Philippe Beaulieu - 70% Dark Chocolate Raspberry - Oct. 24, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Philippe Beaulieu
70% Dark Chocolate - Raspberry (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - from Touring Chocolatier
Purchased from: N/A - from Touring Chocolatier 

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and France Theme Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate & Fruits Theme Week.

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate - Raspberry (bar) was from Philippe Beaulieu USA LLC (Miami, FL). The company is inspired by French/European chocolate making traditions and uses cacao from Colombia (Tolima region). 

Thank you to Kay at Touring Chocolatier (Flower Mound, TX)* for sending this bar.

Complex aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (with very faint roasted cacao/dark chocolate and berry licorice); and tart-sweet red raspberries/raspberry jam.

Texture: Smooth chocolate with a slight granularity, with a vibrant, colorful field of freeze-dried red raspberries on one side.

I appreciated the attractive, sophisticated packaging (black and gold, with a clear window view of the bright raspberry within) and the authentic freeze-dried raspberry fruit (with enough berry seeds to be authentic, and not so many that it was hard to eat). 

Ingredients: Organic Cocoa Mass, Organic Unrefined Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Freeze dried raspberries. 

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of tree nuts. ("No Lecithin, Gluten Free, Chemical Free, Egg Free, Artificial Flavor Free, Soy Free, No Refined Sugar")

*Touring Chocolatier offers chocolates, classes/tastings and parties at their site in Flower Mound, Texas, in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Cluizel Paris - Kayambe Noir de Cacao 72% Chocolat Noir - Oct. 23, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Cluizel Paris
Kayambe Noir de Cacao 72% Chocolat Noir (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 213.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and France Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week. 

Today's Kayambe Noir de Cacao 72% Chocolat Noir (bar) was from Cluizel Paris (Paris, France).

The blend of cacaos used to make this chocolate came from Central America, Central Africa and Java, and possibly Ecuador.

Aroma and flavor notes for this smooth-textured chocolate included: rich and balanced dark chocolate (chocolate-y); faint, roast-y licorice; and very faint red berries.

It was a little sweet for a 72% cacao dark chocolate. (It tasted more like a 65%-67% cacao bar.) But, it did contain developed and balanced dark chocolate flavors.

I paired this bar with several fruits, including slices of guava, apple and pear.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Flavors of Red Berries, Licorice and Finely Bitter Cocoa."

Ingredients: "cocoa, sugar, cocoa butter, Bourbon vanilla pod"

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