Chocolate of the Day
Juan Choconat
Chocolate Oscuro 85% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 134 calories in 1/2 bar (per label)
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Elebar Snacks, online order
Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate & Colombia Theme Week.
Today's Chocolate Oscuro (Dark Chocolate) 85% (Unroasted) Cacao (bar) was made by Juan Choconat SAS (Ibague, Tolima, Colombia) and imported by Elebar Snacks LLC (with locations in Illinois and Clearwater, FL).
This bar was one of several Jaun Choconat bars ordered online (via an importer) in Aug. 2025 -- when new U.S. tariffs* on many imported goods became effective. (Spoiler alert: It wasn't the best time to order heat-sensitive products made outside the U.S.)
Aroma and flavor notes for this 85% ("creole" hybrid Colombian) cacao bar included: surprisingly gentle, chocolate-y, dark chocolate with appealing, soft toned fruits (cherries + other red berries, stone fruit), cherry pie, faint spice and very faint vegetable (potato) and barely detectable fresh bread.
There was some bitterness in this chocolate (expected for any 85%er). But this "bitterness" was oddly and seductively enjoyable. I've only found these gentle flavors with criollo cacao-based chocolates before. It was absolutely more balanced and less bitter (or acidic) than most 85% cacao chocolates, because of the cacao; and the makers used unroasted cacao (to preserve nutrients and more delicate flavors present in heritage, criollo cacaos). There were also no harsh/burnt notes that can sometimes result from over-roasting.
Texture: Broke with a snap and had a fairly creamy melt and smooth texture.
As noted above this chocolate was held up due to changes in tariffs* last August, and was likely allowed to sit in a warm place -- based on the white-ish, bloomed appearance. This can happen very quickly if chocolates sit in the hot sun on a loading dock somewhere too long. Any prolonged delays can impact product quality.
Because of these challenges, I was grateful that today's bar still broke with a snap and had a very nice smooth melt and mouthfeel. And the flavors were wonderful. (The packaging for each individual bar had remained sealed.)
The makers used only two ingredients (no added cocoa butter) to coax out these lovely, authentic cacao flavors.
Ingredients: Unroasted Cacao Nibs and Unrefined Cane Sugar (Panela).
Allergen-related information: "May Contain Traces of Fruit, Milk or Nuts."
*New U.S. tariffs went into effect in April and August 2025 that affected imported goods from other countries.
U.S. importers usually are the ones to pay tariffs...to the "U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP)" -- and this agency reports to U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security.
Cacao prices were already at record highs in 2025. So tariffs were not welcome news to most of us.
By fall 2025 (and likely with helpful input from large chocolate makers like Hershey's), lawmakers were likely reminded that the U.S. only grows less than 0.0001% of all the world's cacao--approximately 179 acres in Hawaii and 100 acres in Puerto Rico. We need to import the rest from cacao-growing countries so U.S. chocolatiers and chocolate makers can make chocolates; U.S. workers can keep their jobs; and customers can find their favorite chocolates on shelves or online.
The cacao tariffs were lifted a few months later, in Nov. 2025. (Although certain tariffs remained on West African cacao (where most of the world's cacao is grown.) And the overall tariff situation remains somewhat dynamic.
Throughout this period of volatility, I wondered how all the changes in recent years have affected cacao farmers. It's difficult to know from thousands of miles away here in California.
Also, every Juan Choconat bar that I ordered online in August 2025 was shown as "sold out" (today).
"Sold out" can mean many things, so it's no use speculating. A company is struggling to meet demand for high-quality products that are in short supply; a company is taking a break from making chocolate after a busy holiday season; supply chain issues are being worked out; a company is thinking about whether to continue to make chocolate; etc. I hope these will be back in stock soon.
