Loon Chocolate - Coffee 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 22, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Loon Chocolate
Coffee 70% Dark 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: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Loon Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Loon Chocolate Coffee 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by White Birch Living LLC (Manchester, NH).

The coffee used to make this bar was from Terra Nova Coffee (Keene, New Hampshire). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this small batch, bean-to-bar chocolate bar included: aromatic coffee and smooth, relatively sweet dark chocolate. 

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy, with a pleasing melt and mouthfeel. The tiny particles of coffee on the back of the bar provided a bit of textural interest. The finely ground coffee beans bits (and likely infusion of coffee into cocoa butter) yielded fresh coffee flavor(s) without being gritty or tough and fibrous. (Thank you!)

I enjoyed the balanced flavors (dark chocolate, coffee, faint nut and very faint warm spice and roasty notes). This bar had satisfying dark chocolate and coffee flavors without being too harsh or bitter. I also appreciated the short list of quality, organic ingredients.

Ingredients: Organic Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Coffee

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a Facility That Uses Almonds, Milk and Wheat. Contains Caffeine." "Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan"

Cacao Hunters - 64% Campesino Dark Chocolate Bars - May 18, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao Hunters
64% Campesino Dark Chocolate Bars
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) total box of 2 bars
Calories: 160 calories in 1 of 2 bars
Cost: $6.99 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #17 of Chocolate & Colombia Theme Week, and Day #6 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week. Colombia is well known for specialty cacao and coffee, thus the considerable overlap of these two themes this month.

Today's Cacao Hunters 64% Campesino Dark Chocolate Bars (package of 2 bars) were manufactured by Cacao de Colombia (Popayan, Cauca, Colombia). 

Cacao Hunters offers several bean-to-bar chocolate bars that highlight regional Colombian/cacao flavors and the company is committed to ethical sourcing and helping small stakeholder farmers.

The word campesino in English means a person from the country. Campesinos include small-to-medium sized farmers (that may or may not be landholders, who live in fairly remote, forested regions). These are the people who often grow and harvest the fine flavored cacaos and specialty coffees that we love so much. It's a term that has my respect.

Aroma and flavor notes for today's 64% Campesino dark bar included: rich cocoa and warm spices (cloves, cinnamon), brown sugar caramel, and very faint floral (vanilla), wood (very faint cedar) and brown fruit (dried peach).

Texture: smooth 

I loved the pleasing, gently complex and complementary flavors in this chocolate. The warm spice notes were balanced and could even be mistaken for naturally occurring cacao flavors.

I paired this bar with a gently spiced, iced coffee latte.

I also appreciated the short list of quality ingredients.

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, canela brown sugar cane, cocoa butter, cinnamon, clove."

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of milk.

Xocolatl - 85% Dark Chocolate Peru (bar) - Aug. 22, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Xocolatl
85% Dark Chocolate Peru (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 #9 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's 85% Dark Chocolate Peru (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Xocolatl LLC (Atlanta, GA). 

This ultra-dark 85% cacao bar follows the 70% Dark Chocolate Peru (bar). Both these Xocolatl bars were made using Pangoa Peru cacao that was "directly sourced from the Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera, a cooperative of coffee & cacao farmers in Pangoa, Peru." (San Martin de Pangoa is located in the Central Amazon region of Peru.)

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark, dense chocolate with faint, dried fruit; very faint fleeting (not unpleasant) umami (only after first unwrapped); and black licorice.

Flavor notes included: deep, very dark (yet still balanced) chocolate; robust cocoa/well-done brownies with embers of tart fruit (cherry + lemon marmalade). Very faint warm spice. Medium-to-long finish.

The brighter flavors in yesterday's 70% version of this dark chocolate reminded me of "a Trinitario-like cacao variety--with relatively bold cocoa, fruit and citrus notes; and less like some Forastero cacao varieties that are more dark and dense (less 3-dimensional, with less complex fruit)."

Today's 85% bar still had the fruity heart of a bold Trinitario cacao, even though it was bolder and denser.

I appreciated the balanced fullness of this ultra-dark chocolate infused with rich, stewed fruit (citrus/lemon marmalade with prune, stone fruit, cherry) flavors--all conjured from just three organic ingredients. 

I really enjoyed comparing yesterdays' sweet 70% sibling (made with cacao from the same Peru co-operative) with today's 85% more somber, less bright, less sunny and less sweet version. Pairing the two was enlightening, and would make a very educational side-by-side pair for a chocolate tasting/class.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Profile: Bright, clean citrus with lively acidity & low sweetness"

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

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

 

Stone Grindz Chocolate - Ancient Ecuador 85% (bar) - Dec 15, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Stone Grindz Chocolate
Ancient Ecuador 85% (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Stone Grindz, online order

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

Today's Ancient Ecuador 85% (bar) was made from bean to bar by Stone Grindz Chocolate (Scottsdale, AZ).

This award-winning chocolate was crafted using cacao from Hacienda Victoria (Cerecita, Ecuador). The cacao beans are "ancient heirloom varietal dating back thousands of years, making this bean very rare."

Aroma notes for this ultra-dark chocolate included: deep, dark chocolate and very subtle, smooth earth (very faint loam) and mineral (very faint chalk).

This well-tempered bar broke with a hard snap in a cool room. The texture was uniform and smooth with a very faint astringency. Stone Grindz chocolate makers selected a "light roast and a heavy conche to give it clarity of flavor unmatched at this percentage." (More gentle roasting can preserve more volatile flavor elements present in complex, heritage cacaos; and longer conche time can create a pleasant creamy texture.)

Flavor notes included: dark fudge brownie; earth (light loam); very faint (barely there) dried fruit (black fig, pomegranate) and cinnamon toast; and roasted nut/seed/malt. Not too sweet, tart or bitter, this 85% ultra-dark bar will interest dark chocolate enthusiasts. 

Eat slowly to enjoy some of the more fleeting flavor notes and to enjoy the unexpected creaminess (dark chocolate buttermilk ice cream) toward the finish, that became more obvious after the first (i.e. subsequent) bite.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Chocolate Ice Cream, Roasted Peanut"

Ingredients: (Ecuadorian) Cacao*, Cacao Butter*, Cane Sugar* (* = Organically Farmed)

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

Blanxart - 82% Congo Mountains of the Moon single origin (bar) - Jan. 14, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Blanxart
82% Congo Mountains of the Moon Single Origin, Organic (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1.06 oz. (30 g.) (9 squares) of bar
Cost: $7.49 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Nugget Markets, Tiburon, CA (Thank you Don!)

Buenos dias (good day), and welcome to Day #8 of European Chocolate Holiday Theme Week, where we're experiencing several European countries, via chocolate. 

Today's featured bar enabled virtual travel to Barcelona, Spain. (And, for those in California, scroll down to read about a "real" visit to a local Basque restaurant for additional chocolate fun.)

The 82% Congo (Mountains of the Moon) single origin, organic dark chocolate bar was made from bean to bar in Barcelona by Blanxart (San Joan Despi, BCN, Spain). 

Because of the proximity to African cacao growing countries, many European makers obtain their cacao from Africa. Blanxart chocolate makers crafted this 82% single origin bar using Forastero variety cocoa beans ("selected from small farm cooperatives") from Congo. 

The "Mountains of the Moon" name in the bar's title refers to the Rwenzori Mountains located between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the more temperate foothills surrounding this range, cacao and other crops are grown.

This bar had a dark chocolate aroma with smooth, faint umami (salt caramel, leather and light earth/clay, barely there roasted greens) and clean mineral notes.

The Forastero cacao used yielded bold, deep hearty chocolate flavor (as this variety typically does). However, even at a high cacao percentage (82%),* the flavor profile also had nicely balanced complexity, including true chocolate (toasted brownie) notes and (half-way in) an up-tick of bright fruit, including berry (red raspberry to ripe blackberry/black raspberry, and sweet black currant) and very faint citrus (sour lemon to very sweet pink grapefruit) notes. 

This multi-faceted, sophisticated chocolate was relatively low in bitterness (for an ultra-dark Forastero bar) and had a balanced level of acidity. The bold chocolate flavors tapered down softly (as if to take a bow) into a clean finish.

Blanxart tasting notes for Mountains of the Moon cacao: "...red fruits, citrus..."

Ingredients: "Cocoa 82% minimum. Organic cocoa, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter."

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk, nuts and soy." (Organic, certified by CCPAE.)

Basque Cuisine and Marquise au Chocolat 
I imagined a (virtual) walk through Barcelona today to taste the flavors of cacao, passing examples of Gaudi's colorful sculptural architecture along the way, and enjoying great food (and chocolate). One could easily spend a week in this one Catalan city alone.

Within many European countries, regions holds delicious secrets. Both the Catalan region in the south of Spain (Mediterranean coast) and Basque region in the north (on the Cantabrian Sea) share a border with France. Early proximity to ports and prosperous cities enabled access to cacao and a variety of culinary influences; and the results can still be enjoyed today.

In the interest of virtually visiting northern Spain, I made a "real" visit to Le Chalet Basque (San Rafael, CA). The small restaurant offered authentic Basque dishes with a heavy French influence. I enjoyed a piece of their Marquis au Chocolat dessert, to go, after a long walk by the San Francisco Bay. If you're not familiar with this chocolate creation, think: a cross between a cognac flavored, chilled chocolate mousse and the best dark chocolate gelato/ice cream you've tasted. It was heaven in a take-out box. 

*Note: Percentages listed on chocolate packaging do not always correlate with flavor in the way that people expect. Variations in flavor can be due to variety of cocoa beans used, amounts of added cocoa butter or cocoa solids/cocoa powder, and other factors. There may also be minor differences in labeling requirements and terminology in different countries.

Latitude Craft Chocolate - Dark Milk (Uganda) (bar) - Oct. 22, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Latitude Trade Company Ltd.
Dark Milk Uganda (bar)
Good
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Dark Milk Uganda (bar) was from Latitude Craft Chocolate (Latitude Trade Company Ltd.) (Kampala, Uganda).

Aroma notes for this made-at-the-source, organic Dark Milk bar included slightly bittersweet chocolate with very faint, diffuse fruit and nut notes. The melt and texture were smooth and uniform.

The taste was very uniform and fairly sweet. (Admittedly, too sweet for me. But fans of sweet milk chocolate may enjoy its relative mildness.) As with many milk chocolates, it had a muted flavor profile due to the sugar and milk. (Organic cane sugar was the number one ingredient.) There were no "off" flavors in this bar. However, it was lower in flavor depth and complexity.* 

The bean-to-bar makers may have been playing it safe and homogenizing flavors across a wide spread of cacao sources to ensure consistency. Which they have every right to do; and arriving at a consistent flavor profile is not as easy as it sounds, especially if one is making chocolate in-country, or in an area that may still be developing a uniformly sophisticated utility, temperature-controlled manufacturing and transportation infrastructure.**

 This small-batch milk chocolate is still more fragrant, and will be more interesting to try, than most commercial, high-volume chocolates sold around the globe. 

And it has a good story behind it. (See inside of wrapper for details.) The company signs long-term contracts with cacao farmers to grow organic cacao; and in turn pays them a "premium price." Over 50 percent of their contracted farmers are women. (Farmers typically have 1-3 acre farms.) Latitude's supplier program also offers access to training, "insurance and microfinance to support farm households."

Maker's notes: "A warm brownie paired with a cold glass of milk."

Ingredients: Cane sugar, organic cocoa beans, cocoa butter, whole milk

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles tree nuts, wheat, dairy, eggs, peanuts and soy.  

* I could not find a cacao percentage for this chocolate on the label. I'm guessing it may have been in the 40-50% cacao solids range.

**Note: Kampala, the headquarters for Latitude Trade Company, is Uganda's capital, and largest city, with over 1 million residents, and a modern skyline. Outside the larger cities, many people in rural areas are feeding themselves and making a living by being subsistence farmers.

Wm. Chocolate - Belize Maya Mountain 68% Dark (bar) - Oct. 11, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Wm. Chocolate LLC
Belize Maya Mountain 68% Dark (bar)
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, featuring chocolates made with cacao from Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Today's Belize Maya Mountain 68% Dark (bar) was created by chocolate maker William Marx of Wm. Chocolate LLC (Madison, WI).

The (2017 Harvest) cacao used to craft this bar was grown on "rainforest farms in (southern) Belize's Maya Mountains, where...Maya Mountain Cacao...works with growers to sustainably produce bright, luscious cacao deserving of the high prices it fetches." 

Aroma notes for this dark chocolate included a diffuse sweetness (date); red fruit (cherry, goji berry, pomegranate); and faint brown sugar, molasses with an implied warm spice.

The texture of this well-tempered and executed chocolate was pleasing, smooth and creamy.

The chocolate tasted intriguing, smooth and sophisticated. A soft, layered undulation of high-quality flavors contributed to its overall deliciousness. Flavor notes included: fruit (soft "round" white grape/raisin and goji berry); faint fleeting aromatic, sweet tobacco; creamy vanilla and warm creamy, vanilla mocha; and a reoccurring (diffuse but) identifiable tart-sweet fruit through note (including red fruit and berries with brown sugar).

Maker's tasting notes: "candied pineapple, custard, raisin"

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic whole (unrefined) cane sugar, organic cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "Sourced for flavor and fairness. No soy, no dairy, no nuts, no grain, no refined sugar, and no animal products."

Fresco Chocolate - Ghana 100% dark chocolate (bar) - Sept. 29, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Fresco Artisan Chocolate

Ghana 100% light roast, subtle conche dark chocolate (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 127.5 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $13.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Ghana Week.

Today'a Ghana 100% (Recipe 235) Light Roast, Subtle Conche (bar) was made by Fresco Artisan Chocolate (Lynden, WA).

The company's single origin, bean-to-bar chocolate bars demonstrate precisely why and how choices made in chocolate making process matter. You can taste what different roasting and conching* choices/profiles taste like in finished form.

It's easy to assemble "flights" of Fresco bars (e.g. with the same cacao origin(s) but different roast and conche choices), and taste them side-by-side to compare the differences between light or dark roast, and subtle vs. long conching. (Today's bar is the first of three Fresco Ghana bars featured this week.)

The aroma notes for this 100% bar included (in order of appearance) dark chocolate with subtle tangy, sweet acidic green and fruit (dried persimmon), yeast bread and dark chocolate with a faint bitterness.

The melt and mouthfeel were buttery smooth.

Flavor notes for this single-ingredient bar were lovely, and included: beer (porter, stout), bread and butter, and rich, buttery (there's that word again), luscious fudge-y, dark chocolate with relatively mild acidity and relatively low bitterness** for an ultra-dark bar.

While I didn't have a comparable Fresco 100% Ghana bar with another roasting choice, I did really like this "light roast" choice with this particular cacao. A heavier roast might have resulted in the loss of some more delicate notes.

The taste of this wonderful 100% cacao bar was very satisfying; so make sure to savor it slowly.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans

Allergen-related information: "Free from: gluten, dairy, nuts, soy"

*Conching follows the initial grinding of cacao. Fresco describes conching as "heat, motion, aeration and time producing chocolate's final flavor." As with roasting (and most other steps in chocolate making), conching requires great attention to detail. And "adjusting these variables can produce dramatically different flavors."

**Bitterness is a result of several factors including the variety of cacao used (even the soil where the cacao was grown at times), fermentation, and roasting. Over-roasting cacao can lead to a bitter taste-- especially if more volatile fruity, nutty, green and floral notes that might have helped keep the flavor more balanced are "burned" off in the roasting process.

Disidente - Don Miqueas 75% Colombian Craft Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 6, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Disidente 
Colombian Cacao Taxonomy (Manufactured by El Colaboratorio)
Don Miqueas 75% Colombian dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $6.50 for 1 bar (+ summer shipping)
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's (Cacao) Disidente Don Miqueas 75% cacao Colombian craft chocolate (bar) was manufactured by El Colaboratorio (Bogota, Colombia). 

Disidente creates bean-to-bar chocolates that help spotlight the agricultural biodiversity of Colombia. They use Colombian-grown cacao(s)--sourced from cacao co-operatives and organizations in different regions of Colombia.

The cacao used to craft today's bar was from Arauca (in northeastern Colombia in the Orinoco River basin), in a cacao growing area with a "great farming tradition pioneered by (a gentleman named) Don Miqueas."

The banquet of aroma notes (in order they appeared) included: chocolate, green tea, goji berry, faint tart (almost citrusy) sweet pineapple, candied orange in brown sugar, chocolate (light brownie, chocolate cookie), more fruit (fruit salad with apple, tropical fruits and maybe an orchid or two). very faint graham cracker with warm spice and floral (vanilla). Later (after tasting and going back to smell again) there was also a faint, light, buttery seed oil note.

The texture of this bar was uniform and relatively smooth and had a very faint astringency (feeling of very slight tart dryness on the palette (what you might experience with a cocktail of oxalis + hibiscus + pink grapefruit + lemon).

The flavor was balanced, relatively subtle and, like the aroma, enjoyably complex. It sounds like I'm describing Criollo variety cacao, but this week's Disidente bars had a bit more tart green, light citrusy aspect to them; and the fruit notes were not as soft subtle as the stone fruit (think peach) that are often associated with Criollo. This week's chocolates were more like a blend of Trinitario and Criollo. 

Flavor notes included chocolate and sweet, acidic and very slightly savory fruit (fresh ripe tomato, tomato soup); cream/milk; faint cookie (dark chocolate with brown sugar and molasses), and fleeting, very faint earth (loam, mushroom). A trace of the tart green fruit and floral (oxalis* with a whisp of green apricot) lingered a bit in the finish.

Once again, as with other similar bars this week, this Don Miqueas had a lot of subtle complexity and flavor(s). A 75% cacao choice (rather than 70% cacao) seemed like a good choice as there was still plenty of natural sweetness.

Disidente tasting notes: "Distinguished by its complex nose full of white flowers. The palette is brimming with tension with a citric acidity, and hints of kumquat and grapefruit. Light and delicate, and ending in a mineral and balanced residual."

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter."

Allergen-related information: (No information listed on label.)

*Oxalis is a plant that contains oxalic acid--a naturally occurring compound found in many plants, including greens (notably: spinach, rhubarb and beet greens), cacao (and other seeds), and nuts. Edible forms of "wild" plants like wood sorrels,"sour grass" and other forms of oxalis have a tart, almost lemony green flavor. This flavor can sometimes be detected in some dark chocolates and may be observed/described as a combination of green and/or citrus note(s) in chocolate tastings. 

The acid levels (acetic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, (possibly malic acid), oxalic acid and tannins (tannic acid)) were just enough to keep things interesting, and not so high that only a few would appreciate the result. But, as in wines and other foods and beverages, this aspect is subject to personal preference. (This is similar to drinking a red wine that has picked up a lot of tannin in oak barrels. Some will love it, but too much oak and not enough fruit may narrow your fan base.)

  

Tabal Chocolate - Ka Colombia 80% Cacao (bar) - Sept. 4, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Tabal Chocolate
Ka Two-Ingredient Chocolate (bar)

Good + - Good ++

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

Calories: 241.5 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Ka Two-Ingredient, 80% Cacao bar was made from directly traded cacao, from bean-to-bar by Tabal Chocolate (Wauwatosa, Wisconsin).

Aroma notes for this Colombian single source bar were subtle and complex and included (in order of appearance): true chocolate, oxalis (light green, citrus), green floral (geranium), very faint fleeting latex, roasted cacao, seed butter muffin, cocoa, barely detectable savory (leather, smoke) and fresh green (green tea).

Flavor notes included (in order of appearance): chocolate, green floral (orchid), graham cracker, very faint dried fruit (green mango), barely detectable, fleeting light earth (light, loamy soil) and nut (green walnut), and marshmallow (mallow, malva plant). The bar had a subtle, balanced bitterness and mild oxalic acidity.*

The texture was uniform (generally smooth) with a slight astringency (a light, grainy dry feeling in the mouth similar to what one might experience with newly ripened persimmon (fruit) and red wine aged in oak barrels (likely to contain astringent tannic acid(s)), followed by a very calcium-rich, mineral water chaser.

Ingredients: Single origin cacao, organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also processes tree nuts and dairy." "Gluten free, vegan, soy free...Kosher parve."

*Note: I've mentioned oxalic acid in describing several bars this week (and this year). The more chocolate I've tasted, the easier to recognize the often subtle, slightly green, tart and citrusy/lemony aroma and flavor as the naturally occurring substance/acid present in many greens (notably spinach, rhubarb and beet greens), cacao, nuts and seeds. 

If you've tasted purslane, wood sorrel or sour grass, you may remember a green, slight lemony-tart flavor that is often associated with higher oxalate content. The oxalate level varies (even for the same plant and variety) and can be affected by growing conditions; and it's not always detectable by taste.

More about the different oxalates (soluble and insoluble, and why you might care) may be covered in future posts. 

Fresco - Polochic Valley (Guatemala) Medium Roast 70% (bar) - Aug. 17, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Fresco Artisan Chocolate 
Polochic Valley Guatemala Medium Roast 70% (bar)
Good +

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 136.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 + summer shipping for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Guatemala.

Today's Polochic Valley (Guatemala) Medium Roast 70% (bar) was from Fresco Artisan Chocolate (Lynden, WA,). 

The company makes bean-to-bar, smaller batch chocolate with cacao carefully selected origins. The cacao used to make this bar was grown in the El Valle del Polochic (rio) (Polochic Valley), located in northeast Guatemala (SE side of the department* of Alta Verapaz). 

Every batch of cacao beans calls for tests and tweaks to obtain desired results. However, Fresco maker(s) often will carry this one step further, to make different chocolate bars with the same beans by varying how the beans are processed. And they typically share information such as various roast and conch choices made. 

For today's single origin Polochic Valley Guatemala bar (Batch 20-368), "Recipe 251" called for medium roast and long conch** times.

The Guatemalan cacao was slowly drum roasted for a "medium" length of time for a balanced, flavorful profile. And a long(er) conch time yielded "flavor peaks and valleys softened to a melodic harmony." 

The aroma of this bar included chocolate with tart (citrus/lemon), astringent green (oxalis, sorrel, sour grass); very faint, fleeting sweet, warm spice (lemon pepper cookie, ginger, vanilla); and barely there savory (salt; lemon herb caramel) notes.

How did it taste? The texture and melt were smooth. The perceived acidity was low to medium, the bitterness was relatively low, as was the astringency (despite the aroma that included oxalis and very faint cranberry lemon jam notes).

The flavor was more true chocolate (brownie cookie) than the aroma, as is often the case. The balanced chocolate also included versions of the aroma notes mentioned above. There was a wee bit of lemony herb oxalic acidity made sweet/tempered by the sugar. But, again the flavors were nicely balanced together, and the finish was relatively light, lingering and clean.

The maker's tasting notes included the following: "Our medium roast reveals notes of red fruit and caramel...Our long conche results in a mellow flavor with subtle earthy notes."

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter 

Allergen-related information: (None listed on packaging/label.) However, Fresco's website contained the following sentence: "Our chocolate is dairy free, soy free, nut free and gluten free."

*Guatemala is divided into 22 departments, which are roughly similar to states in the United States. Alta Verapaz is one of these departments. 

Farms in this area also grow sugar cane and oil palms. The country's largest agricultural exports have been coffee, sugar, bananas and beef. Despite the existence of many individual cacao farmers, Guatemalan cacao export volumes have been relatively low, less than 10% of the country's total.

**To conche, or conch, in chocolate making refers to the process of stirring/grinding/breaking down cocoa bean pieces into smooth chocolate. 

A conching machine is so named for its original spiral-shaped blade that resembled/resembles a "concha," the Spanish/Latin word for a type of sea shell and/or "conche," the French word for trough or shell. The machine uses motion/rotations and heat (friction) that results in the melding together of smaller and smaller particles of cocoa butter (fat portion of the bean) and cocoa solids. 

Longer conch times can result in smoother and more buttery chocolates. At the same time aeration is happening, which can result in the loss of certain flavors if the time is too long. So the time selected for this process needs to be carefully managed when making chocolate to arrive at the best possible compromise and the optimal texture and flavor profile for each batch of different cacao beans, each with slightly different characteristics.

Puchero - 70% Nicaragua El Castillero (bar) - Apr. 7, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Puchero 
70% Nicaragua El Castillero (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 204 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Nicaragua Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate, Trees and Bees Theme Week--an opportunity to celebrate trees, bees and honey, and their contributions to chocolate.

Today's 70% Nicaragua El Castillero (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Puchero (Valladolid, Spain). The company offers a line of single origin bars. (Co-founders, Paloma and Marco, have honed their roasting skills via their involvement in both coffee and cacao.)

The Puchero bars (packaging) I've seen have been graced with a striking image of a cross-section of a large tree. Cacao does grow on trees. This image may not be of a cacao tree, but it was lovely all the same. Tree-grown fruit, nut and sweeteners are common inclusions in artisan bars. However, Puchero, like other craft chocolate makers/magicians, summon these flavors solely via carefully roasted and ground cacao beans and a bit of sugar.

The cacao used to make this single origin bar was "grown by smallholder farmers in agroforestry." (El Castillero is associated with Indio Maiz biological reserve where cacao grows in southern Nicaragua.)

This 70% single origin bar was versatile and balanced. Subtle, sophisticated notes were spun together: faint, fleeting earth, umami, wood, and nut; a flicker of green. It had a natural sweetness to it. The "main course" was a small plate of fruit (light stone fruit, gentle white wine grape, pear), floral (light blossom honey), sweet herb (licorice) and true chocolate (brownie) notes. It was a deceptively simple, and satisfying, dark bar. 

Pay careful attention as this exquisite tiny symphony plays out on your palette. And, as with all fine, single origin chocolate, please do take time to savor, and re-taste, this over a period of minutes. Different aroma and flavor notes appear and disappear.

The finish was delicate. There was a fleeting, very light astringency. The faint honey-floral sweetness, faint licorice* and cocoa notes lingered a bit and then gradually tailed off.

Puchero tasting notes read as follows: "Medium intensity and low acidity. Honey sweetness with pear, licorice and floral notes."

Ingredients: cacao, sugar, cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts, milk and gluten"

*Please note: The aroma and flavor notes mentioned were conjured skillfully from just three ingredients. There was no licorice in this bar, or honey, or nuts. These adjectives were merely the perceptions of a grateful reviewer.

Fjak Sjokolade - Single Origin 70% Mork (Dark) Madagascar (bar) - Mar. 20, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade 
Single Origin 70% Mork (Dark) Madagascar (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 295 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $9.50 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Single Origin 70% Mork (Dark) Madagascar small batch chocolate (bar) was handcrafted, from bean-to-bar, in (Hardangerfjord) Norway by the maker(s) at Fjak Sjokolade. 

The organic cacao used to make this bar was from Akesson's Bejofo Estate in the Sambirano Valley in northwestern Madagascar.

A wealth of enjoyable aroma notes over a period of minutes included: dried fruits: (fig, date, raisins), fleeting fermentation, sweet cocoa, whipped cream, and spice cake.

The melt and texture: smooth, even, thick, and almost creamy with a light, tart astringency. (My teeth also felt the presence of citric/citrus acid, tannins* and sugar in many of this week's fruity Madagascar chocolate bars.) 

Flavor notes included satisfying chocolate flavor, a blend of acidic fruits (sweet lemon, sweet cranberry, cacao pulp, faint sweet-tart melon, tart cherry), and subtle hints of cream and earth. Late in the post-finish there was a brief, fleeting sparkle of dried plum and goji berry notes. 

All these tart sweet fruit notes made this bar taste more like a sweeter, 60% or 65% cacao, bar.  Again, a relatively common experience with Madagascar bars. 

Fjak maker's tasting notes read as follows: "Bold dark chocolate with rich notes of black cherry and citrus."

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, cane sugar and cocoa butter;" Allergen notes: "Processed in a facility that handles nuts, dairy and gluten"

*Tannins are polyphenolic compounds that have health properties; but they can also be bitter and astringent (dry mouthfeel, slightly grainy coating on teeth), and can cause an upset stomach if consumed in excess. Tea, coffee, wine, chocolate, fruits and berries (unripe bananas and  persimmons, grapes, cranberries, blueberries), and certain leaves and spices, all contain relatively high levels of tannins.

Christopher Elbow - Madagascar 70% dark (bar) - Mar. 19, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Christopher Elbow Chocolates
Madagascar 70% dark bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.95 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Christopher Elbow, online order

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

Today's Madagascar 70% bar was from Christopher Elbow Chocolates (Saint Louis, MO).

The organic cacao used to make this bar was from the Akesson Estate in the Sambirano Valley in northwest Madagascar, known for great cacao. 

The initial aroma: sweet white, aromatic dessert wine (Gewurztraminer) and very faint maple syrup, followed by a slight shift toward brown sugar and fruit notes. 

The flavor notes were more complex. Traces of the (above mentioned) sweet aroma notes bloomed into tart sweet fruit (white grapes, nectarine, tart cherry, faint citrus), chocolate, faint earth and cream. There was a slight (persimmon) astringency; and a honeyed white grape/fruit note lightly lingered into the finish. 

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cane sugar, cacao butter

 

The Oakland Chocolate Co. - Raspberry Bar - March 4, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

The Oakland Chocolate Company
Raspberry Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $3.50 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from: The Oakland Chocolate Company, Oakland, CA

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

Today's Raspberry Bar was made by Nancy Nadel owner and chief chocolate maker at The Oakland Chocolate Company (Oakland, CA). 

Nadel has been making her bean-to-bar (and bean-to-bonbon chocolates) from cacao beans grown in one country, Jamaica, for many years now. She was also the first woman craft chocolate maker I met in the U.S. when I started Chocolate Banquet in 2006.

She obtained cacao to make the three bars featured this week from Bachelors Hall Farm, Saint Thomas Parish, in eastern Jamaica, and practices Direct Trade. She knows the cacao farmer (Desmond Jadusingh at Bachelors Hall Estate) personally. 

Raspberries are one of my favorite items to pair with dark chocolate. This small (filled) Raspberry Bar was packed with great aroma (true (brownie) dark chocolate, red raspberries).

The dark chocolate had smooth, almost creamy, substantial texture and the same rich, true chocolate (brownie) flavor as the aroma, with faint earth and red fruit notes. 

The tart-sweet raspberry filling wasn't overly sweet or tart (thank you), allowing authentic fresh/ripe berry flavor to shine through. The filling contained real raspberries (with real seeds) that were delicately firmed into a soft jelly with judicious use of pectin and lemon juice. 

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, raspberries, pectin, lemon juice  

Pump Street Chocolate - Jamaica 75% Bachelor's Hall Estate (bar) - March 2, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Pump Street Chocolate 

Jamaica 75% Bachelor's Hall Estate (bar)

Good ++

Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) in 1 small bar

Calories: 97.6 calories in 1 small bar

Cost: $4.00 for 1 small bar + shipping

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Jamaica 75% Bachelor's Hall Estate (bar) was from Pump Street Chocolate--bakers and chocolate makers based in Suffolk, England.

Single origin chocolate bars have become more available in smaller sizes in the past few years. This conveniently sized (single serving) package is great for sampling/small group tastings. It was also well-sealed, allowing the chocolate's flavors to stay well preserved. And I could tuck this small bar into my pack for a solo hike without worrying about possible meltage issues. (Buy a larger size if you want to share with others.)

The aroma included rich dark chocolate and very faint, well-balanced umami/smoke, licorice, and green notes. 

The flavor had true dark chocolate (cake, brownie) flavor with faint fermented cream, concentrated fruit (cherry and honey fruitcake), and very faint earth notes.

Personal notes: Good choice on Pump Street's part to go with a darker percentage (75% vs. 70% cacao) for this cacao/chocolate. It helped showcase the cacao's abundance of natural flavor(s) and balanced the sugar/sweetness. Flavors were nicely balanced/managed. Can't wait to try the 90% version tomorrow.

Pump Street Chocolate's tasting notes read as follows: "Initially rich, a satisfying melt releases hints of sweet, juicy berries before rounding into a distinctive honeyed rum finish. Serendipitous for a Jamaican bar"..."Chocolate made in Suffolk with beans sourced from a single farm."

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, organic cocoa butter. 

Armstrong - Jamaica 70% (bar) - Feb. 28, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Armstrong Chocolate
Jamaica 70% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (29.7 g.) / 2.1 oz. (59.4 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 167 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA 

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

Today's Jamaica 70% (bar) was made by Armstrong Chocolate (Chico, CA). Matthew Armstrong produced this bar, and other micro-batch, bean-to-bar, single origin bars as well as chocolates with flavor inclusions.*

This bar was made using cacao grown at Bachelors Hall Estate in Jamaica. The cacao beans used in this bar, and most of the other Jamaica single origin bars featured this week, came from the same estate/farm (and the same farmer)--located in St. Thomas Parish in eastern Jamaica. Armstrong describes the bar's origins this way:

"The beans are ethically sourced from Desmond Jadusingh and his 300 acre cacao estate in Jamaica. With exceptional post-harvest management, Desmond's cacao has gained high praise within the fine chocolate community. These exclusive beans are carefully roasted, refined and tempered for your enjoyment."

There are other examples of sought-after farmers/farms like this in the craft chocolate world. It's nice when makers give them public credit. Makers need great beans to make great chocolates. 

The resulting 70% cacao Armstrong bar offered true chocolate (fudge brownie) and bright, red fruit (red cherry, sweet red banana, lightly fermented cacao fruit/pulp**) aroma and flavor notes. The same balanced, chocolate brownie batter + tart-sweet fruit flavor lingered a bit into the finish.

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter.

*Unfortunately, it appears that Armstrong paused or ceased production last year (2020). We hope that he decides to return to chocolate-making in the future.

**Cacao fruit (or more accurately pulp) surrounds a core of large cacao seeds (aka the cacao beans) in cacao fruit (pods). Once pods are harvested and split open, the ivory-colored fruit pulp starts to ferment very quickly, making it tough to transport. And so (unless flash frozen on-site) few people will get to taste this lovely fruit with tangy citrus, floral and fruit candy notes. 

I've tasted cacao pulp that was a dead ringer for watermelon Jolly Rancher candy, while other cacao fruit pulp had decidedly milder citrus (tangerine), lighter mango-melon, and/or citrus-floral notes. Flavors vary with cacao variety and origin.

Hasnaa Chocolats Grands Crus La Feverie - India Idduki 71% bar - Feb. 17, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

La Feverie - Hasnaa Chocolats Grands Crus

India Idduki 71% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar

Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $9.50 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Bonjour and Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and India Theme Week, and Day #1 of EFGHI Theme Week, where you'll see words like Idduki, India, and Hasnaa's La Feverie, and floral flavor elements, featured.

Today's Idduki India 71% (bar) was created by Hasnaa's Chocolats Grand Crus La Feverie bean-to-bar workshop (in Bordeaux, France). It was made using (2019 Harvest) organic cacao grown in Idukki, Kerala, in southern India. 

Hasnaa, her husband and team make confections and bars in a celebrated red wine region of France. In borrowing some of the language of wine that refers to high-value ingredients and sources, the "Chocolats Grand Crus" label says to me they make great single origin chocolates. (La Feverie is Hasnaa's bean-to-bar workshop.) 

This 71% India bar had an aroma with a sequence of interesting elements: the first bite had a refreshing, but subtle and well-balanced green floral (rose) note which dissipated after the package was open for a while.*

The second bite had an aroma and flavor with a faint fermented red fruit (red grape, cherry and cacao fruit) note. Both were followed by dark chocolate flavors with light, tart-sweet, tropical fruit (ripe pineapple, mango, mangosteen, and cacao fruit/pulp) notes. 

Maker's tasting notes on Bar and Cocoa (U.S. chocolate distributor) site: "Plump notes of cherry, slight flowery rose on a final of pineapple and candied exotic fruits."

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar

*Floral notes are a bit shy. They will escape out a window as soon as possible, presumably to return to the gods or the garden. And, once gone, they rarely return. In more scientific terms, floral notes tend to be more volatile; and heavily roasted/processed chocolate will typically have far less of these flavor elements left.

Askinosie Chocolate - 77% Davao Philippines Dark Chocolate Bar - Jan. 16, 2021

Chocolate of the Day 

Askinosie Chocolate
77% Davao Philippines Dark Chocolate Bar
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Askinosie Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Philippines Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Banana Theme Week.

The first single origin (Philippine) chocolate bar I remember tasting was back in 2009. It was a Davao (Philippines) milk chocolate bar from Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO). So, it was only fitting that we hoisted our chocolate wrappers in praise of Askinosie Chocolate today as we sampled another, darker, Davao bar from this same company, started by Shawn Askinosie in 2005.

The star was the Davao Philippines 77% Dark Chocolate Bar made with cacao grown in Davao (on Mindanao island) in the southern Philippines--where most cacao trees used to make chocolate are under cultivation. The banana was just along for the ride.*

This bar had a dark bittersweet aroma with faint hints of earth and acidity, a lovely creamy melt and texture. The flavor was earthy with a bit of acidity, but it was balanced and relatively uniform (no spiky or off flavors). Reasons to like this Davao origin chocolate included its deep, dense cacao flavor, and the fact that it wasn't too sweet (thank you).

The maker's notes included the following: "This earthy chocolate is Certified Kosher D.E., vegan and gluten free."

Ingredients: Davao, Philippines cocoa beans (76% cocoa liquor), organic cane sugar (23%), cocoa butter (1%)--pressed in the Askinosie factory from Davao cocoa beans.

Note: I ordered this bar from the Askinosie Chocolate website. When I double-checked yesterday (Jan. 15, 2021) this bar was listed as sold out.

*If one lives in the Philippines, there are several varieties of banana to choose from. Here in the U.S., most stores carry the Cavendish variety of banana. That's what I used today to make an a la carte banana flambe. Ole. The pairing of dark chocolate with flaming fruit via a wee bit of alcohol, was enjoyed only after the chocolate was carefully tasted and studiously reviewed. We try to be serious professionals here.

Dormouse Chocolates - 71.5% Dark Chocolate (Philippines) - Jan. 5, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Dormouse Chocolates

71.5% Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good +

Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 405 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $9.00 + shipping for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and The Philippines Theme Week. Last week featured bars made from cacao grown in the "South Pacific." Today the focus shifts to the Republic of the Philippines--an archipelago made up of more than 7,000 islands.

Today's 71.5% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Dormouse Chocolates (Manchester, England). This bar was made using Trinitario/Criollo beans (2017 harvest) from Kablon Farm--a family firm based in the Cotabato region, on the southern island of Mindanao, in the Philippines.

This dark bar's aroma had fleeting green-floral (saffron), light nut, wood and spice (brown sugar molasses cookie) notes.

The texture of this well-tempered bar was relatively smooth, with an even, light sugar astringency and very fine graininess. (Think stoneground cocoa beans with whole sugar.) 

Conch time was 48 hours, which likely preserved flavors. (Long conch times in dark chocolate making can extend to up to 90+ hours. This longer processing time creates very smooth textured chocolate; however, some of the flavors may be lost after this length of time.)

Tasting notes for this sweet and flavorful chocolate included subtle dried fruit (date), dark chocolate, and faint brown sugar molasses cookie and fresh sugarcane and fruit jelly notes.

The dark chocolate finish gradually faded with with a rich brown sugar sweetness.

The maker's tasting notes read as follows: "Toasted oats, biscuits and caramel with a hint of blackcurrant."

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, muscovado sugar, cocoa butter

(Muscovado sugar is unrefined, or partially unrefined cane sugar with a molasses flavor. Muscovado sugar is less refined than brown sugar--which is refined white sugar with molasses added back in.)