Noi Sirius - 70% Extra Bitter Sea Salt Dark Chocolate (bar) - Apr. 7, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Noi Sirius 
70% Extra Bitter Sea Salt Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 6 squares (29 g.) / 7.05 oz. (200 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1 serving (6 squares, 29 g.) of bar 
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Sea Salt Theme Week.

Today's 70% Extra Bitter Sea Salt Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Noi Sirius (Reykjavik, Iceland).

Iceland is about the size of Kentucky in the U.S., and has a vast and grand feel to it, in part due to its rugged climate, proximity to the sea, and hilly, volcanic terrain. Notably, it's also home to several chocolatiers and chocolate makers. 

One of the largest Iceland chocolate companies, and producer of today's traditional Icelandic chocolate bar, is Noi Sirius (founded in 1920). 

Some Iceland chocolates (and some delicious hot chocolates as well) contain Icelandic milk; and/or sea salt from local salt works.

Today's generously sized package contained two large bars--a quantity suitable for many uses, including baking chocolate or inclusion in a variety of chocolate desserts. I enjoyed eating it by itself.

Aroma notes for this 70% chocolate included: dark chocolate (faint mocha roast) and faint sea salt caramel.

Each thick, scored bar broke with a hearty snap and had a relatively smooth, uniform texture.

Flavor notes included dark chocolate and a very faint, balanced light earth and even fainter aromatic spice (black pepper, pfeffernuse cookie) note in the finish. 

This set of 70% bars was labeled as "Extra Bitter." However, I found them to be relatively low in bitterness (from a dark chocolate lover's perspective) and acidity. They did fall on the darker side in the overall line-up of the company's chocolate offerings.

I appreciated this chocolate was relatively low in sugar. And the touch of sea salt seemed just right -- not too salty, but enough to add a bit of complementary, slightly addictive sweet-and-salt, warm savory flavor.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, fat reduced cocoa powder, Icelandic sea salt (1%), soy lecithin, bourbon vanilla, cocoa dry solids minimum 70%.

Allergen-related information: Contains soy. Produced in a factory which works with milk, soy, tree nuts, coconuts and wheat.

Noi Sirius - Milk Chocolate with Caramelized Almonds - Feb. 15?, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Noi Sirius

Milk Chocolate with Caramelized Almonds and Icelandic Sea Salt (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 283.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information (purchased at store in Iceland)

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Almonds Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate, Caramel and Golden Sugars Week. 

Today's Milk Chocolate with Caramelized Almonds and Icelandic Sea Salt (bar) was produced by Noi Sirius (Reykjavik, Iceland)--a large family-owned chocolate and confection company founded in 1920.

The aroma of this bar was relatively subtle. (I also sampled this in a cold room. Cold chocolates/foods are sometimes less aromatic.)

Aroma and flavor notes included smooth milk chocolate and cream caramel. A generous helping of nut (almond) bits were incorporated into thick, creamy milk chocolate; and the nuts contributed a crispy-crunchy texture.

The sweet-salt balance between sea salt and caramelized sugar was approaching "addictive snack" territory. (Caution: I wouldn't recommend trying this bar if you're overly hungry.) 

One of my favorite things about this bar was the Icelandic milk. The whole milk and skim milk powders and the almonds helped to balance the sweetness in a lower percentage (33%) cacao chocolate, and contributed to a sense of satisfying fullness.

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass, emulsifier (soya lecithin), bourbon vanilla; cocoa solids: minimum 33%), caramelized almonds (14%) (almonds, sugar), sea salt (1%).

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk, soy, tree nuts (almonds).) "Produced in a factory which works with milk, soya, tree nuts and wheat."

Noi Sirius - Dark Chocolate 45% with Toffee and Sea Salt (bar) - Dec. 20, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Noi Sirius 

Dark Chocolate 45% with Toffee and Sea Salt (bar)

Good ++ 

Weight: 1.17 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 174.8 calories in 1/3 bar 

Cost: 419 ISK (Approx. 145 ISK = $1 USD)

Purchased from: (Store in Iceland)

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

Today's Dark Chocolate 45% with Toffee and Sea Salt (bar) was from Noi Sirius (Reykjavik, Iceland).

Aroma notes for this 45% chocolate included: chocolate (dark chocolate pudding, dark ganache), toffee, butter, and very faint, fleeting clean mineral (light clay).

This smooth, creamy dark chocolate was studded with a generous helping of crunchy, sweet buttery toffee bits.

I enjoyed the balance between the less sweet, smooth dark chocolate and the sparkles of sweet crunchy toffee candy and sea salt. (A sweeter milk chocolate base would likely have been too sweet for many dark chocolate lovers.)

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soya lecithin), bourbon vanilla. Cocoa dry solids min. 45%), toffee 10% (sugar, glucose syrup, butterfat, salt, natural flavours, emulsifier (soya lecithin)), sea salt 0.4%. 

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a factory which works with milk, soya, tree nuts and wheat."

Noi Sirius - Milk Chocolate with Raisins and Hazelnuts (bar) - Dec. 18, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Noi Sirius 
Milk Chocolate with Raisins and Hazelnuts (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 274.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: (retail store in Iceland) 

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

Today's Milk Chocolate with Raisins and Hazelnuts (bar) was produced by Noi Sirius (Reykjavik, Iceland).

Aroma and flavor notes for this well-tempered milk chocolate bar included: thick, sweet milk chocolate; light, buttery caramel; fleeting, faint clean mineral/light clay; crunchy hazelnuts; densely sweet, chewy dried grape (raisins); and very faint, fleeting warm spice.

This milk chocolate nut and fruit confection was rich and sweet. The fruit and nut elements added flavor and textural interest.

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass, emulsifier (soya lecithin), bourbon vanilla. Cocoa dry solids min. 33%), hazelnuts and raisins (min. 10%), sunflower oil. 

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, soy and tree nuts (hazelnuts). "Produced in a factory which works with milk, soya, tree nuts and wheat."

Note: This post was delayed due to international travel in Iceland and elsewhere.

Noi Sirius - 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 16, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Noi Sirius 

70% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++ 

Weight: 1.17 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 173.8 calories in 1/3 bar 

Cost: $ missing information

Purchased from: (Store in Iceland)

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

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Noi Sirius (Reykjavik, Iceland).

This smooth dark chocolate bar had balanced, bold dark flavor with a hint of vanilla. It was the chocolate equivalent of the basic black dress that every young woman felt they needed or wanted to have. 

The basic 70% dark, relatively bold. flavor was softened a bit around the edges. Nothing too wild. Sophisticated in its dark, uniform simplicity. It's the kind of dark chocolate bar you might find across Europe, with a hint of vanilla.

It will please the palettes of those who enjoy a smooth dark chocolate without harsh acidity or bitterness. Not too sweet, with just enough dark flavor to be satisfying.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, fat reduced cocoa powder, emulsifier (soya lecithin), bourbon vanilla. Cocoa dry solids min. 70%.

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a factory which works with milk, soya, tree nuts and wheat."

Note: This post was delayed due to international travel to Iceland and elsewhere.

Noi Sirius - Milk Chocolate Praline Caramels with Sea Salt - Dec. 12, 2022

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Noi Sirius
Milk Chocolate Praline with Caramel and Sea Salt (Noa Konfekt)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .89 oz. (25.2 g.) / 1.48 oz. (42 g.) in total box of 5 pieces
Calories: 125 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: 899 ISK (Krona) for 1 box of 5 pieces
Purchased from: Kr (store), Vik, Iceland

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

This morning's Milk Chocolate Praline with Caramel and Sea Salt confections were from Noi Sirius (Reykjavik, Iceland). The box of 5 pieces came neatly packaged, and with a cover photo of two Arctic foxes.

(See next post for chocolate ice cream desserts enjoyed later this same day (in the evening) in Reykjavik.)

Each of these oval-shaped confections was topped with a tiny raised image--in the shape of the county of Iceland.

Aroma notes included: sweet milk chocolate and caramel.

The texture: soft, flowing (liquid), light golden caramel encased by a layer of smooth milk chocolate.

Flavor notes included: balanced confectionery levels of sweet milk chocolate, caramel, and faint salt.

Ingredients: Milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, whole milk powder, skimmed milk powder, emulsifier (soya lecithin), bourbon vanilla. Cocoa dry solids min. of 37%), caramel filling (33%) (sugar, glucose syrup, water, vegetable oil (palm kernel), whole milk powder, molasses, table salt, flavours, invertase, emulsifiers (soya lecithin), acid regulator (E501), acid (E296)).

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, soy. "Produced in a factory which works with milk, soya, tree nuts and wheat."

Note: This post was delayed due to international travel in Iceland, and travel within the U.S.

 

Noi Sirius - Icelandic Chocolate 56% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 27, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Noi Sirius
Icelandic Chocolate 56% Dark Chocolate (bars)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.02 oz. (29 g.) / 7.05 oz. (200 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 160 calories in 1.02 oz. (29 oz.) of 1 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Thank you Don!)

Welcome to Day #9 of Plain Dark Chocolate Theme Week.

Plain, does not mean boring, or lesser quality chocolate. Today's Icelandic Chocolate 56% Dark Chocolate, from Noi Sirius (Reykjavik, Iceland), was from...Iceland! And the flavors in this bar were subtle and intriguing.

When I see a non-origin* specific chocolate (often a blend origins) that is lower than 60%, my expectations about flavor tend to be relatively low.

However, this bar had very light baked chocolate cake infused with light fragrant green (tea) and faint peach, cherry or tropical fruit/light floral aroma and flavor notes. Added vanilla and dry cocoa contributed to the uplifting, lighter, sweet baked goods, flavor profile.**

Light green, fruit and floral notes are relatively volatile, and often are lost during the chocolate-making process. So to have them preserved in this way was quite nice. Light and fun natural flavors from a cool country. (Today's weather forecast for Reykjavik, Iceland, called for snow and temperatures of 28 degrees F. (-2 degrees C.).)

*Origin of cacao beans, or indicating where cacao that was used to make this chocolate was grown. Cacao grows approximately 20 degrees (latitude) above and below the Equator.

**Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla, cocoa dry solids.