Lonohana Chocolate - 55% Cacao Jasmine Tea Milk Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 26, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Chocolate
55% Cacao Jasmine Tea Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) total bar
Calories: 184 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #18 of Chocolate & Flowers Theme Week and Day #4 of Chocolate & Tea Theme Week.

Today's 55% Cacao Jasmine Tea Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Lonohana Chocolate (Honolulu, Oahu, HI).

Lonohana bars and confections are produced at the company's chocolate factory in Honolulu "using cacao that is 100% Hawaii-grown."

Aroma notes included: sweet, dark milk chocolate with dried fruit (ripe, white grape), very faint floral, and faint nut. (Note: there were no nut ingredients listed.) When I re-tasted this chocolate later, I also tasted light caramel and faint tea notes.

Texture: creamy, rich milk chocolate

I liked the creamy texture; subtle, balanced complexity; short list of quality and organic ingredients; and the single origin Hawaii chocolate. A bit on the sweet side, this bar will please those with a sweet tooth who enjoy some authentic cacao flavor but without any rough edges.

Ingredients: Hawaii-grown cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter infused with organic jasmine tea & organic whole milk powder. 

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. Soy and Gluten Free. "Made on equipment that also processes milk and tree nuts. Produced in a facility that handles coconut, eggs, macadamia, peanuts, sesame, soy & wheat."

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - 67% Dark with Nibs and Sea Salt (bar) - Jan. 26, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
67% Dark with Nibs & Sea Salt (bar)
Very Good 
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: Part of a $45.00 USD Island Flavors bundle (four different bars)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha; and welcome to Day #26 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s).

Today's 67% Dark with Nibs & Sea Salt (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). 

Aroma notes included: rich, dark and seductive single origin chocolate (ultra dark chocolate brownie cookie and sweet green botanical aspects (cane syrup, green fig, rainforest with a waterfall, sweet green nut)), and very faint fleeting mocha.

Texture: This was a very well-executed blend of opposites: smooth and crunchy, sweet and salty, and smooth yet divinely intense.

The cacao nibs on the back side were uniform, and relatively small in size ensuring a pleasurable and delicious crunchy chocolate experience (with zero "off" flavors or funky nibs). The salt was also perfectly deployed, allowing for small, very gentle waves of sea salt. (It brought back memories of an ocean swim in Hawaii.)

The base chocolate had a smooth, uniform melt and texture, with a fleeting, very mild, very well balanced cacao bean/nib flavor (very delicate cacao bitter/nutty astringency) in the finish. 

Flavor notes included: delicious, well-executed, full cacao (nibs and chocolate) tasting experience in one bar, with some green, botanical notes (mentioned in aroma notes, above). High-quality, perfectly balanced flavors, in harmonious gentle flux.

Lonohana maker's description:

"From the fertile soils of the Big Island, the cacao for this bar grows a full three degrees further south towards the equator than our estate on Oahu. The soil and weather differences between the two islands give each their own unique characteristics. We sprinkle Alaea sea salt from Moloka'i and gently roasted chopped cacao nibs on the back of our 67% dark chocolate. It is a crunchy, salty, creamy and perfectly instense chocolate bar."

What I loved about this bar: 1.) rich dark chocolate and cocoa nib flavors and maker's roast (gently roasted nibs) and other choices; 2.) well executed crunchy nib size, taste and texture; 3.) perfect amount of sea salt that harmonized perfectly with the chocolate and make this bar slightly addicting; and 4.) the overwhelming joy and "transportation" (to an island rainforest/cacao plantation) that only a few of the very best (single origin) chocolates provide.

Ingredients: "Big Island cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, Moloka'i Alaea sea salt (and) roasted cocoa nibs"

Allergen-related information: "Soy and gluten free. Made in a peanut-free environment by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC...") 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Hawaiian Coffee 50% (bar) - Jan. 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Hawaiian Coffee 50% Dark Milk (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: Part of a $45.00 USD Island Flavors bundle (four different bars)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha; and welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Hawaiian Coffee 50% Dark Milk (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). It was cold and rainy in California; but this Hawaii island mocha blend brightened up today's January mood considerably.

Made with estate grown Hawaii cacao and Ka'u coffee--a specialty coffee grown in the Ka'u district of Hawaii's Big Island known for its smooth rich flavor, this 50% dark milk chocolate had a very pleasing aroma with freshly ground coffee, dark mocha latte, and coffee toffee notes.

The coffee in this well-tempered bar was fully ground into the chocolate, making for a smooth, uniform melt and texture, with a fleeting, very mild astringency in the finish. 

Flavor notes included: tasty and smooth, flavorful dark chocolate, dark mocha coffee and whole milk.

I would have been happy with even less sugar; but the 50% dark milk and coffee blend will please a wider audience. There was just enough milk and sugar to lower (what seemed to be already low levels of) bitterness and acidity, but not enough to overwhelm the underlying cacao and coffee flavors. 

Lonohana maker's description:

"This bar celebrates coffee grown in the rich volcanic soils of the Ka'u district on the Big Island of Hawai'i. We stone-grind coffee beans for several days into 50% dark milk chocolate to craft this delicious, rich, creamy and eye-opening bar."

"A gentle roast of the cacao beans ensures that our chocolate is a perfect accompaniment to the coffee from our favorite region in the islands..."

Ingredients: "Hawaii-grown cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic whole milk powder and Ka'u coffee"

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "Soy and gluten free. Made in a peanut-free environment by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC...")

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Orange and Vanilla 70% (bar) - Jan. 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Orange and Vanilla dark 70% (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: Part of $45.00 USD Island Flavors bundle (set of 4 different bars)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha; and welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

This Orange and Vanilla dark 70% (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). 

Aroma notes included: smooth, rich dark chocolate; vanilla; orange; and faint butter.

This well-tempered dark bar had a smooth, creamy texture and melt. (I checked the package again to see if it contained milk. It did not. See maker's notes below.)

Flavor notes included: rich, smooth dark chocolate, authentic, sweet orange oil and warm, creamy vanilla.

I loved that the maker chose to make a 70% dark chocolate version (vs. a sweet milk chocolate) version of this flavor blend. 

Lonohana Maker's Notes                           

"This addictive 70% dark chocolate (combines) "floral island cacao and sweet orange essential oil....reminds us of good times eating a creamsicle* with friends, however there is no dairy!

The creaminess is a result of a gentle roast and careful, extended stone grinding."

Ingredients: Hawaii-grown cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, and sweet orange oil.

Allergen-related information: Vegan. 

*A frozen orange juice/drink and vanilla ice cream treat on a stick said to be invented in 1905 in the U.S. by a young (11-year old) ice cream truck driver, Frank Epperson--who called it an epsicle. Versions of this popular frozen offering were later sold as popsicles and/or creamsicles. These brands are currently owned by Unilever.

 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Big Island Dark 73% (bar) - Jan. 7, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Big Island Dark 73% (bar)
Good ++ - +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Big Island Dark 73% (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI) using cacao grown on the Big Island of Hawai'i. (Cacao source: Hawaiian Crown, Hilo, Hawai'i).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark chocolate fudge brownie), faint fresh baked bread, and sweet green walnuts in honey syrup.* 

This well-tempered chocolate broke with a hard snap in a cool room. The texture was smooth with a gentle (balanced) tannic astringency.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark fudge walnut brownie), sweet green botanical and very faint red berry in the finish.

I liked the complexity and rich dark chocolate flavor(s) coaxed from just two ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes/description 

"At Lonohana we are dedicated to exploring the concept of terroir. How might different soils and climate influence the cacao and the resulting chocolate?

This 73% two-ingredient dark comes from meticulously farmed and fermented beans grown just outside of Hilo, a full three degrees from the equator than our estate (on O'ahu). The resulting chocolate has hints of brownie and raspberry, and just a touch more tannin than our estate-grown 73% dark."

Ingredients: Big Island cacao, organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Soy and Gluten free. Made in a peanut-free environment. Vegan."

*In Southern Europe (e.g. Greece, Turkey, Romania, Armenia, Azerbaijan) and in a few U.S. locations, you can find young/green walnut preserves, aka young walnut jam. These walnuts (picked before they are ripe) can also be "pickled" in honey, and used to make liqueurs (e.g. Nocino in Italy). The sweet young nut products are surprisingly tasty. 

 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Kanahiku 70% Dark (bar) - Jan. 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Kanahiku 70% Dark (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

This Hawaii Kanahiku 70% Dark (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). (Kanahiku, Lonohana's signature 70% bar, is the Hawaiian word for seventy.)

Balanced and complex aroma and flavor notes for this included: rich, flavorful dark chocolate, sweet green, faint molasses, dried fruits (fig, date, berry), honey, and very faint (barely detectable) slightly over-ripe pineapple.

I really liked the authentic and rich, chocolate, fruit and botanical flavors and the long, complex and almost undulating fruity and sweet "green" finish that included (but was not limited to): very faint honey-banana, green tea, honey-ed tropical berry). All this from just two ingredients: cacao and sugar.

Savor this bar slowly to appreciate the chameleon-like fruit shimmers; and enjoy a bit of virtual travel to a Hawaiian cacao orchard that was transformed from a nutrient-depleted sugar plantation to a rich productive orchard almost 15 years ago.

Maker's tasting notes/description 

"This was the first bar we ever made at Lonohana, back in 2014, and it has only become more complex with the orchard's additional years of maturity."

"Our careful roast ensures that this chocolate holds its balance of flavors, with deep cocoa undertones and bright berry fruit, and an almost everlasting finish--a trademark of our beans from our cacao farm on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii." 

Ingredients: (Lonohana) Estate cacao and organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: (Vegan) Made with just two ingredients (cacao and organic can sugar). No other information listed on wrapper.

*Senaca Klassen, Lonohana founder and chocolate maker, planted cacao trees in what had been"nutrient-deprived" soil (previously abandoned sugar cane land). He improved this soil into using regenerative agroforestry and sustainable farming practices. 

The cacao tree planting began back in 2009. After crafting chocolate from tree to bar, it must be gratifying to taste the fruits of one's labor over the years. Thank you!

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Lucky 7 77% Dark (bar) - Jan. 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Lucky 7 77% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $20 (+ shipping)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

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

Today's Lucky 7 77% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI) was made in Hawaii from Hawaii-grown cacao.

Aroma notes included: aromatic dark chocolate; molasses; faint fermented cacao fruit and sugar cane (sweet beer and sweet green cane/green fig cookie notes).

This well-tempered 77% dark bar broke with a satisfying hard snap in a cool room, and had a smooth texture.

My favorite chocolates offer a form of magical transportation. They're made with just one or two ingredients, and they have well-executed and complex flavor nuances. They transport me back to cacao growing regions, where cacao is being harvested, fermented and painstakingly converted into chocolate. They, dare I say it, restoreth my soul. Today's chocolate was one of those chocolates.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate fudge brownie, sweet green, and very faint molasses and fermentated cacao fruit. These fresh and authentic flavors were well balanced, very compatible and delicious to me.

Ingredients: "Estate cacao and organic cane sugar"

Allergen-related information: "Soy and gluten free." "Made in a peanut-free environment by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC..."

Lonahana Estate Chocolate - Hibiscus Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 4, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Hibiscus Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ (Part of 4-bar $45.00 Island Flavors bundle)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

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

Today's Hibiscus Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI) from Hawaii-grown cacao and hibiscus.

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate and very light red fruit and floral (hibiscus).

This sweet, well-tempered 50% dark milk bar broke with a hard snap in a cool room. (Tempering can be harder to do with milk chocolate, so hats off to the maker); and it had a very creamy texture.

Flavor notes included: subtle, tart sweet hibiscus floral. The milk muted the hibiscus flavor a bit, but it was a pleasing addition and the soft tartness helped balance the sugar.

Lonohana founder, chocolate maker and farmer, Seneca Klassen, has continued to grow and source Hawaiian cacao and to bring both single Hawaii origin chocolate (and chocolate with Hawaiian flavors) to chocolate lovers around the globe. Today's bar was an homage to Hawaii-grown cacao and beautifully showy hibiscus* flowers.

Ingredients: "Hawaii-grown cacao, organic cane sugar, organic whole milk powder, organic cocoa butter and dried organic Hawaii-grown hibiscus flower"

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "Produced in a peanut-free environment on equipment that also processes milk and tree nuts."

*The Hawaii-grown cacao and hibiscus in this dark milk chocolate are both part of the mallow (Malvaceae) plant family. 

Origins: The hibiscus (Hawaii's State Flower) may have spread from Asia to Pacific islands via birds, weather (wind) or ocean currents (flotsam), even before people arrived. Some were brought to Hawaii and elsewhere later by people. Five species of hibiscus are considered native to Hawaii. Cacao was from the Americas. Happily for those who enjoyed today's bar, both now reside in Hawaii.

Speaking of flowers: Both cacao and hibiscus have five-petaled flowers (see Lonohana logo for this bar). (Edible cacao flowers (aka Madre de Cacao) are tiny, ivory-to-pink colored blossoms that begat large fruits (cacao pods); and hibiscus flowers are large, showy and, in many cases, edible as well.) 

Some hibiscus sub-species and/or varieties are more edible than others: e.g. the Roselle hibiscus used in today's bar, is also used in drinks (agua de Jamaica/Jamaica agua fresca) and Hibiscus sabdariffa and Hibiscus acetosella are also used to make teas in the Caribbean and Latin America. (Some varieties are also enjoyed in salads.) 

Onomea Chocolate - Lime in the Coconut (bar) - Jan. 2, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Onomea Chocolate
Lime in the Coconut (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .93 oz. (26.5 g.) / 1.86 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ (Part of $45.00 Island Flavors bundle)
Purchased from: Onome/Lonohana websites, online order

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

Today's Onomea Chocolate "Lime in the Coconut" (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). 

Aroma notes included: lime (essential oil) and chocolate.

Flavor notes included: creamy, smooth and flavorful, relatively sweet dark chocolate (low in bitterness) with fresh squeezed lime and lime oil notes. The roasted coconut (completely incorporated into the chocolate) was almost undetectable; it may have been harmonizing with the lime in the background and contributing to this chocolate's silken texture and melt. 

There were also very, very faint (pleasant) wood (cedar) and very fleeting pepper notes. Not sure if this was from the lime oil, the cacao, or both together. But, I enjoyed these tidbits of tasty complexity.

Thank you to Lonohana founder, chocolate maker and farmer, Seneca Klassen, for sharing great Hawaiian cacao with chocolate lovers around the globe. Onomea is a relatively new(er) chocolate brand/partnership. (Loved the island flavor inclusions and colorful art work(s)* on the packaging.)

Ingredients: "Organic cane sugar, Hawaiian cacao, organic cocoa butter, organic coconut, lime essential oil"

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut. "Produced in a peanut-free environment on equipment that also processes milk and tree nuts."

*The front label art for this bar was titled "I'm Going In" by local Hawaiian artist, Kate Wadsworth.

 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Milk and Ginger 50% Dark Milk (bar) - Dec. 10, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Milk and Ginger 50% Dark Milk (bar)
Good ++

Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: Lonohana (and The Chocolate Garage) 

Welcome to Day #19 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Weeks, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Week. 

Today's Milk and Ginger 50% Dark Milk (bar) made with cacao from Honduras and Ecuador, was from Lonohana Estate Chocolate (Honolulu, HI).

I've tried growing ginger on my patio in northern California, and it is possible to get lovely green shoots and more ginger this way. But, Hawaii seems like it would be a far better place to grow this wonderfully spicy item that complements chocolate so nicely.

Lonohana's luxuriously creamy, dark milk chocolate (bar) was infused with natural, warm, fragrant, natural ginger spice, a hint of caramel and very faint citrus (lemongrass) aroma and flavor notes.

The amount of toasted coconut and ginger essential oil(s) tasted just right. Not too much, not too little. 

This chocolate was sweet enough (the increased sugar in a 50% cacao chocolate is generally at my limit) that it was difficult to pick up the flavor nuances of the cacao (from Honduras and Ecuador). The milk chocolate was very smooth and pleasantly balanced. And there were certainly no "off" flavors that I could detect.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, organic whole milk powder,  roasted coconut and ginger oil. 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC - 73% North Shore (bar) - Dec. 6, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC
73% North Shore (bar)  
Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) (estimate) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lonohana / The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA*

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Weeks.

Today's 73% North Shore bar was from Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI).

As with other Lonohana bars, today's hand-crafted chocolate was grown and made in Hawaii. Only a handful of U.S. chocolate makers can make this claim; and almost all of them are in Hawaii--the only U.S. state with a climate and latitude (within 20 degrees of the Equator) suitable for growing Theobroma cacao trees outdoors.

Unlike other U.S.-based chocolate makers on the mainland, Lonohana's founder, expert chocolate maker and farmer, Seneca Klassen, also has been able to grow his own cacao where he makes it, in Hawaii, in a model more similar to wine-making, where the grape vines (vineyards) are adjacent to wine-making operations (wineries).

Today's well-executed bar was shaped in a mold that depicted the chain of Hawaiian islands. The chocolate had an inviting dark chocolate aroma with very light spice and fruit notes. 

The first bite of this chocolate yielded a very faint fermented note that was quickly followed by a full, sweet-tart fruit flavor (notes of cherry and tropical fruits). Once the fruit notes receded a bit, the flavor took on a sophisticated, almost "silken" true chocolate finish (high end chocolate silk, flourless tart perhaps). And the finish ended with a trace of well-balanced, bitter-sweet. 

That natural sweetness of the cacao made the choice to use 73% cacao (vs. 70% cacao) resulted in a bit more cacao flavor and less sugar. A great choice.

*Note: This was an early sample bar that was available through a relationship between Lonohana Estate Chocolate and The Chocolate Garage (sadly, now closed). This bar is likely not available to the general public. Lonohana offers chocolate bars through membership in a Chocolate Club, that is similar to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) offering (fruit and vegetable subscription box) and has a store on their website.

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - 100% Hawaiian Cacao bar - Dec. 5, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC
100% Hawaiian Cacao bar  
Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Weeks.

Today's 100% Hawaiian Cacao bar was from Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI), offering high-quality, tree-to-bar chocolate.

Made in Hawaii from cacao that was planted, grown, harvested and dried in Hawaii, this 100% Hawaiian cacao bar was a great blend of creamy and crunchy, pure single origin chocolate goodness. There's something to be said for being a vertically-integrated operation, although I'm sure there is more work involved. Wearing multiple hats as cacao grower, fermenter/chemist and chocolate maker (and chocolate educator) is likely satisfying and, at times, exhausting.

Today's bar had balanced, pure "true" chocolate flavor (chocolate brownie, enhanced by crunchy, cocoa nibs) and light caramel, fermented and fruit notes.

Note: Made in a peanut-free environment; soy and gluten free. 

Lonohana Estate - Hapalua with Candied Nibs, Dark Milk bar - Nov. 26, 2017

Chocolate of the Day:

Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC
Hapalua with Candied Nibs Dark Milk bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 173 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

The Hapalau* with Candied Nibs Dark Milk chocolate bar from Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC  (Honolulu, Oahu, HI) had a lovely sweet, slightly floral green, chocolate aroma with light caramel notes—and an addictive flavor and texture combination.

I first tasted (Batch No. 1) of this especially nice dark milk Hapalua bar shortly after its debut in early 2016, while on a chocolate trip to Nicaragua. The chocolatemaker, Seneca Klassen, also happened to be on this trip and provided samples. (See Chocolate Banquet entry, Mar. 18, 2016.)

Why was this milk chocolate bar especially nice? I can think of at least three reasons.

First, this was a Hawaiian bar. The cacao and nibs (Haleiwa, Oahu), and the cane sugar from Maui, were "planted, grown and harvested in Hawaii." Lonohana Estate is unique, a vertically integrated, operation, producing farm to table chocolate in the U.S. (Hawaii is the only U.S. state where cacao is grown commercially.)

Second, the bar was masterfully made, with well balanced flavor and texture. It had a caramel flavor from the candied nibs/milk chocolate, and a texture that was both buttery smooth and crunchy. There was not one off note.

Last, but not least, the deep milk chocolate (% not listed, but likely around 50% cacao) offered more chocolate flavor than other lower percentage milk chocolate bars. And the nibs put the cocoa flavor over the top.

Sadly, this bar may be hard to obtain. Most Lonohana Estate bars are made in small batches, and are available through a tasting club or limited venues. Occasionally they have a few bars left for sale on their website.

Ingredients: "Estate cacao, organic cocoa butter, organic whole milk powder, Maui cane sugar and candied estate nibs"

*Hapalua means "half" in the Hawaiian language. Half the bar (one side) was covered with a thick field of nibs. And on the "smooth" side, was a map of the Hawaiian islands.

Lonohana - Coconut Milk 65% Dark bar - Mar. 23, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Coconut Milk 65% Dark bar
Good++
Weight: .766 oz. (21.6 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $12.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Aloha, and welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Lonohana Estate Chocolate is based in Hawai'i (Oahu), where chocolate maker Seneca Klassen produces unique batches of limited edition bars from Hawaiian-grown ingredients, like those found in today's Coconut Milk 65% Dark chocolate bar.

Today's Coconut Milk small batch bar was created from 100% Hawaiian cacao (Big Island Cacao, from the Hawaiian Crown farm in Hilo, HI); Maui cane sugar; roasted coconut; and organic cocoa butter.

The bar had a rich chocolate and coconut aroma. Added cocoa butter and the presence of coconut oil/fat gave this bar a creamy mouth feel and melt. And what a difference fresh, authentic coconut made. A lilting fresh three-dimensional coconut flavor unfolded with each bite.

This Batch #1 August 2015 bar was unique and won't be repeated. Although you can visit the Lonohana website for news of other upcoming bars. (Most bars are available to members of the company's club, that is similar to a CSA.*) The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA), where I purchased this bar, carries a small number of Lonohana bars.

Hats off to Seneca Klassen, who is a "vertically integrated" chocolate maker—growing cacao and making chocolate himself (from tree-to-bar).

However, having control of more of the process doesn't always equate with certainty or ease of success. Klassen also sources ingredients from other farms, and has to work with the ups and downs of seasonal weather and the business cycles of others.

For example, in early 2016, Alexander and Baldwin Inc.'s Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Co. announced they were winding down operations, marking the end of the last sugar plantation in the state of Hawaii. Having met Seneca Klassen, he's probably already working with other quality suppliers, but this kind of local news has to be a little disappointing.

*CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, a model that allows customers to buy produce/locally grown products directly from farmers.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Lonohana Estate - Nene bar with sea salt - Dec. 9, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC
The Nene Milk with sea salt bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 173 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week.

Most great chocolate bars contain five ingredients or less. Today's bar was no exception. The Nene Milk with sea salt bar from Lonohana Estate Chocolate (Honolulu, HI) ingredient list read as follows: 1.) Lonohana Estate grown cacao; 2.) cocoa butter; 3.) organic whole milk powder; 4.) Maui cane sugar; and 5.) Alaea sea salt.

This Nene milk chocolate bar possessed wonderful caramel notes, without being overly sweet, and just the right, light touch of sea salt.

Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC, is the product of two families' efforts to both grow their own cacao fruit/trees in Hawaii and to make their own chocolate from the cacao beans. They planted their first tree back in 2009, and have started selling small production runs of bars (through a club system) within the last year.

Classified as a tree-to-bar company, this maker has more control over the complete process (raising the probability of making a great chocolate bar). However, the many steps involved, from propagating cacao seedlings to tempering and molding finished chocolate bars, also present more complex challenges (and opportunities for things to go wrong). For these reasons, the maker(s) at Lonohana are to be congratulated.* (Thank you Seneca, and Sunita.)

*Note: If the greatest alchemy is to turn fear into strength, the second greatest feat may be to turn cacao beans into great chocolate. There are more than 20 steps involved. The process rivals wine-making and any other complex craft food-making that I've encountered.