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"