Oodaalolly - Trinitario Cacao 40% Salty Toffee Milk Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 21, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Oodaalolly Chocolate
Trinitario Cacao 40% Salty Toffee Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Malaya Botanicals, Alameda, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and The Philippines Theme Week.

Today's Trinitario Cacao 40% Salty Toffee Milk Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by Oodaalolly Chocolate using Trinitario variety cacao and Ilocano salt--both from the Philippines.

Aroma and Flavor notes included: sweet, smooth milk chocolate with chocolate-y (dark milk chocolate ganache) and very faint (barely detectable) fruit and butter toffee--with a tasty, slightly salty chocolate and toffee finish. 

This 40% milk chocolate bar was quite sweet; however the salt and the higher quality cacao helped balance the sweetness.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy texture and melt with intermittent tiny crunchy bits of salt and toffee. 

I really appreciated the maker's use of single origin cacao and salt; the short list of quality and organic ingredients; and the sweet and salty balance.

Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Milk Powder, Ilocano Sea Salt, Toffee. Manufactured by Oodaalolly, a H&G Chocolate Distribution Company* (in Richmond, CA). 

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Manufactured in a Facility That Also Processes: Milk, Almond, Coconut"

*Note: Oodaalolly Chocolate merged operations with H&G Chocolate Distribution Company in 2024.

Oodaalolly Chocolate - Trinitario (Philippine) Cacao 40% Swiss-Style Milk Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 20, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Oodaalolly Chocolate
Trinitario Cacao 40% Swiss-Style Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 340 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Malaya Botanicals, Alameda, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and The Philippines Theme Week.

Today's Trinitario Cacao 40% Swiss-Style Milk Chocolate (bar) was created by Oodaalolly Chocolate founder Hernan Lauber, using Trinitario variety cacao from the Philippines and Swiss chocolate making techniques learned from his father. 

Aroma and Flavor notes included: sweet, smooth milk chocolate with chocolate-y (dark milk chocolate ganache) and very faint (barely detectable) fruit notes with a smooth, clean finish.

This bar was fairly sweet, but it was a higher quality 40% cacao chocolate than you'll find in many other places.

Texture: smooth, almost velvety texture and melt

I really appreciated the maker's use of single origin cacao (Philippines); the short list of quality and organic ingredients; and the use of Swiss milk chocolate techniques.

Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Cocoa Butter, Milk Powder 

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Manufactured in a Facility That Also Processes: Milk, Almond, Coconut"

Note: Oodaalolly Chocolate merged operations with H&G Chocolate Distribution Company in 2024.

Oodaalolly - 55% Premium Cacao Milk Chocolate with Mango (bar) - Jan. 20, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Oodaalolly
55% Premium Cacao Milk Chocolate with Mango (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Oodaalolly, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and the Philippines Theme Week.

Today's 55% Premium Cacao Milk Chocolate with Mango (bar) was manufactured by Oodaalolly, A H&G (Richmond, CA), and was made with Philippine cacao.

Aroma notes for this bar included: smooth dark chocolate, subtle coconut (milk) and ripe fruit (mango).

This 55% coconut milk chocolate had rich, sweet chocolate-y flavor (high-end dark chocolate fudge sauce, ganache), and very slight tangy and earthy notes. 

Tiny clusters of mango pieces on the back of the bar added subtle, authentic tart-sweet mango flavor, and a bit of textural and visual interest. 

Maker's tasting notes "Savor the mellow sweetness of mango blended with our luscious coconut milk...a non-dairy delight."

Ingredients: "Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Dried Mango, Organic Coconut Milk Powder (Organic Coconut Milk, Organic Tapioca Maltodextrin, Organic Gum Acacia"

Allergen-related information: Manufactured In a Facility That Also Processes Milk, Almond, Coconut"  

Oodaalolly - 50% Premium Cacao Milk Chocolate with Sea Salt (bar) - Jan. 19, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Oodaalolly
50% Premium Cacao Milk Chocolate with Sea Salt (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 340 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Oodaalolly, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and the Philippines Theme Week.

Today's 50% Premium Cacao Milk Chocolate with Sea Salt (bar) was manufactured by Oodaalolly, A H&G (Richmond, CA).

I enjoyed the smooth flavor in this 50% oat milk chocolate. It was rich and chocolate-y (high-end chocolate fudge sauce, ganache), but it wasn't too sweet (thank you). The sea salt and the oat milk (powder) helped balance the sweetness; and both harmonized well with the cacao. 

The oat powder was seamlessly integrated into the chocolate and added a very faint (almost undetectable) maltiness. And the tiny snowflakes of sea salt had a perfect texture and flavor.

Oodaalolly founder and chocolate maker Hernan Lauber has successfully delivered a blend of high-quality cacao (and short list of ingredients) with Swiss-style chocolate making techniques (smaller particle size, creamier texture, and relatively smooth flavors). 

This bar was well-balanced and smooth, yet also more flavorful than other 50% cacao bars and/or other most oat milk chocolates I've tried.

Maker's description: "This lush velvety bar is a love letter to my dual heritage, crafted with the finest  Philippine cacao using the Swiss chocolate making magic I learned from my father...Ilocano sea salt from the Pangasinan region has a unique crystal structure and minerality making it a culinary treasure of the Philippines..."

Ingredients: "Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Oat Powder, Sea Salt"

Allergen-related information: Manufactured In a Facility That Also Processes Milk, Almond, Coconut" 

Oodaalolly - 70% Premium Cacao Dark Chocolate with Coconut Sugar (bar) - Jan. 18, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Oodaalolly, A H&G
70% Premium Cacao Dark Chocolate with Coconut Sugar (bar)
Good ++  
Weight: 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Oodaalolly, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and the Philippines Theme Week.

Today's 70% Premium Cacao Dark Chocolate with Coconut Sugar (bar) was made by Oodaalolly, A H&G (Richmond, CA).

The sugar lent great, rich, nuanced sweetness. The taste wasn't maple sugar; it wasn't brown sugar...It was in its own class. And it harmonized very nicely with the 70% cacao dark chocolate.

I loved the sugar flavor; the balance of dark chocolate and sugar; and the short list of quality, organic ingredients. (I also found this bar to be mildly addictive.)

Maker's description: "Delicious 70% dark chocolate infused with the golden sweetness of coconut sugar from the Philippines..."

Ingredients: "Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter"

Allergen-related information: Manufactured In a Facility That Also Processes Milk, Almond, Coconut"

 

Oodaalolly - Roasted Cacao Nibs (Philippines) - May 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Oodaalolly Chocolate
Roasted Cacao Nibs - Philippines
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 8.81 oz. (250 g.) in total package
Calories: 90 calories in 1.5 TB (1/2 serving)
Cost: $14.00 (sale) for 1 package 
Purchased from: Oodaalolly, LLC, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate, Nuts and Nibs Theme Week, featuring items with chocolate and nuts, cacao nibs and/or combinations of these elements.

Today's Oodaalolly Roasted Cacao Nibs were a product of the Philippines, but roasted and packaged by Oodaalolly, LLC (El Cerrito, CA) for sale in the U.S. 

Oodaalolly founder and chocolate maker, Hernan Lauber, also offers a line of chocolates (bars) that feature cacao from the Philippines (and sometimes flavor inclusions from this island nation as well). We paired these nibs with a small bowl of pili nuts, but they also would have worked in oatmeal, ice cream, infused in whiskey, tea or coffee, or in a spice blend/rub.

Today's single origin nibs (pieces of Trinitario* variety of cacao beans) were from Davao (in the southern Philippines).

Aroma and flavor notes for these nibs included: cacao, slightly green (seed, nut), faint earth, roasted nut, roasted coffee, toast, and chocolate cookie notes. (There may have been a very faint, slightly acidic, diffuse fruit in this taste bouquet.)

The nibs had uniform, balanced, roasted cacao flavor(s), while retaining the fairly complex essence of the cacao bean(s). They were well-suited to both sweet and savory applications.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs (Theobroma cacao)

Allergen-related information: "Non-GMO, gluten free, vegan"

*Trinitario variety cacao often has some of the true chocolate-y flavors often associated with bolder (forastero) varieties, but is less subtle than some milder heritage (criollo) varieties. 

Oodaalolly Chocolate - Pumpkin Five-Spice Milk Chocolate bar - Feb. 27, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Oodaalolly Chocolate

Pumpkin Five-Spice Milk Chocolate (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 0.88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar

Calories: 141 calories (estimate) in 1 bar

Cost: $5.00 in total bar

Purchased from: Oodaalolly, online order

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

Today's Pumpkin Five-Spice Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Oodaalolly Chocolate (El Cerrito, CA). Oodaalolly founder, Hernan Lauber, creates small batch chocolates using Philippine cacao (and Philippines-inspired flavors) and family Swiss chocolate making techniques.

Five-spice blend (also known as Chinese Five Spice powder) is associated with savory and sweet dishes across Asia and some Pacific Islands. The five spices include: star anise, cloves, Chinese (cassia) cinnamon bark, fennel seeds and Sichuan (aka Szechuan) peppercorns. (Regional blends may include other ingredients (e.g. Mandarin orange peel)).

Aroma notes for today's milk chocolate bar included subtle spice (star anise, followed by mild clove, cinnamon, vanilla, and barely there fennel and pepper). This bar had a generous amount of cocoa butter which added to the creamy melt and texture.

The powdered pumpkin added a sweet vegetable note (think pumpkin pie) that was very complementary with the balanced spice blend. As with the aroma (above), the star anise was slightly more prominent. 

Skillfully balanced, compatible flavor elements led to a pleasing (and slightly addictive) chocolate. The pumpkin and spices created depth/interest and helped prevent the milk chocolate from seeming overly sweet. Last but not least, vanilla contributed a baked goods-like warmth (along with raw sugar) and pie-like flavor.

Maker's tasting notes: "Creamy milk chocolate, five-spice powder, and real pumpkin come spectacularly together in this limited-edition release of Oodaalolly's twist on a classic Autumn flavor."

Ingredients: "Cocoa butter, raw cane sugar, whole milk powder, Philippine cacao, pumpkin powder, five-spice (star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seed, sichuan pepper), and vanilla."

Allergen-related information: (Contained milk.) No allergen-related information found on label.

Oodaalolly - 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Calamansi (bar) - Jan. 2, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Oodaalolly 

70% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Calamansi (bar)

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 228 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Oodaalolly, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Lemon/Citrus Theme Week.

Today's 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Calamansi (bar) was crafted using cacao from the Philippines and "Swiss technique." Oodaalolly (El Cerrito, CA) specializes in small batch chocolate(s) made with cacao from the Philippines.

Aroma notes for this chocolate included: sweet, subtly aromatic dark chocolate with faint notes of sweet citrus, very faint vanilla spice tobacco.

The texture and melt were smooth, and relatively creamy for a non-dairy bar.

This well-tempered, three-ingredient chocolate had flavor notes that included: sweet, smooth relatively dark chocolate with tart and tangy citrus and very faint vanilla tobacco notes. The base chocolate was fairly low in acid and bitterness, making the addition of a citrus element more pleasing and part of a well balanced whole.

Maker's tasting notes: "Smooth with a tangy finish"

Ingredients: Cacao beans, unrefined cane sugar, powdered calamansi (calamansi and maltodextrin)

Allergen-related information: (None found on packaging.)

*Calamansi (Citrus x microcarpa) is a hybrid citrus fruit cultivated primarily in the Philippines. (It's also found in Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Southern China and East Asia.) The calamansi, also known as calamondin, Philippine lime, or Philippine lemon, may be a cross between a kumquat and a mandarin orange. The fruit (that looks like a small lime) is often used in cooking and in sauces/marinades and preserves.

Oodaalolly - Coconut Milk Chocolate with Kasama Rum 46% (bar) - Dec. 26, 2021

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Oodaalolly, LLC

Coconut Milk Chocolate with Kasama Rum 46% (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar

Calories: 219 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar ($24 for set of 3 bars)

Purchased from: Oodaalolly, LLC, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Holiday Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Coconut Milk Chocolate (bar) infused with Kasama Rum* was from Oodaalolly, LLC (El Cerrito, CA). This was part of a three-bar Christmas Collection (that also included Kasama Cacao 70% dark chocolate, and White Chocolate with Pineapple Chunks (bars)--all with a very subtle hint of Kasama Rum.

Oodaalolly chocolate maker and company founder, Hernan Lauber, sources cacao from (a co-op) in the Davao region of the Philippines to make his chocolates. 

The aroma notes for this bar included: sweet, rich milk chocolate, coconut, caramel, and faint fruit (pineapple).

The 46% cacao chocolate had a smooth, relatively creamy texture and slow melt (at 65 F. degrees room temperature). The rich coconut milk chocolate flavor was sweet with some interesting complexity (richness from coconut milk, a mild fruitiness), and a relatively low acidity and minimal bitterness. 

The Kasama Rum infused cacao was very faint, but likely added to the subtle complexity. There was no detectable alcohol flavor. 

Ingredients: "Sugar, Kasama Cacao, coconut milk powder, cocoa butter."

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that uses milk, soy, peanuts and/or tree nuts for Oodaalolly LLC..."

*Kasama Rum is produced in small batches by Alexandra Dorda (who has Polish and Filipino roots). Ingredients (sugar cane, other) from the Philippines are sent to Poland for distillation, aging in oak barrels/finishing. Tasting notes: "Kasama has all the flavors of the tropics: pineapple, a hint of vanilla and just a pinch of sea salt." ("Kasama is a tagalog verb that means to be together.") 

Oodaalolly - Lina's Langka Milk Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 4, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Oodaalolly, LLC
Lina's Langka Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 136 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Oadaalolly, online order 

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Lina's Langka* Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Oodaalolly, LLC (El Cerrito, CA). 

The focus for chocolate maker and founder Hernan Lauber (and new business partner/maker Jeremy Burnich) has been on producing bean to bar chocolates made with cacao (and flavor inclusions) from the Philippines.

Aroma notes for today's jackfruit milk chocolate bar included: sweet milk chocolate (caramel), and fruit (bright, sweet mango fruit and cacao fruit pulp).

Flavor notes for this bar included milk chocolate (cream caramel, light butterscotch, faint brown sugar); tropical fruit (light pineapple, faint mango, very light citrus); and a very faint fleeting mint/pine note.

This was a sweet chocolate, but not cloying. The raw cane sugar and jackfruit added natural sweetness and flavor depth. Thank you to the maker for the opportunity to enjoy a skillfully executed and rare blend of jackfruit and chocolate.

Maker's notes: "A well-balanced and unusual flavor profile of pineapple, banana, and peanuts with minimal sweetness." (At the request of chocolate maker (Jeremy's) "mother-in-law, Lina, who loves langka, we combined it with non-traditional low-sugar milk chocolate.")

Ingredients: Cacao, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, raw cane sugar, jackfruit.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk 

*"In the Philippines, jackfruit is known as langka in Tagalog and nangku in Cebuanu." Jackfruit has a relatively strong smell and taste, and is often likened to pineapple. 

 

Oodaalolly Chocolate - 70% Dark Chocolate Almonds with Sea Salt bar - July 13, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Oodaalolly Chocolate
70% Dark Chocolate Almonds with Sea Salt bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar (plus shipping)
Purchased from: Oodaalolly Chocolate (online order)

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week.

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate Almonds with Sea Salt bar was made in small batches, from bean-to-bar, by Oodaalolly Chocolate, using cacao grown in the Philippines.

This bar had an appealing malty, nutty aroma (and ground nut (almond) flavor and texture). A generous helping of almond bits resulted in a milder chocolate flavor. The touch of sea salt was evenly dispersed and nicely balanced. And this bar was not too sweet (thank you!).

Island Nations and Cacao Conclusions

Can island nations featured this past week (The Philippines and Fiji in the Pacific Ocean, and Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Cuba and other islands in the Atlantic Ocean) produce great chocolate? A few chocolate makers in each of these countries are making an admirable go of it. Bean-to-bar craft chocolate making can be a complex technical business, not for the faint of heart. Their future success will depend on many factors.

The good news is that these island nations are located geographically in the cacao growing sweet spot, a belt (20 degrees above or below the Equator). And chocolate makers worldwide are interested in making and selling single origin chocolates from cacao grown in exotic countries covered with temperate rainforests and volcanic soils, with unique terroir-based flavor(s).

Island infrastructure can create challenges for those growing or trying to make chocolate "in country" (power outages, high costs for air conditioned/temperature and humidity controlled facilities). And there are often other hurdles on the growing side of the cacao supply chain: storm damage, disease, droughts, poor harvests, and other factors beyond one's control. There are many steps between cacao fruit (that contains the seeds or beans) and finished chocolate.

If you're a new maker starting out with a limited budget, you might be tempted to stick with established, known sources for beans or nibs, or just become a chocolatier and buy blocks of chocolate from someone else doing the hard work of making it from scratch.

The proper support of local governments can sometimes be helpful. The Philippine government in 2018* set a very ambitious target for cacao production (100,000 metric tons of cacao by 2022). Many farmers and craft chocolate makers, however, seem to want to focus on value (and higher profit margins) rather than volume, which suits us just fine.

No matter who you are, starting with great cacao/beans is a must, and chocolate makers must execute the many steps required make chocolate flawlessly to achieve true critical recognition and success. Hats off to all craft makers for jumping through hoops, reviving traditions, and allowing a new generation to enjoy better food and beverages than we knew were possible.


*The source of this information: a tweet that accompanied a May 30, 2018, Forbes article by Carol Ramoran-Malasig

Oodaalolly Chocolate - 60% Dark Milk Chocolate bar - July 12, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Oodaalolly Chocolate
Dark Milk Chocolate bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150  calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar (estimate, plus shipping)
Purchased from: Oodaalolly Chocolate (online order)

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week.

Today's 60% Dark Milk Chocolate bar was made by Oodaalolly* Chocolate, from bean-to-bar, using cacao grown in the Philippines.

Oodaalolly founder and chocolate maker, Hernan Lauber, a Philadelphia native and engineer, has family roots in the Philippines (and chocolate). Lauber's goal is to produce finely crafted bean-to-bar chocolate with Filipino cacao and Swiss technique. After all, Swiss milk chocolates are prized for their sweet, milky and creamy smooth texture.

Today's bar had an authentic fermented cacao and slightly savory (sea salt) aroma. The combination of whole milk powder and added cocoa butter, gave this chocolate a rich, thick creamy melt and mouthfeel (especially early on a cool morning) and texture, and muted, but still bold chocolate flavor.

*Oodaalolly, the company name connoting joyful expression, was inspired by a song sung in an animated Disney version of Robin Hood that his son liked to watch.

Oodaalolly Chocolate - Single Origin 70% Dark Chocolate bar - July 11, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Oodaalolly Chocolate
Single Origin 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar (plus shipping)
Purchased from: Oodaalolly Chocolate (online order)

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week.

Today's 70% Dark Chocolate bar was made by Hernan Lauber of Oodaalolly Chocolate from using cacao grown in the Philippines.

In 2017, this island nation had exports of $68.7 billion (USD). Their biggest exports were semiconductors and electronics. And while coconut oil and fruits made up much of the agricultural exports, there has also been a growing interest in quality cacao.

Oodaalolly founder and chocolate maker, Hernan Lauber, a Philadelphia native and engineer, has roots in the Philippines (and chocolate) and chose to become a chocolate maker focusing on Filipino cacao. Lauber felt like there was room for improvement in this niche.

Lauber's goal is to produce finely crafted bean-to-bar chocolate made using Filipino cacao and Swiss technique (e.g. precision, long conching for smooth mouth feel, and careful tempering techniques). Swiss chocolates are known for being sweet, milky and creamy smooth.

Today's two-ingredient bar (cacao beans, unrefined cane sugar) had a chocolate, green, and slightly sharp aroma, faint molasses and rich dark chocolate and mild fruit flavor and a touch of sweetness.

The bar broke with a well-tempered snap and the texture was relatively smooth, with a slight astringency. The flavor notes kept developing (so don't eat this chocolate too quickly). My favorite part of the tasting curve was 2/3 way through, where the chocolate was joined by a bit more mild fruit (peach or mango) and some rich, round caramel flavor that blossomed. The finish was pleasant cocoa with a creamy, mild astringency.