Hana Gold - 51% Milk Chocolate with Hana Banana (bar) - Mar. 22, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Hana Gold
51% Milk Chocolate with Hana Banana (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) in total bar
Calories: 241 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Hana Gold, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Gold Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week. 

Today's 51% Milk Chocolate with Hana Banana (bar) was distributed by Hana Gold Farm (Hana Highway, Maui, HI).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and light banana.

Texture: soft, initially almost gummy, texture with a creamy and light mouthfeel once melted.

Flavor notes included: slightly fruity, rich, sweet, dark and milky/creamy chocolate--with thin, crunchy banana slices of dried banana.

This sweet, balanced dark milk chocolate bar still had some pleasing, mild complexity (very slightly fruity cocoa, banana, vanilla). That is, the higher percentage of sugar and milk (51% vs. 70%) in this bar did not eclipse the other/more subtle flavors.

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, whole and skim milk, whey, soy lecithin, vanilla, organic dried banana.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, soy (lecithin). "Made in a facility that also processes nuts, dairy, soy.

Anthon Berg - Golden Jubilee Selection: 1.) Matusalem Gran Reserve Rum; 2.) Famous Grouse; 3.) Sobieski Vodka - Mar. 21, 2025

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Anthon Berg 

Golden Jubilee Selection
1.) Matusalem Gran Reserve (rum) - Good ++
2.) Famous Grouse (Scotch whisky) - Good ++
3.) Sobieski Vodka - Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.69 oz. (48 g.) in 3 bottles / 2.2 lbs. (1 kilogram) in total 64-pc. Golden Jubilee Selection box
Calories: 216 calories (estimate) in 3 bottles 
Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend (Thank you Joe-Ming!)

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

These spirits-filled chocolate bottles were from Anthon Berg (Ballerup, Denmark). This Danish chocolatier (now a division of Toms International) has a history that stretches back to 1884.

Today's three foil-wrapped chocolate bottles were part of a deluxe, 64-bottle Anthon Berg Golden Jubilee Selection, that were housed in an attractive, large gold package (box). The filled chocolate assortment featured several well-known spirits/liqueurs fillings from different countries.

Matusalem

The 50% dark chocolate "bottle" enclosure had a smooth dark milk chocolate* taste with a creamy melt and mouthfeel. 

Matusalem is a premium Caribbean rum produced in the Dominican Republic.

The Matusalem Gran Reserva liquid (syrup) filling was authentic, with pleasing almost whiskey-like caramel and vanilla, along with very faint and rich wood/oak and stone fruit notes.

Famous Grouse

Famous Grouse is a brand of blended Scotch whisky(s) produced in Scotland.

Sweet, creamy and aromatic dark milk chocolate surrounded a generous sip of sweet, boozy, rich and smooth single malt Scotch flavor.

Sobieski Vodka

The well-tempered, creamy dark milk bottle-shaped exterior contained a sweet and "clear" boozy dose of vodka, with a clean finish.

The chosen dark chocolate couverture complemented all the spirits-based fillings in the Golden Jubilee flavors I tasted.

*Note: Today's chocolates did not list milk in their ingredients list; they are 50% dark chocolates--despite my repeated descriptions of these chocolates having the smooth, creamy taste and texture of a dark milk chocolate.

Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass**, cocoa butter**, water, spirits 6% (whiskey, liqueurs, cognac, whisky, vodka, liqueur (coconut), rum), natural orange flavor (Cointreau(R)), 0.8%, flavoring. (Minimum 50% cocoa solids in dark chocolate.)

** = Rainforest Alliance Certified

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

Anthon Berg - Golden Jubilee Selection: 1.) Cointreau, 2.) Remy Martin Cognac, and 3.) Southern Comfort - Mar. 20, 2025

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Anthon Berg 

Golden Jubilee Selection
1.) Cointreau - Good ++
2.) Remy Martin Cognac Fine Champagne - Good + - Good ++
3.) Southern Comfort - Good ++

Weight: 1.69 oz. (48 g.) in 3 bottles / 2.2 lbs. (1 kilogram) in total 64-pc. Golden Jubilee Selection box
Calories: 216 calories (estimate) in 3 bottles 
Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend

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

Today's three foil-wrapped chocolate bottles were part of a deluxe, 64-bottle Anthon Berg Golden Jubilee Selection (housed in an attractive gold package). The filled chocolate assortment featured several well-known spirits/liqueurs fillings from different countries.

Anthon Berg (Ballerup, Denmark) is a Danish Chocolatier (now a division of Toms International) with a history that stretches back to 1884.

How did each one taste? 

Cointreau 

The chocolate "bottle" had a smooth dark milk chocolate taste with a creamy melt and mouthfeel.

The Cointreau liquid (syrup) filling was authentic, with pleasing, clean, clear fragrant sweet orange and  very faint, pleasing herbal and balanced bitter orange notes toward the finish.

Remy Martin Cognac Fine Champagne 

Sweet, creamy and aromatic dark milk chocolate surrounded a generous sip of sweet, boozy, cognac/brandy flavored syrup.

Southern Comfort

The well-tempered, creamy dark milk bottle-shaped exterior contained a sweet, relatively complex warm, sweet whiskey, with very faint citrus and oak notes.

Note: The dark chocolate did not contain milk, even though it had the smooth taste and creamy texture of a dark milk chocolate.

A testament to how versatile chocolate can be, the chosen dark chocolate couverture complemented all the spirits-based fillings well.

Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass**, cocoa butter**, water, spirits 6% (whiskey, liqueurs, cognac, whisky, vodka, liqueur (coconut), rum), natural orange flavor (Cointreau(R)), 0.8%, flavoring. (Minimum 50% cocoa solids in dark chocolate.)

** = Rainforest Alliance Certified

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