Crow & Moss Chocolatery - Apple Crumble 38% Oat Mylk Crumble - Nov. 5, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Crow & Moss Chocolatery 
Apple Crumble 38% Oat Mylk Crumble (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crow & Moss, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate & Fruits Theme Week(s). As is often the case on Chocolate Banquet, a 7-day theme "week" often spills over into multiple weeks. Apple, Banana, Cupuacu...there are so many great chocolate and fruit combinations.

Today's Apple Crumble 38% Oat Mylk Crumble (bar) (Batch No. 610) was made by Crow & Moss Chocolate (Petoskey, MI). The company is a chocolate maker + bakery ("chocolatery").

When I see "38% cacao" on a bar, my expectations are not high. Chocolates that below 40% cacao can taste bland and overly sweet. Not so today. The company produces a variety of chocolates and baked goods, and both (chocolate making and baking) skills were on display with today's bar.

Aroma notes included: raisin cinnamon bread toast and baked apple/fresh apple crumble.

Texture: smooth oat mylk chocolate was studded with tiny honey-sweetened topping of apple bits and small oat pieces. Some bits had a delicate crunch; and all seemed to be in the Goldilocks zone (just right). There were no bits that were too tough/hard, nor were there any soggy bland bits. 

Flavor notes for this dairy-free and gluten-free bar included: very light "milk" chocolate; pieces of bright, tart-sweet apple and oat bits in every bite; and a light touch of cinnamon.

I enjoyed this gently complex, blend of authentic flavors in this bar--that could serve as an a la carte dessert, or served with other desserts.

Ingredients: Chocolate: Cacao Blend, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter* (Pisco, Peru), Oat Flour*, Apple*, Granola Topping: Quick Oats*, Coconut Oil*, Honey, Salt, Cinnamon*. (* Organic)

Allergen-related information: Dairy Free.

Crow & Moss Chocolatery - Cardamom Baked Banana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 27, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Crow & Moss Chocolatery
Cardamom Baked Banana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate & Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Cardamom Baked Banana 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was thoughtfully created and executed by Crow & Moss Chocolatery (Petoskey, MI).

The company's attractive bar, packaging* and origin stories were transporting.

The cacao used to make this bar was from the Anamalai Estate in India, "organically grown by producers Harish Manoj and Karthi Palaniswamy."**

Aroma notes for this aromatic and flavorful bar included: subtle roasted banana, dark chocolate and very faint warm spice.

Texture: relatively smooth with a faint fruit (banana) astringency

Flavor notes included: rich and flavorful roasted banana, hearty (bold) dark chocolate with medium-high (fruit) acidity; and very faint warm, earthy spice. 

I enjoyed the blend of bold, balanced flavors. This was a far cry from the milk chocolate banana candy one might find in most places in the U.S. I found it very satisfying. 

It was hard to pick out any lighter, bubble gum notes I often associate with (green) cardamom. The spice (likely black cardamom) stayed mostly in the shadows, just out of reach, but still contributed a faint almost smokey/earthy spice accent flavor.

This might also be an excellent dark chocolate for cooking/baking (for desserts (ice creams, custards, Bananas Foster, high-end parfaits, dessert flights); batter breads (banana nut) breads; and maybe even savory rice and meat dishes).

Ingredients: "Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Banana, Organic Cardamom."

Allergen-related information: ("Dairy Free, Gluten Free")

*Who says recycled packaging can't look grand?

**The makers included this poetic description of the Anamalai estate in India: "The trees are intercropped with coconut palms and nutmeg trees in the foothills of India's Western Ghats, where (native) desi cows meander and elephants enjoy the coconuts by night."

Crow and Moss - Passion Fruit Sesame Chocolate 68% (bar) - Nov. 6, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Crow and Moss
Passion Fruit Sesame Chocolate 68% (bar)
Good + Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Umami Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Brazil Theme Week.

Today's Passion Fruit Sesame Chocolate 68% (bar) was from Crow and Moss (Petoskey, MI). The company creates bean-to-bar, small batch chocolate in Michigan. 

The sesame seeds in this bar--and in (white and black) sesame crackers with blue and cream cheese--provided umami flavor. 

The passion fruit in the chocolate (and guava (feijoa) and acai fruits (and Brazil nuts)) paired with this unique chocolate kicked off Chocolate and Brazil Theme Week. 

Aroma notes for this dark bar included: authentic, smooth dark (Forastero variety) cacao (with very faint fermentation note) and subtle tropical fruit acidity.

Creamy, bold 68% dark chocolate with fleeting bursts of tart-sweet tropical fruit (passion fruit, citrus). Golden sesame seeds pressed into the back added some texture.

This tart-sweet dark bar was paired with black sesame crackers, blue and cream cheese, fruit and nuts (guava, acai and Brazil nuts).

Maker's description: "Whisk your tastebuds off on holiday with this lush combination of velvety chocolate, juicy passionfruit and the satisfying crunch of sesame. Tropical sunshine encased in chocolate."

Ingredients: Cacao blend, organic cane sugar, passion fruit, organic sesame seeds

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also handles nuts and dairy"

Crow and Moss - India Anamalai Chocolate 70% (bar) - Mar. 9, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Crow and Moss
India Anamalai Chocolate 70% (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient chocolate included: dried fruit (plum/apricot/light tropical fruit (mango)), fleeting fermentation (acids breaking down), green herb with faint citrus (oxalis, sorrel), molasses, faint clean ash/clean mineral, brown sugar/caramel, and very faint roasted coffee.

This 70% India bar had smooth, creamy texture and deep, satisfying fudge brownie and red fruit (cherry, dried plum) flavor notes. 

Ingredients: Anamalai Estate cacao beans, organic cane sugar.

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also handles nuts and dairy"

Crow and Moss - Vanilla Smoke Chocolate 69% (bar) - Mar. 2, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Crow and Moss

Vanilla Smoke Chocolate 69% (bar)

Good +++

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

Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Vanilla Smoke Chocolate 69% small batch (bar) was from Crow and Moss (Petoskey, MI).

This dark chocolate bar had a prominent vanilla aroma, and true to it's name, it had a balanced, subtle smokey fragrance and faint green floral notes.*

This well-tempered, bean-to-bar chocolate had smooth texture, an thick buttery melt, and a complex flavor bouquet that included dark chocolate, green, floral (white flowers), spice and faint, very slightly astringent tropical fruit and green notes (persimmon and green mango meet jasmine and orchid). 

Re-tasting this bar yielded even more subtley complex green notes (green tea, green-lemon herb (sorrel) and very faint and fleeting vegetable (Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) + baked potato). 

The faint (or perhaps implied) fruit note was difficult to nail down. Can a flavor come to life and refuse to be captured and fully analyzed? I was happy to chase this white (vanilla) rabbit through the hickory forest. 

I applaud the skills that went into melding the hickory-smoked cacao and vanilla bean together. Both these flavors stood proud and tall on their own; and the lovely nuances of each were highlighted and celebrated. There was also a barely detectable quantity of salt in this bar, that seemed just right.

Together, this pied piper of a partnership seemed to take flight. A sense of motion--an elegant flavor flux--created a highly satisfying ride, and kept me coming back for just one more piece. Nicely balanced, not too sweet. Highly complementary chocolate and vanilla flavors sparked a winter fire, while invisible grains of salt nodded in grounded approval, and floral notes looked at cherry trees blooming and whispered that spring is here.*

Maker's tasting notes: "We've taken whole vanilla beans and paired them with a hint of hickory smoked cacao and salt to create a fruity, floral twist with a nostalgic campfire finish."

Ingredients: "Cacao blend, organic cane sugar, vanilla beans, salt, hickory smoke."

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also handles nuts and dairy"

*I like floral, balanced umami and subtlely smokey and savory flavors in single origin chocolate. It's hard to find these flavors, and even harder to discover all these skillfully blended in one bar. Hats off that Cross and Moss makers for even attempting this bar when there are some critics who view umami, smokey (and, surprisingly, even floral) notes as possible "flaws" in cacao processing. Apologies: Happiness over this bar did lead to some wordy poetic celebration.

Crow & Moss - Dominican Republic Zorzal 70% Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 20, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Crow and Moss 
Dominican Republic Zorzal 70% Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate, Dominican Republic and Haiti Theme Week.

Today's Dominican Republic Zorzal 70% Chocolate (bar) was made from bean to bar by Crow and Moss (Petoskey, MI).

The rich chocolate aroma had an inviting complex aroma with notes of fruit (ripe red fruit, cherries, raisin, dried plum), toffee brittle, a hint of maple spice and fleeting, very faint fresh green (grass). 

The well-tempered chocolate broke with a hearty snap and flavors were similar to those mentioned above in the aroma, only with more chocolate (cocoa, brownie), and a very faint, balanced, fermented milk/cream note.

The maker's tasting notes read as follows: "cherry, caramel, spice"

Ingredients: Dominican Reserve Zorzal cacao beans, organic cane sugar

Crow & Moss - Brazilian Santos Coffee 67% Chocolate bar - June 13, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Crow and Moss
Brazilian Santos Coffee 67% Chocolate bar
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 185 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Brazilian Santos Coffee* 67% Chocolate bar was from Crow and Moss (Petoskey, MI).

This bar had a rich, roasted coffee aroma, with notes of roasted nut, chocolate and a very faint wisp of umami/savory/hickory smoke. There was a wonderful, naturally sweet aroma to the coffee that I've not found in cacao. (Sweetness in chocolate can be perceived via "fruit" flavor notes from cacao, but often comes from sugar or added sweetener.)

The Honduras-grown cacao Crow and Moss used to make this bar complemented the Brazilian coffee very well, offering a bit of tart, fruit or berry flavor, a faint green note, and a bit of the nut and roasted notes.

The texture was a blend of smooth and crunchy with each bite triggering a cascade of rich, lovely flavor(s). The grind was uniformly perfect (not too gritty, fresh-tasting--thank you!). This was a truly great bean-to-breakfast-bar.

And yes, 67% cocoa chocolate does have a fair amount of sugar, but the coffee helped reduce and balance the sweetness. The bitterness/bitter acidity level of this three-ingredient** coffee bar was relatively low allowing subtle flavors to be savored.

Coffee History, Parallels with Cacao
Brazil is currently the largest producer and exporter of coffee (more than 2.6 million metric tonnes per year in 2019). Coffee originated in Ethiopia, and made its way to Europe.

The Dutch and the French brought coffee to the Caribbean/Americas in the late 1600s and early 1700s and by the early 1700s, the first coffee plants were growing in Brazil. For cacao/chocolate fans, coffee's origin story will sound familiar. Sadly, slave labor was part of the spread of coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea and other crops to European colonies in the Caribbean/the Americas as well as to African, Asian and other island nations close to the Equator.

In 2020, (West) Africa is the largest producer/exporter of cacao--a crop that originated in Central and South America. And Brazil is the largest producer/exporter of coffee, a crop that had its start in (Northern) Africa.

*Santos Coffee from Brazil is said to be a descendant of Bourbon coffee (Coffea arabica) originally grown on the Isle of Bourbon (Reunion), east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Santos is also the name of a port city in Brazil, through which a high volume of coffee exports have moved.

**Ingredients: Honduran cacao beans, organic cane sugar, Brazilian Santos Coffee.

Crow and Moss - Colombia Aruaca 70% bar - Apr. 28, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Crow and Moss
Colombia Aruaca 70% Chocolate
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 300 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Colombia Arauca bar was from Crow and Moss and hand-crafted in Northern Michigan (Petoskey, MI).

This bar was complex, well balanced and flavorful; and it lit up multiple areas of the chocolate tasting wheel. The dark chocolate aroma had very faint smoked/umami and green notes. The texuture had a nutty smoothness. The flavor was tart sweet, with strawberry and Meyer lemon yogurt  and rich. with a faint floral note. It was sweet without being too sweet (thank you!). There was a very faint astringency, and a pleasant finish that coasted to a stop with a chocolate brownie note.

I really enjoyed this bar. It was a well-execuated, well-rounded, fun flavor ride that spoke well of the ferment and the makers' abilities to balance and bring out the best in the cacao.

Maker's tasting notes read as follows: honey, cashew and honeysuckle.