warm, flavorful spiced chocolate with less caffeine. The use of coconut flower nectar made the sweetness richer and less buzzy than more refined white cane sugar.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Buttery notes of chocolate, chai tea, honey, raisins, and pineapple."

Ingredients: Organic coconut flower nectar, Organic cacao beans, Organic cacao butter, Organic cashews, Organic* rooibos chai tea (rooibos leaves*, cinnamon bark*, ginger root*, star anise fruit*, cloves*, cardamom seeds*, black pepper*, natural flavor*).

Allergen-related information: Contains Cashews. May contain: Almonds, Hazelnuts, Oats, Pistachios."

*Maya Mountain Cacao works with many local farmers in the forests of southern Belize and provides a centralized post-harvest cacao fermenting and processing facility.

Taza - 70% Dark Chocolate Lemon Cookie Crunch (bar) - Sept. 17, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Taza Chocolate
70% Dark Chocolate Lemon Cookie Crunch (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Taza, online order 

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

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate Lemon Cookie Crunch (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA). 

Taza founders have been making stone ground ("perfectly unrefined") chocolate bars, discs and confections since 2005--and were early adopters of organic cacao and direct trade efforts/practices.

There was no tea in this bar, but this lemon cookie 70% chocolate paired well with a creamy matcha tea latte and with an aromatic black tea with citrus notes.

Aroma notes included: lemon, lemon cookie, dark chocolate and vanilla.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate and crunchy (lemon cookie bits)

Flavor notes included: sweet lemony flavor and lemon cookies that lightened up the earthy dark chocolate. 

The bright, light floral qualities of the creamy smoothness of the matcha green tea latte (pairing item) complemented the sweet lemon cookie and helped reduce the spikier/bolder earth notes in the 70% dark chocolate. (The cacao used to make this chocolate was from The Dominican Republic.) A high-quality black tea with a squeeze of lemon also worked nicely.

Always a pleasure to explore different chocolate + tea pairings and to try to get everything to harmonize. I was hoping to try a pairing without adding dairy, but the matcha latte (with milk) seemed to be the best pairing match.

I appreciated the use of organic, fair trade and less processed ingredients.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Lemon Cookies* (Gluten Free Whole Oat Flour*, Cane Sugar*, High Oleic Safflower Oil*, Pear Juice from Concentrate*, Tapioca Starch*, Lemon Juice from Concentrate*, Lemon Extract*, Salt, Pure Vanilla Extract*, Cream of Tartar, Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate), Sunflower Lecithin*, Xanthan Gum, Rosemary Extract*), Cocoa Butter*, Lemon Flavor Oil* (Sunflower Oil* and Natural Flavors), Sunflower Lecithin*. (* Organic)

Allergen-related information: May Contain Traces of Tree Nuts and Sesame Seeds.

Kessho - Boba Tea 44% Cacao Ecuador (bar) - Sept. 16, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Kessho Craft Chocolate
Boba Tea Milk Chocolate 44% Cacao Cayapas Rivers Ecuador (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 369 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate & Tea Week.*

Today's Boba Tea Milk Chocolate 44% Cacao Cayapas Rivers Ecuador (bar) was made and distributed by Kessho, LLC (Austin, TX).

The Nacional variety cacao used to make this chocolate was from northern Ecuador. The Cayapas (River) runs from the Andes mountains to the Pacific Ocean. (Of the 100s of rivers and streams that begin in the Andes, some flow to the Pacific Ocean, and others run eastward toward the Amazon River system.) This vast water network sustains large forest ecosystems--as well as farmers growing cacao--in South America.

Aroma and flavor notes included: pleasing, aromatic high-end tea and Boba/Thai iced tea with fleeting clean mineral/tea, almost floral, brown sugar, smooth and tasty milk chocolate, cream and sugar. The tea kept re-surfacing above cloud-like layers of sweet creamy milk chocolate and lingered into a long finish.

Texture: ridiculously creamy and smooth with a rich creamy melt. (Cocoa butter is the first ingredient listed.)

I really enjoyed the short list of high-quality ingredients, the aromatic and tasty (Fujian Province, China) tea blend and the fact that this tea was able to shine through the smooth milk chocolate. This was a lovely, creamy, single origin cacao rendition of boba tea. (Also somewhat addicting.)

Maker's Tasting Notes: Ecuador Cacao Flavor Profile: "Floral, woody aroma"...Overall bar: "Boba, caramel and chocolate fudge"

Ingredients: "Cocoa butter, brown sugar, whole cacao beans, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, black tea powder, sugar, dark brown sugar"

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk...Made in a facility that processes tree nuts, wheat, sesame and eggs"

Maeve Chocolate - Pumpkin Spiece Chai Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar - Sept. 15, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Maeve Chocolate
(Seattle Chocolate Co.)
Pumpkin Spice Chai Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar
Good ++ 
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh to You, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Tea Theme Week.

Today's Maeve Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Chai Milk Chocolate Truffle Bar was produced by Seattle Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).*

Aroma and flavor notes for this sweet confection of a bar included: very sweet milk chocolate infused with authentic-tasting pumpkin spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice) and vanilla. (The black tea was very subtle.)

Texture: soft, seductively thick and creamy (truffle-like) texture. (This bar will not break with a snap. It had a very creamy milk chocolate fudge texture that I could slice with a butter knife.)

I think most milk chocolates are too sweet. (I do prefer dark chocolates.) But then, as if to show the addictive power of sugar, I find myself devouring a whole milk chocolate bar (especially the ones with salt and/or ones with chai/pumpkin spices and aromatic tea blends). Reminder to self: don't eat bars like this if you're hungry.

I appreciated the use of real spices and black tea in this truffle bar, additives and emulsifiers were kept to a minimum (soy lecithin), and that this bar was gluten-free.

Ingredients: milk chocolate (cane sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter*, cocoa mass*, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), coconut oil, sea salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, organic black tea, allspice.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk and Soy. This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, and wheat products.

*Maeve Chocolate is a trademark of Seattle Chocolate Co.

Xocolatl Chocolate - Barrel-Aged Dark with ASW Distillery Duality Double Malt Whiskey 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 14, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Xocolatl Chocolate
Barrel-Aged Dark with ASW Distillery's Duality Double Malt Whiskey (R) 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.6 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl, online order

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

Today's Barrel-Aged Dark with ASW Distillery's Duality Double Malt Whiskey (R) 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Xocolatl LLC (Atlanta, GA). 

Founders Elaine Read and Matt Weyandt started their chocolate making journey with Costa Rican cacao over a decade ago, and are committed to sourcing sustainably grown cacao from farmers in the Americas--where cacao originated. Their company name (Xocolatl, the "Aztec word for chocolate") is a tribute to the civilizations and people who have cultivated cacao for many centuries. 

Today's bar is a collaboration with ASW Distillery (Atlanta, GA). Presumably cacao nibs were barrel-aged in whiskey casks that imparted the very subtle, smooth and naturally sweet spirits aroma and flavor that mingled with the cacao flavors.

Aroma and flavor notes for today's chocolate (bar) included: rich dark chocolate with medium, balanced acidity; faint diffuse fruit (very faint sweet pomegranate and fig syrup); sweet green botanical (with a touch of spirits, brown sugar, smooth wood/oak, red wine); and very faint (barely detectable), fleeting herb (dill pickle chips, salt)--that dissipated soon after opening the wrapper.

Texture: smooth was a very faint (fruit) astringency.

I appreciated the short list of high-quality and organic ingredients and the subtle, balanced flavors that gently lingered into the finish. You may want to savor this bar slowly; and lean in a little to get some of the nuances.

Ingredients: Cacao*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, ASW Distillery's Duality Double Malt Whiskey(R) (* = organic)

Allergen-related information: "Made on equipment that processes peanuts, soy, wheat & tree nuts (almond, coconut, hazelnut, pecan)."

Seattle Chocolate Co. - Maeve - Maple Bourbon with Maple Sugar and Crunchy Toffee (bar) - Sept. 13, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Seattle Chocolate Co.

Maeve Chocolate - Maple Bourbon Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar with Maple Sugar and Crunchy Toffee
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh to You, online order

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

Today's Maeve Chocolate - Maple Bourbon Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar with Maple Sugar and Crunchy Toffee (bar) was a trademark of Seattle Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate (roasted cacao), brown/maple sugar, vanilla and very faint spirits.

Texture: soft, creamy texture with just the right amount (a light smattering) of crunchy toffee bits.

While this dark chocolate truffle bar was relatively sweet, I enjoyed the rich complexity of the sweet flavor inclusions and ingredients. Roast-y cacao, toasted brown sugar toast, sweet brown sugar, caramel, maple, vanilla and faint woodsy/oak, bourbon-like notes. A touch of salt helped balance the sweetness and  the whole bar was somewhat addicting.

Ingredients: dark chocolate (cocoa mass, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), toffee (beet sugar, glucose syrup, cream, butter, skim milk powder, salt), coconut oil, maple sugar, organic natural flavor, organic natural flavor, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk and Soy. "This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, and wheat products." "sorry, this bar does not contain alcohol"; Kosher Dairy.

*Maeve Chocolate is a trademark of Seattle Chocolate Co.

Millcreek Cacao Roasters - Whiskey Infused Farm To Bar Dark Chocolate 78% Chuno Matagalpa, Nicaragua (bar) - Sept. 12, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Millcreek Cacao Roasters
Whiskey Infused Farm to Bar Dark Chocolate 78% Chuno Matagalpa, Nicaragua (bar)

Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 138 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

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

Today's Whiskey Infused Farm to Bar Dark Chocolate 78% Chuno Matagalpa, Nicaragua (bar) was from Millcreek Cacao Roasters (Salt Lake City, UT).

This single origin cacao (Nicaragua) bar comes with a special pairing recommendation for: Whiskey -- from High West Distillery (Park City, UT). The two Utah companies formed a bond over their mutual devotion to high-quality, delicious fermented offerings.

Aroma notes for today's 78% dark chocolate included: appealing rich, smooth dark chocolate, and faint, smokey-smooth oak, whiskey cask wood (almost smoked caramel/brown sugar).

Texture: initially very smooth, followed by some astringency (dryness)/rustic granularity in the middle and end of the taste. (This astringency was not spikey or objectionable to me, but may be noticeable to others.)

The chocolate had smooth, rich and balanced flavors and was relatively low in acidity and bitterness -- for a 78% dark chocolate.

This bar was infused with a subtle whiskey flavor by "aging the chocolate with charred barrel staves..."

I could imagine pairing this dark chocolate with the High West Distillery's Double Rye whiskey would yield an extra dimension of pleasing richness and roundness to this chocolate. (A possible pairing for future chocolate tastings.) However, just this bar all by itself would be a great tasting option for a dessert plate or fine meal.

Ingredients: "Cacao, Pure Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of tree nuts and milk."

Nuance Chocolate - Special Series Cherry Whiskey 70% Dark (bar) - Sept. 11, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Nuance Chocolate

Spirit Series - Cherry Whiskey 70% Dark (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 1.9 oz. (55 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $17.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Nuance Chocolate, order by phone/online 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week. And Happy 19th Year of Chocolate Banquet.*

Today's Spirit Series - Cherry Whiskey 70% Dark (bar) (Batch #40413) was from Nuance Chocolate (Fort Collins, CO). Nuance is a small-batch, bean-to-bar maker producing high-end bars and confections.

This bar was a Colorado collaboration between Nuance Chocolate's blend of premium cacao beans and a lovely whiskey from Leopold Bros., an independently-owned distillery in Denver, CO.

Aroma notes for this chocolate (from Nuance Chocolate's "Spirit Series" of bars) included: rich, smooth chocolate-y chocolate with subtle, rounded red fruit notes (cherry) and faint spirits (whiskey, brown sugar, oak, vanilla).

Texture: Pleasing, hearty, creamy melt and mouthfeel. Just the right thickness, that enabled easy access to aroma and flavors as well as a great melt.

Flavor notes included: deeper, richer, smooth dark chocolate and more of the layered spirits (whiskey) notes mentioned above. Lingering, balanced, cherry, chocolate-y (dark chocolate chips, chocolate torte, and the ghost-of-a-good-whiskey in the pleasant finish. 

I loved the rich, nuanced flavors in this bar, all coaxed from just four ingredients. This subtly spirited 70% dark chocolate was great all by itself...

...But, if you want to fancy things up, this Cherry Whiskey bar could be a part of a dessert plate, a chocolate and spirits flight, or incorporated into almost any chocolate dessert. There was enough natural sweetness to evoke a high-end chocolate cocktail or a slightly-spiked hot chocolate. Warm and inviting; nothing too harsh or spiky. Relatively low in acidity and bitterness. Versatile and classy, with warm overtones.

Maker's description: "A transcendent pairing of barrel-aged Leopold Brothers Cherry Whiskey and a special blend of fully-fermented cacao from around the world. First on the palate is chocolate, followed by cherry, whiskey and charred-oak barrel. No trickery--just cacao, cane sugar and real American whiskey."

Ingredients: "cacao, cane sugar, cocoa butter, cherry whiskey."

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat, and soy."

*Chocolate Banquet is the blog-site that celebrates cacao and chocolate makers--and has featured Corinne DeBra's tasting a different chocolate every day for (as of today) 19 years.

Cuna de Piedra - 73% Mexican Cacao from Soconusco, Chiapas with Mezcal Joven (bar) - Sept. 10, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Cuna de Piedra 
73% Mexican Cacao from Soconusco, Chiapas with Mezcal Joven (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories in /12 bar (per label)
Cost: $12.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Caputo's Market, online order

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

Today's 73% Mexican Cacao from Soconusco, Chiapas with Mezcal Joven (bar) was from Cuna de Piedra (Monterrey, N.L., Mexico).

Today's cacao + mezcal bar was a celebration of two, time-honored traditions in Mexico. The cacao used to make this bar was from Soconusco, Chiapas, in southern Mexico. And the Mezcal was made with 100% Maguey Espadin from Santiago Matatlan, a town located in the Central valleys of Oaxaca, considered to be the 'world capital of Mezcal.'"

Aroma notes included: rich, relatively sweet chocolate with soft, sweet green (and very, very slightly smoke-y) botanical (lightly sweetened cactus and green fig jam with a tiny squeeze of lemon).

Texture: Relatively smooth and creamy with a very slight stone-ground quality (that I associated with all the flavors being intact).

Flavor notes: Rich cacao flavors including dark chocolate with lush botanical, and balanced tart-sweet elements (balanced, sweet, gentle red fruit, apple and nopales (cactus) marinated with brown sugar). I'm assuming what I was tasting (embedded in the dark chocolate) were balanced, fermented and very lightly pit-smoked agave flavors, that when mixed with the single origin Chiapas cacao yielded a complex and wonderful bar. 

I liked the flavorful, yet subtle aroma and flavors; the short list of only three, quality ingredients; and the opportunity to try two great Mexican traditional foods/beverages in one bar. Once again, I feel fortunate to have experienced Cuna de Piedra's dedication to Mexican Cacao.

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Cane sugar, Alcohol removed Mezcal Joven from 100% Maguey Espadin (Agave angustifolia Haw).

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that processes wheat, milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs." Non-Alcoholic Product. 

Cuna de Piedra - 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco with Mezcal Reposado (bar) - Sept. 9, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Cuna de Piedra 
73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco with Mezcal Reposado (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories in /12 bar (per label)
Cost: $12.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Caputo's Market, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate & Spirits Theme Week.

Today's 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco with Mezcal Reposado (bar) was from Cuna de Piedra (Monterrey, N.L., Mexico).

Today's cacao + mezcal bar was a celebration of two, time-honored traditions in Mexico. The cacao used to make this bar was from Comalcalco, Tabasco, in southeastern Mexico. And the Mezcal was made with 100% Maguey Espadin from Santiago Matatlan, a town located in the Central valleys of Oaxaca, considered to be the 'world capital of Mezcal.'"

Aroma notes included: rich, sweet chocolate, clean mineral and sweet green botanical (green figs in syrup), and very faint spirits and brown sugar and spice.

Texture: Relatively smooth and creamy with a slight, tart botanical and fruit astringency.

Flavor notes: Rich cacao flavors including dark chocolate with lively, tart-sweet elements (balanced, almost pickled, sweet fruits and nopales with vinegar and brown sugar). This tartness helped replace the fact that the alcohol had been removed from the mezcal, allowing us to taste (what I'm assuming was) some balanced, fermented agave flavors, that when mixed with the single origin Tabasco cacao yielded a hearty, flavorful bar. 

I liked the complex, flavors and the short list of only three, quality ingredients.

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Cane sugar, Alcohol removed Mezcal Reposado from 100% Maguey Espadin (Agave angustifolia Haw).

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that processes wheat, milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs." Non-Alcoholic Product.

Marianne's Ice Cream - Irish Coffee & Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - Sept. 8, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Marianne's Ice Cream 

Irish Coffee & Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Good ++
Weight: 1/2 cup / 1 Quart (946 mL) in total container
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 cup serving (+ nibs topping)
Cost: $ Missing information

Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate & Coffee Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate & Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Irish Coffee & Chocolate Chip Ice Cream was from Marianne's Ice Cream (Santa Cruz, CA). I paired/topped this ice cream with (home-made) whiskey-soaked cacao nibs.

Aroma and flavor notes included: rich coffee, chocolate/cacao and subtle vanilla and whiskey flavoring. (The spirits were mostly from the whiskey soaked cacao bean nibs topping.)

These weren't your ordinary chocolate chips. The chocolate included fairly large, thin rectangular dark chocolate pieces--made with coconut oil and butter oil to stay relatively soft when frozen. My kind of ice cream.

Texture: creamy ice cream with thin, rectangular pieces of dark chocolate that were formulated to be just the right texture for ice cream-- not so hard that the splinters would hurt you,  

I liked the subtle, creamy coffee and that I could taste the dark chocolate--as if I was eating chocolate at room temperature. (Often chocolate chips in ice cream are cold and brittle, and too cold to taste.) These pieces were slightly chewy for a few seconds followed by a creamy chocolate melt and rich chocolate flavor release.

Very tasty overall with a satisfyingly creamy coffee ice cream base. Cool and refreshing on a warm day. And the whiskey-marinated cacao nibs added some authentic cacao and spirits oomph.

Ingredients: "milk, cream, sugar, whey, locust bean gum, guar gum, instant coffee, bourbon, chocolate chips (corn starch, coconut oil, cocoa processed with alkali, butter oil, soy lecithin, natural flavor)"

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk, Soy. " in a Facility that handles peanuts, treenuts, wheat, soy and eggs"

Hammond's - Espesso Martini Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 7, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Hammond's Candies 
Espresso Martini Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.125 oz. (32 g.) / 2.25 oz. (64 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Ace Hardware, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate & Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Espresso Martini - Espresso Flavored Dark Chocolate Infused with Coffee Caramel (bar) was from Hammond's Candies (Denver, CO).

Aroma notes for this filled bar included: very sweet chocolate, and caramel, vanilla and coffee latte flavorings.

Texture: Smooth dark chocolate filled with a coffee-flavored, flowing caramel (with crunchy ground coffee bits and possibly vanilla bean specks) filling.

Flavors: smooth, uniformly flavored dark chocolate--that encased and blended with a dark-caramel hued, thick syrup-like caramel-coffee and vanilla filling. There were more sweeteners (sugars, corn syrup) and added flavorings (see ingredients list) than expected in this bar.

I enjoyed the idea behind and blend of flavors in this bar, even if it was too sweet for me. (This was like a high-end candy bar.) 

Note: there was no alcohol in this chocolate + espresso martini inspired chocolate.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor, filling (corn syrup, cream [heavy cream, milk, contains less than 0.5% of: mono and diglycerides, polysorbate 80, carageenan], sugar, butter [cream, natural flavor], mocha espresso coffee paste [coffee, canola oil, sugar, soy lecithin], ground roasted coffee beans, vanilla paste [sugar, water, vanilla extract, vanilla bean specks, gum tragacanth], sea salt, cappuccino tiramisu extract [natural flavor, sugar, caramel color], natural flavor).

Allergen-related information: Contains Soy and Milk. May Contain Wheat, Peanuts, and Tree Nuts.

Millcreek Cacao Roasters - Espresso 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 6, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Millcreek Cacao Roasters 
Espresso - 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Espresso - 70% Dark Chocolate Arriba Nacional Hacienda Limon Farm, Ecuador (bar) was from Millcreek Cacao Roasters (Salt Lake City, UT).

The family-owned company began their journey as "Farm to Bar Chocolate Makers" in 2011. They've focused on direct sourced heirloom cacao(s) from equatorial regions (Ecuador, Nicaragua) and "meticulous processing" of beans in their factory in Salt Lake City to create fine flavored chocolates.

The certified heirloom cacao used in today's Espresso bar was Arriba Nacional cacao from Hacienda Limon Farm in the Guayas Province of Ecuador--a region that contains views of the Pacific Ocean as well as lush forests in the interior.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate base, with a very faint (barely detectable) astringency and very tiny,  crunchy bits of espresso (finely ground coffee beans). The coffee was pleasant, not too harsh.

Aroma and flavor notes were balanced, with subtle complexity, and included: smooth, chocolate-y, dark chocolate; a very faint (agreeable) green botanical mix that included: a barely detectable, fleeting salted potato chip note at the very beginning (when bar was first unwrapped) that then shaded into delicate, authentic lush green forest; and last, but not least, smooth coffee notes. 

There were also very faint/diffuse red fruit (cherry, berry) and very faint roasted (almost nutty) notes--that could have come from the coffee or the cacao. It wasn't clear. I enjoyed them all the same.

This was a very pleasing bar. It was relatively low in acidity and had an agreeable, hearty quality to it. I loved the shy-er, almost-hidden aroma and flavor notes from start-to-finish; it was like following a rabbit through a forest.

Ingredients: "Cacao, Pure Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Roasted Coffee Beans"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of tree nuts and milk"

Standout Craft Chocolate - Swedish Favourites - Gesha Coffee Organic 70% Dark (bar) - Sept. 5, 2025

Chocolate of the Day 

Standout Craft Chocolate
Swedish Favourites - Gesha Coffee Organic 70% Dark (bar)
Good ++ - Good+++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155.75 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate & Coffee Week.

Today's "Swedish Favourites - Gesha Coffee Organic 70% Dark Chocolate from Sweden" (bar) was from Standout Craft Chocolate (Goteborg, Sweden).

The cacao used to make this bar was from Oko Caribe, in the Dominican Republic. And the coffee was a "washed" Gesha* from Hugo Marino in the Cusco region in Peru. 

Aroma notes included: subtle chocolate and coffee notes; and very faint caramel and diffuse fruit.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: balanced, smooth dark chocolate and faint, diffuse and pleasing coffee. This bar had a lingering, friendly finish.

The aroma notes were relatively subtle (less aromatic than many coffee dark chocolate bars, but the overall taste was wonderful. Hats off to the maker for pairing this DR cacao with this Peruvian Gesha coffee.

I enjoyed this balanced, harmonious blend of single origin flavors; the opportunity to enjoy washed Gesha (aka Geisha) coffee, a rare high-altitude varietal known for its more delicate flavors; and the short list of four, high-quality organic ingredients.

The aroma notes were relatively subtle (less aromatic than many coffee dark chocolate bars, but the overall taste was wonderful. Hats off to the maker for pairing this DR cacao with this Peruvian Gesha coffee.

Maker's Taste Notes: "Light Roasted Coffee, Floral, Fruity"

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, Sugar*, Cacao butter*, Coffee beans* (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of Milk."

*Gesha coffee is a rare, high-altitude varietal that is known for it's smooth, gently complex flavors. (For chocolate lovers, think of this coffee bean as being like a prized Criollo cacao varietal.) 

"Washed" Gesha coffee likely refers to a process where the coffee berry fruit/pulp is washed (removed) from the coffee beans relatively soon after harvesting.

 

Goodio - Coffee 56% Cacao (bar) - Sept. 4, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Goodio
Coffee 56% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .848 oz. (24 g.) / 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 135 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

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

Today's Coffee 56% Cacao (bar) from Goodio Craft Chocolate was manufactured by Helsinki Heaven Oy (Vantaa, Finland).

According to the Goodio website, the cacao used to make this bar was from Peru.

Aroma notes for this Finnish coffee + chocolate bar included: chocolate, nut and very faint herbal (mint family), coffee and coconut.

Texture: slightly grainy (stoneground) chocolate that broke with a relatively soft snap, but had a pleasant melt.

Flavor notes included: subtle, sweet (Criollo) chocolate; faint coffee; very faint herbal; and subtle caramelized coconut/brown sugar covered, ground nuts.

I appreciated the relatively short list of thoughtfully sourced organic ingredients and the interesting blend of flavors in this sweet chocolate.

Maker's notes: "Starring sweet, smooth and powerful organic coffee with cashew nuts for creamy taste."

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, Coconut palm sugar*, Cacao butter*, Cashew nuts*, Coconut flakes*, Coffee bean*. (*Organic).

Allergen-related Information: "Contains nuts (cashew). Dairy, gluten & soy free"

Tiny House - 55% Cacao Latte & Nibs Milk Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 3, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Tiny House 
55% Cacao Latte & Nibs Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .99 oz. (28 g.) / 1.97 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend (Thank you Elise!)
Purchased from: Mint Muse (store), Santa Cruz, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week. 

Today's 55% Cacao Latte & Nibs Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Tiny House Chocolate (Tiny House of Chocolate Artisans, in Santa Cruz, CA).

Aroma notes included: chocolate (relatively mild milk chocolate); caramelized chocolate cookie; and coffee toffee.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy coconut milk chocolate base with tiny crunchy cacao nibs (pleasing subtle, authentic, Criollo-like cacao with very faint (almost undetectable and not unpleasant) olive.

Flavor notes included: creamy, subtle and sweet coconut caramel; and light milk chocolate with tiny upticks of gentle true cacao nib flavor.

I appreciated the soft, sweet and subtle flavors in this bar, and the high-quality cacao nib flavors; the short list of quality and organic ingredients; and the care taken by the makers to source these ingredients to craft a gluten free and dairy free bar for almost everyone to enjoy.

Maker's Flavor Notes: "Coconut Caffe Latte"

Ingredients: Cacao*, Cane Sugar*, Coconut Milk*, Arabica Coffee* (*Organic ingredient)

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Coconut. Made in a Facility That Processes Milk and Nuts.

Cuna de Piedra 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco with Coffee (bar) - Sept. 2, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Cuna de Piedra 
73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco with Coffee (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

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

Today's 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco with Coffee (bar) was from Cuna de Piedra (Monterrey, N.L., Mexico).

The cacao beans used to make this bar were from: Comalcalco in the State of Tabasco, in southeastern Mexico; and the coffee was a Dalia blend from Buna. (Buna is a Mexican coffee company that works with small, family-run coffee producers/operations).

Aroma notes included: smooth, pleasing, aromatic, roasted coffee and rich, smooth dark chocolate with very faint red fruit/berry soaked in honey and brown sugar.

Texture: satisfying creamy smooth chocolate with slightly crunchy texture from small bits of ground coffee; with a very slight fruit astringency in the long, pleasing finish.

Flavor notes included: bold, beautiful, complex and balanced rich dark chocolate and coffee notes (red fruit, berry, citrus, faint caramel). Medium fruit acidity. Nicely balanced medium-level, mellowed bitterness. Note: this was slightly addicting; so don't start sampling this bar too close to bedtime if caffeine keeps you up at night.

While I was savoring this coffee + chocolate blend, I couldn't help but think about other ways to enjoy this bar. This Mexican chocolate would be a great addition to a dessert plate; a tasting flight; the basis for a small cup of mocha drinking chocolate; or incorporated into another dessert item.

Chock full of authentic, layered, chocolate and coffee flavors, this well-balanced and well-executed chocolate delivered so much, with only three ingredients. 

Ingredients: "Cacao beans, Cane sugar, Coffee beans."

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a Facility that processes wheat, milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs."

Mitica - Coffee Pesetas - Chocolate-Covered Fruit & Nut Cake with Coffee - Sept. 1, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Mitica
Coffee Pesetas - Chocolate-Covered Fruit & Nut Cake with Coffee
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 4.94 oz. (140 g.) in total package
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $10.99 for 1 package of 8 pieces
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Mitica Pesetas Coffee Chocolate-Covered Fruit & Nut Cake with Coffee (discs) were produced by Paiarrop S.L. (Valencia, Spain), and imported into the U.S. by Forever Cheese LLC (New York, NY).

Aroma notes included: dried fruits (date, fig); smooth dark chocolate; with faint, mild nut (almond); and faint, rich coffee. 

Texture: a blend of dried fruit (figs, dates) and finely chopped nuts (almonds) pressed into a disc form, and covered by smooth dark chocolate.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes (mentioned above), but with deeper/richer smooth dark chocolate, dried fruit and salt notes. 

I liked the subtle coffee, almonds and especially the sprinkling of salt. All three of these flavors balanced out the natural, concentrated sweetness in the (preservative-free) dates and figs.

Company tasting/pairing notes: "...smooth on the outside, inside they are soft and tender with a mix of dates, figs, coffee, and buttery almonds. Pair with cheese and charcuterie..."

Ingredients: Pitted Dates, Dark Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, reduced fat cocoa powder, SOY lecithin, natural vanilla extract), Dried Figs, Dark Chocolate Chips (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, natural vanilla flavor), ALMONDS, Soluble Coffee, Roasted Cocoa Nibs, Salt. 

Allergen-related information: Contains: Soy (lecithin), Tree Nuts (almonds)

The Chocolate Conspiracy - Coffee Cream Ale 75% Cacao Chocolate Bar - Aug. 31, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Chocolate Conspiracy
Coffee Cream Ale - 75% Cacao Chocolate Bar 
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate, Beer and Hops Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Coffee Cream Ale 75% Cacao Chocolate Bar was made by The Chocolate Conspiracy (Salt Lake City, UT). (This bar followed a Black Lager bar from The Chocolate Conspiracy featured yesterday.)

This cacao + ale bar was crafted with "organic, unroasted, single-origin cacao beans from the Ucayali region of Peru." And cacao nibs were infused with Coffee Cream Ale from Kiitos Brewing (Salt Lake City, UT).

Beer makes up a large category of fermented beverages made with water, (malted) grains and hops. Lagers use a bottom-fermenting yeast and a cold fermentation. Yesterday's dark-hued "black" lager had a very roast-y, almost smokey aroma, but a crisp, clean, more friendly, less hop-py flavor than expected.

Ales, on the other hand, are made with a top-fermenting yeast and a warmer fermentation process and can have more complex, hoppy flavors. Today's bar was a blend of Peru cacao, coffee and a light cream ale. Buckle up! I thought.

Aroma notes for today's 75% cacao ale and coffee blend included: rich, dark chocolate (chocolate-y, with diffuse red fruit); an array of what I'd call pleasant, sweet green botanical (green fig jam, green walnuts in syrup); and roasted coffee.

Despite the blend of relatively bold flavors, I could taste much more of the chocolate in today's 75% (Peru) cacao bar (than in yesterday's Black Lager 75% (Peru) cacao bar. 

Texture: smooth, almost silky with a rapid, even (and very slightly waxy) melt--a texture I associated with honey-sweetened chocolate bars. It's a unique and relatively pleasant texture, that may, in some cases, enable a more interesting/longer finish.

Flavor notes for this bar included: dark chocolate; roasted/robust coffee; and faint hop and ale. It was also a bit lower in bitter and hop flavors than expected.

This bar was full of harmonious, roast-y and bittersweet flavors. The un-roasted (raw) Peruvian cacao delivered a rich, dark chocolate experience (with faint, diffuse red fruit, berry notes) that was accentuated by roasted coffee (that may have also had berry notes).

The ale was harder to detect until the finish. It may have just harmonized very well with the cacao and coffee. Just as the cacao was less detectable in yesterday's Black Lager bar yesterday, the Ale was in the background today. Either way, the result was a tasty chocolate; and the flavors were balanced, authentic and satisfying.

Last but not least, the raw, unfiltered wildflower honey helped balance the bitter and roasted flavors and added a very subtle, layered sweetness.

I appreciated the chance to try this flavorful blend, and the maker's choices to use a short list of high-quality and organic ingredients. 

Ingredients: "Raw Organic Cacao Beans, Raw Organic Cacao Butter, Raw Unfiltered Honey, Kiitos Coffee Cream Ale"

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, coconut, and pistachios."

 

The Chocolate Conspiracy - Black Lager 75% Cacao Chocolate Bar - Aug. 30, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Chocolate Conspiracy
Black Lager 75% Cacao Chocolate Bar 
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Beer and Hops Theme Week.

Today's Black Lager 75% Cacao Chocolate Bar was made by The Chocolate Conspiracy (Salt Lake City, UT).

This cacao + lager bar was crafted with "organic, unroasted, single-origin cacao beans from the Ucayali region of Peru." And cacao nibs were infused with Baba Black Lager from Uinta Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, UT).

Beer is a general term. What makes a lager a lager? Lagers use a bottom-fermenting yeast and a cold fermentation; whereas ales use a top-fermenting yeast and a warmer fermentation process. Dark-hued "black" lagers are known for their roasted malt flavors and relatively clean, crisp flavors. 

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, dark roasted malt (dark lager) and roasted coffee.

Texture: smooth, almost silky with a rapid, even (and very slightly waxy) melt--a texture I associated with chocolate bars sweetened with honey. It's an interesting and relatively pleasant texture, albeit a bit unique and may, in some cases, enable a longer finish.

The flavor profile for this bar was deep, dark and impressively layered. It was also relatively lower in bitter and hop flavors than what I was expecting. 

This bar was full of mostly harmonious, deep roast-y and slightly bitter flavors--achieved by several steps, most notably soaking cocoa nibs in black lager. It tasted like the cocoa nibs might have been heavily roasted, but this was not the case. The unroasted (raw) Peruvian cacao likely gave it flavor a sweet chocolate roundness, richness and depth.

The raw, unfiltered wildflower honey helped balance the bitter and roasted flavors and added a very subtle, layered sweetness with its own.

Maker's comments: "Infusing cacao nibs with an organic black lager creates flavors of coffee, fruit, and subtle smoke..."

This tasting experience started with a potentially bitter, heavily roasted aroma (that was complex but much more friendly in the taste, and ended with a sweeter, honey-like chocolate/mocha flavor. I appreciated the chance to try this flavorful blend, and the relatively short list of high-quality and organic ingredients. 

Ingredients: "Raw Organic Cacao Beans, Raw Organic Cacao Butter, Raw Unfiltered Honey, Uinta Baba Black Lager"

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, coconut, and pistachios."

Qantu - IPA Style 60% Hops Infused Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 29, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Qantu
IPA Style 60% Hops Infused Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 144 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Beer & Hops Week.

Today's IPA Style 60% Hops Infused Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Qantu Cacao et Chocolat Inc. (Montreal, Canada).

The cacao beans used to make this bar were from Morropon, Piura, Peru. The IPA-style hop taste was supplied by Avant-Garde (artisan brewers in Montreal).

Aroma and flavor notes included: chocolate (smooth, flavorful, with creamy caramel) and authentic, slightly bitter IPA-style, hop-py beer (that mellowed a bit within minutes after the inner wrapper was opened). (Full disclosure: I love chocolate and I love hops, so I was very happy to taste this bar.)

Texture: creamy, smooth dark milk chocolate 

I enjoyed the rich, hop-py taste; the well-executed and complementary cacao and beer flavors; and the satisfying and authentic complexity (sweet cream, caramel, fruit, rich cacao and slightly bitter brew)--all achieved with very a short list of ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "Caramel, orange, mangue (mango)"..."...evokes the pleasure of an IPA-style beer infused with the fruity aromas of Sabbro hops."

Ingredients: "cacao beans, cane sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter"

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk. May contain traces of nuts."

Cuna de Piedra - 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco, Tabasco with La Lupulosa beer (bar) - Aug. 28, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Cuna de Piedra
73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco, Tabasco with La Lupulosa beer* (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1/2 bar (per label)
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Village Market, SF Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Beer & Hops Week.

Today's 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco, Tabasco with La Lupulosa beer* (bar) was from Cuna de Piedra (Monterrey, NL, Mexico).

The cacao beans used to create this chocolate were from Comalcalco, Tabasco, in southeastern Mexico. And the beer in this bar was from Cerveceria Insurgente (founded in Tijuana, Mexico in 2010).

Aroma and flavor notes for this cacao + brew collaboration bar included: chocolate, lightly roasted malt, complex hops/beer (stout)--and barely detectable, fleeting floral notes. All these flavors carried over into a pleasing finish.

Texture: This well-tempered bar broke with a snap; and had a smooth, even texture.

Balanced, delicious complexity. One of the best beer bar blends I've tasted so far. The chocolate and the beer aromas and flavors harmonized very nicely.

Ingredients: "Cacao beans, Cane sugar, Beer."

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes wheat, milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs. Non-alcoholic product."

*La Lupulosa beer is a West Coast IPA-style beer from a pioneering artisanal beer making duo (that began in a back yard) in northern Mexico, not far from the U.S. border. It's known for its complex and tasty hop notes.

 

Fu Wan Chocolate - Beer Yeast #3 "American Ale Style Rough Ground Chocolate" 70% dark (bar) - Aug. 27, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Fu Wan Chocolate
Beer Yeast #3 "American Ale Style Rough Ground Chocolate" 70% dark (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.236 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 222 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $18.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Beer and Hops Week, featuring chocolates that contain some beer/beer ingredients (hops, malt, yeast other fermented flavors), and chocolates related to beer pairings.

Today's Beer Yeast #3 "American Ale Style Rough Ground Chocolate" 70% dark (bar) was made by Fu Wan Chocolate (Ping-Tung County, Taiwan). 

Aroma notes for this bean-to-bar chocolate included: dark chocolate; fizzy/fermented fruit (orange, peach, pineapple, apple, and much more) and fruity beer. 

These remarkable notes are possible if a maker is located near cacao trees, where chocolate can be made "in-country." And today's bar is one of those cases. Once harvested, cacao seeds surrounded by sweet fermenting pulp start to develop flavor almost immediately.*

The rough, stoneground texture and mouth feel--with tiny bits of cacao nibs (with surfaces presumably undergoing layered states of fermentation)--enabled a tasty, more multi-faceted flavor spectrum.

Flavors included the fruity spectrum mentioned in aroma notes (above), only with more depth and flavor fun. There was a fleeting hop-like bitterness, but it was very balanced and overshadowed by the lighter/brighter fruit notes.

This was a well-executed ride through the land of authentic cacao + fruity, fermented beer-like flavors--flavors that continued into a long and satisfying fruity finish. 

Thank you to Fu Wan Chocolate for this chocolate. It was very tasty and educational, especially with recent news about researchers "finally cracking" how flavor development is built with cacao/chocolate using specific microbes that can be applied to cacao fermentation facilities in the field immediately following harvesting cacao pods. (Fermenters and makers were already aware of this, but good to know the rest of the world is catching up; watch for more flavorable and fruity chocolates ahead.)

Maker's Tasting Notes: Orange, Grape, Pineapple, Pear.

Ingredients: Ping-Tung Cacao Liquor, Sugar, Cacao Butter, Yeast

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts and milk." 

*Most makers in the U.S. and Europe may have close ties to cacao farmers and co-ops in more equatorial climates, but nothing beats being in the same location, when it comes to sampling and influencing fermentation flavor development choices. (Think wineries in California and northern Mediterranean Europe; or beer-making regions in northern Europe and the Pacific Northwestern U.S.--where ingredients are grown and fermented in the same region.) The same is true in Asia, Africa and elsewhere.

The Chocolate Therapist - Rx Extreme Therapy 72% Natural Dark Chocolate & Organic Cacao Nibs (bar) - Aug. 26, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Chocolate Therapist
Rx Extreme Therapy 72% Natural Dark Chocolate & Organic Cacao Nibs (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 340 calories in 1 bar
Cost: (part of a 3-bar package for $12 + shipping)
Purchased from: The Chocolate Therapist, online order 

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Beer & Hops Week--featuring chocolates with beer, beer yeast, hops as well as chocolates (like today's bar*) that are related to beer and chocolate pairings.

Many chocolate makers will include suggested chocolate + beers/ales and spirits pairings on their packaging. Others go a bit further... 

Today's Rx Extreme Therapy 72% Natural Dark Chocolate & Organic Cacao Nibs (bar) was from Julie Nygard of The Chocolate Therapist (Littleton, CO). Julie has created chocolate collections for beer pairings and made presentations on this subject. For more, see her video: How to Pair Chocolate and Beer. 

Aroma and flavor notes included: Bittersweet dark chocolate, smooth, roasted cocoa; faint and diffuse dark red fruit (dark cherry); very faint malt; and vanilla. The cacao nibs added their own slightly nutty, nibby roasted, mellow and balanced cacao with very faint and balanced savory (olive).

Texture: Smooth, almost velvety, dark chocolate punctuated with crunchy cacao nibs (pieces of cacao bean). 

The cacao nibs felt light and crunchy and freshly roasted. They had complex and mellow flavor; and had a texture that was not too hard. They weren't bitter/funky (no off notes). The nibs on their own, and as part of the overall chocolate + nib blend, were both "just right"--in the Goldilocks zone.

I sampled this bittersweet dark bar with Sierra Nevada Hop Splash, and the two harmonized surprisingly well.

Ingredients: "Bittersweet Dark Chocolate (Unsweetened Chocolate, Sugar, Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla), Cocoa Nibs."

Allergen-related information: "Produced on Equipment That Also Processes Milk Products, Tree Nuts, Peanuts and Soy and May Contain Traces of These Products."

Markham & Fitz Chocolate Makers - Southern Pecan - 52% Dark Milk Chocolate with Caramelized Pecans & Black Salt (bar) - Aug. 25, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Markham & Fitz Chocolate Makers
Southern Pecan - 52% Dark Milk Chocolate with Caramelized Pecans & Black Salt (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 260 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $11.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate, Beer & Hops Series--featuring chocolates with beer, beer yeast, hops as well as chocolates (like today's bar*) that pair with beer(s).

Today's Southern Pecan - 52% Dark Milk Chocolate with Caramelized Pecans & Black Salt (Batch #468) (bar) was from Markham & Fitz Chocolate Makers (Bentonville, Arkansas). It was made using cacao from Nicaragua.

Aroma notes included: sweet milk chocolate, sweet cream caramel and nut.

Texture: Soft, creamy whole milk chocolate with small, softly crunchy pecan pieces.

Flavor notes included: Sweet milk chocolate, with caramel (with faint brown sugar and maple) overtones, accented with salt. (I liked the salt.)

This flavorful milk chocolate was quite sweet, but it was a great mid-afternoon blood sugar booster; and the milk, nutty (pecan) caramel notes and black salt balanced the sugar. 

I enjoyed the blend of creamy, nutty (and very faintly fruity) caramel flavor notes in this satisfying milk chocolate. While I did not have a "biscuity beer"* to pair with this bar, I could imagine that it working nicely.

Maker's tasting notes: "Brightly aromatic cacao blends with cream and a salted subtle crunch of our Louisiana lady's heritage, the pecan."

*"Pairs well with a biscuity beer, your next Netflix binge, or storytelling with family around the campfire." 

Ingredients: "Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Caramelized Pecans (Pecans, Brown Sugar, Butter), Black Salt."

Allergen-related information: "Contains dairy & nuts."

Intrigue Chocolate - Peru Ucayali Valley 78% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 24, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate
Peru Ucayali Valley 78% Cacao (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week; Day #1 of Chocolate, Beer & Hops Series.

Today's Peru Ucayali Valley 78% Cacao (bar) (Batch #000000090324) was from Intrigue Chocolate (Chisholm, MN).

Aroma notes for this bar included: cocoa, brown sugar, fruit (sweet fig and green apple) and faint malt.

Texture: relatively smooth stone-ground with a slightly astringent finish. 

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate, and fruity stout/beer/malt. While the flavors were rich, they were, at 78% cacao, not eclipsed by the higher cacao content.

I enjoyed the contradictions. The flavors were hearty, almost bold, but it was a well-rounded and balanced boldness. The fruit flavors (apple and plum with brown sugar compote) were rich and nuanced, almost fermented. Balanced, satisfying, stout-like flavors without an excess of acidity or bitterness, with just a little floral (green' apple + floral).

This would be an interesting chocolate to include in a flight of Peruvian chocolates and/or paired with beers/stouts. 

Maker's tasting notes: "This chocolate has flavors of tart green apple, fresh apple blossoms, and stout beer served on nitrous. It has low bitterness and astringency, but full-bodied chocolatiness."

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

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

Willie's Cacao - Chulucanas Gold Peruvia Dark Chocolate Single 70% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 23, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Willie's Cacao
Chulucanas Gold Peruvian Dark Chocolate Single 70% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 280 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: WoldWide Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate & Peru Theme Week. 

Today's Chulucanas Gold Peruvian Dark Chocolate Single 70% Cacao (bar) was from Willie's Cacao Ltd (Uffculme, UK). 

Willie's Cacao specializes in bean-to-bar chocolates that "capture the stunningly individual flavours of the world's great, single estate cacaos."

This 70% chocolate was made from native Criollo cacao beans from the "mountains of the Morropon province in Peru."

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, faint, fleeting black licorice; molasses/brown sugar (raw cane sugar), fruit (green/white grape, raisin, green fig); very faint fig and oat/malt cookie.

Flavor notes for this smooth chocolate included: smooth dark chocolate with pleasing, slight fig/raisin cookie with tiny, delicious upticks in white wine/green grape juice (high-end, sweet dessert wine), and at least one little fleeting floral note.

This dark chocolate was pretty friendly/approachable with well-balanced, low-moderate fruit acidity and bitterness and low earth notes.

I really liked the subtle bouquet of grape and sweet green/brown sugar--and even floral--notes; the short list of (three) ingredients; and the thoughtful sourcing and execution involved in this single origin Peru bar.

Maker's tasting notes: "Notes of Raisins and Plums"

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate: Cocoa mass, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: (None listed that I could see on label adhered on top of packaging.)

Xocolatl - 85% Dark Chocolate Peru (bar) - Aug. 22, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Xocolatl
85% Dark Chocolate Peru (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.6 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl, online order

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

Today's 85% Dark Chocolate Peru (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Xocolatl LLC (Atlanta, GA). 

This ultra-dark 85% cacao bar follows the 70% Dark Chocolate Peru (bar). Both these Xocolatl bars were made using Pangoa Peru cacao that was "directly sourced from the Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera, a cooperative of coffee & cacao farmers in Pangoa, Peru." (San Martin de Pangoa is located in the Central Amazon region of Peru.)

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark, dense chocolate with faint, dried fruit; very faint fleeting (not unpleasant) umami (only after first unwrapped); and black licorice.

Flavor notes included: deep, very dark (yet still balanced) chocolate; robust cocoa/well-done brownies with embers of tart fruit (cherry + lemon marmalade). Very faint warm spice. Medium-to-long finish.

The brighter flavors in yesterday's 70% version of this dark chocolate reminded me of "a Trinitario-like cacao variety--with relatively bold cocoa, fruit and citrus notes; and less like some Forastero cacao varieties that are more dark and dense (less 3-dimensional, with less complex fruit)."

Today's 85% bar still had the fruity heart of a bold Trinitario cacao, even though it was bolder and denser.

I appreciated the balanced fullness of this ultra-dark chocolate infused with rich, stewed fruit (citrus/lemon marmalade with prune, stone fruit, cherry) flavors--all conjured from just three organic ingredients. 

I really enjoyed comparing yesterdays' sweet 70% sibling (made with cacao from the same Peru co-operative) with today's 85% more somber, less bright, less sunny and less sweet version. Pairing the two was enlightening, and would make a very educational side-by-side pair for a chocolate tasting/class.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Profile: Bright, clean citrus with lively acidity & low sweetness"

Ingredients: Cacao*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter* (* organic)

Allergen-related information: Made on equipment that processes peanuts, soy, wheat & tree nuts (almond, coconut, hazelnut, pecan). Vegan.

 

Xocolatl - 70% Dark Chocolate Peru (bar) - Aug. 21, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Xocolatl
70% Dark Chocolate Peru (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.6 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl, online order

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

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate Peru (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Xocolatl LLC (Atlanta, GA). Xocolatl, the company's packaging reminds us, "was the original Aztec word for chocolate."

The cacao used to make this bar was "directly sourced from the Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera, a cooperative of coffee & cacao farmers in Pangoa, Peru." (San Martin de Pangoa is located in the Central Amazon region of Peru.)

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: confidently complex (smooth but assertive) dark chocolate with tart fruit (cherry, lemon preserves) and medium acidity. Very faint butter, warm spice. Medium-to-long finish.

Speculation: If I had to guess the cacao variety...This dark chocolate reminded me of a Trinitario-like cacao variety--with relatively bold cocoa, fruit and citrus notes; and less like some Forastero cacao varieties that are more dark and dense (less 3-dimensional, with less complex fruit).

I enjoyed this well-executed and thoughtfully sourced dark chocolate. The balanced fullness of the tart and jammy cacao flavors (all made possible from just three organic ingredients) was especially satisfying.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Profile: Fruit preserves, baking spices, complex with a long finish."

Ingredients: Cacao*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter* (* organic)

Allergen-related information: Made on equipment that processes peanuts, soy, wheat & tree nuts (almond, coconut, hazelnut, pecan). Vegan.

Seahorse Chocolate - Peru Cusco 70% (bar) - Aug. 20, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Seahorse Chocolate
Peru Cusco 70% (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 136.4 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar (1 of a $30 pack of 3 bars)
Purchased from: Seahorse Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Peru Cusco 70% (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by a self-described "merry band of coffee roasting pirates" at Seahorse Chocolate (Bend, OR). The small-batch maker specializes in single origin chocolates.

Aroma notes for today's Peru bar included: dark chocolate (fudge brownie); citrus fruit (tangerine); and barely detectable umami (appealing savory rice dish with soy sauce).

Texture: this relatively thick bar had a smooth texture, with a dense, creamy (almost nut butter chewy) fudge caramel melt. 

Flavor notes included: chocolate-y, fudge-y, with balanced and friendly bright, naturally sweet citrus (ripe, sweet tangerine, tangelo) that lingered slightly in in the beginning aroma and again in the finish with a tiny bit of sweet-tart apricot.

I loved that this flavorful chocolate was crafted with just two ingredients: cacao beans and organic sugar. I enjoyed the dense chocolate-y flavor and the creamy, substantial texture. The citrus note was pleasant as well. This versatile chocolate would be a great treat for all occasions -- from a hike to a fancy dinner

Maker's Tasting Notes/Description: "Reminds us of: Cashew Butter, Mandarin Orange, Best sack lunch ever!..."

Ingredients: "Cocoa Beans, Organic Sugar"

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package)

 

Intrigue Chocolate - Peru Ucayali Valley 60% Cacao (bar) Aug. 19, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate
Peru Ucayali Valley 60% Cacao (bar) 
Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Peru Ucayali Valley 60% Cacao bar (Batch #000000090424) was made and distributed by Intrigue Chocolate (Chisholm, MN).

The mixed varietal cacao beans from Ucayali River Cacao (that works with 400 farmers) used to make this chocolate were grown in the Ucayali River region (harvested in 2022) in eastern-central Peru. The Ucayali River joins the Maranon River forming a key source of the Amazon River.

Aroma and flavor notes for this Peru bar included: dark chocolate with a seductive complex sweetness that includes mellow, multi-dimensional dried fruit (fig, peach, subtle apricot, honey-ed ripe/dried pear, and cacao pulp); and nut (young/green walnuts in syrup, gently roasted almond/hazelnut).

My favorite foods (and chocolates) are made with three ingredients or less. Fermented cacao seeds (beans) in capable hands can produce outstanding results. 

I loved and appreciated the delicious, well-rounded and thoughtfully executed, aroma and flavors elicited from just cacao, raw cane sugar and cocoa butter in today's bar.

Today's bar also demonstrated why 70% is not necessarily the best choice for every cacao variety and/or chocolate. Just the right amount and type of (less processed) sugar were used to highlight the natural brightness and richness of this 60% cacao banquet of a bar. 

Maker's tasting notes: "This chocolate has notes of ripe pear, white clover flowers, and roasted barley malt. It has low bitterness and astringency, but full-bodied chocolatiness."

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

Allergen-related information: (None listed on packaging.)

Intrigue Chocolate - Peru Maranon River Valley 60% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 18, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate
Peru Maranon River Valley 60% Cacao (bar) 
Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Peru Maranon River Valley 60% Cacao (bar) was from Intrigue Chocolate (Chisholm, MN).

This bar was made with a Nacional (variety) cacao (2024 harvest) from northwest Peru. Maranon refers to the original name for the Amazon River--a name still used for the part of the Amazon that transits through Peru.

This rare cacao "was thought to be lost for over 100 years..." By being isolated in a remote area ("the upper upper reaches of a mountain valley"), this beloved-by-many varietal was preserved.

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, fruit (honeyed fig, mulberry), very faint wine/pleasantly fermented fruit (that part faded after opening); and sweet green botanical/nut (walnut).

Texture: smooth, slightly stoneground/astringent feel but with a creamy melt. 

Flavor notes included: very tasty chocolate with a rich, naturally sweet bouquet of flavors that included fresh and dried fruits (fig, mulberry), and sweet nut/sweet green botanical (young/green walnuts in syrup), honey, fig cookie.

I loved the hearty, honey-ed fruit and nut flavors inherent in this chocolate. And I appreciated the successful choice of a 60% cacao + raw cane sugar. Decadent and delicious chocolate made from only three ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "...flavors of honey, lightly burnt caramel, macadamia nut (with a lingering nutty astringency), white mulberry, and a jasmine floral note." 

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

Allergen-related information: (No allergens listed on label.)

*From what I understand, Spanish explorer, Francisco de Orellana is credited with the name "Las Amazonas," after encountering indigenous women who reminded him of the Amazon women of legend. The Spanish and Portuguese over time continued to use this name. When translated into English, this name became "The Amazon(s) (River)." 

Ranger Chocolate Co. - Salitral Morropan Peru Dark Chocolate Bar 75% - Aug. 17, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Ranger Chocolate Co.
Salitral Morropon Peru Dark Chocolate Bar 75% 
Good ++
Weight: 2.25 oz. (64 g.) in total bar
Calories: 348 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Ranger Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Salitral Morropon Peru Dark Chocolate Bar 75% (Batch #4), from Ranger Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR), was made from Salitral Criollo cacao beans from Peru.

This bar was made with cacao from the Morropon Province in the Piura Region of northwestern Peru.

Aroma and flavor notes included: subtle dark chocolate, fruit (red raspberry), very faint cream, stone fruit (peach) and earth/tobacco. 

The subtle, creamy cacao and fruit notes became even more luscious when tasting (vs. just smelling this chocolate). The finish was clean and relatively long--with extremely faint oolong tea, clean mineral/tea notes.

Texture: Smooth, creamy, and well-tempered.

I enjoyed the gently complex and creamy taste and texture. I also appreciated the thoughtfully sourced Peruvian cacao; short list of (just two) ingredients; and continuing to consider fair trade: "Always Fair Trade -- or better"

Maker's Tasting Notes: "peanut, graham cracker, raspberry" ..."During our visit to Peru, farmers...shared numerous varieties of cacao...Salitral, a Criollo varietal, was a clear standout for its bold fruit flavors."

Ingredients: "organic cacao, organic sugar"

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that uses gluten, egg, milk, tree nut and sesame ingredients"

 

Ranger Chocolate - Piura Northern Peru Dark Chocolate Bar 74% - Aug. 16, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Ranger Chocolate Co.
Piura Northern Peru Dark Chocolate Bar 74%
Good ++ 
Weight: 2.25 oz. (64 g.) in total bar
Calories: 349 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Ranger Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Piura Northern Peru Dark Chocolate Bar 74% (Batch #7)--from Ranger Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR)--was made using cacao beans grown in the Alto Piura Valley of the Piura Region in northwest Peru.

Piura cacaos include prized heritage Criollos/Criollo variety blends.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate with fruit (red fruit, berry), very subtle earth.

Texture: creamy, smooth, velvety. 

Flavor notes (right after being unwrapped) included: dark chocolate with fruit (red berry, citrus); damp soil; medium fruity acidity; a medium bitterness level (for a Criollo cacao); and fleeting very faint smoke, oolong tea and cookie toward the finish.

I enjoyed the relatively bold and complex flavor profile and the very smooth texture. And I appreciated: the short list of two, organic ingredients, and the company's commitment to thoughtful sourcing ("Always Fair Trade -- or better."). 

Maker's Tasting Notes: "cacao pulp, wine, tobacco, black cherry"

Maker story: "This rare white Criollo cacao produces a well balanced chocolate with a smooth finish."

Ingredients: organic cacao, organic sugar

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that uses gluten, egg, milk and tree nut ingredients."

 

Ranger Chocolate - Piura Blond Chocolate 60% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 15, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Ranger Chocolate Co.
Piura Blond Chocolate 60% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 2.15 oz. (61 g.) in total bar
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Ranger Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Piura Blond Chocolate 60% Cacao (bar), from Ranger Chocolate Co. (Portland, OR), was made using cacao beans from northern Peru. 

Piura is a coastal department and region in northwestern Peru. The gentler, more subtle Piura cacaos can be similar to prized heritage Criollo/Criollo blends. I loved the opportunity to try this chocolate on the blond side.*

Aroma notes included: very faint coconut milk chocolate, vanilla and caramel/brown sugar notes. 

This chocolate smelled less acidic and bitter, and more like a sweet confection.

Texture: creamy smooth. (You'd be forgiven if you thought this might be a milk chocolate in a blind blond tasting, due to its buttery mouthfeel.)

Flavor notes included: velvety, warm cocoa, with vanilla, coconut, caramel and barely detectable honeyed chamomile. There was a tiny amount of sea salt added (that I couldn't taste), but it likely helped balance the inherent and layered sweetness of this bar.

I appreciated this incredibly smooth-textured, less acidic and virtually bitter-free chocolate. The lower percent (60% cacao) content made this delicate cacao-based chocolate taste like a very high-end confection with the added brown sugar, vanilla and coconut. 

Ingredients: organic cacao, brown sugar (sugar, molasses), coconut, vanilla bean, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: "Contains: tree nut (coconut)"

*Blond(e) cacao or chocolate can refer to a caramelized light or white chocolate (with milk), or chocolate made with white-colored beans, making this adjective slightly confusing. Light-colored beans, especially Criollo beans in South American Amazon Basin countries, when cut open, can be white-ish, or pink-ish vs. a darker, purplish variegated hue found in bolder Forastero varieties.

Goodio - Fennel 49% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 14, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Goodio 
Fennel 49% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 270 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Goodio "Fennel" 49% Cacao (bar) was manufactured by Helsinki Heaven Oy (Vantaa, Finland). The company offers a variety of bars, and some include Nordic flavor inclusions -- made "by a team of magical artists." (To which I would add the term "hearts and crafts": ones who create with their hearts and who are skilled in their craft.)

Today's bar was crafted using "Peruvian fine cacao."

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweeter/mellower (Criollo-like) dark chocolate, coconut, faint (diffuse) fruit, and faint, sweet, almost floral, herb (fennel extract/pollen).

Texture: relatively smooth, sweet (very faintly granular/sugary) fudge softness in the texture, with slight textural richness from flavor inclusions (perhaps the coconut flakes and the fennel).

The tiny upticks of fennel flavor were relatively gentle. The coconut harmonized with the Peruvian cacao-based chocolate and the fennel. The result was a balanced, naturally sweet blend. 

I continue to appreciate Goodio's choice to use a short list of thoughtfully sourced, high-quality, organic ingredients in their chocolates.

Maker's description: "A delicate touch of licorice from fennel combined with Peruvian fine cacao for (a) balanced flavor combination..."

Ingredients: "Cacao beans*, Coconut palm sugar*, Cacao butter*, Coconut flakes*, Birch sugar (Xylitol), Fennel*. (*Organic)."

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts (cashew)." "Dairy, gluten & soy free" 

Kessho Craft Chocolate - Raspberry Dark Chocolate 57% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar) - Aug. 13, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Kessho Craft Chocolate
Raspberry Dark Chocolate 57% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 164 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Kessho, online order 

Welcome to Day #17 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Raspberry Dark Chocolate 57% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar) was handcrafted by Kessho Craft Chocolate and distributed by Kessho, LLC in Austin, TX.

Aroma notes included: Red berries (red raspberry) and smooth dark chocolate.

Texture: uniformly smooth, fudge-like texture with a relatively rapid, creamy melt. The raspberry powder was fully incorporated into the chocolate.

Flavor notes for this single origin cacao chocolate included: relatively smooth, tart-sweet, red raspberry, dark chocolate and very faint warm spice. 

The red raspberry flavor was authentically vibrant and was the star of the show--to the point where it eclipsed possible underlying nuances of the Uganda (hybrid Trinitario and Forastero) cacao. There were no obvious bitter or off notes in the slightly fudge-y, 57% dark chocolate; but any fruit or floral notes in the cacao were topped by raspberries/lower percentage of cacao.

I appreciated the use of single origin cacao and the short list of only four ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "Red berries, rose petals and chocolate fudge"

Ingredients: "Whole cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter, raspberry powder"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also processes milk, tree nuts, wheat, sesame and eggs."

 

Goodio - Red Berries 49% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 12, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Goodio 
Red Berries 49% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 270 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order 

Welcome to Day #16 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Goodio "Red Berries 49% Cacao (bar) was manufactured by Helsinki Heaven Oy (Vantaa, Finland). The company offers a variety of bars, and some include Nordic flavor inclusions -- made "by a team of magical artists." (Hearts and crafts: a team with heart that also know their craft.)

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweeter/mellower (Criollo-like) dark chocolate, coconut and fruity (red berries: raspberry, strawberry).

Texture: relatively smooth, fudge-y softness in the texture, with slight textural richness from flavor inclusions.

I liked the way the coconut harmonized with the chocolate and red berries and was not too overwhelming. I also appreciated Goodio's thoughtful use of a short list of quality, organic ingredients.

Maker's description: "One more chocolate for the road. Premium craft chocolate sprinkled with organic raspberries and strawberries."

Ingredients: "Cacao beans*, Coconut palm sugar*, Cacao butter*, Coconut flakes*, Strawberry*, Raspberry*. (*Organic)."

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts (cashew)." "Dairy, gluten & soy free" 

Monkey Brittle - Coconut, Cacao, Bananas & Sea Salt (pieces) - Aug. 11, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Huggins Family Farms

Monkey Brittle - Coconut, Cacao, Bananas, Sea Salt 

Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total package 
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 package 
Cost: $5.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Farm Fresh, online order 

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

What is a banana + cacao offering doing in a chocolate, berry and cherry themed week? Believe it or not, bananas are, technically, berries.

Today's "Monkey Brittle" with coconut, cacao, bananas and nuts was from Huggins Family Farms (Hood River, OR).

Aroma notes included: fruity (banana bread), nutty and light cocoa and coconut.

Texture: unique and very light-weight, thin crunchy cookie-like brittle. Think banana-bread-nut brownie wafers.

Flavor notes for these wafer-thin brittle pieces included: light cocoa, banana nut bread and subtle coconut.

I was surprised and delighted by the complexity ?? lightness? suitable as a quick meal (breakfast on the go) or a portable snack for a walk/hike... short list of authentic and organic ingredients (with no gums, preservatives or "natural flavors").

Maker's notes? "Coconuts, Cacao, Bananas, Nuts, Raisins, Sea Salt...& Absolutely Nothing Else."

Ingredients: "Organic Bananas, Organic Tree Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts), Organic Raisins, Organic Coconut, Organic Cocoa, Sea Salt"

Allergen-related information: Contains Tree Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts), Coconuts.

Standout Chocolate - Nordic Nature European Blueberry 63% (bar) - Aug. 10, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Standout Chocolate 
Nordic Nature European Blueberry 63% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Organic Nordic Nature European Blueberry 63% (bar) was from Standout Chocolate (Goteborg, Sweden). The company has been very reliably producing some very tasty single origin bars in recent years (as well as a line of bars with Nordic-inspired flavor inclusions).

The cacao used to make this chocolate was from Oko Caribe, a cacao co-operative located in the Duarte Province of the Dominican Republic.

Aroma and flavor notes included: appealing dark chocolate and complex, tart-sweet blueberry that resulted in a bar with berry flavor with very light, attractive, herbal/savory (barely there umami, smoke) notes.

I enjoyed the opportunity to taste a chocolate bar with bilberries--and the complex, relatively more intense, flavor of these European blueberries. I also liked the very complementary and flavorful blend of single origin DR cacao with these unique wild berries. 

And, last but not least, I appreciated the short list of thoughtfully sourced, organic ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "Wild Blueberries, Fresh Fruitiness"

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, Sugar*, Cacao butter*, Bilberry*. (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of Milk. 

Preston's Candy by Javier - "5X Very Berry" Dark Chocolate 63% cacao (bar) - Aug. 9, 2025

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Preston's Candy by Javier
"5X Very Berry" Dark Chocolate 63% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Filoli store, Woodside, CA

Dandelion Chocolate
Halva Bonbons
Good ++
Weight: 1.94 oz. (54.9 g.) / 6.8 oz. (192.7 g.) in total box of 7 pieces
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 2 bonbons
Cost: N/A - gift from family member - Thank you Megan!
Purchased from: N/A - gift from family member

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

5X Very Berry Dark Chocolate bar

Today's 5X Very Berry All Natural Dark Chocolate 63% cacao (bar) was from Preston's Candy By Javier (Burlingame, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes for this 5-fruit studded dark chocolate bar included: rich, bittersweet chocolate;  hearty, balanced fruitiness with bursts of tart-sweet goji, raisin, cherry, and other berries; and very faint nut. (Note: there were no nut ingredients.)

I enjoyed the hearty blend of smooth dark chocolate and the dried (but still relatively plump and moist) berries and fruits. It was indeed a 5x Very Berry chocolate.

Note: This was very similar to a bar I tasted in 2023. So, I also enjoyed this bar with some Halva Bonbons from Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA). No berries on the bonbons, but they were berry, berry good.

Ingredients: "63% Bittersweet chocolate (cacao beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla beans), Dried Goji, raisins, raspberry, blueberry and cherries."

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also makes products containing milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

Halva Bonbons

These Halva Bonbons were a collaboration between Seed + Mill (New York) and Dandelion Chocolate (a bean-to-bar chocolate maker in San Francisco, CA). 

Dandelion has been reliably turning out great chocolate bars for many years; and in recent years, has been producing an increasing number of tasty chocolate confections (typically made with one of their single origin chocolates).

I really enjoyed these luxe, halva-filled chocolate confections--covered with creamy (Tumaco) Colombia cacao-based dark chocolate. 

I paired these generously-sized bonbons with the above berry chocolate bar + fresh cherries and vanilla cherry ice cream. It was a very decadent, sweet summer day and evening.

Aroma and flavor notes for these creamy bonbons included: authentic sesame tahini aroma and flavor; rich, dark, single origin chocolate; and very faint sweet spice (cardamom).

Sweet, complex, layered flavors and rich textures: very slightly crispy-crunchy sesame halva on top of flavorful chocolate ganache, then enrobed in creamy, high-quality chocolate. Delicious.

Ingredients: Dandelion 70% House Blend chocolate (cocoa beans, organic cane sugar), halva (sesame paste, sugar, glucose, saponaria extract), Dandelion 70% chocolate (cocoa beans from Tumaco, Colombia, organic cane sugar), cocoa butter, heavy whipping cream, glucose syrup, cardamom, sea salt, edible gold leaf).

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk, Sesame Seeds. "Crafted in a facility that also processes wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts (hazelnuts, coconuts, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, almonds)."

 

Spring & Mulberry - Mixed Berry Date-Sweetened Chocolate 72% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 8, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Spring & Mulberry 
Mixed Berry Date-Sweetened Chocolate 72% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.75 for 1 bar (part of a larger 6-bar order)
Purchased from: Spring & Mulberry, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Mixed Berry Date-Sweetened Chocolate 72% Cacao (bar) was from Spring & Mulberry (Raleigh, NC).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate; rich sweetness (dates, brown sugar); and faint berry (strawberry, red raspberry).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with a very slight stone-ground aspect (that could have been from ground dates), interspersed with small fruit pieces. 

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate that was relatively low in bitterness; dates/brown sugar; and authentic red raspberry tartness (with raspberry seeds), with periodic upticks in strawberry (thin, dried slices) and flavorful, dried blueberry.

I appreciated the short list of authentic, balanced and organic ingredients, as well as a more minimal sugar buzz (use of dates as a sweetener vs. cane sugar).

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Dates*, Cacao Butter*, Strawberries*, Red Raspberries*, Blueberries* (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also handles tree nuts, peanuts, milk, soy, and wheat."

Raaka - Raspberry Waffle Crunch Unroasted Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao (bar) - Aug. 7, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka
Raspberry Waffle Crunch Unroasted Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Raspberry Waffle Crunch Unroasted Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao (bar) was made from Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, dark red raspberry, and very faint vanilla.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate and tiny crunchy bits. (The berry flavor was fully integrated, so there were no berry bits or seeds.)

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate with balanced bitterness, and subtle dark berry. 

I enjoyed that this bar wasn't too sweet. This single origin (Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania) dark chocolate was relatively smooth in flavor, and tasted "darker" than its 59% cacao content might indicate. I also appreciated that the waffle pieces were gluten-free and were not too sweet. The berry (raspberry) and vanilla were authentic-tasting, background flavors.

Ingredients: "organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic gluten-free waffle cone (coconut oil*, cane sugar*, rice flour*, brown rice flour*, tapioca flour*, millet flour*, apple sauce*, flax seed*, cacao powder*, arrowroot powder*, baking powder, inulin*, ascorbic acid, xanthan gum), organic raspberry juice powder, organic vanilla" (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Certified Organic and Kosher; Vegan, Gluten Free; Soy Free"

Godavari Chocolate - Bon-fiction - The Cranberry Chilli Chase (bar) - Aug. 6, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Godavari Chocolate
Bon-fiction - The Cranberry Chilli Chase 64% (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's "tree to bar" chocolate from India--The Cranberry Chilli Chase 64% (bar)--was manufactured by GACS Foods, India and Imported and Distributed by Godavari Chocolate Inc. (Folsom, CA). 

The company has a production facility in Andhra Pradesh, in the Godavari province, in (southeast) India. Cacao is grown on their plantation and the company also works with other farmers in Godavari.

Aroma notes included: rich dark chocolate, fruit (sweet red berry, cranberry) with a rich, decadent sweetness (brown sugar, dates). 

Texture: a hearty blend of dark chocolate and a generous helping of plump, relatively moist, dried cranberries.

Flavor notes included: rich, dark chocolate; high-quality and authentic cranberry textures and flavors; just the right amount of chili warmth and sea salt. For some reason I was reminded of a delicious (dark chocolate) version of pemmican* likely because of the hearty, appealing and satisfying flavors.

The cranberries weren't overly sweetened or too tough and chewy (thank you). The choices and amounts of chili and light dose of sea salt were perfect. The overall flavors harmonized very well. This bar exceeded my expectations. I appreciated the choice of 64% cacao chocolate -- a percentage that often tastes too sweet for me (a dark chocolate fan). It seemed just right in this bar.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cranberries, Chilli, Sea Salt

Allergen-related information: Manufactured in a facility that also processes: Milk, Peanuts, Almond, Cashew, Walnut, Coconut, Hazelnut, Pistachio. 

*Pemmican is/was a staple food item in North America--made with ground jerky (typically dried bison jerky and occasionally dried/smoked salmon), rendered fat, berries (chokecherry, Saskatoon berry, cranberry) and occasionally honey and nuts. It was originally created by indigenous people. Fur traders and colonists consumed versions of this traditional protein/energy bar as well. (You can even find a few modern versions of pemmican with chocolate.)