Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Maui Calamansi Lime 65% Cacao (bar) - Feb. 17, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Maui Calamansi Lime 65% Cacao (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate, online order

Aloha and welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Lime Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Maui Calamansi Lime 65% Cacao (bar) was from Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate (Lahaina, Maui, HI).

 

The maker(s) used cacao from Costa Esmeraldas Ecuador. (I associate this growing locale with subtly complex fruit notes.)

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, subtle and complex fruit; and very faint, fleeting spice (floral pepper).

The texture was creamy smooth; with a whipped cream-like melt and mouthfeel. (There was no dairy in this bar.) 

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate; delicate, fruit-floral citrus (lemon-lime). 

Calamansi limes are known for their relatively tart citrus flavor. But, I found the flavor in this chocolate to be quite mild and pleasing. The Maui-grown limes that were used were from the CEO's home orchard in Kapalua.*

I really enjoyed the subtle fruit-floral complex flavors and the lovely creamy texture. The choice to pair the Ecuador cacao with the Maui calamansi lime in this well-executed chocolate worked well. Normally when I see "natural flavors" in an ingredients list, I brace myself for synthetic, overly strong, or unpleasant flavors; but not this time.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Natural Flavors 

Allergen-related information: (No information listed on chocolate packaging)

*"...He hand-picks the fruit at full ripeness, vacuum-seals it whole, and freezes it for later processing. Thawed fruit is crushed to extract the juice and bruise the skin to release essential oil. The flavor essence of the juice is infused to complement our 65% dark chocolate."