Elements - Araku Valley Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 21, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Elements
Araku Valley Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Andronico's market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Araku Valley Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Elements (Union City, NJ).

The cacao used to make this bar was from Ecuador.

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: dark cocoa; (hazelnut/almond) honey and nut butter; coffee (roasted, slightly bitter) and faint cardamom. (Note: there were no nut ingredients.)

Texture: smooth, with a pleasing honey-velvet texture and melt

Cocoa butter (#1 ingredient) helped to smooth over rough edges from the coffee/cacao powder/cardamom.

I enjoyed the honey in this bar that had a bright, almost floral, natural sweetness and helped lighten up what otherwise might have been very dark, bitter or heavily roasted elements. The honey also contributed to a lovely, almost silken texture.

Ingredients: Organic Cacao Butter, Raw Honey, Organic Cacao Powder, Coffee, Organic Cardamom

Allergen-related information: "No Dairy, Refined Sugar, Soy, Gluten, Lecithin or Shortcuts"

DAR Chocolate - ART Bar - Caramel Coffee milk chocolate (bar) - May 20, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

DAR Chocolate 
ART BAR Limited Edition - Caramel Coffee milk chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Limited Edition - Caramel Coffee milk chocolate Art Bar was manufactured by DAR Chocolate LLC (Thornton, CO).

Aroma and flavor notes for this very attractively-clad bar included: aromatic dark (fudge-y) milk chocolate with coffee (sweet mocha caramel latte); subtle caramel and very faint vanilla (pipe tobacco).

Texture: relatively smooth and creamy with a barely detectable astringency.

I enjoyed the 60% dark milk chocolate and coffee blend, and the subtle touch of Murray River Salt that helped balance the sweetness. (The salt also made this milk chocolate more addictive.)

Ingredients: cacao beans*, cane sugar*, dried whole milk, coffee beans*, cacao butter*, salt, natural flavors. (* organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Made in a facility that processes peanuts and tree nuts."