Willie's Gold - Pure Gold Sur Del Lago Venezuela 100% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 17, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Willie's Gold 
Pure Gold Sur Del Lago Venezuela 100% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .705 oz. (20 g.) / 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Worldwide Chocolate, online order 

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

Today's Willie's Gold Pure Gold Sur Del Lago Venezuela 100% Cacao (bar) was from chocolate maker Willie's Cacao Ltd. (Devon, UK). 

The cacao used to make this bar was grown in Sur Del Lago (south of Lake Maracaibo) in Venezuela. Maracaibo is a famed lake where the skies are charged with tropical lightning.* Bananas, peanuts, cocoa and other crops are grown in this area.

Aroma and flavor notes for this smooth (silky, buttery) textured chocolate bar included: deep, luscious dark chocolate (fudge brownie with nuts (almonds, walnut)) -- without the sugar. (Note: there were no nut ingredients.)

Ultra-dark chocolate lovers will appreciate this two-ingredient bar that captures the essence of cacao very nicely. As with all other 100%ers, milk chocolate/candy lovers may miss the bright sweetness that comes with sugar-sweetened chocolate.** 

I enjoyed this bar with friends in the Golden State of California, at a Golden State Warriors basketball game in San Francisco, with views of the Golden Gate bridge. It was indeed a 100% gold-filled day. Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all who celebrate this day. We saw rainbows today, but no leprechauns (cancelled due to weather) jumping into pots of gold.

Ingredients: Cocoa Solids, Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: (None listed/visible on this package.)

*The Catatumbo lightning over Lake Maracaibo is part of a rare atmospheric phenomenon -- a reaction driven by the interaction between warm air from the Caribbean and cooler air descending from the Andes mountains. The word "catatumbo" comes from the local Bari language and roughly translates to "house of thunder." 

**Note: I am someone (part of roughly 25% of the population in the U.S./Europe) who not only tolerates, but really enjoys more bitter flavors (cacao, hops, arugula, coffee, etc.). And while this may be largely genetically determined, I am thankful my genes allow me to savor the nuanced flavors in these lovely items. Yes, there are some plant items that are too bitter even for me, but thankfully cacao seeds (aka cacao beans) are not on this list.