Kessho Craft Chocolate - Raspberry Dark Chocolate 57% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar) - Aug. 13, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Kessho Craft Chocolate
Raspberry Dark Chocolate 57% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 164 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Kessho, online order 

Welcome to Day #17 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Raspberry Dark Chocolate 57% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar) was handcrafted by Kessho Craft Chocolate and distributed by Kessho, LLC in Austin, TX.

Aroma notes included: Red berries (red raspberry) and smooth dark chocolate.

Texture: uniformly smooth, fudge-like texture with a relatively rapid, creamy melt. The raspberry powder was fully incorporated into the chocolate.

Flavor notes for this single origin cacao chocolate included: relatively smooth, tart-sweet, red raspberry, dark chocolate and very faint warm spice. 

The red raspberry flavor was authentically vibrant and was the star of the show--to the point where it eclipsed possible underlying nuances of the Uganda (hybrid Trinitario and Forastero) cacao. There were no obvious bitter or off notes in the slightly fudge-y, 57% dark chocolate; but any fruit or floral notes in the cacao were topped by raspberries/lower percentage of cacao.

I appreciated the use of single origin cacao and the short list of only four ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "Red berries, rose petals and chocolate fudge"

Ingredients: "Whole cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter, raspberry powder"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also processes milk, tree nuts, wheat, sesame and eggs."

 

Xocolatl LLC - Uganda 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 2, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Xocolatl LLC
Uganda 75% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.6 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Uganda Theme Week, and Day #4 of Chocolate & Warm Spices Theme Week.

Today's Uganda 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Xocolatl LLC (Atlanta, GA). (See next post for the warm spices half of the day--a spice bar from this same chocolate maker.)

Aroma notes included: chocolate (cocoa, rich hot chocolate), faint almost fruit (cacao pulp, mango), and almost nut (almond).

Texture: pleasing smooth texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: very tasty dark chocolate with rich, smooth and chocolate-y flavor (with glimmers of earth, tropical fruit (mangosteen, very light citrus), very faint floral spice (cardamom) and light nut/seed.

I loved the attractively complex and balanced flavors in this bar; the choice to create a 75% cacao chocolate using a high-quality cacao (from the Semuliki Forest in Uganda, sourced from Latitude Trade); and the very short list of (only three) ingredients

The well-balanced unique and bolder flavors were managed (but not overly managed) and were allowed to dance with each other a bit; in a pleasing, artful way. E.g., there was a very slight bitterness (that you might taste in a certain edible mushroom and nut combination). It felt like it belonged there, rather than taking you out of the tasting experience. This intriguing chocolate had me leaning forward while tasting. Loved the fleeting fruit and spices as well.

Maker's tasting/profile notes: "Robustly dark, bitter nuts, tart orange, cardamom."

Ingredients: "Cacao*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter* (* organic)"

Allergen-related information: "Made on equipment that processes peanuts, soy, wheat & tree nuts (almonds, coconut, hazelnut, pecan)." "Vegan"

 

Intrigue Chocolate Co. - Black Pepper + Clove 60% Cacao (bar) - Apr. 29, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Black Pepper + Clove 60% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar

Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate & Uganda Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Warm Spices Week.

Today's Black Pepper + Clove 60% Cacao (bar) was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).*

Collaboration with Aluel Cellars of Seattle, WA.

The cacao used to make this bar was "mostly Trinitario and Amelonado" (cacao varieties) from Uganda (Region: Rwenzururu; Semuliki Forest; Harvest year: 2022.)

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark (chocolate-y) chocolate, bright black pepper, citrus, red wine/sangria, and clove. It was a bit on the sweet side for me; but rather than dampen the spices and chocolate too much, it added an uplifting brightness. 

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with a buttery melt

I liked the rich, well-balanced complexity, and the long satisfying flavor finish. This chocolate was designed by a chef; and it would make a great after dinner chocolate, dessert pairing, possible red wine pairing**, or a decadent warmer-upper to take on a hike/walk.

**Maker's tasting notes: "Aluel's full-bodied flagship "Coat of Arms" (a Bordeaux-style red wine) can stand toe-to-toe with a little heat, and plays well with the lingering fruitiness and tongue-tingle spiciness in this chocolate bar."

Ingredients:  Roasted cacao nibs, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter, black peppercorns, clove buds.

Allergen-related information: (No information on package.)

*Note: the company is planning to relocate to Chisholm, MN.  

Chocolate Spiel - 60% Uganda (bar) - Apr. 28, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Spiel
60% Uganda (bar)

Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (27 g.) in total bar
Calories: 137 calories (per label) in 1 bar
Cost: $7.00 (estimate) in 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Spiel, online order

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

Today's 60% Uganda (Semuliki) bar was from Chocolate Spiel (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this attractively "painted"* chocolate were relatively faint and included: smooth dark chocolate and very faint, diffuse fruit.

Texture: smooth and creamy, with a buttery melt.

Flavor: appealing sweet dark chocolate (chocolate-y), sweet, light, diffuse, slightly tart fruit. Relatively low in bitterness, and the natural fruit sweetness was well-balanced--gently tart without being too acidic.

Maker's tasting notes: "dates, fig and raisin"

Ingredients: cocoa, sugar, cocoa butter, colored cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of tree nuts, peanuts and gluten.

*Chocolate Spiel bars and confections are decorated with colored cocoa butter(s). Some painting designs are colorful spatter patterns, others have just a few colors and/or include lines/dribbles. All these miniature works of art have a playful feel to them. (Note: for some single origin bars, there is an "no color" option.)

Intrigue Chocolate Co. - Uganda Kisinga 78% Cacao (bar) - Apr. 27, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co. 
Uganda Kisinga 78% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar

Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate & Uganda Week.

Today's Uganda Kisinga 78% Cacao (bar) (Batch 000000022124) bar was made by Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).*

The cacao used to make this bar was "mostly Trinitario and Amelonado" (cacao varieties) from Uganda (Region: Rwenzori, Kisinga microlot). Harvest year: 2022.

Aroma and flavor notes included: a relatively faint aroma, but the dark chocolate (true chocolate-y) flavor was rich and satisfying as were the subtly complex secondary notes: mixed citrus (orange, kumquat, Meyer Lemon, candied pink grapefruit) marmalade, toasted nuts (Brazil nut, almond butter), dates; and very faint, very fleeting herbal-floral (almost jasmine).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with a satisfying melt, with a very small amount of balanced dryness/astringency toward the finish.

I enjoyed the chocolate-y flavor and relatively subtle complexity in this bar and appreciated the opportunity to try this Kisinga Uganda cacao (micro-batch bar). I found myself leaning forward and going on a tasting treasure hunt through a tropical forest when I tried this chocolate.

The sweetness level (78% cacao) seemed like a good choice for dark lovers. The cacao had natural fruit sweetness (and well-balanced tartness, acidity, and characteristics of a fine Trinitario cacao). Less cacao and more sugar might retain a sense of citrus brightness, but mask some valuable/interesting flavor nuances.

Maker's tasting notes: "This origin yields chocolatey dense/rich flavors of baked dates, candied lemon and grapefruit peels, and almond butter."

Ingredients: Roasted cacao nibs, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter. 

Allergen-related information: (No information on package.)

*Note: Intrigue may be relocating to Chisholm, MN soon. But, online orders will still be possible according to the owners.

Hapa Chocolat - M.B.P. Uganda Distinct Flavors By Origin - Mango, Banana, Pineapple (bar) - Apr. 26, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Hapa Chocolat 
M.B.P. Uganda - Mango, Banana Pineapple (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.22 oz. (63 g.) in total bar
Calories: 339 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Hapa Chocolat, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate & Uganda Theme Week.

Today's M.B.P.* Uganda Distinct Flavors By Origin: Mango, Banana, Pineapple (bar) (Harvest: 2022, Batch #10) was created by Hapa Chocolat, LLC (Los Gatos, CA) using cacao from Uganda (Semuliki Forest) and three fruits that mirror naturally occurring cacao flavors.

Aroma and flavor notes include: dark chocolate and tropical fruits (pineapple, banana, mango and cacao pulp/fruit).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with a slight crunchy granularity (finely ground, likely freeze-dried fruit particles) that all melted/chewed down together nicely by the finish. 

I enjoyed: 1.) the texture and flavor arc; 2.) authentic fruit flavors that mirrored/complemented naturally occurring cacao (fruit pulp) flavors; and 3.) the short list of ingredients.

Ingredients: "Chocolate (organic cacao, cacao butter, sugar), Banana, Pineapple, Mango"

Allergen-related information: "Soy Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free"

*I am assuming that M.B.P. stands for Mango, Banana and Pineapple.

Intrigue Chocolate Co. - Cardamom and Rose 60% Cacao (Uganda) (bar) - Apr. 25, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Cardamom and Rose 60% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar

Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate, Cardamom & Ginger Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate & Uganda Week.

Today's Cardamom and Rose (Batch 000000072524) 60% Cacao bar was made by Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA). (Note the company is moving soon to Chisholm, MN.) Intrigue offers some great spice blends, so I was happy to be able to feature them this week.

Cardamom and ginger are members of the same family (botanically speaking); yet, it's hard to find them together in chocolates in the U.S. -- except for lovely, India-inspired chai spice blends. So this theme week has included several "either" cardamom "or" ginger spiced chocolates--allowing each spice sibling to shine on its own.

The cacao used to make this bar was "mostly Trinitario and Amelonado" (cacao varieties) from Uganda (Region: Rwenzori, Kisinga microlot). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate with sweet, fragrant spice (cardamom), sweet floral (rose, attar), and very faint citrus (sweet orange peel) and nut (almond, hazelnut). (Note: there were no nut ingredients listed for this bar.)

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with some mild dryness (mealiness/astringency). It was not clear whether the dryness was coming from the cacao or the rose petals, or both. (I don't think it was the green cardamom seeds, but I can't be sure.)

I liked all three flavors (dark chocolate, rose and cardamom); they tasted authentic and were individually appealing. There was a sense of balanced liveliness about this bar; but the flip side was that they seemed to not completely settle down with each other completely; perhaps because of the slight astringency/dryness. 

Ingredients:  Roasted cacao nibs, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter, rose petals, green cardamom seeds.

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package)

Fossa Chocolate - Tea Chocolate Uji Hojicha (bar) - April 5, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Fossa Chocolate
Tea Chocolate - Uji Hojicha (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 148.5 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

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

Today's Uji Hojicha (bar) was part of the Tea Chocolate collection from Fossa Chocolate Pte Ltd (Singapore).

This 53% milk chocolate was made using Hojicha roasted Japanese green tea from Kyoto and "Ugandan Semuliki Forest organic cacao."

Aroma and flavor notes included: subtle dark milk chocolate, and lovely roasted (almost malty) and floral tea notes.

Texture: well-tempered chocolate with a thick and luxurious creamy melt and mouthfeel.

I really enjoyed the: 1.) sophisticated, complex tea flavor notes, 2.) very smooth, creamy dark milk chocolate, and 3.) well-executed and almost perfectly balanced chocolate--made with a short list of quality ingredients. 

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Nutty and toasty tea aroma with a creamy mouthfeel"

Ingredients: Cacao, cacao butter, cane sugar, milk powder, tea leaves

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Produced in a facility that processes nuts & dairy."

 

Intrigue Chocolate Co. - Chili + Lime + Salt 60% Cacao (bar) - Feb. 14, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Chili + Lime + Salt 60% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.)/1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 77.5 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Lime Theme Week, and Happy Valentines Day to all who celebrate this day which is about warm hearts and passion.

What better way to celebrate than today's spicy Chili + Lime + Salt 60% Cacao (bar) from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).

Made with cacao from Uganda (Region: Rwenzururu - Semuliki Forest) Type: Mostly Trinitario and Amelonado Year: 2024), this bar was flavored with cayenne chili, lime juice, and sea salt.

Aroma notes included: smooth but rich dark chocolate, fruit (fig cookie), and faint savory spice (chili) and citrus (lime).

Texture: smooth with a very creamy melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: sweet, rich, dark chocolate; fruit (lime and diffuse red fruit (red apple, fig, imaginary mango); and--last, but not least--chili with a spicy kick (more in some bites than others). The chili heat kicked in about 2/3 way through and the sizzle lingered into the finish.

Maker's notes: "This flavor was inspired by those amazing fruit vendors around the world (eg Mexico and Thailand) who sprinkle fresh cut slices with an irresistible mixture of sour, spicy, salty goodness."

Ingredients: Roasted cacao nibs, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter, cayenne chilis, dehydrated lime juice, sea salt. 

Allergen-related information: (No allergen information on bar packaging.)

 

Raaka Chocolate - "Mellow Moon" - Functional Dark Chocolate 64% (bar) - Dec. 24, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
"Mellow Moon" - Functional Dark Chocolate 64% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. 28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.25 for 1 bar + shipping 
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Mushroom Week.

Today's "Mellow Moon" Functional 64% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) made by Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY).

Aroma and flavor notes included: the smells of freshly cut wood stacked by a fireplace, with a winter mulled, warm chocolate and spice beverage in my hand wafting up steam. Amazing how evocative smells and taste can be.

Additional flavor notes included very faint, authentic menthol/peppermint and very faint wood and umami.

Texture: smooth, almost creamy texture--with no detectable mushroom powder/grit. (I've made this comment in most of this week's mushroom chocolate bars. We've come a long way from the very first mushroom chocolate I ever tasted years ago.) 

I enjoyed the diverse blend of ingredients that somehow all harmonized well together, and the base cacao that contributed a smooth yet flavorful base, and the faint, fleeting and unlikely graham cracker (brown sugar?) note in the finish.

Cacao origin: Semuliki Forest, Uganda. 

Maker's description: "Mellow out with this soothing, floral dark chocolate infused with seven adaptogenic herbs and 530 mg of mushrooms, carefully crafted for the after hours."

Ingredients: "organic cacao beans, organic coconut sugar, organic cacao butter, organic lion's Mane mushroom extract, organic reishi mushrooms, organic peppermint, organic holy basil, organic lemon balm, organic lavender, organic ashwaganda"

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut sugar. "gluten free, vegan" 

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Uganda with Nibs (bar) - Aug. 26, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
70% Uganda with Nibs (bar)
Good +++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Uganda Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week. 

Today's 70% Uganda with Nibs (bar) was crafted by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

This well-made bar was similar to yesterday's 70% Uganda bar (without nibs) from the same maker. It was slightly tangy, chocolate-y, flavorful and creamy, and was made with a very short list of high-quality ingredients. 

Aroma notes for today's chocolate included: chocolate-y, with very faint, diffuse tangy fruit (pickled green fig and berry jam).

The appealing texture was an elegant blend of creamy and crunchy.

Flavor notes included: chocolate (dark chocolate ganache) with subtle tart-sweet red berry. 

The sprinkle of nibs added a great, pure, and smooth cacao flavor that was well integrated with the smooth chocolate. And there were no "off" notes in the cacao nibs, which tells me that special care was taken in the sorting and processing of the cacao beans (and nibs).

I enjoyed the balanced complexity in both yesterday's and today's Uganda 70% dark chocolates; and the added texture and authentic cacao flavor of the nibs in today's bar. 

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Nibs

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts."

  

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Uganda (bar) - Aug. 25, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
70% Uganda (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Uganda Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and The Sea Theme Week.

Today's 70% Uganda (bar) (Batch 329.3) was made by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA). The family-owned and operated company offers a variety of single origin chocolates.

Seattle is perched on Puget Sound that connects to the Pacific Ocean. And the company's sea blue packaging is adorned with images of a sailboat on top, and waves below. (I hope these chocolate makers are able to enjoy some time on the water occasionally.)

Aroma notes included: chocolate, cream, fruit (citrus, berry, fig), very faint herbal (citrus leaves, oxalis).

Texture: smooth and creamy. 

Flavor notes: shades of true chocolate (creamy fudge, slightly tart ganache and slightly fruity fudge brownie) with very faint citrus flower-herbal, clean mineral and fig and berry jam. There was no dairy/cream in this bar, but it did have a slightly sour, authentic cream/buttermilk and orange taste, and creamy texture. And it had a long, pleasing chocolate-y finish.

I really enjoyed this well-executed, single origin Uganda 70% bar. It was a true chocolate magic carpet ride. Balanced, slightly tangy and fruity secondary notes supplied a satisfying depth of flavor. I liked the complexity achieved with just two ingredients. The sweetness level also seemed right where it should have been for this cacao--enough sugar to brighten up some of the naturally occurring flavors, but not so much to mask chocolate nuances.

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts."

 

Kessho - Salted Plum Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar) - Aug. 24, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Kessho Craft Chocolate 
Salted Plum Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao Semuliki Forest, Uganda (bar) 
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar*
Calories: 163 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Uganda Theme Week.

Today's Salted Plum Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao Semuliki Forest Uganda (bar) was from Kessho, LLC (Austin, TX). 

The company was founded in 2019 by Mark Huetsch (who spent 14 years in China) and Liang Wang (who was raised in Beijing and studied pastry in Japan).  The name Kessho (a Japanese word meaning crystal) "pays tribute to the crystalline structure of chocolate."

Kessho offers a variety of chocolate items--many of which, like today's Salted Plum chocolate, reflect Asian-inspired flavor inclusions and pairings. The name Kessho (a Japanese word meaning crystal) "pays tribute to the crystalline structure of chocolate."

Aroma and notes for this Salted Plum Dark Chocolate 59% Cacao bar--made with cacao (hybrid of Trinitario and Forastero) grown in the Semuliki Forest area of Uganda--included: dark chocolate with faint tart citrus-green (oxalis) and tangy stone fruit (plum).

Texture: smooth, thick, creamy, fudge-y texture with a luxe melt.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (fudge, ganache); faint loamy earth and very faint sour yogurt (there was no milk in this chocolate); and citrus leaves**. 

The salt level seemed very low in the first bite; happily there was a bit more salt and sweet tangy plum fruit in subsequent bites. (Salted plums (umeboshi) are known for tangy, sour, salty and citric flavor(s).)

I liked trying this flavor combination and how the flavors fluxed just a bit through the tasting experience. This bar would be great in a chocolate and salt themed tasting flight. Even just a little salt really helped ground and balance the tangy/sour and citrus flavors.

Maker's flavor profile notes: "Cinnamon, fig, oolong" (tea leaves)

Ingredients: Whole cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter, plum powder, salt 

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that also processes milk, tree nuts, wheat, sesame and eggs

*If calories aren't listed on a bar, I will sometimes weigh chocolates to help estimate the number of calories (kcals). When I weighed this unwrapped bar on my scale, it was 69 grams (vs. 60 grams on the label). Definitely not a problem to have more chocolate than advertised. I'll also check my scale.  

**I associated the citrus leaf-like flavor in this salted plum chocolate with the fresh infusion teas (tisanes) I make from Meyer Lemon leaves and other citrus leaves from my yard.

Fjak - 50% Uganda Milk Chocolate Organic (bar) - Aug. 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade
50% Uganda Milk Chocolate Organic (bar)
(50% Uganda Melkesjokolade)
Good ++
Weight: ~1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 290 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's 100% Organic, 50% Milk Uganda Semuliki Forest (bar) was handcrafted from bean-to-bar by Fjak Sjokolade in (Eidfjord (Hardangerfjord) Norway). 

The company offers single origin bars and chocolates with local (Norwegian) flavor inclusions. (Think apple cider, reindeer moss, brown cheese, lingonberry and other berries, Norwegian gingerbread, mushroom, and oak-smoked salt, to name a few.)

Aroma notes included: milk chocolate (rich, cream mousse), cream and very faint caramel, spice and nut.

Texture: thick, rich and creamy mouthfeel with a fairly luxurious melt.

Flavor notes included: rich milk chocolate, authentic cream, subtle caramel cookie, warm spice and very faint toffee mocha latte, and barely detectable, muffled, diffuse fruit. 

Yes, "cream" is the word for the day. The creamy taste and texture was from the (likely whole) milk powder*. I enjoyed the authentic flavors in this bar, including the rich milk powder used. (Northern European milk powders often taste richer and creamier to me.) 

I liked that this single origin milk chocolate was well-balanced, well-executed, organic and not ultra sweet (thank you!).

Note: As with any chocolate made with dairy (or an alternative milk), milk muffles some of the cacao nuances; and that was true in this 50% dark milk bar. (The contribution of the single origin Semuliki Forest Uganda cacao was more apparent when tasting this bar side-by-side with some other, lower quality milk chocolate bars.)

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Round Milk Chocolate with Notes of Caramel & Nuts"

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Milk Powder* & Cocoa Butter* (*Okologisk/Organic)

Allergen-related information: (Contains Milk.)

*Chocolate is hydro-phobic, and your beautiful batch of chocolate will seize up if you add water or milk; so powdered milks have been used for centuries to make tempered milk chocolate bars and confections.

Ethereal Craft Chocolate - Organic Chocolate Bar - Uganda 70% Cacao - Aug. 22, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ethereal Craft Chocolate

Organic Chocolate Bar - Uganda 70% Cacao 
Good ++
Weight: .742 oz. (21 g.) / 2.25 oz. (64 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Ethereal Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Uganda Week.

Today's Organic Chocolate Bar - Uganda 70% Cacao entry was created by Ethereal Confections (Woodstock, IL).

Aroma notes for this lovely, fruity, Uganda single origin bar included: chocolate (ganache) and balanced, zesty fruity notes (light sweet citrus, mango, and lightly fermented cacao fruit pulp).

Texture: This chocolate felt simultaneously light and slightly rough/grainy (stoneground). It did melt down to a smoother chocolate in my mouth after a few bites. People who prefer a deeply creamy mouthfeel may be a bit thrown by the stoneground texture; but I enjoyed the progression of the mouthfeel as it melted. (Remember, less grinding and conching time usually means more preservation of flavors and nutrients.)

Flavor notes included: chocolate (torte, ganache) with naturally tangy-sweet fruit (mango, cacao pulp, ripe sweet fig).

I liked the well-balanced, single origin chocolate and cacao pulp/fruity flavors that gave this organic bar a natural sweetness and light to it. (It also was low in bitterness and earth, letting the fruit flavors shine.)

Ingredients: "Cocoa Beans*, Cane Sugar*. (* Organic Ingredient)

Allergen-related information: "Made on shared equipment with peanuts & tree nuts."

Cacao Space - Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% with dried apricots and almonds - Aug. 21, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Space  
Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% (bar) with dried apricots and almonds
Good ++
Weight: 1.18 oz. (33.5 g.) / 2.36 oz. (67 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 182 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao Space, online order

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

Today's Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% (bar) with dried apricots and almonds was from Cacao Space (Los Altos, CA). The company offers several small batch, single origin bars and some with fruit, nut and other flavor inclusions--that have all tasted wonderful and fresh.

Aroma and flavor notes for the single origin 75% dark chocolate included: dark chocolate with, faint brown sugar and molasses, and faint fruit (berry, very faint banana) and warm spice.

This bar was a well-balanced blend of bold dark chocolate (faint roasted cacao, black licorice spice, brown sugar, very faint fruit) and pieces of authentic, high-quality dried apricots and almonds. 

All three flavors components were very complementary. The apricots added some bright tangy fruit flavor and a fresh dried fruit chewy texture that worked well. And the mellow, nutty almonds played nicely with the apricots and the chocolate. The apricots and almonds actually elevated and rounded out the dark chocolate flavor. That doesn't always happen.

Ingredients: "cacao nibs, organic coconut sugar" + "dried apricots and almonds"

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package)

Cacao Space - Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% with freeze-dried bananas (bar) - Aug. 20, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Space  
Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% with freeze-dried bananas (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.18 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.36 oz. (65 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao Space, online order

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

Today's Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% (bar) with freeze-dried bananas was from Cacao Space (Los Altos, CA). This local, small-batch chocolate maker offers single origin nib-to-bar chocolates, including several  with fruit, nut and other flavor inclusions.

Aroma and flavor notes for this single origin 75% dark chocolate bar included: dark chocolate, very faint molasses and herb, and sweet, light and fragrant banana. The banana pieces were a perfect (contrasting) pairing with the bold dark chocolate.

The dark chocolate itself has a bolder, roasted quality with very faint brown sugar/molasses, and faint fruit (berry, very faint banana) and very faint, fleeting warm spice/herb (black licorice, cinnamon).

I really liked the bananas used with this chocolate. It helped lighten and brighten the darker chocolate tasting experience.

Ingredients: "cacao nibs, organic coconut sugar" + freeze-dried bananas (pieces)

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package)

Cacao Space - Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% (bar) - Aug. 19, 2024

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Cacao Space 
Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good + 
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 2.33 oz. (66 g.) in total bar
Calories: 179 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar ($27 for three bars)
Purchased from: Cacao Space, online order

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

Today's Uganda Semuliki Forest 75% dark chocolate bar was from Cacao Space (Los Altos, CA). This bar was one of three Uganda 75% bars sold as a trio. The other two had flavor additions (fruits, nuts).

Aroma and flavor notes for this single origin 75% dark chocolate included: 

Aroma and flavor notes included: relatively intense, dark bittersweet dark chocolate; roasted cacao; slightly acidic, diffuse red and tropical fruit; brown sugar; and very faint herbal (black licorice and molasses); and slightly bitter bean/seed. 

Ingredients: "cacao nibs, organic coconut sugar"

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package) 

Cacao Space - Uganda Ksinga 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 18, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Space  
Uganda Kisinga 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Weight: 1.18 oz. (33.5 g.) / 2.36 oz. (67 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 182 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao Space, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Uganda Theme Week.

Today's Uganda Kisinga 75% dark chocolate bar was from Cacao Space (Los Altos, CA).

I ordered several bars from this small-batch chocolate maker's online site, and picked them up locally (inside a restaurant).

Aroma and flavor notes for this single origin 75% dark chocolate included: dark chocolate with, faint brown sugar and molasses, and faint fruit (berry, very faint banana) and warm spice.

This balanced chocolate landed in the Goldilocks zone for me. It had a nuanced, bold, bittersweet taste--that was not too bitter, and not too sweet (thank you). And it was hearty, yet smooth, and deeply chocolate-y. The coconut sugar added a little rich, caramelized flavor depth (similar to the way brown sugar does in some desserts).

Ingredients: "cacao nibs, organic coconut sugar"

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package)

*Goldilocks zone is a reference to a European folk tale. In the U.S. retelling of this story a girl named Goldilocks enters a bear family home (when the bears are out), and finds a bowl of porridge (not too hot, not too cold), a chair and a bed (not too soft, not too hard) that are...just right. Astronomers sometimes refer to planets that can support life as being in the Goldilocks zone (not too hot, not too cold, etc.).

Solstice Chocolate - 70% Bundibugyo Dark Chocolate (Uganda) (bar) - Aug. 17, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Solstice Chocolate
70% Bundibugyo Dark Chocolate (Uganda) (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's Market, online order

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

Today's 70% Uganda (bar) (Lot 01062) was made by Solstice Chocolate, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT), using cacao from the Semuliki Forest area of Uganda.

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache, torte); deep, creamy cocoa with faint red fruit (and even fainter, fleeting citrus and spice).

The luxe creamy texture and melt for this Uganda dark chocolate gave this bar a decadent, sophisticated quality. (We enjoyed it at slightly higher than room temperature. Thank you to Megan for the tasting help.)

Good news for chocolate fans with allergies, this chocolate was made in a facility that is free from many of the most common allergens.*

Maker's tasting notes: "Earthy, Fudge, Dark Cherry"

Ingredients: Cacao Bean, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter

*Allergen-related information: "Produced in a tree nut, peanut, gluten, dairy and soybean free facility."