Standout Chocolate - Nordic Nature European Blueberry 63% (bar) - Aug. 10, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Standout Chocolate 
Nordic Nature European Blueberry 63% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Organic Nordic Nature European Blueberry 63% (bar) was from Standout Chocolate (Goteborg, Sweden). The company has been very reliably producing some very tasty single origin bars in recent years (as well as a line of bars with Nordic-inspired flavor inclusions).

The cacao used to make this chocolate was from Oko Caribe, a cacao co-operative located in the Duarte Province of the Dominican Republic.

Aroma and flavor notes included: appealing dark chocolate and complex, tart-sweet blueberry that resulted in a bar with berry flavor with very light, attractive, herbal/savory (barely there umami, smoke) notes.

I enjoyed the opportunity to taste a chocolate bar with bilberries--and the complex, relatively more intense, flavor of these European blueberries. I also liked the very complementary and flavorful blend of single origin DR cacao with these unique wild berries. 

And, last but not least, I appreciated the short list of thoughtfully sourced, organic ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "Wild Blueberries, Fresh Fruitiness"

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, Sugar*, Cacao butter*, Bilberry*. (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of Milk. 

Lucifer Chocolate - "Honey Bunny" Honey Almonds Milk Chocolate 38% (bar) - Feb. 4, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Lucifer Chocolate 
"Honey Bunny" Honey Almonds Milk Chocolate 38% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155? calories in 1 oz. of bar
Cost: N/A - gift from a family member
Purchased from: N/A - gift from family member (purchased in Europe)

Welcome to Day #7 of Unique Chocolates Theme Week.

Today's "Honey Bunny" Honey Almonds Milk Chocolate 38% (bar) from Lucifer Chocolate was made in Velenje, Slovenia--for me a unique company origin. I was able to taste this bar because my niece brought this back from her travels. (Thank you Monique!)

Aroma and flavor notes included: milk chocolate (rich, velvety cocoa), subtle caramel, hidden malt and toasted nut (almond), clean mineral and salt. 

Texture: creamy milk chocolate and crunchy (almonds, honey crispies and salt crystals). I enjoyed the sweet-salty and nutty flavors and textures in this bar.

Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Whole Milk Powder, Honey Crispies 9% (Honey,  Maltodextrin (Wheat), Thickening Agent: E401), Caramelized Almonds 3% (Almonds, Sugar), Salt (0.9%), Emulsifier: Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Aroma.

Allergen-related information: Contained Milk, Wheat, Almonds, Soy

Fjak Chocolate - Vermouth O'Clock 60% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Chocolate AS
Vermouth O'Clock 60% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 176 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Vermouth O'Clock 60% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Fjak Chocolate AS (Eidfjord, Hardangerfjord, Norway).

Crafted in Norway, Fjak's small batch chocolates (many with Nordic/European and seasonal flavor inclusions) are always a pleasure to try.

Complex, subtle aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, slight savory (olive, herb); very faint, warm spirits (dry sherry, vermouth); faint tart-sweet fruit (citrus (faint orange), cherry); and barely detectable herb, spice and botanical (sweet straw stalks, fennel sticks, light cinnamon, clove, star anise). (Note: there was no star anise or clove.)

I really liked the well-executed interplay of smooth, sophisticated cocktail flavors. This was a very enjoyable bar to taste, and to share with others. The 60% cacao dark chocolate was relatively sweet and that sweetness was upped a bit with the sweet orange (peel) and warm spice notes, but it seemed comparable to what you might find in a Vermouth cocktail. And the very faint (real) olive balanced things out nicely.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, Vermouth, Juniper*, Cinnamon*, Fennel Seeds*, Orange Peel*, Olives, Candied Orange Peel* (Min. 60% cocoa). (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: Certified Organic; Vegan; dairy and gluten free. "Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten"

Guido Gobino - Indonesia 80% disks - Dec. 2, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Guido Gobino 
Indonesia 80% pieces/disks 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 4.41 oz. (125 g.) total package of 25 pieces
Calories: 136 calories (estimate) in 5 pieces
Cost: $18.50 for 1 package of 25 pieces
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Indonesia (single origin) 80% individually-wrapped chocolates were from Guido Gobino (Turin, Italy). 

Happily, this family-owned, bean-to-bar maker offers smaller, high-percentage cacao, single origin, chocolates from different countries--including today's small (5 g.) disks made with Indonesian cacao. (Not all small chocolates are sugary, rather bland confections.)

Aroma notes for these individually-wrapped small disks included: aromatic dark chocolate; fruit (dark cherry); and woodsy earth (very faint, balanced peat/loam).

Texture: well-tempered (broke with a snap); smooth melt and mouthfeel--with a bit of faintly crunchy, ground cacao nib/bean fibers; and an almost invisible astringency in one or two bites (that may show up when you combine this chocolate with other foods).

Flavor notes included: rich, extra dark chocolate; very faint, dark/dried fruit (cherry); very faint, fleeting butter; very faint woodsy earth (peat, loam); and very faint, fleeting lemony-green herb (oxalis).

These chocolates were enjoyably complex, well-executed, robust and dark, and were not too sweet. (Thank you!)

Bar and Cocoa tasting notes: "...fragrant and intense, with notes of dried fruit and cocoa"

Ingredients: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter; Cocoa 80% minimum

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of milk, hazelnuts, soy

 

Heinde and Verre - Dutch Vegan Mylk 52% Chocolate (Indonesia, DR, Peru) - Nov. 26, 2023

Chocolate of the Day 

Heinde and Verre
Dutch Vegan Mylk 52% Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in package of 2 bars
Calories: 199 calories in 1 bar (1/2 of a 2-bar package) 
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Indonesia Theme Week, featuring chocolates made with cacao grown across the Republic of Indonesia--that includes 17,000+ islands--and origins such as Java and Bali.

Today's Dutch Vegan Mylk Chocolate (bar) was from Heinde and Verre B.V. (Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Like the company's name (rough translation: near and far), high-quality ingredients were selected from at least three different continents.

The cacao used to make this 52% cacao bar was from Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, and Peru.

Aroma notes for this vegan bar included: complex dark chocolate, dried fruit (banana), sweet green and subtle rice/oat cereal. 

The texture was thick and creamy, with no unpleasant graininess (from oats, rice). All the flavor inclusions were fully incorporated into the mylk chocolate. 

The sealed packaging helped keep this bar smooth, in-temper,* and fresh-tasting. (And it also made it easy to share a bar with someone else.)

Flavor notes included chocolate, fruit - (fully incorporated), authentic banana, and pleasant, very subtle oat and rice "milk" and very faint coconut.

This was one of the most well-crafted and tasty vegan "milk" bars I've tasted. Alternative milk bars often taste/feel a bit starchy; or the oats or rice can muddle the taste of the cacao with duller flavors.

Today's bar was very nicely balanced, not too sweet, with a pleasing complexity. 

Ingredients: "Cacao beans and cacao butter (52%), sugar, oat, cocos, banana, rice, calcium, sunflower lecithin, salt." 

Allergen-related information: (None listed. See ingredients list above.)

*Chocolate is tempered (using precise cycles of heating and cooling). The perfect temper results in chocolate bars that break with a hard snap at room temperature, and well-tempered chocolates have a longer shelf life as well. If chocolate sits in the sun, or is subjected to other extremes, it can lose its firm texture and desirable appearance and become out of temper.

Fjak Chocolate - Black Forest Cherry Cake Milk Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Chocolate AS
Black Forest Cherry Cake Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: ~1.055 oz. (30 g.) / ~2.11 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 176 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Limited Edition Black Forest Cherry Cake Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Fjak Chocolate AS (Eidfjord, Norway). The woman-owned, small-batch, bean-to-bar maker offers a variety of single origin bars and confections. Many include local, Hardangerfjord-inspired fruit and flavor inclusions.*

This Limited Edition 50% cacao, gluten free, Black Forest Cake-inspired bar (part of Fjak's "The Cake Series") harnessed the power of locally grown sour cherries to spark memories of this German cake. 

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate, tart lemon-green herb (oxalis), and tart fruit (sour cherry).

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy dark milk chocolate. (The cherries were fully incorporated into the chocolate.)

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate; authentic, tart-sweet sour cherry; and very faint, tart lemon-green herb (sour grass, oxalis). The vibrant sour cherry animated this sweet, and flavorful chocolate, creating a slight, pleasing, undulation in the taste.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans*, Cocoa Butter*, Cane Sugar*, Milk Powder*, Sour Cherry*, Vanilla* (Min. 50% cocoa) * = Organic

Allergen-related information: (Contains: milk.) "Certified Organic; Gluten free"

*Hardangerfjord is a large, scenic fjord in southwestern Norway. In the warmer months, apples, cherries and other crops grow here in/on strips of green land between mountains and water. Waterfalls drip off the mountains.

Bombus Natural Energy - Raw Energy Orange and Cocoa - Sept. 17, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Bombus Natural Energy
Orange and Cocoa Beans Raw Energy (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 183.8 calories in 1 bar (367.6 kcals per 100 g.)
Cost: $1.89 (estimate) USD for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Wicklow Gaol (shop), Wicklow, Ireland

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Ireland Week. 

Today's Orange and Cocoa Beans Raw Energy (bar) was from Bombus Natural Energy (Krnov, Moravskoslezky kraj, Czech Republic). The company offers a variety of health-oriented, gluten free bars created at lower temperatures (to preserve nutritional properties), and without extra sugar or preservatives.

This chocolate may have been from somewhere else in Europe, but it was bought during a stop at the Wicklow Gaol*, an historic spot in Wicklow, Ireland. 

Aroma notes for today's energy bar included: cocoa, orange and dried fruit (dates).

The texture was substantial, soft, "date-y" and chewy.

Flavor notes included: authentic cocoa/cacao, natural orange, dried fruit (date), and faint coconut.

Ingredients: Dates (67.5%), Coconut (15%), Cocoa (8%), Cocoa Beans (8%), Orange Concentrate (1.2%), Orange Oil (0.3%).

Allergen-related information: (Gluten Free and Lactose Free); "Possible allergens: nuts, sesame"

*Wicklow Gaol is an ancient Irish jail with a lot of interesting history--most of it sad (as you might have already guessed). 

ReplyForward

Hedh-Escalante Chocolatier - Swedish Chocolate Ball - Sept. 16, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Hedh-Escalante Chocolatier
Swedish Chocolate Ball
Good+ - Good ++
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in 1 ball
Calories: 215 calories (estimate) in 1 ball
Cost: $3.50 (35 Swedish Kr.) for 1 ball
Purchased from: In-flight purchase, SAS airline flight to Stockholm, Sweden 

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

Today's Swedish Chocolate Ball was from Hedh Escalante Chocolatier (Malmo, Sweden). Jan Hedth and Maria Escalante have been producing a variety of chocolate confections since 2005, including some specially made for SAS Airlines--which is where I found today's Chocolate Ball.

Aroma notes for this round confection included: chocolate (fudge-cake), butter, and very light coconut.

The texture was soft, almost cake-like chocolate interspersed with chewy coconut shreds on the outside/covering.

Flavor notes for this generously sized ball included: rich chocolate fudge cake, with slightly buttery, nutty, mocha, very faint vanilla--and coconut.

Ingredients: "OATMEAL (Gluten free), Lactose free butter (pasteurized CREAM, lactase enzyme, salt), Sugar, Dark chocolate 70% (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier, lecithin (SOY), vanilla), Syrup, Coconut, Cocoa powder, invert sugar, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate) (E202), Coffee, Vanilla, Salt.

Allergen-related information: (Contains dairy, soy.)

Fjak Sjokolade - 72% Mork (Dark) Guatemala Alta Verapaz, Lachua (bar) - Sept. 15, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade
72% Mork (Dark) Guatemala - Alta Verapaz, Lachua (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .935 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 146 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: 85,00 (Norwegian Kroner) / $7.98 (USD) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Hotel Ullensvang (Hardangerfjord), Norway

Welcome to Day #7 of Scandinavian Chocolate Week.

Today's 72% Mork (Dark) Guatemala - Alta Verapaz, Lachua (bar) was from Fjak Sjokolade (Eidfjord, Norway).

The company produces the chocolates in small, single origin batches.

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate (ganache) and balanced botanical (sweet green, floral, nut, seed).

The texture was rich, chocolate-y and smooth with a slight astringency toward the finish.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate, and faint caffe latte, dried fruit (peach), and very faint green sweet nut/seed. 

This dark chocolate was relatively low in bitterness, but not in flavor. It had nice, elegantly complex and well-balanced flavor notes that extended into a pleasant finish.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Velvety dark chocolate with apricot and a touch of light roasted coffee notes"

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, Cane Sugar & Cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: (None listed.)

 

Peter Beier - D75TAN - Tanzania Dark 75% (bar) - Sept. 13, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Peter Beier
D75TAN - Tanzania Dark 75% (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 233.6 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.12 USD (49,50 DKK) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Peter Beier (shop), Copenhagen, Denmark

Welcome to Day #5 of Scandinavian Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's D75TAN - Tanzania Dark 75% (bar) was from Peter Beier Chokolade A/S (Helsinger, Danmark). The company offered a range of chocolate confections; single origin and blend bars; and ice cream flavors in their downtown Copenhagen shop,

The cacao variety used to make today's Tanzania dark chocolate: Trinitario cacao beans.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, faint vanilla cookie, and subtle, sweet green (botanical, floral).

The texture was very smooth (as were other Peter Beier origin bars featured this week).

Flavor notes included: bold bittersweet dark chocolate (bitter cocoa); very faint, fleeting coconut and botanical; and red fruit.

Maker's Taste Profile (notes): "Intense cocoa, floral, ripe bananas, cherries and lily of the valley."

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soya lecithin), natural vanilla aroma. (77.5% cacao solids.)

Allergen-related information: (Can contain traces of milk or nuts.)

Peter Beier - D80GHA Ghana Dark 80% (bar) - Sept. 12, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Peter Beier 
D80GHA - Ghana Dark 80% (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 1.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.12 (49,50 DKK) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Peter Beier (shop), Copenhagen, Denmark

Welcome to Day #4 of Scandinavian Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's D80GHA Ghana Dark 80% (bar) was from Peter Beier Chokolade A/S (Helsinger, Danmark). 

The cacao bean variety(ies) used to make this ultra-dark chocolate were: "West African Amelonado/Criollo/Trinitario"

Aroma notes included: mellow dark chocolate with very faint green, cookie, and butter notes.

The texture was very creamy, almost silken, and smooth.

Flavor notes included: bitter, sweet roasted chocolate and faint butter. This pronounced bitter note in today's chocolate will not be for everyone; but it was interesting to try.

Maker's Taste Profile (notes): "Intense roasted cocoa, coconut, dusty and a bitter aftertaste."

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soya lecithin), natural vanilla aroma. 82.6% cacao solids.

Allergen-related information: (Can contain traces of milk or nuts.)

Peter Beier - D66BRA - Brazil Dark 66% - Sept. 11, 2023

​Chocolate of the Day

Peter Beier Chokolade
D66BRA - Brazil Dark 66% (pieces)
Good - Good +
Weight: .795 - .88 oz. (22.5 - 25 g.) / (1.59-1.76 oz.) (45-50 g.) in 1 container
Calories: 138.4 calories in 1/2 container
Cost: $7.05 USD (49,00 DKK) for 1 container
Purchased from: Peter Beier (store), Copenhagen, Denmark

Welcome to Day #3 of Scandinavian Chocolate Theme Week, and to 17 rewarding years of eating a different chocolate each and every day.

Today’s D66BRA - Brazil 66% Dark Chocolate--uniquely packaged, in the form of pastille-sized, small cacao pod-shaped pieces in a metal tin--was from Peter Beier Danmark (Helsinger, Danmark).*

Aroma notes for this single origin Brazil dark chocolate included: slightly bitter/sour dark cocoa (light loamy earth, yogurt, roasted cocoa, faint wood), and faint vanilla.

The texture was smooth, almost silky, and buttery.

Flavor notes included: deep dark cocoa with balanced bitter notes (porter, stout), and sour (milk/yogurt), faint roasted wood, and very faint and diffuse fruit (citrus, tart berry, dried banana, dried sweet and sour cacao pulp).

The cacao variety used to make this 66% dark chocolate was: “Amelonado/Bahia Superior.” While many steps go into creating chocolate flavor(s), Amelonado and Forastero varieties of cacao also tend to have bolder, denser/stronger flavors. 

Company’s Taste Profile notes read as follows: “Intense bitter, cocoa, fruity, unripe banana, a smokey hint.”

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: Soya lecithin, natural vanilla.

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of milk or nuts.

*It sounded like the tin may be taken back into a Peter Beier shop for a refill.

Peter Beier - D71.6PCSB - PB Special Blend (bar) - Sept. 10, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Peter Beier 
D71.6PBSB - Peter Beier Special Blend - Dark 71.6% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 283 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.12 USD (49,50 DKK) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Peter Beier (shop), Copenhagen, Denmark

Welcome to Day #9 of Dark Chocolate Theme Week, and Day #1 of Scandinavian Chocolate Week.

Today's D71.6PBSB - Dark 71.6% PB Special Blend was from Peter Beier Danmark (Helsinger, Danmark).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (ganache), faint salted butter, very faint dried fruit (fig cookie, barely detectable rye bread with butter and honey, banana, and sweet (green) tea.

The texture was buttery (almost silky) smooth.

Flavor notes included: chocolate-y (very smooth, buttery dark chocolate) with subtle variations on the aroma notes (listed above): gentle dried fruit, honey, and fig, that lingered into a very pleasant finish.

This thoughtfully executed dark blend (made with Hispaniola/Criollo cacao) had an attractive, subtle complexity with an enjoyable dark chocolate aroma and flavor profile; and it was relatively low in bitterness.

Maker's Taste Profile (notes): "Cocoa, honey, green tea and a butter flowery aftertaste."

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soya lecithin). 71.9% cacao solids.

Allergen-related information: (Can contain traces of milk or nuts.)

Summerbird Chokolade - Amber Organic Chocolate Miniature (Assortment) - Sept. 8, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Summerbird Chokolade
Amber Organic Chocolate Miniature (Assortment)
1.) Mint Noir - Amber Noir Chocolate, Mint, Caramel - Good - Good +
2.) Liquorice - Amber Classic Chocolate + Liquorice - Good +
3.) Fleur D' Orange Praline - Amber Classic Chocolate - Good +
4.) Vanilla - Amber Blond Chocolate, Vanilla, Caramel - Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (45 g.) box of 8 small filled chocolates (4 flavors x 2)
Calories: 246 calories for 1 box of 8 pieces
Cost: $ N/A - free gift with hotel stay

Today's Summerbird Chokolade (Denmark) Organic mixed chocolates were from Denmark. Note: This petite assortment was the second chocolate item of two featured today. (See the previous post for the first item: a Smooth 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar) from Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC (Indianapolis, IN).

Aroma notes varied according to the flavor, and included sweet chocolate with faint caramel notes, and notes that corresponded to each of the flavor additions: mint, liquorice, orange and vanilla/caramel, respectively.

The outer couverature chocolate layers were smooth in texture, and the inner ganache (fillings) had sweet soft caramel and/or ganache layers inside.

Flavor notes included: sweet light chocolate (slightly caramelized white chocolate) and darker sweet chocolate, plus four different flavor additions: 1.) mint extract or natural flavor, 2.) sweet liquorice, 3.) pleasant, sweet and slightly floral orange, and 4.) sweet caramel and vanilla. 

These pretty little "amber"* chocolate confections tasted like caramel-infused, milky white chocolates. Sugar was the number one ingredient (and they also contained other processed sugars/syrups). They were low in cocoa solids; but real cocoa butter was a plus. (There were no added vegetable oils.)

These confections were too sweet for me; but they may appeal to those with a sweet tooth. Given the relatively high sugar levels, the small pieces were just the right size for tasting.

Ingredients: "*sugar, *cocoa butter (23%), *invert sugar syrup, *milk powder (14%), *cocoa mass (8%), *hazelnuts, *glucose syrup, *butter, water, emulsifier (*soy lecithin), *liquorice powder, *vanilla, *lemon juice, Maldon Seasalt, *blood orange oil, Laeso Salt, *orange blossom water, *peppermint oil"

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, hazelnut, soy. (Glucose source not identified.)

*Amber chocolate is a light caramel-hued, Nordic chocolate with a milky texture and sweet, faint fruit flavor that is "not dark, milk or white chocolate."

Equal Exchange - Organic Dark Chocolate 92% Cacao Total Eclipse (bar) - Sept. 8, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Equal Exchange
Organic Dark Chocolate 92% Cacao Total Eclipse (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 253.3 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA 

Welcome to Day #7 of Dark Chocolate Theme Week. 

Note: The second of two dark chocolate items (Becca's Petites Chocolat Noir Bouchees) featured today can be found in a separate/next entry.

Today's Organic Dark Chocolate 92% Cacao Total Eclipse (bar) was produced in Switzerland for Equal Exchange Co-op (W. Bridgewater, MA).

This bar was described as "Transcendently dark." Chocolates with greater than 90% cacao tend to go beyond the limits of what most people have experienced. Some will enjoy the journey, and others may miss the sugar. But, there's more to the story...and it extends to how the cacao was transported from distant lands covered with temperate rainforests into a high-percentage dark chocolate, and how it reached us at all.

The organic cacao(s) used to make this ultra-dark chocolate were "grown by small farmer co-ops" in Togo*, Dominican Republic and Peru.

Aroma notes for this dark chocolate included: rich cocoa (drinking chocolate) and subtle vanilla bean.

The texture was smooth, thick and buttery (cocoa buttery).

Flavor notes included: bold, barely sweetened, smooth, ultra-dark chocolate with a balanced bitterness; subtle vanilla bean; and very faint, fleeting sweet red berry (raspberry jam). 

For those wanting less sugar and more unsweetened cacao flavor(s), this 92% dark chocolate blend is worth trying. You're also supporting many small cacao, sugar and vanilla farmer co-ops around the globe. (The organic cane sugar is from Paraguay, and the organic vanilla was from Madagascar.)

Ingredients: *Organic Chocolate Liquor, *Organic Cocoa Butter, *Organic Raw Cane Sugar, "Organic Ground Vanilla Beans." ("* Fairly Traded Ingredient By Weight 100% From Fair Trade Co-operatives.")

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Milk, Peanuts, Hazelnuts, Almonds & Coconut."

*Equal Exchange has been serving as an "alternative trader" and supporting small farmer agricultural co-ops (coffee, cacao, other) for decades. 

SCOOPS PROCAB (Kpalime, Togo) was founded in 2013, and has been an Equal Exchange partner since 2018. Along with help from Gebana Togo, SCOOPS PROCAB were the "first producers in Togo to grow and export organic cacao;" and through this process the small farmer co-op members have gained access to more markets and greater economic resources.

Chocolate Naive - "Molecules" - Bioactive 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 2, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Naive 
"Molecules" - Bioactive 75% Chocolate (bar) 
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 85.36 calories in 1/4 bar 
Cost: Missing information (Currently available at Bar & Cocoa for $15 USD)
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Lithuania Theme Week, and Day #1 of Dark Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's "Molecules" (tm) Bioactive 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) was created by chocolatier Domantus Uzpalis and team at Chocolate Naive (Vilnius, Lithuania). 

Aroma notes include: chocolate (dark milk* chocolate ganache) faint tart fruit (fruit vinegar), faint minerality, very faint (barely detectable) spice (black/white peppercorn).

Flavor notes included: smooth, relatively mild (for 75%) dark chocolate and an uptick in sweetness that had a slight menthol/cool edge (erythritol).** I am not a huge fan of erythritol, but I understand the desire to find a sugar substitute. Thankfully, this chocolate was not overly sweetened with this sugar replacement.**

In fairness to Chocolate Naive, this bar was expired by the time I tasted it. There were no off flavors. But, freshly made chocolate yields the most vibrant, authentic taste experience, with subtle aroma and texture qualities most intact.

Speaking of technical characteristics...It was interesting that research into naturally occurring active components of cacao--and how to best preserve certain cacao components--inspired this Chocolate Naive "Molecules" (tm) chocolate.

I would love to hear more on this subject. Cacao contains chemicals/compounds that are stimulants (theobromine and small amounts of caffeine), polyphenolic antioxidants (flavonoids), as well as "feel good" chemicals (e.g. anandamide), and satisfying mineral content (magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, etc.). Preserving, even optimizing, beneficial compounds would interest those trying to maximize good health.

Ingredients: "Molecules (TM) cacao, erytriol*, pure cacao butter*, zinc.  (*organic)"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk, barley or nuts."

*Note: these are my tasting notes/observations. There are no milk ingredients listed for this chocolate; although it does say it may contain traces of milk.

** Artificial/synthetic sweeteners like Erythritol can cause an upset stomach in some people. It also alters the taste of chocolate(s).

Taitau - No Sugar Added 46% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 1, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
No Sugar Added 46% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good 
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 in 1 serving (3 squares)
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's No Sugar 46% Milk 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 bar was made using "premium quality Granada cocoa beans." 

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, subtle vanilla, very faint light spice (cinnamon), and even fainter spice-wood.  

The texture was uniformly smooth and creamy, almost buttery.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: balanced, dark milk chocolate (cocoa, ganache), subtle vanilla, followed by a sizable uptick in erythritol (slight menthol sensation, overly sweet).

I'd hoped this might be a milk chocolate bar without any sweeteners, i.e. where only the natural sugars in the milk supply the sweetness. (I love the few chocolates that offer this experience.) This chocolate may be a welcome offering for those who can't have sugar; but the taste of erythritol (alternative sweetener) was too strong for me to enjoy.

Ingredients: "Cocoa butter, sweetener - erythritol, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass, emulsifier - rapeseed (canola) lecithin, flavouring vanillin. Contains naturally occurring sugars. Contains at least 46% of cocoa solids, and 22% of dry milk solids."

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk." "This product may contain traces of hazelnuts and wheat gluten." "Excessive consumption may cause laxative effects."

Taitau - 82% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 31, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
82% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 2 servings (6 squares) of bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 82% 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 bar was made using "premium quality Granada, Ghanian and Arriba cocoa beans." 

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (rich cocoa, ganache); sweet green/botanical (sugar cane/brown sugar/maple, sweet tart lemon herb - oxalis); caramel macchiato; and very faint (barely detectable) dried fruit.  

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: bold, balanced, deep, dark cacao (Forastero cacao from Ghana); sweet green botanicals, including green floral, light marshmallow (perhaps from Arriba Nacional cacao and a hint of vanillin); caramel; coffee; and very faint, fleeting (and very diffuse) stone fruit and red berry jam (perhaps from Trinitario-related varieties of cacao in Grenada).

The makers have done a great job at balancing and blending cacao varieties from three different cacao growing regions of the world in their chocolate bars. I felt I could almost taste each contribution and cacao variety in their bars featured this week that varied from 46% - 99% cacao content. My favorites were the 72% and 82% cacao chocolates; but it was educational and fun to taste all of them within days of each other. 

The information provided on the packaging was much appreciated and the tasting experiences were much enjoyed. 

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (made from premium quality Grenada, 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."

Taitau - 52% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 30, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
52% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1 serving of bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 52% 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 bar was "made from premium quality Ghanian cocoa beans." Ghana, in recent years, has been the number two exporter of cocoa beans in the world (right behind Ivory Coast). The top three export markets (in 2020-2021) for Ghana cacaco were: 1.) Netherlands, 2.) Malaysia, and 3.) United States. 

Most of the world's chocolate from Northern Europe (and the Western world) is made using West African cacao--and most cacao trees are Forastero (variety). Forastero cacao beans typically have a deep, dense, chocolate-y flavor.

Aroma notes for today's (Ghana) bar included: sweet dark chocolate; faint, warm nutty spice; subtle caramel macchiato (light coffee).  

The texture was uniformly smooth, with a creamy melt.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: rich, very sweet dark chocolate. Sugar was the number one ingredient, and it dominated the tasting experience. This 52% chocolate was too sweet for me; but otherwise it had a pleasing aroma, well-executed texture and rich, underlying chocolate-y flavor.

Ingredients: "Sugar, cocoa mass (made from premium quality Ghanian cocoa beans), cocoa butter,  emulsifier - rape (canola) lecithin." 

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

 

Taitau - 62% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 29, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Taitau (Tai Tau)
62% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 2 servings (6 pieces) of bar
Cost: $3.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Crossroads Specialty Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 62% 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).

The company offers a variety of chocolate bars and confections. The packaging for their line of bars includes cacao origin information. This 65% chocolate bar was "made from premium quality Arriba, Ghana and Grenada cocoa beans." Each square of the bar was adorned with an embossed image of a sea-inspired creature: sea shell, sea star, or sea horse.* 

Aroma notes for this bar included: sweet dark chocolate, diffuse, bright fruit (red berry), sweet coffee, faint vanilla marshmallow, and very faint sweet green floral and caramel/butterscotch. The texture was uniform and smooth.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes, and included: sweet dark chocolate (rich, sweet, dark chocolate ganache, chocolate torte); sweet green botanical (faintly smoky maple syrup, vanilla-floral); and caramel.

More sugar and a different cacao blend made this Tai Tau 62% chocolate sweeter, brighter, slightly fruitier and more floral/botanical than the Tai Tau 72% chocolate reviewed a few days ago. 

The 62% version had less Ghana (typically deep, dark Forastero cacao variety flavor) and more Grenada and Arriba (often chocolate-y with some fruit and floral notes--found in Trinitario and Nacional variety cacao(s))--yielded a different tasting experience.

I liked the bolder, smoky vanilla, slightly earthy 72% Tai Tau chocolate a little bit better; but both the 72% bar and it's sunnier 62% sibling would be good options for a chocolate tasting. (For those wanting something with less sugar and more robust flavor, the Tai Tau 90% and 99% options are worth trying as well.)

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

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

*Lithuania is a country about the size of the State of West Virginia in the U.S. During the 14th Century it was one of the largest countries in Europe. (Currently, it is larger than Belgium, Denmark or Latvia, but a fraction of what it once was.) How far is it from the ocean? It borders on the Baltic Sea.