Spinnaker Chocolate - 90% Belize Single-Origin Maya Mountain cacao (bar) - Feb. 13, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
90% Belize Single-Origin Chocolate Maya Mountain Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar (current price)
Purchased from: Spinnaker, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, including several bars crafted using Belize cacao from Maya Mountain Cacao.

Today's 90% Belize Single-Origin Chocolate Maya Mountain Cacao (bar) was from Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this ultra-dark chocolate included: dark chocolate with a very light, and relatively pleasant, vegetable (potato and greens) note, as well as very faint, diffuse fruit (very mild tropical fruit, berry).

Texture: relatively smooth texture with an even melt

Flavor notes included: ultra-dark chocolate but without the usual bitterness and acidity (fruit or otherwise).

I really enjoyed the uniquely easy-going, very smooth, ultra-dark aroma and flavor in this chocolate; and the lack of sugar. This was one of the least bitter 90% cacao chocolates I've ever tasted. (This belongs in a tasting flight with other high-percentage bars to illustrate the range of intensity (high-to-low) that's possible.)

The mild fruit notes were not the lively citrus, pineapple, red berry one often tastes in "fruitier" Belize cacaos; but rather softer, subtler white and blue fruits lower in acidity (blue pitaya (dragon fruit)) and very mild blueberry.

I appreciated the maker's choice of a short list of just two ingredients: cacao and organic cane sugar--with no added cocoa butter. 

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Super smooth and deliciously fruity. Even at 90% there's no bitterness from the amazing Maya Mountain Belize cacao." "You will like this if...You like our 70% Belize (bar) but just want something even less sweet. You like blue fruits and berries."

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and hazelnuts."

 

Verse Chocolate - 90% Original Dark Chocolate Medallion(s) + Chai tea - Dec. 17, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Verse Chocolate 
90% Original Dark Chocolate Medallion
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 4.23 oz. (120 g.) in total box of 12
Calories: 180 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $10.89 for 1 box of 12 medallions
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 90% Original Dark Chocolate Medallions were from Verse Chocolate LLC (Nixa, MO). 

I enjoyed trying one of these individually-wrapped chocolates; and then paired two pieces of this ultra-dark chocolates with hot, homemade masala chai tea.

Normally, I would have picked a dark milk chocolate for a chai pairing, but at least part of the cocoa used to make these chocolate medallion-shaped pieces had been processed with alkali--a process that can neutralize acidic or bitter elements that might clash with other foods/beverages. 

Aroma and flavor notes for today's 90% cacao medallions were still quite robust, and included: heavy roast, ultra-dark, deep and dense cacao (that I associate with Forastero cacao varieties). 

The medallions were easy to hold on the tongue; and the shape (a relatively thin square with very rounded corners) allowed easy access to flavors. The texture was smooth with some mild graininess. 

I appreciated that this 90% chocolate was organic, had relatively low acidity, wasn't too sweet, and was made with only four ingredients 

However--possibly due to a relatively heavy roast/alkalizing process--there were no glimmers of naturally occurring fruit, floral, green or other notes (that I associate with more complex fine cacaos). I found myself transported to a deep, ultra-dark, very still, jungle, looking for a tiny uptick of other flavors. 

In fairness to today's chocolate, most chai spice or masala chai chocolates are milk chocolates (or dark milk chocolates), because: 1.) we associate chai tea with a creamy/milky taste, 2.) people like sweet teas and milk chocolates, and 3.) ultra-dark 90%+ chocolates don't always play well with strong spices or overwhelm subtler notes in other foods/beverages.

This was true today, even though this robust ultra-dark had been tamed a bit.* (Verse's Salted Almond or 70% Sea Salt Medallions would likely have been a better choice with the chai tea that I made using original robust spices (cardamom pods, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, cloves, etc.)

In fairness to Verse, I didn't contact them to ask about ultra-dark pairings. And I felt I should have known the two would fight each other a bit, as the company had clearly printed on the packaging: "This chocolate is not candy." (Love that.)

The company's name (Verse) refers to their efforts to share original chocolate flavor (closer to its source and history) with a chorus of people who might then join others singing a new verse to an ancient song (about cacao). 

Ingredients: Cocoa beans*, cane sugar*, cocoa processed with alkali*, cocoa butter*. (* = Organic ingredient.) Cacao: 90%.

Allergen-related: "May contain traces of tree nuts and sesame seeds."

* Ultra-dark 90%-100% cacao bars sometimes taste less bitter if chocolate makers alkalize the cocoa and add cocoa butter (yes to both today) or salt (or salty items) that can help balance bitterness. 

Pairings that may work: strong spirits like whiskey; salt or savory items like aged cheeses or roasted, salted nuts; dark roast coffee; very dark beers; or grated into/over some desserts (that are layered and/or could benefit from a little pop of flavor depth/contrast).

Verse Chocolate - 90% Mint Dark Chocolate Mint Medallion - Oct. 30, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Verse Chocolate  
90% Mint Dark Chocolate Medallion
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .705 oz. (20 g.) / 4.23 oz. (120 g.) in total package of 12
Calories: 120 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $11.69 for 1 package of 12 chocolates
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and The Mint Family Theme Week.

Today's 90% Mint Dark Chocolate Mediallion(s) were distributed by Verse Chocolate LLC (Nixa, MO). The company also offers 12-serving boxes of individually-wrapped medallions in other flavors (e.g., plain, salted almond, coffee).

Aroma notes for these medallion-shaped mint dark chocolates included: strong mint (peppermint) that almost eclipsed the dark chocolate.

Texture and shape: relatively dark chocolate with tiny crunchy bits. The size (less than 5 cm across), was just right for a few bites; and slim medallion's slightly-curved shape enabled easy access to textures and flavors in one's mouth.

Flavor notes included: ultra-dark chocolate tempered with upticks of strong peppermint. There was a  slight astringency toward the finish.

This blend of two very strong flavors--90% dark chocolate and peppermint oil--may be a bit overwhelming for some; but I appreciated that these 90% dark medallions were not overly sweet, and the acidity and bitterness in the chocolate was not excessive (for me at least).

Any more sugar might have bumped up the mint into the mint toothpaste zone for me. Disclaimer: you'll rarely hear me complain about lack of sugar as I enjoy darker chocolates and I don't want sugar to mask the underlying cacao flavors. For this reason (and if you want to reduce sugar/carbohydrate consumption) it's nice to have ultra-dark chocolate options like this.

Maker's notes: "With better cacao, we can use less sugar, giving you more of the inherent benefits within dark chocolate"

Ingredients: Cocoa beans*, cane sugar*, cocoa processed with Alkali*, cocoa butter*, peppermint oil*. 
(* = Organic ingredient)

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of tree nuts and sesame seeds." Certified Organic; U; gluten free.

Theo and Philo Chocolate Factory Inc. - 90% Dark Chocolate Philippines (bar) - Sept. 30, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Theo and Philo Chocolate Factory Inc. 
90% Dark Chocolate Philippines (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.52 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's 90% Dark Chocolate Philippines (bar) was manufactured by Theo and Philo Chocolate Factory Inc. (Valenzuela City, Metro Manila, Philippines), using cacao grown in the Philippines.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and subtle fruit (dark, sweet cherry, peach, mango).

The texture was thick and smooth.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark, dark chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting). Yes there was bitterness, but it was tolerable and it didn't block the appealing rich dark chocolate cake flavor. The maker's notes (below) may sound frightening, but (dark mythical creatures not withstanding) it rings true." The ultra-dark bitterness does not stop you from wanting to taste that chocolate cake and faint fruit.

Maker's tasting notes/description: "Black as midnight on a moonless night when aswangs* and manananggals* roam free, this chocolate bar makes true chocolate lovers quiver with glee. The bold yet delightful bitterness that is accompanied by a delicate fruitiness is enough to make the toughest man scream in relish--just ask your friendly neighborhood tikbalangi.*

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Sugar

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes peanuts and other tree nuts."

*Aswangs are evil, shape-shifting creatures in Filipino folk culture. Manananggals are vampire-like creatures that can separate their upper bodies from their lower bodies. And a tikbalang is a half human-half horse creature, similar to a centaur in Greek mythology.

Taitau - 90% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 27, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau) 
90% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 90% Extra Dark Chocolate (bar) from Taitau (Tai Tau) Exclusive Selection (Lietuva, Lithuania) was imported into the U.S. by B&I Overseas Trading Inc. (Van Nuys, CA).

This chocolate was made using "premium quality Arriba and Ghana cocoa beans." And each square of the bar was adorned with an embossed shell, sea star or sea horse shape.

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate; vanillin; very faint (barely detectable) aromatic (vanilla-infused) tobacco, cappuccino and caramel; and faint sweet, almost floral green.

This ultra-dark chocolate had a thick, smooth texture, with a very faint astringency (sensation of dryness, slight graininess).

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes (above), and included: balanced, bold cacao (Forastero cacao from Ghana), dark chocolate and vanillin; very faint, smooth aromatic wood, smoke and caramel; and very faint, fleeting sweet green and floral (Arriba cacao from Ecuador).

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Ghanian and Arriba cocoa beans), sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin, flavoring vanillin."

Allergen-related information: "This product may contain traces of peanuts, hazelnuts, gluten and milk."

 

Zazubean - Buff'd Strong Chocolate with Coconut Sugar 90% Cacao (bar) - Apr. 10, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Zazubean Organic Chocolate
Buff'd Strong Chocolate with Coconut Sugar 90% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 270 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week, featuring chocolates with coconut sugar, milk, and meat inclusions.

Today's Buff'd Strong Chocolate with Coconut Sugar 90% Cacao (bar) was manufactured (in Switzerland) for Zazubean Organic Chocolate (Vancouver, B.C., Canada).

Aroma notes included: light citrus (lemony green herb, oxalis), faint vanilla coconut graham cracker.

This well-tempered bar had a relatively thick, almost creamy smooth, texture and an attractive, rich, semi-bitter flavor (like a good cup of roasted coffee). 

The 90% ultra-dark bar was, as expected, not too sweet (thank you!). A light touch of coconut sugar provided sweetness. And chocolate flavor notes included very faint, balanced earth and very faint, diffuse red fruit (berry) notes.

Certified organic and fair trade (made with "100% Fair Trade certified ingredients"*), this chocolate will appeal to ultra-dark chocolate fans who enjoy a smooth sophisticated blend, made with a short list of thoughtfully specified ingredients. (Cacao beans are sourced from "Dominican (Republic), Ecuador and Panama.")

*Ingredients: Organic, Fair Trade cocoa mass; Organic and Fair Trade cocoa butter; Organic and Fair Trade coconut blossom sugar; Organic and Fair Trade vanilla

Allergen-related information: (Contained coconut.) May contain milk, tree nuts and peanuts. Gluten free, soy free, vegan, kosher and "paleo friendly."

Tosier - Maya Mountain, Belize 90% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 8, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Tosier Chocolatemaker
Maya Mountain Belize 90% Rich Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 148.8 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, featuring chocolates made from cacao grown in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

The Toledo District in southern Belize is to chocolate what Napa is to wine in California. That was my take-away after visiting Southern Belize years ago. (This visit included a Jeep ride to visit Maya Mountain Cacao,* a small co-op working directly with Mayan cacao farmers.)

Today's Maya Mountain Belize 90% Rich Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Tosier Chocolatemaker (Suffolk, U.K.). The cacao (2019 Harvest, Batch 23219) used to craft this micro-batch bar was carefully gathered from farmers.

The complex but relatively subtle aroma notes for this bar included (in order of appearance): molasses, and concentrated fruit (berries, figs). After being open for a few minutes this mellowed and evolved into faint, fleeting vegetable (green squash, baked potato), then back to dark chocolate with faint spice and fruit compote (plum and peach), and faint tart-green (oxalis), followed by faint flicker of green tea.

Flavor notes included rich dark chocolate (fudge) with subtle loamy earth and very faint (barely there) mushroom. There was a slight astringent, dry graininess or chalkiness to the texture. This textural attribute softened into a smoother, more buttery mouthfeel toward the end. 

If I'd eaten the whole bar I might have discovered this perceived dryness was either a fleeting quality, more present in one part of the bar, or it may have shape-shifted away altogether. But, I only sampled two, adjacent, rectangular pieces...

...One hour later, I re-sampled this relatively smooth (low in bitterness, acidity) 90% ultra-dark bar--from the other end of the bar. And while still present, this dry mouthfeel was less noticeable. And, it morphed into a smoother finish more quickly. I'm a fan of re-tasting chocolate if possible. Truth can be fluid when it comes to flavors and taste and one's palette, even after very short periods of time.

Maker's tasting notes: "Redcurrant and stone fruit with a long buttery finish." ("Light roast, 60 hours grinding in stone melanger with refiner.")

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, organic unrefined cane sugar, ethically sourced cocoa butter

*Maya Mountain Cacao (MMC), majority-owned by Uncommon Cacao, is located in the Toledo District, inland from the Caribbean coast. When I visited there it had been in operation for a few years and was already producing fine cacao that had caught the attention of many specialty chocolate makers producing single origin dark chocolate. 

MMC were (and still are) working/trading directly with indigenous Maya farmers and helping to incent and support production of high-quality beans. Most of the approximately 350 farmers are small land-holders. This cacao was "intercropped with hard wood, fruit trees, banana, coconut and mango."

The hilly Maya Mountain area surrounding this organization (and its centralized fermentery) is an undulation of interesting shapes and multi-story building-sized mounds, covered by vegetation. 

From the air, looking down on the area, it's easy to imagine old dwellings/cities/temples built by ancient Maya and related, Central American civilizations that might lie beneath the jungle. In fact, this is partly true. I spoke to someone who remembered growing up in the area and remembers playing among historic ruins. "It was just something we took for granted. It was no big deal," he told me.

 

Domori - 90% Fondente Dark Chocolate Criollo (bar) - Sept. 13, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Domori 

90% Fondente Dark Chocolate Criollo (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 301.5 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $8.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's 90% Fondente Dark Chocolate Criollo (bar) was from Domori (None, Italy).

The aroma of this bar softened a bit after the inner, sealed wrapper was opened. Aroma notes (in order of appearance) included: unsweetened dark chocolate, roasted peanut butter with a hint of fruit jam, green (forest vegetation, green stalks, seed, roasted artichoke), dried fruit (prune, banana peel), faint maple syrup, s'more (fire-roasted marshmallow, graham cracker and chocolate treat)...and much later, a trace of molasses.

The first bite yielded a very satisfying, smooth, even, thick nut butter melt and texture.

The ultra-dark 90% chocolate had just a flicker of sweetness and a light balanced bitter-sour taste throughout. (Not quite pink grapefruit level, but a muffled notch below that on the same scale.) Flavor included relatively bold (for Criollo variety cacao beans) nutty, roasted and cocoa notes that lingered into the finish. 

What a difference a day (and 10%) makes. Today's Domori 90% Criollo bar was quite a switch from its sweeter, fruitier 80% Criollo bar sibling (enjoyed and reviewed yesterday, 9/12/2021). These differences were a testament to the variables and choices that exist when making each batch of chocolate. While there were some similar notes between the two chocolates, this 90% bar will appeal more to ultra-dark fans who appreciate bolder and roasted flavors.

Tasting notes: "Exciting notes of dried fruit with extraordinary persistence. Excellent balance."

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar. 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts, milk and soy." No gluten ingredients

Amedei - Toscano Black Dark Chocolate Extra 90% (bar) - July 11, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Amedei srl
Toscano Black, Dark Chocolate Extra, 90% (bar)
Good +
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Buona giornata (good day) and welcome to Day #2 of Dark Chocolate Theme Week, featuring chocolates ranging from 60% to 90% cacao, made with cacao beans from either a blend of origins, and/or from an undeclared origin. 

Today's Toscano Black Dark Chocolate Extra 90% (bar) was made by Amedei srl (in Pontedera (Pisa), Italy). The company offers a variety of bars, drops, pralines and spreads.

The aroma notes for this bar included: slight green herb (lemon balm, sour grass, oxalis/oxalic acid), and fruit (faint sweet berry and lemon), and mild hot chocolate.

The texture was uniform, with a slight astringency.

The flavor reflected some of the same aroma notes mentioned above and the bar was relatively approachable for a 90% cocoa chocolate. 

This chocolate had a mild, bittersweet chocolate flavor with medium acidity, and very faint, fleeting malt/cereal box and coffee notes.

Maker's tasting notes: "Toscano Black, the "Manifesto" dark chocolates from Amedei. These chocolates are made from a blend of Trinitario and Criollo (cacao). With different percentages of cocoa, they evoke the unique nuances of masterfully blended beans in an encounter with classic chocolate featuring a crisp cracking sound and a clean palette. Toscano Black 90% is characterized by a delicate fragrance of white flowers and is an inviting blend with the scent of hot chocolate. A discovery to taste: despite the high cocoa percentage, it is a very creamy chocolate that leaves a very clean palate at the end."

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cocoa butter, cane sugar. Cocoa minimum 90%.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of hazelnut, almond, pistachio, walnut, milk. No artificial colors or flavoring. Gluten free."

Endorfin Foods - Ultra Dark Chocolate Caramelized Coconut Mylk (bar) - July 2, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Endorfin Foods
Ultra Dark Chocolate Caramelized Coconut Mylk (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Today's Ultra Dark Chocolate Caramelized Coconut Mylk (bar) was distributed by Endorfin Foods (San Francisco, CA). 

The Bay Area-based company offers a line of attractively packaged chocolates, including (non-dairy) coconut mylk bars, along with a bit of what they refer to as "plant-based chocolate alchemy."*

The aroma of this bar included dark roast cacao beans melded with aromatic green (clean green tea, faint green floral), caramel and coconut, as well as a faint nutty note (faint sweet peanut butter + light roasted coconut). Note: there were no peanut ingredients in this bar.

The chocolate had a thick, rich, creamy melt--a melt that picked up speed once in the mouth--and a very light granular mouthfeel at the end.

This 90% cacao bar was not sweet (Thank you!...It might even make a good vegan baking chocolate.) It had a smooth, ultra-dark, roasted chocolate flavor with a very balanced, light bitterness that harmonized well with the 10% naturally sweet, warm aromatic flavor from the caramelized coconut and coconut sugar.

The organic and fair trade cacao used to make this bar was from Ecuador.

Ingredients: Organic Cacao, Organic coconut sugar, Organic caramelized coconut, Organic cacao butter. (All ingredients were also marked Fair Trade Certified; "99% Fair Trade Ingredients.")

Allergen-related information: "No dairy, no soy, no refined sugar, no gluten, no GMO, no sugar alcohols."

*For those fond of botanical flavor inclusions in chocolate, Endorfin offered one of the first absinthe bars (with anise, fennel and mugwort). They offer bars infused with spices and flowers (turmeric, cardamon, rose). And, they also offered (on their website) a line of single origin, unsweetened "ceremonial quality" drinking chocolates (including one from Cayapas River, Ecuador).

Belvie Chocolate - Dark Chocolate 90% Cacao Ben Tre (bar) - May 15, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Belvie Chocolate Maker
Dark Chocolate 90% Cacao Ben Tre (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 260 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.75 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Dark Chocolate 90% Cacao Ben Tre (bar) was made in Vietnam by Belvie Chocolate Maker (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam). 

Belvie Chocolate offers a variety of chocolate bars made with (Trinitario) fine cacaos, purchased from cacao farmers located in different regions of Vietnam.

Belvie Chocolate's description read as follows: "This bar is made of some exceptional selected and handpicked beans from a small single plantation in Ben Tre, Vietnam, on the border of Ham Luong river in Mekong Delta. Cacao trees are planted together with durian (fruit) trees."

The complex aroma notes of this single terroir bar included: bold dark chocolate, a slight savory (potato chip) note at the beginning; fleeting green floral; butter; faint cocoa, fruit and caramel; and an uptick of clean light green.

Texture: This chocolate was "Stone ground and conched for 72 hours, continuously in small batches," and had a relatively smooth, thick, substantial mouthfeel.

Flavor/tasting notes: bold dark chocolate with green; roasted, balanced bitterness (burnt toast); citrus acidity (grapefruit)/balanced, subtle, tart-sourness (with a hint of natural fruit sweetness) that lingered a bit toward the end. Relatively clean finish given these bold flavors.

For those that like bold, roasted, ultra-dark bars, this deserves a spot in a tasting flight.

Ingredients: "Cacao 90%, cane sugar 10%"

Allergen-related information: "Gluten free; Dairy free; May contain traces of nut(s)."

 

Pump Street Chocolate - Jamaica 90% Bachelor's Hall Estate (bar) - March 3, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Pump Street Chocolate

Jamaica 90% Bachelor's Hall Estate Limited Edition (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.)  in total bar

Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.00 (plus shipping) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Limited Edition Jamaica Bachelor's Hall Estate 90% Limited Edition (bar) was from Pump Street Chocolate (Suffolk, England). The company produces a range of baked goods, and artisan chocolates. 

This ultra-dark, 90% cacao chocolate had an aroma with notes of dark chocolate, fruit (red apple), faint umami, and very faint fermented fruit. It had a slow, dense melt and a thick, smooth texture.

The flavor embodied rich, uniformly roasted cacao (think unsweetened fudge brownies), with faint, balanced charcoal roasted cacao, very faint, fleeting roasted nut (peanut butter*) and very faint roasted/baked banana notes. 

For such a high cacao percentage (90% cacao and only 10% sugar) bar the acidity and bitterness levels were relatively low, making it a bit more approachable for sensitive palettes. 

Pump Street Chocolate's tasting notes for this single estate (farm) Jamaican chocolate bar (Batch No. 02506, 2018 Crop) read as follows: "A rich, deep, high cocoa percentage bar which expresses the unique banana and rum character of the Bachelor's Hall Estate terroir." 

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar and organic cocoa butter 

*Please note there were no peanut butter or nut ingredients listed for this bar. Although trace amounts of potential allergens can occur if chocolates are created in a place where shared spaces are used, tasting notes for chocolate, wine, beer, coffee, and many other foods and beverages often describe perceived flavor or aroma notes. 

If one drills down to the molecular level, similar substances can be created, e.g., in fermentation/oxidation or roasting processes, that may evoke (remind us of) other food or beverage items, even though no direct connection exists. 

Cacao Crudo - Dark Organic Chocolate Fondente 90% (bar) - Nov. 19, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Crudo S.r.l.
Dark Organic Chocolate Fondente 90% Peru (bar)
(Cioccolato Fondente Bio Criollo Non Tostato 90% Peru)
Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 159.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: N/A - sample 
Purchased from: N/A - sample

Ciao, Hola and Greetings from California. Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week. 

Today's Dark Organic Chocolate 90% Peru bar was crafted by Cacao Crudo S.r.l. (Roma (Rome), Italy), using cacao beans grown in Peru, and was eventually shipped to California, where I live. Food often involves complex supply chains, and this is certainly true for chocolate.

The chocolate was made using high-quality, un-roasted Criollo cacao (beans). Cacao beans are generally roasted as part of the process of chocolate making. Roasting can develop certain flavors, but can also lead to a loss of other--often more delicate or volatile--flavors (e.g. green and floral notes). Each variety and/or batch of cacao may call for a different roasting profile.

Criollo cacao is prized for its subtle yet complex flavor notes, including: milder stone fruits, cream, light caramel. In skilled hands, a low roast (or in today's case a "no" roast) profile/choice can preserve subtle, heritage Criollo flavors and result in a truly great chocolate.

As mentioned in previous Cacao Crudo chocolate bar reviews, I believe the company has fulfilled the promise of what raw chocolate can be.* This 90% bar had an aroma that evoked fresh, alive, vibrant green (plants, green coconut) with faint floral and herbal notes.

It had a smooth, creamy melt and texture.

The flavors included freshly picked, mildly sweet, green coconut with light herbal notes, and a slightly nutty roundness in the finish. 

This was a very pleasant and accessible ultra dark bar with mild-medium acidity and a balanced, very light bitterness and low astringency. I highly recommend tasting this next to a conventional 90% bar made with roasted cacao. The differences may surprise you.

Ingredients: Organic, unroasted cacao beans ("Criollo beans paste"); organic concentrated coconut flower sap.

*Raw cacao is typically quite a bit higher in minerals (like iron, magnesium and potassium), and in certain enzymes and anti-oxidants, but traditionally has been much milder in flavor. Whereas roasting can help add flavor (that many people like) and also can help minimize/eliminate potentially harmful bacteria. So, some people shied away from earlier attempts at raw chocolate. Thank you Cacao Crudo for showing us out of this perceived dichotomy, with delicious proof that raw chocolate can be wonderful, without sacrifice.

Zotter - Labooko Bolivia 90% dark chocolate (bar) - Sept. 1, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Labooko Bolivia 90% dark chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.145 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 175 calories (estimate) in 1 bar (of 2)
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information (San Francisco, CA)

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

Today's Labooko Bolivia 90% dark chocolate (bar) was made by Zotter in Riegersburg, Austria, using Nacional cacao (bean variety) from "Bolivian Cooperative El Ceibo." 

Zotter's Labooko line of bars is "pure chocolate," and includes single origin bars. (They also offer hand-scooped/carefully layered and filled bars with different flavor inclusions, and drinking chocolate.)

Today's ultra-dark 90% dark bar came with instructions. Do (as the small card insert instructs) savor this chocolate slowly. Tiptoe through this deep, dark forest of a bar at a pace where you can detect flavors that shift with each bite.

This package contained two gold-foil wrapped, ebony-colored bars that were just the right thickness for tasting. That is, they was relatively thin--making it easier to access and appreciate the complex and evolving flavors of the Bolivian cacao beans (from the El Ceibo Cooperative) used to make this bar.

The aroma was much subtler than I expected very faint dark chocolate, nut and forest notes. And the melt and texture were creamy, smooth (conching time was 22 hours**) with a flicker of very creamy nut butter-like consistency. So far, no scary beasts in the forest that would scare fainter hearts and palettes.

The flavors shifted over the course of eating this bar. Faint nut (pine nut) and faint dark fruit (prune, forest berry), balanced bitterness, then a bit earthy in one or two small bites. Also detected: fleeting fresh baked bread/sweet yeast/buckwheat pancake notes, nut butter, light woodsy notes. The finish was satisfying deep, dark chocolate notes.

This was a balanced, enjoyable "pure chocolate" experience, relatively low in acidity with balanced bitterness with only a light shake of sugar. (See tasting notes below for references to fine black licorice and black coffee. These also make sense to me. Whisps of the dark notes without the heartburn.)

Ingredients: Fair trade, organic cocoa mass and fair trade organic cane sugar

The maker's tasting notes read as follows: "Fragrance notes: sublte notes of wood and fruit (hints of grape); Taste notes: nuts, (caramelized wood, lots of cream, a hint of liquorice, mild touch of coffee, lingonberries, woody finish, mildly astringent with a little bit of fructose."

*Conching time (where cacao beans/nibs are ground into a paste) varies with the cacao variety/origin, the qualities of the cacao beans, flavor profile preferences and other considerations. Longer conche times (up to a few days) might allow for smoother, creamier texture and flavor, but some flavor elements might also be lost. That may be OK if one is trying to eliminate unruly or undesirable flavors; however, with fine cacao, you don't want to lose some of what makes the bean's origins truly unique and desirable.) The conche time selected with today's bar seems to have been quite successful.

Ceimoi Chocolatier - Super Dark Ivory Coast 90% Cocoa (bar) - Mar. 11, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Ceimoi Chocolatier
Super Dark Ivory Coast 90% Cocoa (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 230 calories in 1 serving (4 squares of) bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and West Africa Theme Week.

Today's "Super Dark Ivory Coast 90% Cocoa" (bar) was produced in France and distributed by Cemoi Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA). Cemoi is a large French chocolate manufacturer, founded in 1814, with an origin story that dates further back (to 1770) in Grenoble. Cemoi also has a small manufacturing presence in Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) -- the largest cocoa producing country in the world (along with Ghana) in West Africa.*

The aroma had roasted, nutty, spice cookie, light floral, dark chocolate and very faint earth and fruit notes. The bar had a smooth, slightly oily (think very smooth nut butter) melt and mouthfeel. The flavor was uniform, dark chocolate flavor, albeit more subtle and complex than most with flavor notes similar to the aroma.

Last, but not least, his 90% bar lacked the bitterness and/or astringency associated with many other ultra-high percentage chocolate bars; and it had a relatively mild chocolate nut butter finish.

The is the 90% bar is ideally suited for chocolate fans who

• Prefer tamer ultra-dark chocolate that won't grab you by the throat
• Want to avoid the sugar found in lower percentage, sweeter dark chocolates
• Are on a budget

Maker's tasting notes read as follows: "coffee + rose + very slightly bitter"

Ingredients: "Ivory Coast unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla natural flavouring."

*Four countries in West Africa produce approximately 70 percent of cocoa in the world used to make chocolate: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon.

Mission Chocolate - Escuro 90% Fazenda Vale Potumuju bar - Oct. 17, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mission Chocolate
Escuro 90% Fazenda Vale Potumuju bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 168 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Escuro 90% Fazenda Vale Potumuju bar was from Arcelia Gallardo, founder of Mission Chocolate (Sao Paolo, Brazil).

This three-ingredient,* ultra-dark chocolate was creamy and quite mild given its very high percentage of cacao solids. It had a very faint, pleasant, fleeting vegetable aroma note (cooked potato and greens), with light fruit and true chocolate flavor.

The melt, as mentioned was creamy and the texture was quite smooth throughout. This will likely be one of the least bitter 90%er that you'll ever sample. It was slightly bittersweet in the finish.

Both the 80% Fazenda Leolinda and today's 90% Fazenda Vale Potumuju bars from this maker were quite friendly, well balanced and enjoyable bars without a lot of sugar. (Thank you Arcelia!)

*Ingredients: Cacao, Organic sugar, cocoa butter

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Alter Eco - Deepest Dark Super Blackout 90% Cocoa bar - Nov. 8, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Alter Eco
Deepest Dark Super Blackout 90% Cocoa bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.325 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 250 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

This ultra dark bar from Alter Eco (Europe and San Francisco, CA) had the kind of bold aroma that often promises deep chocolate and a relatively high degree of fruit acidity. That said, there was a very fleeting floral note that managed to peek through.

The texture was smooth, and the first bite was surprisingly sweet*, with true chocolate, nutty and acidic fruit flavor notes. However, this quickly simmered down to a more intense but balanced, bitter, acidic fruit sustained note toward, and into, the finish.

Alter Eco, a certified B Corporation, has specialized in a line of chocolate bars made with fair trade cacao (as well as coffee and quinoa) from the Americas (Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and other locations), and has also been involved with reforestation projects (PUR in Peru).

Today's Super Blackout bar is the even more intense and daring sibling of the company's 85% Blackout bar. This certified organic and gluten free (and Non GMO Verified) bar was made in Switzerland with cacao from Fortaleza Coop in Ecuador—and was distributed in the U.S. by Alter Eco in San Francisco, CA.

*This chocolate was surprisingly sweet for a 90% bar with only 3 grams of sugar for 1 (1/2 bar) serving.

Askanya - Chocolat Noir Perle Rare 90% Cacao Haiti bar - Feb. 24, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Les Chocolateries Askanya
90% Cacao Haiti Chocolat Noir Perle Rare bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145.5 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate, Enchanted Islands and Pirates Theme Week.

Today's Haiti Perle Rare 90% Cacao bar from Les Chocolateries Askanya (Ouanaminthe, Nord-Est, Haiti) was made in Haiti, with cacao grown in Northern Haiti.*

This bar had a slightly floral, slightly green (green tea, green shoots) dark chocolate aroma, and a rich, smooth chocolate flavor, with just a touch of sweetness.

Overall this 90% cacao, 2-ingredient bar was well tempered and had a nice, smooth buttery texture. The only rub: a very slight chalky finish/texture in some bites.

The two ingredients were: "Haitian Cacao and Rapadura (artisanal cane sugar)."

*Askanya sources their cacao from farmers who are members of Federation des Cooperatives Cacaoyeres du Nord (FECCANO). "These 3,000+ farmers grow their cacao on farms throughout the North of Haiti. They are currently organized in 9 cooperatives having each their fermentation and drying centers." 

The Xocolate Bar - Extra Dark Chocolate 90% Cacao bar - Oct. 21, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

The Xocolate Bar
Extra Dark Chocolate 90% Cacao bar
Good+
Weight: 1 oz. (oz. g.) /2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from friends (Thank you Norm and Rhoda!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift (The Xocolate Bar, Berkeley, CA)

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Halloween wEEKs.

For the last few weeks we've explored many different chocolate bars that could be enjoyed during that hallowed and most frightening of chocolate holidays: Halloween. (Cue the sounds of thunder bolts and shrieks of laughter.)

Today we've ratcheted up the cacao percentage scale to the extra dark level; and we sampled a 90% Cacao Extra Dark Chocolate bar from The Xocolate Bar (Berkeley, CA).

The organic, fair trade dark chocolate contained a touch of added cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin and vanilla; but otherwise was without other flavor inclusions.

For those who like dark chocolate, but who are a bit frightened of ultra-dark bars, this would be a good one to try. It had a creamy, buttery melt and texture and a very smooth, balanced flavor for a 90% Cacao bar. Not so scary after all.

May you all have a Happy Halloween next week. By then we'll be covering chocolate made from South American origins.

Vintage Plantations 90% Dark bar; Valenza Chocolatier Sesamo Milk Bar - Mar. 14, 2017

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Vintage Plantations
90 percent Dark Chocolate bar
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.2 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Valenza Chocolatier, Inc.
Sesamo Venezuelan Milk Chocolate Bar
Good +
Weight: 1.03 oz. (30 g.) / 3.1 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $N/A sample from Valenza (included in a larger order)
Purchased from: (part of a larger order from Valenza Chocolatier, Inc. (Costa Mesa, CA)

Welcome to Chocolate and STUVWXYZ Theme Week. Today we focus on two companies that start with the letter "v": Vintage Plantations and Valenza Chocolatier, Inc.

Both companies have founders with European ties/heritage, who are creative and passionate about origins and quality and who have an appreciation of single origin chocolate.

Both have offered chocolates made from Venezuelan beans (or chocolate), a venerable origin, vraiment, veramente (truly in French and Italian). And both offer a variety of chocolate bars as well as very enticing confections/truffles.

These two companies also exemplify two different approaches to making chocolates: that of a bean-to-bar chocolate maker (Vintage) and a chocolatier (Valenza).

Today's two bars also represented two points along the cocoa content spectrum: Vintage Plantations' 90 percent almost pure Dark Chocolate crafted from scratch, and Valenza Chocolatier's flavorful Sesamo light milk chocolate with sesame seeds. One's a bean-to-bar maker, and the other is a chocolatier who uses premium sourced chocolate. Each is making unique chocolates with well-balanced layers of flavor.

Now, let's taste some chocolate...

Vintage Plantations
The 90 percent Dark Chocolate bar from Vintage Plantations (Costa Mesa, CA) had a sweet cocoa, fruity (fig, goji berries, banana) aroma with very faint green notes. And the first taste was one I'd also associate with a bar with more sweetness (lower cocoa solids and more sugar).

However, like virtually all of my favorite ultra-dark bars, this bar was full of complex flavor. The initial flavor gave way to slightly sharper fruit notes and the sweet flavor transformed into deeper, richer, well-balanced slightly bitter flavor.

I've had a Vintage Plantations 90 percent dark bar before back in 2010, made with a slightly different batch of beans. The previous bar was made with Ecuadorian cacao I believe. (There was no origin or plantation listed for this bar.) Vintage has worked with beans from different origins, including Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru.

As the description on the packaging explains, chocolate makers assess cacao each year, and the chocolate may vary from year to year and from harvest to harvest. This bar was gluten free, vegan and soy lecithin free.

Valenza Chocolatier - Sesamo bar
The Sesamo bar from Valenza Chocolatier, Inc. (Costa Mesa, CA) was made from a blend of two chocolates: a white chocolate (cocoa butter) and a single origin Venezuela milk chocolate "with a slash of 61% dark chocolate."

The resulting bar had a cocoa butter aroma and a creamy, velvety chocolate base that was lighter not only in cocoa solids but also in appearance. (It had a lovely light caramel color.) A generous helping of embedded, roasted sesame seeds provided crunchiness in every bite.

And a touch of Sicilian sea salt tied everything together. It balanced the sweetness as well as the slight seed aftertaste from the sesame seeds in this bar.

*Don't leave this bar (or any chocolate bar) in direct sun. This bar softened very quickly. I offer as proof my fingerprints that I accidentally left on this bar, as I was holding it to take a photo.