Maitre Truffout Grazioso - Milk Chocolate with Cappuccino Flavoured Filling (bars) - May 25, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Maitre Truffout - Grazioso 
Milchschokolade mit einer Fullung mit Cappuccino-Geschmack
Milk chocolate with Cappuccino Flavoured Filling
Good ++
Weight: 1.51 oz. (42.8 g.) in 3 small bars / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in total package of 7 smaller bars
Calories: 241 calories in 3 small bars
Cost: N/A - gift from friends (Thank you Maddy and Isla)
Purchased from: N/A - gift from friends 

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's package of 7 individually-wrapped milk chocolate cappuccino flavored bars were from Maitre Truffout (Austria) and manufactured in Poland.

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet milk chocolate + light coffee and milk confection with nut and vanilla.

Texture: very smooth, light and creamy with an easy, even melt

I appreciated the smooth, creamy, rich flavors; the light (almost whipped) creamy texture--and the choice to use fair trade cocoa. The smaller, gold-foil wrapped bars also  made sharing with others very easy.

Ingredients: Sugar, Vegetable Fats (palm, shea; in varying proportions), whole milk powder, cocoa powder, cocoa mass, skimmed milk powder, sweet whey powder (from milk), milk fat, fat reduced cocoa powder, emulsifiers; E322 (soya), E476; flavorings, hazelnut paste, peanut paste. Milk chocolate contains: cocoa solids 30% minimum, milk solids 18% minimum. 

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Soy, Hazelnut, Peanut. "May contain traces of gluten, other nuts and eggs. Produced in the EU. Cocoa mass, cocoa butter non-EU."

Zotter Chocolates - Labooko Colombia Dark Chocolate 80% (bars) - Sept. 18, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter Chocolates US LLC
Labooko Colombia Dark Chocolate 80% (bars)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in package of two bars
Calories: 210 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: zotterusa.com, online order

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

Today's 80% Colombia Dark Chocolate 80% (bar), from Zotter USA (Fort Myers, FL) was made in Austria. 

Zotter offers a wide range of filled (hand-scooped) chocolate bars as well as a Labooko line of single origin chocolate bars--made with fair trade and organic cacao.

Both feature the colorful illustrations of art director Andreas H. Gratze. Images for the Labooko line are often inspired by real people in cacao growing countries; whereas the images on the filled bar line are more whimsical.

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient bar included: robust dark chocolate (strong cocoa, and faint tart citric green (oxalis)).

Texture: smooth with an even, pleasant melt. 

Flavor notes included: bold dark chocolate (earth, roasted cacao) with medium, balanced acidity. The bitterness level was not too high, despite the relatively bold, earth and roasted notes. 

Zotter uses a roasting method that employs a fine mist of water (to cool the temperature). This helps make the roast "softer" and "brings out the aroma."

I enjoyed tasting more cacao (80%) and less sugar (20%), and the fact that they used brown sugar as well.

Ingredients: Cocoa Mass**, Dark Brown Cane Sugar**, Cane Sugar**, Cocoa Butter** (** = Organic, Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes Tree Nuts, Milk, Soy, Peanuts and Sesame."

Zotter - Belize Sail Shipped Cacao 72% dark chocolate (bar) - Jan. 6, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Labooko Belize Sail Shipped Cacao 72% dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar (of 2)
Cost: $8.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotter, online order 

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

Today's Zotter Labooko Belize 72% dark chocolate (bar) was made in Austria using cacao sailed across the Atlantic, and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

Zotter offers several single origin bars (Labooko line) as well as a wide variety of organic and fair trade, creatively layered, filled bars with flavor inclusions. (The wrapper design/artwork is powered by Andreas H. Gratze and has helped convey this family-owned company's unique and creative spirit.)

Aroma notes for this bar included: subtle dark chocolate (brownie, dark chocolate cookie), and very faint, fleeting cool green, warm sweet spice and barely there nut.

This well-tempered bar broke with a snap and had a surprisingly creamy melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate with balanced, mixed fruit acidity, and a bit of ripe, sweet blackberries in the finish.

Like the other makers (and Belize bars featured this week), Zotter's 72% dark bar was made using cacao beans from the well-respected co-op and fermentery, Maya Mountain Cacao (MMC), in the Toledo District of southern Belize. The fact that cacao was sail-shipped to its European maker/destination is a nice environmental story. (It took two month to sail the cacao from Belize to Hamburg.) 

This bar was a bit higher in cacao solids (72%) than the other Belize dark chocolates (70%). It was creamier in texture, but tasted slightly darker, and had subtler fruit complexity than the even more tart-sweet, fruit-forward others.* The enjoyable, fluxing fruit from this origin can't be denied.

Maker's description: "...This bar starts with a fruity bouquet along with a hint of olive and cinnamon, then transforms into something entirely different on the tongue: a pleasantly mild taste, caramelized nuts, sweet condensed milk, and a delicate floral note. The finish offers blackberries and a beautiful aftertaste of grape hulls and malt."

Ingredients: Organic, fair traded cocoa mass; organic, fair traded cane sugar; organic, fair traded cocoa butter. 

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

*All these Belize chocolates have been above average; and tasting them in the same week makes it easier to experience the many choices, and sometimes trade-offs, that are made when working with a given cacao origin. 

In today's case, a creamier mouthfeel may have been, in part, the result of the 21-hour conching time and added cocoa butter. While still having some Belize/MMC fruit magic, the milder (less intense) fruit flavor (compared with others) could have been a result of roasting and processing times and/or the higher cacao percentage.

Zotter - Gingerbread - Dark Chocolate with spiced filling (bar) - Feb. 25, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Gingerbread - Dark Chocolate with spiced filling (bar)
Good + 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's Gingerbread - Dark Chocolate with spiced filling (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Cape Coral, FL).

The aroma for this organic bar included slightly boozy, spicy (star anise, gingerbread) and chocolate notes.

A thin, dark chocolate shell gave way to a very flavorful, velvety, jammy center (filling) with some chewy textural elements (that felt like coconut shreds, but in fact were thin tender, citrus peel shreds, and very tiny nut bits).

The concentrated, rich, spice fruitcake layer included fig and orange jam, ginger cake and a whisper of rum.

Yes, this bar was sweet; but the rich dark chocolate (and maybe the touch of alcohol) helped balance the sweetness in this complex spice bar.

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cocoa mass; organic and fair trade cane sugar; gingerbread: 12% (rye flour, sugar, lemon peels, orange peels, corn syrup, eggs, honey, butter, milk, hazelnuts, walnuts, cinnamon, gingerbread spices, raising agent: sodium bicarbonate, pimento, nutmeg); organic and fair trade cocoa butter; milk; organic and fair trade rum; organic marzipan (organic almonds, organic sugar, organic invert sugar syrup); organic hazelnuts; honey; organic glucose syrup; dry whole milk; organic fair trade toasted coconut; dry skim milk; organic gingerbread spice (0.2%); organic cinnamon; salt; organic soy lecithin; organic, fair trade dark brown cane sugar; organic vanilla bean powder; organic cardamom; organic star anise. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains eggs, milk, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, coconut, soy. Manufactured on equipment that processes other tree nuts, peanuts and sesame."

Zotter - Labooko - Opus 5 Cuvee 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate bar(s) - Jan. 19, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter

Labooko - Opus 5 Cuvee 72% Dark Chocolate bar(s)

Good +

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotterusa.com, online order

Welcome to Day #13 of European Chocolate Vacation Theme Week. Having dipped down as far south as Spain and Italy, we've returned to Austria for more Zotter bars.

Today's Opus 5 bar from Zotter was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Cape Coral, FL). The company offers hundreds of different bars--some are filled, and some, like today's, are solid chocolate and part of the company's Labooko line. This group includes many single origin and single origin blend bars.

This Opus 5 Cuvee 72% dark chocolate had a subtle aroma, smooth texture and uniform, deep dark, smooth 72% chocolate flavor with very faint fruit (berry, cranberry), and a barely there waxy fruit (star fruit) note. (I imagined a visit this month (January) to Florida to visit Zotter's US headquarters, and to feast on exotic fruits (including cacao fruit, flown in from the Caribbean.*

The number "5" in the name "Opus 5" refers to the fact that this chocolate was a blend of five cacaos from five different countries of origins: Madagascar, Sao Tome, India, Uganda and Panama. 

Maker's Notes: A "world tour" in a bar. Cacaos were selected (from five origins) for their fruit notes. Each origin was roasted separately; and then they were combined. "Taste profile: Madagascar: berry aroma, caramel; Sao Tome: fruity, red cherries; India: cherries, plum puree, peach; Uganda: red fruit, berries, fudge; Panama: cherries and almonds."

Ingredients: Organic and fair traded cocoa mass; organic and fair traded sugar; organic and fair traded cocoa butter. 

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, milk, soy, peanuts and sesame." "Vegan chocolate; soy free"

Zotter - Merry Christmas Milk Chocolate filled w/ spiced marzipan, cinnamon hazelnut praline (bar) - Dec. 18, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter 
"Merry Christmas" Milk Chocolate filled with spiced marzipan and cinnamon hazelnut praline (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotterusa.com, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Week, including a few European holiday entries. It's that time of year, when virtual travel via a chocolate tasting experience is as fine as any other gift I can imagine.

Today's "Merry Christmas" Milk Chocolate bar was filled with layers of marzipan and cinnamon hazelnut praline. It was created by Zotter, made in Austria, and distributed by Zotter US LLC (Fort Myers, FL). 

This fragrant bar was filled with holiday scents including cocoa, marzipan and cinnamon. There was also a slight fruitiness (sweet currant and raspberry jam, with orange/lemon peel) nestled in with faint nut notes. 

Flavor followed fragrance with chocolate, marzipan, nuanced spices (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, vanilla, cloves, pepper), nut and fruit (light, sweet citrus, berry) notes. The hazelnuts were present (part of the hazelnut brittle layer), but were overshadowed a bit by the spiced marzipan layer.

I enjoyed this lovely Christmas confection with a side dish of roasted hazelnuts and sliced, ripe fuyu persimmon with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a sip of Frangelico. Hazelnut holiday perfection.

Ingredients: Organic, fair traded cane sugar; organic marzipan (organic almonds, organic sugar, organic invert sugar syrup); organic, fair traded cocoa mass; organic, fair traded cocoa butter; organic, fair traded hazelnuts; dry whole milk; organic orange juice concentrate; organic glucose syrup; organic orange juice; dry skim milk; butter (cream); organic, fair traded cinnamon; organic ginger; organic, fair traded dark brown cane sugar; organic soy lecithin; salt; organic cardamom;  vanilla bean powder, cloves, pepper, lemon oil, organic orange oil"

Allergen-related information: "Contains almonds, hazelnuts, milk, soy. Manfactured on equipment that processes other tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, and sesame."

Zotter - In-Fusion - Passion Fruit + Orange Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 9, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter

In-Fusion - Passion Fruit + Orange in Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good + - Good ++

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

Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Zotterusa.com, online order

Welcome to Day #18 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Weeks.

Today's Zotter In-Fusion Passion Fruit + Orange in Cacao (bar) was made from bean-to-bar, in Austria, and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL). 

This dark chocolate was part of a line of fruit "in-fusion" bars made with fine cacao(s) and flavored with a variety of freeze-dried fruits that mirror/enhance naturally occurring fruit notes found in cacao--a wonderful concept. 

Today's bar had a very subtle aroma (chocolate, butter/cream, diffuse fruit); a creamy, even texture; and a smooth chocolately flavor with notes of sweet citrus (faint, sweet orange), very faint tropical fruit (mango, passion fruit), and fleeting, very faint earth and light seed/nut notes. There is also a trace of light passion fruit that shows up in the finish.

While nicely executed and well balanced, milk powder added to this dark chocolate smoothed (but also muted) flavors a bit. Some will really like the sophisticated smoothness. However, leaving out milk would likely have resulted in stronger cocoa and brighter or clearer fruit (passion fruit and orange) notes for fine flavor complexity fans.

Maker's tasting notes: "Dark chocolate with a classic 70% cacao content enhanced with 2 types of couverture--passion fruit and orange. It combines a sublime chocolate indulgence with sweet and tangy citrus fruit. This goes very well with the cacao's natural aroma profile, which is full of citrus notes. It also gets its tender melt from pure cocoa butter. Created...using fine flavor cacao and freeze-dried orange juice and passion fruit. A dark chocolate with a refreshing orange and passion fruit flavor--an absolute zinger!"

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cocoa mass; organic, fair trade cane sugar; organic, fair trade cocoa butter; dry skim milk yoghurt; organic dried passion fruit (2%); organic dried oranges (2%); organic soy lecithin; organic, fair trade dark brown cane sugar; organic lemon powder (organic lemon juice concentrate, organic corn starch, organic sugar); organic vanilla bean powder; salt.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk, soy." "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, peanuts, and sesame."

Zotter - In-Fusion Blackcurrant in Cacao (bar) - Dec. 3, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter

In-Fusion - Blackcurrant in Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good + 

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

Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Zotterusa.com, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Weeks.

Today's Zotter In-Fusion Blackcurrant in Cacao (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL). 

This dark chocolate was part of a line of fruit "in-fusion" bars made with fine cacao and flavored with freeze-dried fruits that in many cases mirror naturally occurring fruit notes in cacao--a wonderful concept.

The bar had a subtle aroma with chocolate, diffuse fruit (dark sweet berry), bread and butter, and clean mineral notes.

Flavors included fruity, robust yet smooth, dark chocolate, with authentic dark berry and blackcurrant (pastille, fruit juice), and very faint, fleeting earthy fruit and black raspberry yogurt notes. A balanced, tangy black currant tartness lingered at the end and contrasted with a subtle, slightly earthy dark chocolate in the finish.

While nicely executed and well balanced, the milk powder added to this 70% dark chocolate muted what might have been bolder aroma and flavors.

Adding milk to dark chocolate can even out flavors and give them a mellow, homogeneous continuity; however the sharper and stronger notes (for better or for worse) may be neutralized in the process.

Maker's tasting notes: "...Created, bean to bar, using fine flavor cacao and freeze-dried blackcurrants. A dark chocolate with a refreshing blackcurrant flavor--a sophisticated and very berry indulgence..."

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cocoa mass; organic, fair trade cane sugar; organic, fair trade cocoa butter; organic dried blackcurrants (4%); dry skim milk; organic soy lecithin.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk, soy." "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, peanuts and sesame."

Zotter - In-Fusion - Raspberry in Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 2, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter

In-Fusion - Raspberry in Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good + - Good ++ 

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

Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Zotterusa.com, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Weeks.

Today's Zotter In-Fusion Raspberry in Cacao (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL). 

This dark chocolate was part of a line of fruit "in-fusion" bars made with fine cacao and flavored with ground, freeze-dried fruits that mirror/enhance naturally occurring fruit notes in cacao.

Aroma notes for this bar included: red raspberries and raspberry hot chocolate. 

Made with 40% "dark" milk chocolate, this bar had a creamy, even texture; and a smooth, sweet, chocolately hot cocoa flavor. 

Other flavor notes included red raspberry fruit and jam, faint vanilla and a very faint, fleeting earth note. 

The number one ingredient was sugar; and this bar was quite a bit sweeter than the other dark chocolate bars in this (Zotter) In-Fusion bar series tasted so far. All have contained some milk powder, but the other In-Fusion bars contained (or at least started with) 70% dark chocolate vs. today's milkier and sweeter 40% cacao bar. As a result cocoa notes were more muted.

Happily the authentic fruit aroma and flavor of the raspberries (fully incorporated and with no seed grit) were allowed to shine brightly and beautifully in this bar. A judicious amount of vanilla contributed some natural "happy" flavor (hot cocoa, baked goods), and a wee bit of salt helped balance the sweetness.

Maker's tasting notes: "Created bean-to-bar, using fine flavor cacao and freeze-dried raspberries by "Faire Beere".*

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cane sugar; organic, fair trade cocoa butter; dry whole milk; organic, fair trade cocoa mass; dry skim milk; organic dried raspberries (2%); organic soy lecithin; organic vanilla bean powder; organic lemon powder (organic lemon juice concentrate, organic corn starch, organic sugar); salt

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk, soy." (double check all ingredients)

*Faire Beere d.o.o. is a producer of fruits and tree nuts, located in Bratunac, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Zotter - In-Fusion - Sour Cherry in Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 1, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter

In-Fusion - Sour Cherry in Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good + 

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

Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Zotterusa.com, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Weeks.

Today's Zotter In-Fusion Sour Cherry in Cacao (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL). 

This dark chocolate was part of a line of fruit "in-fusion" bars made with fine cacao and flavored with freeze-dried fruits that in many cases mirror naturally occurring fruit notes in cacao--a wonderful concept.

The bar had a very subtle aroma (chocolate, diffuse fruit, french bread); a creamy, even texture; and a smooth chocolately flavor with notes of subtle cherry and fleeting, very faint, earthy fruit.

While nicely executed and well balanced, the added milk to this 70% dark bar may have muted aroma and flavors somewhat. I was expecting stronger cocoa and brighter tart cherry notes until I spotted "dry skim milk" in the ingredients list.

Adding milk to dark chocolate can even out flavors and give them a mellow, homogeneous continuity; however the sharper and stronger notes (for better or for worse) may be neutralized in the process.

Maker's tasting notes: "...intensely chocolatey with a sublime cocoa butter melt and charming sour cherry flavor."

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cocoa mass; organic, fair trade cane sugar; organic, fair trade cocoa butter; organic dried sour cherries (4%); dry skim milk; organic soy lecithin; organic lemon powder (organic lemon juice concentrate, organic corn starch, organic sugar)

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk, soy."

Zotter - Orange Liqueur Milk Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 1, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter

Orange Liqueur Milk Chocolate (bar)

Good ++

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

Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $8.25 (plus summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Orange Liqueur Milk Chocolate (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Cape Coral, FL).

Aroma notes included: slightly boozy, chocolate orange cake, nuts (faint sweet chestnut and almond paste) and brown sugar. Breaking this bar in half exposed a soft, creamy milk chocolate, ganache-style filling (with very tiny shreds of orange if I'm not mistaken). Also released: the subtle but invigorating aroma of fresh orange (juice, fruit).

The overall flavor of this well-executed, get-ready-for-the-holidays blend of orange, chocolate and spirits landed somewhere between a sophisticated, perfectly mixed chocolate lovers cocktail with hints of mild brandy and Cointreau, and an exquisite chocolate and orange chocolate mousse. A judicious amount of vanilla gave this sweet bar some extra floral warmth. 

Layers of complex flavors harmonized together enabled an enjoyable tasting journey. Were it just a filled, sweet milk chocolate bar (sugar was the number one ingredient), this would have been less fun and interesting. Cocoa butter (the number two ingredient) along with real butter (cream) provided richness (and likely a good base for flavor inclusion infusions); and the orange liqueur and real orange fruit and juice contributed flavor depth.

Note: This bar does contain low levels of alcohol.

Ingredients:  Cane sugar, cocoa butter, orange liqueur, sugar, 

 

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

Labooko Schokoladen - Peru 100 percent bar - May 9, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Labooko Schokoladen Manufaktur GmbH
100 percent bar
Good +
Weight: 1.148 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total package of two bars
Calories: 206 calories (per label) in 1/2 package (1 bar)
Cost: $9.00 for 1 package of two bars
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of 100% Cacao Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

What can we observe about today's 100 percent bar from Labooko Schokoladen (Riegersburg, Austria)? It comes from bean-to-bar chocolatemakers who have demonstrated skill and originality in the many different bars they've created.

The packaging is a bit scary. Some 100% cacao bars can be dark and foreboding, and tasting one for the first time can shock delicate tastebuds, like one's first shot of espresso might taste as a child. But then these robust flavors grow on you over time.

We also know that this package contained a matched set of two bars, crafted with organic, fairtrade cacao grown in Peru.

Tasting observations:

• The aroma: ultra dark chocolate, dried fruit, slight green, wood, spice notes 
• The texture: creamy melt
• The flavor: even, ultra dark, balanced bitterness, roasted dried fruit, with a hint of roasted nut butter
• The finish: lingering but surprisingly smooth

This might be the chocolate served at the devil's barbeque party. Not charred or smokey, but imbued with deep roasted flavor, forged by some skilled craftsmen, this chocolate, as the makers note "is not for wimps."

The cacao was conched for 34 hours (a long time by cacao conching standards) to arrive at its relative smoothness. And yet it retained enough "original, raw and wild" flavor characteristics to be interesting and not bland. It took experienced hands to make this work.