Bixby Chocolate - Masala Chai 35% Milk Chocolate Bar - Sept. 28, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Bixby Chocolate
Masala Chai - 35% Milk Chocolate Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate & India Theme Week.

Today's Bixby Chocolate Masala Chai Milk Chocolate Bar was manufactured by Bixby & Co. (Rockland, ME).

Aroma and flavor notes for today's bar included: smooth, sweet, dark milk chocolate; warm spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger); and brown sugar spice cookie.

Texture: smooth and relatively hearty (spices were fully incorporated).

I enjoyed the authentic spice flavors and the maker's choice of a relatively short ingredients list, and organic cacao and organic cane sugar.

Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cacao Beans, Whole Milk Powder, Cacao Butter, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves, Nutmeg, Pepper, Star Anise, Ginger, Fennel. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Milk." "Manufactured in a facility that processes: milk, peanuts, soy, and tree nut ingredients." "Gluten Free"

TCHO - Yule Nog Oat Milk 35% Cacao (bar) + Napa Noir - Salted Cabernet 64% Cacao (bar) - Jan. 31, 2026

Chocolate(s) of The Day

TCHO

Yule Nog - Eggnog with Nutmeg & Rum Flavor Cashew Oat Milk White Chocolate (bar)
Good++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in 1 package of three small bars
Calories: 360 calories in 3 small bars (1 package of 3 bars)
Cost: $7.19 (sale) for 1 package
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

TCHO + Clif Family
Napa Noir - Cabernet Salted Bar Made With Organic Dark Chocolate And Barrel-Aged Nibs 64% Cacao 
Good ++
Weight: 1.65 oz. (46.2 g.) /2.5 oz. (70 g.) total package of three bars

Calories: 240 calories in 2 small bars
Cost: $11.99 for 1 bar (package of 3 smaller bars)
Purchased from: TCHO, online order 

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate, Warm Spices & Maple Theme Week here on Chocolate Banquet.

Today two winter warmer bars were from TCHO Ventures Inc. (Berkeley, CA): 

• 1.) a "Yule Nog" (Eggnog With Nutmeg & Rum Flavor Cashew Oat Milk White Chocolate) 35% Cacao chocolate
• 2.) a "Napa Noir" - Cabernet Salted Bar Made With Organic Dark Chocolate And Barrel-Aged Nibs 64% Cacao - a collaboration with the Clif Family Winery (Saint Helena, CA)

Yule Nog (bars)

Aroma and flavor notes for this Organic bar included: aromatic and authentic nutmeg spice; warm spirits (rum); white chocolate cookie dough; faint nut--all culminating in a surprisingly tasty white chocolate with convincing eggnog taste--without egg or dairy.

The texture was quite smooth for a non-dairy, white chocolate bar. I noticed a very faint, fine granularity in my throat from the oat milk and cashew (and maybe ground nutmeg); but it didn't distract me that much. It had a thick, creamy-gummy texture that resolved into a very satisfying melt and mouthfeel.

I appreciated the company's choice to use organic ingredients, their blend of 100% Plant-based ingredients and the high-quality nutmeg and rum flavors that conjured up the true spirit of eggnog.

Ingredients: Cocoa Butter*+, Gluten Free Oat Flour* (Oat Flour*, Natural Vitamin E), Cane Sugar*, Cashew Butter*, Coconut Oil*, Nutmeg Powder*, Sea Salt, Vanilla*, Natural Flavors* 

* = Organic, + = Fair Trade Certified - Over 34% Fair Trade Certified Ingredients

Allergen-related information: Contains Cashews. May Contain Other Tree Nuts.

Napa Noir (bars)

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate; faint red fruit (red grape, red berry, red wine); barely detectable pepper.

Texture: smooth base dark chocolate mixed with crunchy cacao nibs bits

Flavor notes: smooth dark chocolate (chocolate-y, hot cocoa/drinking chocolate, dark fudge, cocoa nibs) with faint red fruit (red grape, berry, watermelon, red wine) and a perfect touch of salt.

This was a tasty, well-balanced bar with chocolate, red fruit, salt, and crunchy (Peruvian) cacao nibs -- all blended harmoniously together. 

Both TCHO bars today exceeded my expectations and I'd happily enjoy them again (if they are available in the future). 

(Note: this Napa Noir bar was still available on the TCHO website shop as well as the Clif Family Winery online store when I checked this week. The Clif Family red wine used to make this bar was: "Kit's Killer Cab.")

I appreciated the packaging (3 individually-wrapped bars that can be easily shared with others); the maker's use of Organic, quality and thoughtfully sourced ingredients; and the clever use of using wine infused sugar and salt to flavor this sweet and salty dark chocolate*.

Ingredients: Organic Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Wine Sugar (Cane Sugar, Wine), Organic Roasted Cacao Nibs, Organic Cocoa Butter, Wine Sea Salt (Salt, Wine), Organic Sunflower Lecithin

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Tree Nuts. Contains Less Than 1% Alcohol."

*Chocolate is hydrophobic (does not play well with water/liquids), so if you're stirring around a large vat of melted chocolate, the last thing you want to do is to add water, milk, beverages or other liquid libations. You run the risk of the chocolate seizing up. (Milk chocolate is made by adding powdered milk.) 

Wine-flavored chocolates can be created by storing/aging cacao nibs in old wine casks. Or, liquids can be reduced/dried and infused into melted cocoa butter--or blended with batches of sugar and salt using drying or evaporation techniques--with the result being wine-flavored sugar and salt. 

The first and third techniques mentioned above were likely used with today's Napa Noir bar. 

Guido Gobino - Latte 35% Sao Tome e Principe - July 23, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Guido Gobino 

Latte 35% Sao Tome e Principe

Good 

Weight: .194 oz. (.5 g.) in 1 piece

Calories: 29 calories (estimate) in 1 piece

Cost: $ missing information ($0.89 estimate for 1 piece)

Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, part of a larger online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Italian Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Latte 35% Sao Tome e Principe chocolate was from Guido Gobino (Torino (Turin), Italy).

Swathed in gold foil, this individually-wrapped, disc-shaped piece was sweet, creamy, relatively flavorful milk chocolate, made using cacao from Sao Tome e Principe off the west coast of Africa.

Only Child Chocolate - Best Fronds Forever Milk Chocolate Bar - Apr. 10, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Only Child Chocolate
Best Fronds Forever - Milk Chocolate with Peanuts, Coconut, Fennel and Cayenne bar
Good +
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 256 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

This thick, sweet, creamy milk chocolate bar was redolent with botanical aromas; and I wondered how were all these flavor inclusions going to mesh? The answer: surprisingly well.

Relatively whole chunks of ingredients* visible on the back of the bar gave this chocolate an attractive look; and, more important, allowed flavors to take turns in the spotlight. (A finely ground, homogeneous blend of all these ingredients would not have worked as well.)

One bite featured crunchy peanuts with milk chocolate, another bite coconut and milk chocolate, the next bite a hint of fennel, and the final bite a polite but firm sizzle of cayenne, which was harmonizing with the nuts, chocolate and coconut. All the ingredients* tasted fresh. A hint of salt (from the peanuts) tied up this sweet and savory package with a bow.

*Ingredients: 38% milk chocolate (cane sugar, whole milk, cocoa butter, cacao beans, sunflower lecithin, vanilla beans), peanuts (peanuts, vegetable oil, salt), coconut oil, dried coconut pieces, fennel seed, cayenne pepper.

Cafe-Tasse - Lait Noix de Coco 35% mini bars - April 9, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cafe-Tasse
Lait Noix de Coco 35% Cacao mini bar
Good +
Weight: .31 oz. (9 g.) in 1 mini bar x 2 bars
Calories: 100 calories (estimate) in 2 mini bars
Cost: $1.90 for 2 mini bars
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Lait Noix de Coco mini bars were from Cafe-Tasse (Belgium).

These creamy, sweet (35% cacao) milk chocolate confections were perfumed with coconut aroma and flavor. The miniature coconut milk bars provided a few small, sweet bites--just the right dose. A larger size bar this sweet would have been too much.

Baron Chocolatier - Premium Milk Chocolate bar - Nov. 24, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:


Baron Chocolatier
Premium Milk Chocolate bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 131 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Milk Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Baron Chocolatier Premium Milk Chocolate bar was made in Poland* and imported by European Chocolate, Ltd., a division of Milano Group (Vernon Hills, IL).

This 35%** cacao milk chocolate bar had a sweet creamy flavor and texture, with a hint of caramel and tiny sparkle of fruit.

*Baron Chocolatier originated 30 years ago in Poland.
** The percentage did not appear on the package or website, but thankfully an email query yielded a quick answer: 35% cacao for the milk chocolate bar. This chocolate had a bit more flavor than I'd expect for a less than 40% bar. It would make a nice 45% cacao bar I think.

Cocoa Parlor - More Please 35 Roasted Cashews (bar) - June 18, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Cocoa Parlor Premium Organic Chocolate
More Please 35 Roasted Cashews (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 161 calories in 1 oz. of bar
Cost: $N/A - part of a gift basket
Purchased from: N/A - gift basket from Present, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Cashew Theme Week.

Today's More Please 35 Roasted Cashews (bar) was from Cocoa Parlor Premium Organic Chocolate (Laguna Niguel, CA).

The sweet 35% cacao organic milk chocolate paired nicely with the roasted cashews and a hint of Himalayan Pink Salt.