Fruition Chocolate - Tanzania Latte Dark Milk Kokoa Kamili 61% (bar) - June 16, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Fruition Chocolate  
Tanzania Latte Dark Milk Kokoa Kamili 61% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Fruition, online order

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

Today's Tanzania Latte Dark Milk Kokoa Kamili* 61% (bar) was from Fruition Chocolate Works (Shokan, NY). 

The cacao used to make this bar was from the Kilombero Valley in Tanzania. And "..this bar highlights Tanzanian Peaberry coffee, roasted locally by Heavyfeather" (Coffee Roasters) in Mt. Tremper, New York.

Aroma and flavor notes included: appealing, smooth dark milk chocolate and subtle, creamy cafe latte with faint vanilla and very faint, delicate caramel, wood and warm spice.

Texture: very smooth with a luxurious creamy melt.

I enjoyed the rich creaminess and subtle, sophisticated and complex flavors in this Tanzania Latte bar. This balanced chocolate will likely appeal to both milk and dark fans.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, Whole Milk Powder, Coffee, Salt, Vanilla. (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk. May Contain Traces of Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Wheat, Eggs, Soy, Sesame."

*The makers "paid a premium for this special edition Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania Women's Lot of cocoa beans which will help fund scholarships for school girls from their village..."

Coco Chocolatier - Cold Brew Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Coco Chocolatier
Cold Brew Coffee Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 230 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Phoenix Shop, Big Sur, California

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate & Colombia Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Coffee Week(s).

Today's Cold Brew Coffee (61% cocoa) Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Coco Chocolatier/Coco EU (Belfast and Edinburgh). The outer wrapper was, quite literally, a work of art.*

Aroma: relatively sweet dark chocolate, roasted coffee and appealing, mysterious and hard to pin-down notes that might have been: fleeting herb, spice and savory notes (mild green pepper; roasted olive tapenade on freshly toasted bread); mild earth/clay; and slightly smoky vanilla.

The cacao origin for this bar was Colombia. 

Texture: relatively smooth, even texture and melt.

Flavor notes: well-balanced dark chocolate and coffee; not too acidic; not too bitter; naturally sweet, but not too sweet; and a polite lingering coffee finish. 

I loved the intriguing aroma and felt grateful for the relatively mellow, smooth, almost coffee flavor--likely due to the cold brew method, and added cocoa butter.

While I don't drink coffee anymore, I've featured a Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week almost every year on Chocolate Banquet. I loved drinking coffee; and the toughest part about giving it up was the lovely, seductive aromas. I'm looking forward to being intoxicated by coffee scents this week.

Ingredients: Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Coffee (<1%), Emulsifier: Non-GMO Soya Lecithin, Natural Coffee Flavour, Natural Vanilla Flavour. (Cocoa Solids: 61% Minimum)

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Traces of Peanuts, Nuts, Milk and Gluten."

*Chocolate can be blended with thousands of flavors; it's very versatile. It also can be enjoyed with--and found swaddled in--many art styles. Packaging/labels for craft chocolate, beer, and wine have been great sources of fresh and inspired designs and entertaining surprises over time. I would have saved all of the thousands of the physical wrappers I've seen, but that would've required renting a large storage facility.

 

jcoco - 61% Cacao Boharat Spice Peruvian dark chocolate (bar) - July 16, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

jcoco 
61% Cacao Boharat Spice Peruvian dark chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in 1 small bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $3.49 (also was part of a larger assortment pack of bars)
Purchased from: jcoco/Seattle Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 61% Cacao Boharat Spice Peruvian dark chocolate (bar) was from jcoco* (Seattle, WA). It was part of an assortment of bars.

The Boharat spice blend originated in Syria; and its history may entwine with Arabic spice traders. (Boharat means "spices" in Arabic; so blends may vary. E.g., some may contain mint, some not.)

Aroma notes for this bar included: warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, pepper, paprika) and sweet dark chocolate.

Texture: smooth and creamy texture with barely detectable ground spice particles.

Flavor notes include: dark, sweet chocolate with a lovely, warming middle eastern spice blend that included some that can swing either sweet or savory (cumin, coriander, black peppercorn and paprika). I could say the same for cacao. I love trying "savory" chocolates. 

The 61% dark Peruvian cacao chocolate base was tasty. The sugar level was a bit higher than many dark chocolates; but it seemed like a good level for this bar. There was a very faint, fleeting, yogurt/loamy earth type note toward the end. It was not clear if this was coming from the cacao, the spices or a combination of both. But, mostly, it was the spices that lingered in a subtle, warm finish.

This complex Boharat spice blend was rich in flavor(s) and lacked a spicy burn. I appreciated that. The chocolate bar was well-balanced; and well-executed, and the smaller bar (in an assortment pack) gave me a chance to try a new spice blend. (More virtual travel and education via chocolate. Could this bar be used to make a Middle Eastern mole sauce I wondered?)

Ingredients: 61% cacao dark chocolate (cracked cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin), boharat spice (cardamom, nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, black peppercorn, paprika). 

Allergen-related information: "This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg and wheat products."

*jcoco is part of (a brand that belongs to) Seattle Chocolate Company. 

 

Jcoco - 61% Orange Blossom Espresso in Peruvian dark chocolate - Mar. 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Jcoco
61% Orange Blossom Espresso in Peruvian dark chocolate 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $3.49 (estimate) for 1 small bar
Purchased from: jcoco/Seattle Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #3 of a Chocolate and Floral Series, including bars and confections with floral/flower-related ingredients.

Today's jcoco 61% Orange Blossom Espresso in Peruvian dark chocolate (bar) was made in Seattle, WA. (The jcoco brand is part of Seattle Chocolate Company, Seattle, WA.)

Aroma notes included: chocolate, orange blossom and ground coffee.

Texture: smooth chocolate with a very slight coffee grit.

Flavor notes included: relatively sweet, smooth dark chocolate (ganache); floral (orange blossom), warm spice, and coffee. 

This small bar was colorfully wrapped and is also available in a 3-bar pack.

Ingredients: 61% cacao dark chocolate (cracked cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin), coconut oil, decaffeinated espresso, orange oil, black tea powder, cloves, sea salt."

Allergen-related information: "Contains coconut. This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg and wheat products." (Vegan, Gluten free, Kosher dairy)

Leith Chocolate - Gin & Tonic Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 8, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Leith Chocolate
Gin and Tonic Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 219 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.67 for 1 bar
Purchased from: World Market, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Gin Theme Week.

Today's Gin and Tonic Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Leith Chocolate (South Queensferry, Scotland).

The company sources their chocolate from South America. (The cacao origin of today's bar was Colombia.)

Aroma notes for this 61% Cocoa gin-inspired bar included: dark chocolate, lemon-lime candy, warm floral spice (vanilla), fleeting vanilla and lemon biscuit, and botanicals (juniper). 

This chocolate had a smooth texture, and a relatively rapid melt that led to a softer, loftier/lighter, creamy mouthfeel finish.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate, sweet citrus (lemon, lime) and light botanical herbs (juniper and faint, fleeting sweet rosemary) and faint vanilla. 

There was also a very faint, well-balanced citrus peel-like, bitter-sweet note that evoked a splash of tonic water that one would taste in a traditional gin and tonic cocktail.

This dark chocolate was an enjoyable confectionery tribute to a classic gin cocktail.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, Non-GMO soy lecithin, natural vanilla extract), juniper oil, lemon oil, lime oil.

Allergen-related information: Made in a factory that handles dairy, peanuts, soy and tree nuts.

Chocolate Naive - Durian Fruit Chocolate 61% (bar) - Mar. 9, 2023

 Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive
Durian Fruit Chocolate 61% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 158.48 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Durian Fruit Chocolate 61% (bar) was made by Chocolate Naive (Vilnius, Lithuania).

The aroma aspects of this chocolate included: fruit (yellow-orange tropical fruits, very slightly earthy pineapple custard); chocolate; lemon-herb (oxalis); very faint nut (Brazil, hickory, pine); and faint wine grape and cheese fermentation notes.

This well-tempered bar broke with a snap and had a smooth, creamy, appealing texture and melt. It was a dark milk chocolate bar, but the fruit flavor was clear and bright, and seemed un-dulled by the judicious amount of grass-fed milk powder added.

Flavor notes included: mild, sweet yellow/orange tropical fruit (with very little of the fabled durian funk).* The fruit flavor carried on into the finish -- where there was one, very brief, mildly earthy cheese note.* 

This unique fruit infused chocolate was not too sweet and had nicely balanced tropical fruit flavor(s). The maker succeeded in capturing the sunnier side of this slightly tart-sweet fruit--a friendly mango-pineapple-cacao fruit rather than a scary monster (like the demon-style mask featured on the bar's packaging).

Ingredients: Specialty cacao*, cane sugar*, pure cacao butter*, grass-fed milk powder*, durian* (6%). *Wild or all natural farming

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk.) May contain traces of treenuts, peanuts and wheat

* I once bought durian ice cream, to go. I drove away intending to eat it at a nearby park. But, soon the odor inside the car was overwhelming. I had to pull over and discard this new treasure into an outdoor trash can.

What's the technical explanation for the smell?

Durian fruit produces ethanethiol--a chemical compound credited for causing "the smell." In large quantities this compound can be toxic. And as the fruit ripens, the level of ethionine (the ethyl analog to the amino acid methionine, and a precursor to ethanethiol) increases and so does the offending odor. 

The sometimes smelly (especially if overly ripe) durian fruit is banned in some public spaces in Malaysia and Singapore. However, if you're able to enjoy the mild (rather than the wild) side of this fruit, it's quite good.

Raaka Chocolate - Waffle Cone 61% Cacao Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 26, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate

Waffle Cone 61% Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: .9 oz. (25.4 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar

Calories: 121 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Uganda Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Waffle Week.

Today's Waffle Cone 61% Cacao Dark Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

The cacao used to make this bar was grown in the Semuliki Forest region of Uganda.

Layered flavors

Instead of bits of waffle (ice cream cone) embedded in the chocolate, there was a broad strip of (gluten free) waffle cone adhered to the back of this bar, offering a sweet (but not too sweet) thin layer of contrasting flavor. 

Separating the dark chocolate and waffle cone elements allowed for layered flavors in the tasting process and made it easier to pick out flavors in the the underlying 61% dark chocolate. (It was also possible to break off a piece of chocolate from the non-waffle cone covered edge to taste that separately.)

Aroma and flavor notes included dark chocolate; diffuse fruit; warm spice (cinnamon, hot fruit compote spices); faintly soap-like plant and sweet green nut cookie; and authentic, faintly earthy and floral vanilla bean. 

The dark chocolate had an even melt and smooth, balanced dark flavor. And the thin waffle cone layer added a light wafer-like texture with a very subtle crunchy chew. The thoughtful stacking (vs. homogenizing) of authentic flavors made this novelty bar blend a success.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, gluten free waffle cone (organic cane sugar, organic coconut oil, organic apple puree, organic rice flour, organic brown rice flour, organic tapioca flour, organic millet flour, organic flax seed meal, organic arrowroot powder, organic baking powder, organic inulin, xanthan gum), organic cacao butter organic vanilla bean

Allergen-related information: Certified Organic; vegan, gluten free, soy free

(I also recommend trying Raaka Chocolate's Maple Dark 75% (Uganda) cacao baking chocolate pieces, featured on October 21, 2021; and yesterday's slightly richer, Raaka Double Chocolate Waffle Cone 61% (bar)--that was similar to today's bar, but the waffle piece/layer contained cacao as well.

 

Raaka Chocolate - Double Chocolate Waffle Cone 61% (bar) - Oct. 25, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate

Double Chocolate Waffle Cone 61% Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++

Weight: .9 oz. (25.4 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar

Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Uganda Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Waffle Week.

Today's Double Chocolate Waffle Cone 61% Cacao Dark Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

It's unusual to find a "fun" single origin dark chocolate bar. If an artisan chocolate maker is laser focused on developing and featuring flavor nuances present in a small batch of single origin (and/or single variety or harvest) cacao beans, this maker likely, understandably, will hesitate to muffle these flavor nuances with additional ingredients. 

Today's offering not only evokes scenes of summer chocolate ice cream cones at the beach, but also amps up these conjured memories with a high-quality, flavorful deep, dark chocolate made from African cacao grown in the Semuliki Forest region of Uganda.*

An aesthetically-pleasing, broad strip of chocolate (gluten free) waffle cone was adhered to the back of this bar, offering a sweet (but not too sweet) flavor inclusion. Separating the two elements allowed for layered flavors in the tasting, and made it easier to enjoy the underlying 61% dark chocolate. (It was possible to break off a piece of chocolate from the non-waffle cone covered edge to taste that separately.)

Aroma and flavor notes included dark chocolate, diffuse fruit (spiced peach and berry compote/jam), warm spice (cinnamon) and authentic, faintly earthy and floral vanilla bean. 

The dark chocolate had an even melt and smooth, balanced deep dark flavor quality (richer than most 61% cacao chocolates). And the thin waffle cone layer added a light wafer-like texture with a very subtle chew. The thoughtful stacking (vs. homogenizing) of flavors made this blend a success.

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, gluten free waffle cone (organic rice flour, organic brown rice flour, organic tapioca flour, organic millet flour, organic cacao powder, organic coconut oil, organic cane sugar, organic apple puree, organic flax seed meal, organic arrowroot powder, organic inulin, xanthan gum), organic vanilla

Allergen-related information: Vegan, gluten free, soy free

*Uganda is the becoming more well-known for single origin cacao, thanks in part to work being done in-country to reward (better pay, support) farmers to obtain premium cacao. In 2019, Uganda was the sixth largest cacao-exporting African nation (behind Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Sierra Leone).

The chocolates featured as part of an Uganda-themed week (Oct. 18-26, 2021), on this Chocolate Banquet site, have all been quite good--with deep, dark chocolate-y flavor; subtle hints of faintly tart-sweet fruit and occasional warm spice; and very faint, balanced earth. 

(I would also recommend trying Raaka Chocolate's Maple Dark 75% cacao (Uganda) baking chocolate pieces, featured on October 21, 2021.)

Hemp Love - Lavender Sea Salt and Hemp Seed Crunch (bar) - July 8, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Hemp Love

61% Cacao Lavender Sea Salt and Hemp Seed Crunch (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in 1 bar

Calories: 300 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Fruit and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's 61% Lavender Sea Salt and Hemp Seed Crunch Organic Vegan Chocolate (bar) was manufactured for Hemp Love (Malibu, CA). 

The company incorporates hemp seeds (a food relatively high in protein and rich in Omega 3 as well as Omega 6 essential fatty acids) in their line of chocolate bars.

The aroma notes for Lavender Sea Salt bar included: floral (authentic, aromatic lavender buds) sweet dark chocolate and very faint vanilla.

This smooth, sweet dark chocolate had a mild crunchiness (hemp seeds) and occasional tiny sparkles of sea salt.

Flavor notes included smooth, sweet dark chocolate (cake) with lavender, vanilla and judicious salt notes. The bar had a pleasing, light lavender finish.

Lavender pairs very nicely with vanilla (creating a warm, invigorating* floral blend). When these two are joined with chocolate and sea salt and the hemp seeds, and angels started to sing. Some flavor sums are greater than their individual parts. 

The lavender sea salt provided the piney-floral, perfumed (some say soap) lavender flavor, and helped balance the sweetness.

Where's the fruit one might ask, given this week's chocolate, fruit and floral theme?

Bonus pairing: Alec's Honey Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream

Sweet tart, dark and slightly earthy blueberries play well with lavender and vanilla flavors (and chocolate). I amped up the lavender today by pairing the featured Hemp Love chocolate bar with a scoop of Honey Blueberry Lavender organic ice cream from Alec's Ice Cream (made in Petaluma, CA). The end result: harmony and bliss in the chocolate + fruit + floral universe. 

Ingredients: 61% dark chocolate (organic evaporated cane juice, organic cocoa paste, organic cocoa butter, organic ground vanilla), organic hemp seed, organic evaporated cane juice, organic lavender salt (sea salt, organic lavender oil, organic lavender flower).

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a Kosher vegan facility. Equipment shared with peanuts/tree nuts and soy. Ingredient suppliers may share equipment that could result in trace amounts of dairy protein."

*Disclaimer: I'm a lavender and floral flavor fan. Lavender (a member of the mint family) and chocolate are examples of foods that can be both relaxing and stimulating at the same time. 

Said to reduce stress and anxiety, a small handful of tiny, purple lavender flower buds (and a tiny rosemary sprig) thrown into a pot of simmering water can de-stress an entire room and/or perk up drab days fairly quickly. 

Hemp Love - 61% Cacao Orange/Vanilla and Hemp Seed Crunch (bar) - July 6, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Hemp Love

61% Cacao Orange/Vanilla and Hemp Seed Crunch (bar)

Good +

Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar

Calories: 340 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Fruit and Flowers Theme Week.

Today's 61% Orange/Vanilla and Hemp Seed Crunch Organic Vegan Chocolate (bar) was manufactured for Hemp Love (Malibu, CA). 

The company incorporates hemp seeds (a food relatively high in protein and rich in Omega 3 as well as Omega 6 essential fatty acids) in their line of chocolate bars.

The aroma notes for Orange Vanilla bar included: natural orange soda, sweet dark chocolate and very faint vanilla.

This smooth, sweet dark chocolate had a light, almost whipped, crunchy texture with uniform, melded smooth orange and vanilla flavor.

Flavor notes included smooth, sweet dark chocolate (cake) with orange and vanilla (frosting) notes. The bar had a light, lingering finish. 

Ingredients: Organic dark chocolate (organic cocoa liquor, organic evaporated cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic vanilla), organic evaporated cane sugar, organic hemp seed hearts, organic orange oil, organic vanilla.

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a Kosher vegan facility. Equipment shared with peanuts/tree nuts and soy. Ingredient suppliers may share equipment that could result in trace amounts of dairy protein."

Duffy's - Honduras Mayan Red Milk Chocolate 61% (bar) - June 20, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Duffy's Fine Chocolate
Honduras Mayan Red Milk Chocolate 61% (bar)
(Red Star Chocolate Ltd)
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 175.8 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Honduras Mayan Red Milk Chocolate 61% (bar) was from Duffy's Fine Chocolate (Lincolnshire, UK). 

The company specializes in single origin, artisan chocolate bars; and the cacao used to craft this bar was purchased directly from Xoco (Honduras) that offers fine flavored, single varietal cacaos from Central America.

The aroma of today's dark milk bar had diffuse, sweet fruit (currants, red berries), faint tart green herb (lemon verbena, wood sorrels, oxalis), and sweet (caramel) dark milk chocolate notes.

This chocolate had a smooth melt and texture with a subtle astringency.

Flavor notes included: subtle true chocolate (very low in bitterness), fruit (red berries and currants in cream) and light, almost green and earthy, caramel notes.

Duffy's (maker's) tasting notes: "A smoothly balanced strong milk chocolate with hints of sweet currants and blueberries and a dark treacle aftertaste."

Bar and Cocoa notes: "Fine and rare Directly Traded cocoa beans from a single source in Honduras are carefully roasted then stone-ground for three days to develop and mature all the fine flavors that are in the beans..."

Ingredients: "Criollo cocoa beans, organic sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder."

Allergen-related information: Contains dairy (milk powder). Peanut free, soy(a) free, tree nut free, gluten-free.

 

Alfred Ritter - Cacao Selection - Dark Chocolate 61% Cacao Fine with Cacao From Nicaragua (bar)

Chocolate of the Day

Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co.
Cacao Selection - Dark Chocolate 61% Cacao Fine with cacao from Nicaragua (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 296.8 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Mollie Stone's, Sausalito, CA 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and NOPQ Theme Week, featuring chocolates with flavor inclusions and origin locations that start with the letters N, O, P and/or Q. And we're extending this "week" by ending with a series of chocolate bars that contain cacao from Nicaragua.

Today's "Cacao Selection - Dark Chocolate 61% Cacao Fine with Cacao from Nicaragua" (bar) was from Alfred Ritter GmbH and Co. (Waldenbuch, Germany). 

In 2019, the company launched a series of Ritter-Sport "Cacao Selection" (selected origin) bars made with just 3-4 ingredients.* (Yesterday, the Ritter Cacao Selection 74% Peru bar was featured.)

Today's bar followed the Ritter-Sports packaging tradition. A generously-sized (3.5 oz./100 g.), square bar was molded into a connected array of thick (smaller) squares. Each individual square bore the Ritter logo. To enjoy, just break off the number of squares desired to create your preferred serving size. 

This chocolate was made with Nicaraguan cacao beans,* and had a smooth dark, roasted cacao flavor. As expected this 61% cacao chocolate was brighter, sweeter and a bit smoother than yesterday's (darker, "intense") Ritter-Sport 74% Peru bar. 

Happily, neither chocolate was blandly uniform. (Many high-volume chocolates can be.) They each had plenty of true chocolate flavor, and both possessed some pleasingly complex cacao aroma and flavor nuances. Today's Nicaragua bar had an aroma with concentrated fruit (dried plums, apricots)--similar to yesterday's Peru bar. 

The flavors, however, had a shyer, sophisticated quality--with hints of cream and subtle fruit (peaches and strawberry) and pure cocoa (hot chocolate) notes. These notes are more often associated with fine cacao or heritage cacao beans. (Although the fruit notes were also brightened/elevated a bit by the greater amount of sugar in this bar.)

*Ingredients: Chocolate liquor (made from cocoa beans from Nicaragua), sugar, cocoa butter.

Allergen information: "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, soy and egg."

*Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa sourcing. "We purchase a volume of UTZ and/or Rainforest Alliance Certified (tm) cocoa equivalent to the volume used in this product. www.ra.org/mb." 

Goodio Craft Chocolate - Wild Blueberry 61% bar - Oct. 22, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Goodio Craft Chocolate

Wild Blueberry 61% bar

Good ++

Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar

Calories: 270 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $9.00 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Goodio Craft Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Wild Blueberry 61% bar was made by Goodio Craft Chocolate (Helsinki, Finland).

This raw, organic and vegan bar (made with stone ground cacao) had a coconut aroma and flavor and creamy smooth melt and texture. 

It was difficult to see or taste the wild blueberry/fruit in this bar, in part because the added berries were in powdered form and were thoroughly incorporated into the chocolate. (You'll find no chewy berries pressed into the back, or gritty fruit powders.)

The finished product had a pleasant chocolate flavor and lingering finish with a touch of dark berry. This bar was sweetened with organic coconut palm sugar* which contributed a bit of flavor without creating a sugar rush (thank you). 

The chocolate was satisfying without being too sweet—a nice surprise given that conventional 61% cacao chocolates often taste quite sweet.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic coconut palm sugar, organic cacao butter, organic coconut flakes, organic blueberry powder

*Coconut palm sugar has been shown to score lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar.

Copyright 2019. Unauthorized use of the text and/or images from this site, www.ChocolateBanquet.com, is a copyright violation.

Chamisa Chocolate - Zanzibar 61% dark blend bar - Sept. 7, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chamisa Chocolate
Zanzibar 61% dark bar with coconut and ginger
Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (30 g.) / 2 oz. (60 g.) (per label) for total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chamisa Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chamisa Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Zanzibar 61% dark blend bar with coconut and ginger was made by Chamisa Chocolate (Santa Fe, NM).

Today's exotic-sounding Zanzibar chocolate bar had a cocoa and coconut aroma, and a creamy texture—thanks to added cocoa butter and coconut milk.

Coconut palm sugar (as well as flecks of ginger and pieces of coconut adorning the back of this bar) gave this chocolate a subtle, sweet, tropical island flavor. The cacao used to make this bar was an organic blend (multiple origins).

As with the other bars this week from this company, the bar had an appealing, restrained sweetness.

Fruition Chocolate - Hudson Bourbon Dark Milk 61% bar - Aug. 10, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fruition Chocolate
Hudson Bourbon Dark Milk 61% bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chokola, NM

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Hudson Bourbon Dark Milk 61% bar was made by Fruition Chocolate in "their workshop in the Catskill Mountains" (Shokan, NY).

Today's bourbon bar, a Good Food Awards winner, was spirited chocolate at its best: high-quality bean-to-bar chocolate blended with balanced, well-executed flavor inclusion(s).

The chocolate had an aroma with light fruit, chocolate and faint roasted coffee latte notes, and a creamy, even melt and texture. The warm, round, almost buttery flavor, also embraced a very subtle, rich bourbon presence.

The chocolate maker (Bryan Graham's) tasting notes and bar description read as follows: "Roasted nibs, aged with Hudson Baby Bourbon and barrel staves, are crafted into a creamy dark milk chocolate with hint of oak."