Nuance Chocolate Company - Buttermilk Spice 45% Cacao (bar) - May 6, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Nuance Chocolate Company
Buttermilk Spice 45% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Nuance Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Warm Spices Theme Week.

Today's Buttermilk Spice 45% Cacao bar (Batch ID: 39323) was made by Nuance Chocolate Company (Fort Collins, CO), and was a member of the company's "Flavored Milk Series".

Aroma and flavor notes included: chai- and pumpkin-pie spiced chocolate milkshake. 

The spices were fully integrated into today's 45% cacao chocolate so there was no spice grit (thank you). Said spices were present enough to fully enjoy.* A bit of vanilla added upbeat and soothing warmth.

Texture: smooth and creamy with a satisfying melt.

I enjoyed the rich, smooth texture and flavor; the spices; and the skillful inclusion of buttermilk in this bar. 

Ingredients: "cacao, cane sugar, buttermilk solids, cocoa butter, spices, sunflower lecithin, vanilla beans."

Allergen-related information: Contains dairy. "Manufactured in a facility that also processes tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat, and soy."  

* I love cinnamon and warm spice blends; I heavily-spice chocolates and other desserts and ice creams if left to my own devices. Today's chocolate was in the spice Goldilocks zone -- enough to be enjoyable and not overwhelming--it was just right for almost everyone.

Hogarth Chocolate Makers - Gianduia Dark Hazelnut (bar) - Mar. 20, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Hogarth Chocolate Makers
Gianduia Dark Hazelnut (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 206.62 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and New Zealand Series.

Today's Gianduia Dark Hazelnut 45% Cacao (bar)--made with New Zealand hazelnuts--was from Hogarth Chocolate Makers (Nelson, New Zealand). 

Founded by Karl (a former fisherman and sailor) and Marina Hogarth, the eponymous small-batch, bean-to-bar company offers a wide range of bean-to-bar chocolate bars with interesting and thoughtful flavor inclusions, and some single origin bars.

This "Kiwi style Gianduia" chocolate was made with toasted and ground New Zealand hazelnuts.

Aroma notes included: mild dark milk* chocolate with peach green tea and very faint nut and butter.

Texture: soft, smooth and relatively creamy/buttery. 

Flavor notes: lightly roasted, fragrant dark chocolate with green tea, stone fruit (peach, very faint sweet red berry jam), nut butter, very faint green tea and dairy milk.* 

The ground hazelnuts (30% of bar) had become one with the chocolate, creating an almost seamless fusion between relatively mild and nuanced cacao (think Criollo variety) and hazelnut chocolate (gianduia) flavors. The 45% cacao chocolate was also low in bitterness and acidity.

Ingredients: Cocoa Solids 45% (Cocoa Beans, Cocoa Butter**), Cane Sugar*, Hazelnuts (30%).

Allergen-related information: Contains Nuts. May Contain Traces of Milk. 

*Aroma or flavor notes do not necessarily track with actual ingredients. For example in this case, there are no milk ingredients, but there were like dairy-like/buttermilk-like notes.

Dr. Bronner's - Magic Creamy Mocha Latte Oat Milk Chocolate - Dec. 13, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Dr. Bronner's
Magic Creamy Mocha Latte Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.465 oz. (41.5 g.) / 2.93 oz. (83 g.) in total bar
Calories: 234.4 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - free sample ($5.99 for 1 bar); available online
Purchased from: N/A - Sample received from Dr. Bronner's

Today's Magic Creamy Mocha Latte Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) was distributed by Dr. Bronner's (Vista, CA). This was the third of three new oat milk bars featured on Chocolate Banquet this week.

The company's first line of Magic dark chocolate bars were created in 2021. Today's mocha latte oat milk chocolate was the third of three new oat milk chocolate 45% bars from Dr. Bronner's featured this week on Chocolate Banquet.

This Organic, Fair for Life Fair Trade, Vegan Certified, and gluten free Creamy Mocha Latte Oat Milk Chocolate carried the company's message (from company founder Dr. Emanuel Bronner), "We Are All-One." A timeless reminder for us all.

The growing selection of alternative "milk" chocolate bars have become available in the past five years. It's a challenge to produce a chocolate that has the attributes of dairy milk/cream. However, Dr. Bronner's three new bars show that tasty non-dairy (and vegan) chocolates have finally arrived.

Aroma notes for this bar included: freshly roasted coffee, chocolate, and creamy mocha beverages with a trace of vanilla and nut (almond, hazelnut).

The texture and flavors were hearty but very smooth.

Flavor notes included: rich dark, smooth chocolate, coffee and mocha nut latte (made with hazelnut and almond "milks") with a hint of warm vanilla.

This 45% cacao coconut sugar sweetened chocolate was sweet. (Sugar is the #1 ingredient, and this may give you that "moreish" urge to eat more than an ultra-dark chocolate.) Fortunately, the coconut sugar seemed to slow down the sugar buzz.*

What I loved about all three Dr. Bronner's new oat milk bars: 1.) seductive aromas and authentic flavor(s); 2.) organic, fair trade and thoughtfully cultivated (regenerative) ingredients; 3.) the choice of coconut sugar vs. cane sugar; 4.) well-executed texture and flavor layering; and 5.) no obvious oat milk taste. (They could pass for dark (dairy) milk chocolate.) 

These bars come close to the chocolate "holy grail"-- offerings that both milk and dark chocolate lovers might enjoy. These 45% cacao chocolates tasted more like dark chocolate than most lower cacao percentage bars. And the flavors didn't get lost in the sugar. (Thank you!)

Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Coconut Sugar,* Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter,* Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Beans,* Organic Whole Oat Flour,  Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Hazelnuts, Fair Trade Organic Coffee, Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Organic Almonds, Fair Trade Organic Bourbon Vanilla Bean (* = Regenerative Organic Certified)

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (hazelnuts, almonds), coconut (sugar). "Made on equipment that also processes almonds, hazelnuts, coconut and soy." 

* Coconut sugar is a bit lower on the glycemic scale than more processed/white sugar(s), i.e. is less likely to spike blood sugar as much.

 

Dr. Bronner's - Magic Crunchy Hazelnut Butter Oat Milk Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 12, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Dr. Bronner's
Magic Crunchy Hazelnut Butter Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.465 oz. (41.5 g.) / 2.93 oz. (83 g.) in total bar
Calories: 249 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - free sample ($5.99 per bar); available online
Purchased from: N/A - Sample received from Dr. Bronner's

Today's Magic Crunchy Hazelnut Butter Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) was distributed by Dr. Bronner's (Vista, CA). 

The company, well-known for their soaps,* was founded in 1948. Their first line of Magic dark chocolate bars were created in 2021. Today's hazelnut oat milk chocolate was the second of three new Dr. Bronner's oat milk chocolate bars featured this week on Chocolate Banquet.

Organic, Fair for Life Fair Trade, Vegan Certified, and gluten free, today's new Crunchy Hazelnut Butter Oat Milk Chocolate offers food for thoughtful consumers. 

The growing selection of alternative "milk" chocolate bars in recent years has produced mixed results. However, this week's oat milk bars exemplify increasingly tasty variations that have become available in recent years.

Aroma notes for this aromatic bar included: roasted nuts (hazelnuts); sweet dark chocolate (that I usually associate with dark milk chocolate); and faint, freshly baked chocolate fudge brownie + shortbread hazelnut cookies with a trace of vanilla (wafting across the hall from someone's kitchen).

The texture was layered--with a slightly softer, flavorful (crunchy nut butter + chocolate blend) layer inside, surrounded by uniform, well-tempered outer chocolate coating.

Flavor notes included: Roasted nut butters (hazelnuts, almonds), and sweet, rich dark (oat) "milk" chocolate. I'm happy to admit I don't know if I could tell this was an oat milk chocolate vs. milk chocolate in a blind taste test. 

This 45% cacao coconut sugar sweetened chocolate was fairly sweet; and it may create a "moreish" desire to eat more--i.e., more than an ultra-dark chocolate would. Fortunately, the coconut sugar seemed to slow down the sugar buzz.** 

I'm a dark chocolate (and bold, natural flavors) fan. Even though this chocolate was only 45% cacao (more sugar, less cacao), it tasted like sweet, dark chocolate. The quality of the ingredients and nuts (hazelnuts and almonds), and perhaps the oat flour, helped balance out the sweetness. And I really appreciated the depth and richness of these authentic flavor(s).

Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Coconut Sugar,* Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter,* Organic Hazelnuts, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Beans,* Organic Whole Oat Flour,  Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Organic Almonds, Fair Trade Organic Bourbon Vanilla Bean (* = Regenerative Organic Certified)

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (hazelnut, almond), coconut (sugar). "Made on equipment that also processes almonds, hazelnuts, coconut and soy." 

*Full disclosure, I was already a long-time fan of Dr. Bronner's liquid soaps before trying their chocolate. Now a B Corporation, Dr. Bronner's (now run by the descendants of the original founder (Dr. Bronner))  continues to be committed to quality ingredients and social good. That extends to working with farmers in Ghana and creating a Regenerative Organic Certified Serendipalm Project in Ghana.

** Coconut sugar is a bit lower on the glycemic scale than more processed/white sugar(s), i.e. is less likely to spike blood sugar as much.

Dr. Bronner's - Magic Golden Milk Chai Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) - Dec. 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Dr. Bronner's
Magic Golden Milk Chai Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) 
Good +++
Weight: 1.465 oz. (41.5 g.) / 2.93 oz. (83 g.) in total bar
Calories: 234.4 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - free sample ($5.99 for 1 bar; order online)
Purchased from: N/A - Sample received from Dr. Bronner's

Today's Magic Golden Milk Chai Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) was distributed by Dr. Bronner's (Vista, CA). 

The family-run company was founded in 1948 by Emanuel Bronner, a third-generation soapmaker. Later, as they worked with farmers in Ghana to produce regenerative, organic oil for their soap line, the company saw an opportunity to expand into cacao and chocolate as well. The first line of Magic dark chocolate bars were created in 2021. This week I'm sampling three new oat milk bars.

Organic, Fair for Life Fair Trade, Vegan Certified, and gluten free, today's new Magic Golden Milk Chai Oat Milk Chocolate ticks many boxes for thoughtful consumers. It's also one of a growing selection of alternative "milk" chocolate bars in recent years.

Some early oat milk bars I've tried have been overly sweet, bland and mealy. So, I wondered, what would this one taste like? 

Any questions I had vanished with the first look and smell. This Golden Milk bar had the appearance not of a golden-ivory (white) chocolate, but a fine dark chocolate; and it was divinely fragrant.

Aroma notes for this aromatic bar included: coconut cookie, chocolate gingerbread, chai tea, and sweet coconut rice pudding with saffron, spices and turmeric.

The well-tempered chocolate bar broke with a hard snap (in a cool room). And the texture was layered--with a slightly softer, flavorful layer on/inside a more solid, outer chocolate layer(s). There were a few bites with very fine ground oat texture toward the finish, but it was not off-putting. (More like the oat bits you might find in a moist, baked cookie.)

Flavor notes included: chocolate, golden milk chai tea with turmeric, gingerbread oatmeal cookie, and spiced coconut milk flan. (Could I taste the oats? Not really.) I loved all the authentic spices and flavors together in one chocolate.

The sweetness level (supplied by coconut sugar) was in the baked goods and desserts range, and seemed just right for this spiced chocolate. The only reminder I was eating a sweeter (45% cacao) chocolate was I was starting to eat more than I would normally. Fortunately, the coconut sugar seemed to slow down the sugar buzz.*

The chocolate (cacao) tasted quite smooth. The bit of coconut milk helped convey authentic golden milk (chai)** flavor. The cacao and spice levels were well-balanced, satisfying and had some oomph to them. This was far from instant oatmeal-bland. 

These artfully layered flavors made me feel I was enjoying the best of multiple desserts. Harmoniously integrated yet experienced individually as well. Magic indeed. 

Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Coconut Sugar,* Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter,* Fair Trade Organic Coconut, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Beans,* Organic Whole Oat Flour, Fair Trade Organic Coconut Milk Powder, Organic Turmeric, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Organic Cardamom, Organic Ginger, Organic Black Pepper, Fair Trade Organic Bourbon Vanilla Bean (* = Regenerative Organic Certified)

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut (coconut, coconut milk, coconut sugar). "Made on equipment that also processes almonds, hazelnuts, milk, coconut and soy." 

* Coconut sugar is a bit lower on the glycemic scale than more processed/white sugar(s), i.e. is less likely to spike blood sugar as much.

** Golden milk is a traditional Ayurvedic warm beverage made with milk (often coconut milk in California) and spices, including turmeric--which gives this drink a golden color.

Theo Chocolate - Organic Coffee and Cream Cups 45% Milk Chocolate - Oct. 3, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Theo Chocolate
Organic Coffee and Cream Cups 45% Milk Chocolate (Cups)
Good +
Weight: 1.3 oz. (36 g.) in 1 package of 2 pieces/cups
Calories: 230 calories in 1 package of 2 pieces/cups
Cost: $1.19 for 1 package (sale)
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Organic Coffee and Cream Cups 45% Milk Chocolate were distributed by Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

These heart-shaped milk chocolate cups were similar to, but different than, yesterday's Organic Coffee and Cream 45% Milk Chocolate bar. Both were from Theo Chocolate. The ingredients were slightly different, and yesterday's bar was more coffee-forward in taste and texture. 

Aroma notes for today's cups included: milk chocolate and very faint (barely detectable) coffee.

Both the outer milk chocolate covering and the filling had a uniformly soft, buttery melt and mouthfeel. The (cup's) outer shell was slightly firmer; and the filling was slightly silkier.

Flavor notes included: creamy milk chocolate shell and milk chocolate ganache (filling)--with gently infused coffee flavor.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans*+, Cane Sugar*+, Cocoa Butter*+, Coffee-Infused Coconut Oil* (Coconut Oil*, Coffee*+), Whole Milk Powder*, Ground Vanilla Bean*. (* Organic, + Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and wheat.  

Theo Chocolate - Organic Pacific Northwest Coffee and Cream 45% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 2, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Theo Chocolate
Organic Pacific Northwest Coffee and Cream 45% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.45 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: (Missing information)

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Organic, Fair Trade Pacific Northwest Coffee and Cream 45% Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA). The outer wrapper contained cartoon icons (bear, fish jumping out of water, coffee pot, mountains, tent, etc.) of outdoor living and coffee loving in the Northwest U.S.

The company was one of the first chocolate makers to offer organic and fair trade-certified chocolates in the U.S.; and is "Fair For Life" Fair Trade Certified.

Aroma notes included: fresh coffee, coffee toffee, and dark milk chocolate.

This 45% milk chocolate had a pleasant, thick and creamy texture and melt, and barely detectable, finely ground coffee particles.

Flavor notes included: rich and creamy mocha latte--with identifiable dark milk chocolate and roasted coffee constituents, that were also well balanced, blended and complementary.

Ingredients: Milk Chocolate* (Cane Sugar*+, Cocoa Butter*+, Cocoa Beans*+, Whole Milk Powder*), Ground Coffee Beans*+. (*Organic, +Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. Made on equipment that also processes wheat and tree nuts and in a facility that handles peanuts, eggs, and sesame. *Organic +Fair Trade (Contains 80% Fair Trade Ingredients)

Theo Chocolate sources their cacao from several countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Fjak Sjokolade - 45% Milk & Brown Cheese (bar) - June 9, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade 
45% - Milk and Brown Cheese (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .935 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 143.3 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Cheese Theme Week.

Today's 45% Milk and Brown Cheese (from Undredal, Norway) (bar) was from small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate maker Fjak Sjokolade (Hardanger, Norway). 

Established by two women in 2015, this Norwegian maker offers a variety of single origin chocolates. Some (Nordic Collection) items are also infused local natural flavors--such as Norwegian brown cheese. (Other flavored bars include: apple cider, berries, reindeer moss and lingonberry, and Norwegian gingerbread.)

The cacao used to make today's Norwegian brown goat cheese* milk chocolate bar was from PISA (Haiti).

Aroma notes for this unique cheese bar included flavorful dark milk chocolate, diffuse fruit (sweet red berry) and a slight savory/salt note.

This uniquely Norwegian 45% milk chocolate was, texturally, a blend of smooth and very slightly crunchy (sugar/salt sparkles?)

The creamy dark chocolate with slightly milk-muted flavor tones made for a tasty milk chocolate. It was bold enough to retain smooth dark cocoa, red berry and very faint cedar notes. 

The brown goats cheese was mellow and mild and, along with a touch of sea salt, created a very harmonious blend with the chocolate and a very satisfying tasting experience--especially if you enjoy savory pairings with your chocolate. 

This chocolate was neither too sweet (thank you!) nor too salty.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans*, cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, milk powder*, brown goats cheese and sea salt (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: (Contains dairy.) Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten.

*Brunost or brown cheese is uniquely Norwegian. It's often eaten in thin slices, with bread or toast. It's made by heating whey (from cheese-making process) and milk, and has a slight caramelized flavor and "brown" hue.

Vosges - Cheddar and Apple 45% Cacao (bar) - June 6, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Vosges IP, LLC
Cheddar and Apple 45% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Vosges website, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Cheese Theme Week.

Today's Cheddar and Apple 45% Cacao (bar) was created by Vosges IP, LLC (Chicago, IL).

Aroma notes included: chocolate, diffuse fruit(s), and subtle savory (cheese).

Flavor notes included: sweet milk chocolate (sweet cocoa), with fine particles of diffuse fruit (dried apple) and authentic (12-month aged Vermont) cheddar cheese. Subtle warm spices included: vanilla, cinnamon (and very faint (imagined) allspice).

Hats off to Vosges for creating chocolates blended with various cheeses (cheddar, manchego, parmesan, other). Some of these bars also have fruits and/or nuts. I love sampling savory chocolate flavors and creating chocolate and cheese pairings. 

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (cane sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, vanilla bean seeds), Cabot Cloth Bound Cheddar (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, annatto (if colored), dried apples (apples, sulfur dioxide), cinnamon.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "Processed on equipment that also processes milk, soy, wheat, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts."

Omnom Chocolate - Milk Chocolate with Sea Salted Roasted Almonds (bar) - Feb. 11, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Omnom Chocolate
Milk Chocolate with Sea Salted Roasted Almonds (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 350 calories in 1 bar
Cost: 699 ISK ($4.82 USD) for 1 bar (exchange rate 145 ISK = 1 USD) 
Purchased from: Kr (store) in Vik, Iceland 

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

Today's Milk Chocolate with Sea Salted Roasted Almonds (bar) was from Omnom Chocolate (Reykjavik, Iceland).

Aroma notes for this sweet, creamy chocolate included: milk chocolate, butter cream, nuts (lightly salted almonds).

This 45% milk chocolate was a skillful meld of textural, flavor and geographic-source opposites: 1.) buttery smooth and nut-crunchy; 2.) faintly tart sweet fruit (sweet orange, berry) grounded a bit by richer chocolate; and 3.) sweet and salty. 

Iceland has fine dairy products (skyr (think yogurt), butter, and sheep and cow milk/cream)--often the case for countries located far from the Equatorial belt* where cacao grows. 

The judicious use of sea salt (just enough to be addictive) reminded me of the saltworks in Iceland. And the salt helped balance the sugar content in this 45% cocoa solids (i.e. relatively higher sugar %) chocolate. 

A generous helping of chopped (sea salted) almonds from Mediterranean climate(s) added crunchy texture and helped mellow and tie these elements all together.

This milk chocolate was a bit sweet for me, but this fact (observation) did not stop me from "tasting" a whole bar. Warning: don't eat wonderfully rich, sweet and salty bars like this if you're overly hungry. 

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (Organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, Icelandic whole milk powder, organic cocoa beans from Madagascar, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), almonds, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: "Designed and made in Iceland, in a facility that handles nuts, dairy, gluten and sesame seeds..."

*Cacao trees typically grow in warm/temperate rain forest areas (often in coastal areas or great river valleys)--in a geographic "belt" approximately 20 degrees above and/or below the Equator. 

It is possible to grow cacao a few degrees north or south of this limit (e.g. in Hawaii) if you're near the sea/water--that helps moderate temperature extremes. In these cases, the cacao will often adapt with a higher seed (cacao bean) fat (cocoa butter) content, just as we might wear a jacket in cooler weather.

Noi Sirius - Dark Chocolate 45% with Toffee and Sea Salt (bar) - Dec. 20, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Noi Sirius 

Dark Chocolate 45% with Toffee and Sea Salt (bar)

Good ++ 

Weight: 1.17 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 174.8 calories in 1/3 bar 

Cost: 419 ISK (Approx. 145 ISK = $1 USD)

Purchased from: (Store in Iceland)

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Iceland Theme Week. 

Today's Dark Chocolate 45% with Toffee and Sea Salt (bar) was from Noi Sirius (Reykjavik, Iceland).

Aroma notes for this 45% chocolate included: chocolate (dark chocolate pudding, dark ganache), toffee, butter, and very faint, fleeting clean mineral (light clay).

This smooth, creamy dark chocolate was studded with a generous helping of crunchy, sweet buttery toffee bits.

I enjoyed the balance between the less sweet, smooth dark chocolate and the sparkles of sweet crunchy toffee candy and sea salt. (A sweeter milk chocolate base would likely have been too sweet for many dark chocolate lovers.)

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soya lecithin), bourbon vanilla. Cocoa dry solids min. 45%), toffee 10% (sugar, glucose syrup, butterfat, salt, natural flavours, emulsifier (soya lecithin)), sea salt 0.4%. 

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a factory which works with milk, soya, tree nuts and wheat."

Madhu Chocolate - Saffron Milk 45% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 15, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Madhu Chocolate
Saffron Milk 45% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.) / 2.6 oz. (74 g.) in total bar
Calories: 188 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.29 (estimate) for 1 bar (Paid $65.00 for a 7-bar order)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of India Theme Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Saffron Milk 45% Cacao (bar) was from Madhu Chocolate (Austin, TX). Madhu co-owners and chocolate makers (Elliott and Harshit) blend India-inspired flavors with small batch, bean-to-bar chocolate. 

The cacao for this milk chocolate bar was sourced from the Tumaco region of Colombia. (The company also sources cacao from India.)

Aroma notes for this bar included: subtle chocolate with warm, upbeat spice.

The rich milk chocolate had a pleasing and smooth texture and melt.

Tasting notes included: sweet saffron* (and inferred, imaginary vanilla) blended with flavorful milk chocolate. The Colombian chocolate stood up to being muffled a bit by milk powder--that in turn created a comforting bed for saffron spice. 

This was a sweet chocolate; however, thankfully, cacao and spice notes still were able to shine through. It was delightful to experience the saffron in this bar. Like vanilla, saffron has delicate, complex, floral-related notes. Both saffron and vanilla have always felt like "happy" spices to me.

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, whole milk solids), saffron

Allergen-related information: (Gluten-free.) "Prepared in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy."

* Saffron threads--the orange-yellow stamen(s) from purple saffron crocus flowers--are used in small quantities to flavor and color beverages, rice and savory dishes, confections...and, occasionally, if we're lucky, chocolate. Long cultivated in Mediterranean climates (e.g., Iran and Kashmir), saffron is a highly valued and expensive spice, largely due to the manual labor required. 

In re-tasting this bar a day later, the saffron's floral notes seem to have dissipated a bit, and there was a faint buttery, grassy earth note in the finish, from the saffron. While these notes are not uncommon with saffron, I advise eating this bar when it's first opened, as the more volatile floral flavor associated with this spice is shouldn't be missed. Oxidized saffron (what a waste!) can taste duller, almost bitter (weedy) in comparison. 

  

D. Barbero - Dark Milk (Ecuador cacao) 45% bar - June 29, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

D. Barbero 
Dark Milk (Ecuador cacao) 45% bar
Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 227.2 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Mollie Stone's Markets, Sausalito, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Today's Dark Milk chocolate with Ecuador cacao 45% bar was from D. Barbero / Barbero Davide S.r.l. (Asti, Italy).

This smooth, sweet milk chocolate bar had notes of caramel, toffee, chocolate cake, cookie, and cinnamon sugar sprinkled buttered toast with hot cocoa with vanilla.

Ingredients: "Sugar, cocoa butter, Ecuador cocoa poste 20%, whole dried milk, cocoa paste, emulsifier: soya lecithin, natural vanilla flavour. Minimum cocoa 45%."

Allergen-related information: "Gluten free" and contained milk and soy (soy lecithin).

 

Vosges - Dulce de Leche 45% Cacao (bar) - May 22, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Vosges IP, LLC
Dulce de Leche 45% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 390 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Mollie Stone's, Sausalito, CA 

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and VWXYZ Theme Week, featuring chocolate items with origins and flavor inclusions that start with the letters V, W, X, Y and Z.

Today's Dulce de Leche 45% Cacao bar was from Vosges IP, LLC (Chicago, IL). Vosges is a women-owned company, headed by founder and chocolatier Katrina Markoff.

This bold, ultra-dark milk chocolate was a great choice for such a sweet filling--a thin layer of soft, flowing dulce de leche (a form of caramel made with sweetened condensed milk popular in South America). The 45% cacao chocolate tasted more like 65% or 70% chocolate, much to my delight. 

The darker cacao choice off-set the sweetness of the whole milk caramel. A hint of vanilla and Celtic sea salt rounded out the flavor blend.

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor); dulce de leche caramel (reduced lactose sweetened condensed whole milk (milk, cane sugar, skim milk), non-GMO corn syrup, water, cane sugar, butter (cream, salt), butterfat, pectin, non-GMO soy lecithin, baking soda, natural flavor, salt); burnt sugar syrup (cane sugar, water), bittersweet chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor); sea salt, cultured dextrose. (47% fair trade ingredients include sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, vanilla flavor)

Allergen-related information: "Processed on equipment that also processes milk, soy, peanuts and tree nuts."

Theo Chocolate - Organic Salted Almond 45% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 29, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Theo Chocolate
Fair Trade, Organic Salted Almond 45% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh to You, CSA box delivery service, add-on item

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and RSTU Theme Week, featuring chocolates with origins and flavor inclusions that start the letters R, S, T and/or U. It seemed right to end this two-week long, alphabetic exploration with something sweet and salty.

Today's Organic Salted Almond 45% Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA). The company offers a variety of organic and fair trade chocolate bars (and confections), including this one.

The aroma of this bar sent out seductive snack signals: milk chocolate, roasted nuts (hazelnut,* almond) and savory/salted notes. This smelled like high-end, grown-up candy bar territory (thankfully without the additives or preservatives).

And, sure enough, creamy, sweet milk chocolate was interspersed with crunchy almond bits, and punctuated with sparkles of sea salt--creating a rich, addictive blend of sugar salt, fat (cocoa butter, nuts), and chocolate--with a satisfying textural contrast. 

The milk, nuts and salt--present in perfect snack food proportions (heaven help the weak-willed)--outshone cacao flavor nuances that may have been present. But there were no objectionable notes.

The maker's description for this bar: "Smooth. Creamy. Salty. Crunchy. All together perfect."

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cane sugar; organic, fair trade cocoa butter; organic, fair trade cocoa beans; organic whole milk powder; organic almonds; pink Himalayan salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk and tree nuts (almonds). "Made on equipment that also processes wheat and other tree nuts and in a facility that handles peanuts, eggs, and sesame. May contain shell pieces."  

*Despite the aroma, there were no hazelnut ingredients listed.

Nuance Chocolate Company - Ghana and Nibs 70% Pure Dark (bar) - Aug. 14, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Nuance Chocolate Company 
Ghana and Nibs 70 percent Pure Dark (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 291 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Nuance Chocolate Company, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Cocoa Nibs Theme Week, and Day #2 of Ghana and Ivory Coast Chocolate Theme Week.

Together, West African cacao from Ghana and Ivory Coast dominate the world's cacao supply chain in terms of volume. Perhaps half of all chocolates being sold might fit into this theme week, but most chocolates (often blends) do not disclose the country(ies) of origin for cacao.

Today's Ghana and Nibs 70% Pure Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Nuance Chocolate Company (Fort Collins, CO). There aroma was subtle, but with rich, pure dark chocolate notes.

The Ghana Forastero cacao used to make this 70% cacao bar, combined with the maker's skills and a little sugar, yielded deep chocolatey (fudge brownie) and cherry flavor notes, with a faint hint of white grape, roasted nuts (subtle walnut, pine nut), and a very mild, balanced bitterness (think very subtle roasted coffee).

Black Forest Cake and cherry nut brownies came to mind--although this dark chocolate bar had more concentrated dark creamy and crunchy cacao flavor, and less sugar. I'll take that any day. (Although a flourless cake or brownies (with very little or no added sugar) made with this chocolate would likely make a very fine dessert.)

Ingredients: cocoa, cane sugar, cocoa butter. ("All nature and GMO-free").

Gallette Chocolates - 45% Colombia dark chocolate bar - May 3, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Gallette Chocolates

Colombia 45% Cacao Milk Chocolate (bar)

Good - Good +

Weight: 1.51 oz. (43 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 260 calories in 1 serving (9 squares) of bar

Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Single Origin Colombia 45% Cacao Milk Chocolate (bar) was handcrafted by Gallette Chocolates (Sao Paulo, Brazil).

This milk chocolate bar had classic milk chocolate aroma and flavor with caramel and very faint sweet tobacco notes. 

Ingredients: cocoa mass, milk powder, sugar, cocoa butter and soy lecithin

Michel Cluizel - Mon Truc A Moi 45% (bar) - Mar. 16, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Michel Cluizel
Mon Truc A Moi - Milk Chocolate 45% bar
Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) in total bar
Calories: 162 (estimate) calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.40 (sale price) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Today's Mon Truc A Moi* Milk Chocolate 45% bar was from Michel Cluizel (France). The company has been manufacturing chocolate in the French town of Damville in Normandy since 1948.

This French chocolate bar was a wonderful blend of crunchy (cacao nibs) and rich, flavorful creamy dark milk chocolate and a hint of hazelnut. And, it was not too sweet (thank you!)

The combination of dark milk chocolate, cacao nibs, croquant and hazelnut paste disappeared all too quickly.

*Mon Truc A Moi loosely translates into "my thing" in English. Perhaps this was also a way of saying the maker's favorite combination of ingredients. It certainly was close to ours.

Domori - D-Fusion LatteSal Milk Chocolate with Salt (bar) - July 24, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Domori srl

D-Fusion Latte Sal Milk Chocolate with Salt 45% (bar)

Good - Good +

Weight: .44 oz. (12.5 g.) / .88 oz. (25 g.) in total package

Calories: 75 calories in 1/2 bar 

Cost: $3.96 (sale) for 1 bar + any shipping

Purchased from:  Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Sea Salt Theme Week.

Today's D-Fusion Latte Sal Milk Chocolate with Salt (bar) was from Domori srl* (None, TO, Italy), and was made with Arriba Nacional cacao.

This 45% cacao milk chocolate had a sweet, caramel (almost "candy") aroma, with some light fruit and chocolate notes. The thin bar had a creamy smooth, almost gummy texture. The sweetness masked the chocolate and salt nuances a bit, but it will have a definite appeal for some.

Maker's notes: "(the bar was made with)...sweet and aromatic Guerande** sea salt to bring forth a fresh hint of banana and citrus fruits..." ***

And speaking of the chocolate maker, the following quote was printed on the Domori website:

"I am only a humble servant to Chocolate, and my true mission is to help change the history of fine cacao." -- Gianluca Franzoni

*Domori has been part of the illy Group since 2006. The company was involved in looking at fine cacao and supply chains before the craft/artisan chocolate movement really took hold. And they were one of the first and only makers to offer a 100% Criollo bar, made using a delicious, fine heritage variety of cacao.

**The Guerande salt used in this bar was harvested from the Guerande salt marshes of France.

*** Ingredients: "Cane sugar, cocoa butter, whole powdered milk (20%), cocoa mass, Guerande salt (0.4%)"

Mirzam Chocolate Makers - 45% Milk Chocolate Loqaimat bar - July 1, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mirzam Chocolate Makers
(Kakaw Manufacturing Co. LLC)
45% Milk Chocolate Loqaimat bar
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 142 calories in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) of bar (per label)
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Peruvian Superfoods Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week. Chocolate, with its far-flung supply chain, and delicious flavor, ties many geographic areas and peoples together.

Today's 45% Milk Chocolate Loqaimat* bar was created by Mirzam Chocolate Makers (Dubai, UAE).

Dubai is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates. And while it is not technically part of an island, it has nonetheless taken island design and building to a whole new level. Some of the created islands are shaped like palm trees. And what prized fruit grows locally on palm trees there? Dates.

Mirzam Chocolate Makers was highlights great chocolate blended with ingredients linked to extensive, historic Arab maritime trade routes, such as dates.**

Today's confection of a bar was made of high-quality, sweet milk chocolate (45% cacao). The chocolate had toffee and caramel flavor and a crunchy, slightly sticky texture, all achieved from two inclusions: 1.) puffed quinoa (there's our Peruvian reference) caramelized with 2.) date syrup (Arab trade item). The results of this blend: pretty, copper-colored flecks seen on the inside wrapper and a sweet treat.

Quinoa
Quinoa, a high-protein pseudo-cereal prized for its nutritious seeds, originated in the harsh upper elevations of Peru, and is now being cultivated around the Mediterranean and in parts of Africa. (It is also similar to millet or Fonio, an up-and-coming West African "superfood" that also grows "where nothing else will grow.") There has been a resurgence of interest in these humble, gluten-free seeds and grains in recent years.

*Loqaimat or luqaimat or lukma is a sweet, fried dough dessert that resembles American doughnut holes.

**The line up of Mirzam chocolate bars features a few bars containing dates. My favorite so far has been their bar with dates and fennel. Dates, have an incredible natural sweetness and have been cultivated in the Middle East for thousands of years. (The largest producers of dates today are: Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.)