River-Sea Chocolates - Rum Caramel dark chocolate 60% (bar) - Aug. 8, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

River-Sea Chocolates
Rum Caramel dark chocolate 60% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate & Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Rum Caramel dark chocolate 60% (bar) was from River-Sea Chocolate Factory (Chantilly, VA). The company's name was inspired by where the Amazon River meets the Sea.

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark milk chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, brown sugar and aromatic rum. 

Texture: This well-tempered bar broke with a snap and had a smooth-texture with a satisfying melt.

I enjoyed the heady (wheee!) blend of aroma and flavors in this bar. It reminded me of butterscotch and chocolate brownies--made with single origin cacao, and spiked with smooth dark rum.

And I appreciated the maker's use of a relatively short list of ingredients, the fact that this bar was "direct trade" (Haiti cacao) and "wind powered"--and that the chocolate was gluten and soy free.

Warning: potentially addictive

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Fragrant Cacao Butter, Organic Whole Cow Milk, Pure Caramel Extract, Rum Flavor (Rum, Grain Alcohol)

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a facility that uses nuts, cow milk, and coconut"

Harbor Sweets - Sand Dollars - Caramel & Pecan in Dark Chocolate & Milk Chocolate Periwinkle - July 10, 2026

Chocolate(s) of The Day

Harbor Sweets

Sand Dollars - Caramel and Pecan in Dark Chocolate 
Good ++
Weight: .647 oz. (18.33 g.) / 3 7/8 oz. (110 g.) in total package of 6 pieces
Calories: 90 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $13.95 + shipping for 1 package of 6 pieces
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

Milk Chocolate Periwinkles 
Good ++
Weight: .45 oz. (12.78 g.) for 2 small pieces / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in total (large Nautical Assortment box)
Calories: 70 calories (estimate) in 2 periwinkles 
Cost: $50.00 + shipping for 1 large assortment box (that contained several other chocolates)
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate & Water Theme Week. 

Today's two nautically-themed chocolates from Massachusetts were inspired by shells you might find on a beach walk along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline.

Today's Caramel and Pecan filled dark chocolate Sand Dollar--and the two, cute little (solid) milk chocolate periwinkles--were from Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA). Both were attractive to look at and each chocolate was swaddled in gold foil.

Both were relatively sweet, and had a relatively bright sweetness to them. (The addition of wildflower honey in many of the company's chocolate likely contributed to this pleasant fruit/floral sweetness.)

Ingredients (Sand Dollars): Dark Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Chocolate Liquor processed with Alkali, Cocoa Butter, Butterfat (Milk), Soy Lecithin, Vanilla), Pecans, Cream (Light Cream and Disodium Phosphate), Tapioca Syrup (Tapioca Starch), Evaporated Milk (Milk 0.5% or less of: Dipotassium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Vitamin D3), Sugar, Light Brown Sugar, Butter (Cream (Milk), Salt), Wildflower Honey, Vanilla, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Baking Soda.

Allergen-related information for dark chocolate Sand Dollars: Contains Milk, Soy and Pecans. "This product is prepared in a facility that handles soy, milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and sesame." (The latter statement likely applies to the milk chocolate periwinkles as well.)

Ingredients (Periwinkles): (Not Listed individually in larger assortment box.) Contained Milk, Soy.

The Organic House - Movie Night Caramel Corn 60% Cacao Nicaragua (bar) - Nov.30, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Organic House
Movie Night 60% Cacao Nicaragua O'Payo (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 293 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Movies & Entertainment Week.

Today's Movie Night 60% Cacao Nicaragua O'Payo (bar) was from The Organic House (Burlington, ON, Canada). 

The bar was hand-crafted with care--as was the animated film "The Man Who Planted Trees" (1987) by Frederic Back* that I "paired" with this chocolate. 

The film features the story of a man who planted Oak, Birch, Linden (and possibly Maple) trees, across miles of land, over decades, completely transforming a once barren landscape. 

This hand-crafted story seemed like a good match with today's "Proudly Canadian" chocolate bean-to-bar chocolate, sweetened with sugar from maple trees. 

Aroma and flavor notes for today's bar included: dark chocolate; caramel and caramel corn; faint fruit (berry, faint date); and uplifting warm spice and maple sugar.

The caramel corn (made from scratch) was ground into the O'Payo** Nicaragua cacao beans -- resulting in a smooth, relatively creamy chocolate with no detectable popcorn texture. (A faint, pleasant popcorn flavor did surface in some bites.)

I enjoyed the dark, satisfying caramel flavors and gentle fruit and maple complexity. Some of these notes certainly came from the use of a single origin cacao. Many thanks to the creative Canadian animators and chocolate makers who made tonight's special "Movie Night" possible.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, Ontario maple sugar, Organic popcorn, Organic cacao butter, Organic maple sugar, Organic almond butter, Sea salt, Organic coconut oil. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains Almonds. May contain: Cashews, Hazelnuts, Oats, Pistachios"

*The "Man Who Planted Trees" is an award-winning, 30-minute long, animated film created from more than 20,000 drawings. It was adapted from a French story, created and directed by Frederic Back, and narrated by actor Christopher Plummer. The team also included Academy Award winning Canadian sound editor + composer Normand Roger and several other talented folks who worked to complete this film over a five-year period. The story was (and still remains) an inspiring tale of how one person can make a difference.

**The O'Payo Nicaragua cacao used in this bar was from Ingemann, a family-owned company in Nicaragua.

 

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

Chocolate of the Day

Noi Sirius

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

Good +

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bee Grateful Farm - Chocolate Honey Caramels - Feb. 3, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Bee Grateful Farm
Chocolate Honey Caramels
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .77 oz. (22 g.) / 4 oz. (125 g.) in total package
Calories: 120 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $9.69 for 1 package
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Chocolate Honey Caramels were handcrafted at Bee Grateful Farm (Steamboat Springs, CO).*

Aroma notes included sweet cream and caramel, and mild sweet chocolate.

These velvety and chewy ebony-colored caramels had a sweet chocolate-y, and buttery flavor with underlying honeyed caramel notes.

Gluten free, these balanced sweets had complex, authentic milk (cream) and honey taste. Yes, they were quite sweet, but they were more "honey" sweet than "white sugar" sweet. 

The package claimed these 100% honey-sweetened treats wouldn't stick to my teeth like sugary caramels would, and that was true.

Maker's notes: "...golden sweetness honey meets the rich creaminess of organic grass-fed cream and butter..."

Ingredients: Wildflower and alfalfa honey, organic cream, chocolate extract, organic butter, organic cocoa powder, Utah salt.

Allergen-related information: "Contains: milk"; gluten free

*Bee Grateful Co. is based in Phippsburg, CO.

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

Chocolate(s) of the Day

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

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

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

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

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

Aroma notes included: sweet milk chocolate and caramel.

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

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

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

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

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

 

Wildwood Chocolate - Cardamom and Honey Caramel with Sea Salt (bar) - Feb. 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day 

Wildwood Chocolate

Cardamom and Honey Caramel with Sea Salt (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.176 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 182 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar

Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend ($12.75 on website)

Purchased from: N/A - gift from friend (thank you Wendy!)

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Spices Weeks.

Today's Cardamom and Honey Caramel with Sea Salt (bar) was from Wildwood Chocolate (Portland, OR). The company offers chocolates inspired by nature in the Pacific Northwest; e.g. this bar was embossed with an attractive fern pattern.

Instead of spice, the aroma of this honey caramel filled bar had notes of chocolate sandwich cookies and milk and faint caramel. The (cardamom) spice was in the core--part of a thin layer of cardamom seasoned honey caramel--surrounded by 70% dark chocolate.

Breaking off a piece of this bar resulted in a thin gooey sheet and tendrils of caramel (that may be softer on a warm day). I'd advise dividing this bar into bite-sized pieces on a plate, or eating this chocolate with a napkin.

The smooth dark chocolate lacked identifiable cacao flavor notes. The caramel center added a pleasing mild, authentic cardamom spice flavor, and was relatively sweet. Although the salt helped balance this sweetness. 

Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, soy lecithin, vanilla), cane sugar, cream (milk), honey, rice syrup, butter, vanilla extract (vanilla, alcohol), sea salt, cardamom seeds.

Allergen-related information: "Contains soy and milk. May contain traces of the following if not listed above due to shared equipment: tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and eggs."

Donnelly Chocolates - Dark Chocolate Caramel Pecan (bar) - Dec. 17, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Donnelly Chocolates

Dark Chocolate Caramel Pecan (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar

Calories: 218 calories (estimate) in 1 bar

Cost: N/A - gift from a friend (Thank you Julie!)

Purchased from: N/A - gift (purchased at Donnelly Chocolates)

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Hazelnuts Week (with pecans and caramel playing a starring role).

Today's Dark Chocolate Caramel Pecan (bar) was a treat from a friend who was likely driving through Santa Cruz, California, and made a stop at "World Famous Donnelly's Chocolates," where chief chocolatier Richard Donnelly practices the art of making chocolate bars, barks and confections.

I don't eat caramels that much anymore because many lack much, if any, flavor other than sugar. This thick, rich caramel bar was very sweet; but it was also full of flavors: homemade butter, brown sugar, pecans, and dark chocolate to be precise. 

The caramel filling was luscious and soft. I highly recommend eating this bar with a napkin or two at-the-ready.

This bar was accompanied by a glass of hazelnut "milk."

Ingredients: "dark chocolate (contains cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin as emulsifier, sunflower lecithin, natural vanilla flavoring), caramel, pecans"

Allergen-related information: None listed on small label; contained pecans.

Soklet - Desi Rabdi - Milk Chocolate with Pistachios, Saffron (bar) - Feb. 16, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Desi Rabdi - 45% Toasted Milk Chocolate (with) Pistachio, Saffron (bar)

Good - Good +

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

Calories: 283.5 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar + shipping

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Soklet Caramelized Milk Chocolate with Pistachios and Saffron (bar)* was manufactured by Regal Foods and Beverages (Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India).

This Desi Rabdi bar was inspired by traditional Indian sweets. It contained cocoa butter, but no cocoa solids.* But, I wouldn't call this "white chocolate." The bar had a rich golden brown hue that was achieved by careful caramelization of sugar and milk. Cocoa butter or fat (which can be half of the content of cocoa beans) contributed a creamy, but firm (at room temperature) chocolate bar texture.

Happily, this confectionery homage did not taste overly sweet (cane sugar was the third ingredient). And there were enjoyable, milky hints of pistachio nut--and a fleeting, delicate and uplifting floral saffron spice note.

Ingredients: Cacao butter, skimmed milk powder, cane sugar, roasted pistachio, saffron 

*Note: A white chocolate work-around was used today.

To "count" as a chocolate on Chocolate Banquet, a bar, confection, beverage or other chocolate item needs to contain some form of cocoa solids. Today's Desi Rabdi bar contained a generous amount of cocoa butter (it was the number one ingredient), but no cocoa solids.

This should not have been a surprise, as traditional Indian desserts aren't typically loaded up with dark chocolate.

So, even though this bar was perfectly fine on its own, I drizzled a fine thread of very smooth/mild dark chocolate (melted dark chocolate with a few drops of date syrup and rose water) across a piece of this bar. 

I used a small amount of dark chocolate so I wouldn't "suffocate" the more delicate saffron and pistachio flavors in this bar. The goal of this "topping" was to create a layering of flavors rather than a forced flavor fusion. It was a successful pairing.

Agapey - Ginger Rum - 70% Dark Chocolate with Ginger Rum caramel filling - Sept. 13, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Agapey Chocolate Factory (Barbados)

Ginger Rum 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate

Good ++

Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 185 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend (thank you Toni!) 

Purchased from: Gift from a friend (who visited Bridgetown/Agapey)

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

Today's Ginger Rum 70% Dark Chocolate filled with ginger rum caramel was from Agapey Chocolate Factory (Bridgetown, Barbados). It was a gift from a friend who traveled to several Caribbean islands and brought this back to the U.S.--a bit of a challenge, transporting chocolate in warm weather. (Thank you Toni!)

This is the first chocolate I've featured on Chocolate Banquet made in Barbados; and this filled bar (four chocolate cubes melded together) incorporated several ingredients grown/made locally, including the sugar and rum.

My tasting notes are below: 

Aroma: rich deep dark chocolate (cocoa, brownie) and buttery rum aroma notes

Melt/texture: smooth, substantial dark chocolate contrasted with soft, flavor infused caramel filling/center(s).

Flavor: Undulating bold, true dark chocolate (balanced earth, fudge brownie) mingled with sweet, velvety golden caramel infused with Mount Gay Rum (Barbados) and ginger spice-- both warming flavors. The ginger was very subtle, and not too strong.

Finish: light lingering rum and dark chocolate finish

I enjoyed the fact that the 70% cacao dark chocolate was bold and interesting and was not too sweet (thank you!). This dark chocolate was the perfect counterpoint to the softer, sweeter rum and ginger caramel, and helped balance the sweetness.

Ingredients: "all natural roasted cocoa beans, caramel (corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk (pasteurized milk, sugar), sugar, palm oil, water, butter (cream, salt), salt, vanilla extract, soy lecithin (an emulsifier)), cane sugar, ginger, rum, cocoa butter...May contain traces of peanuts/nuts."

Fazer Confectionery - Sea Buckthorn and Salty Caramel Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 10, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fazer Confectionery
Nordi - Sea Buckthorn and Salty Caramel Chocolate (bar)
Good
Weight: 1.12 oz. (32 g.) / 3.35 oz. (95 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

This Sea Buckthorn and Salty Caramel bar was from Fazer Confectionery (Ventaa, Finland). Fazer is a large company with a big brand portfolio, and a substantial bakery, confectionery and industrial export business.

The first sensory input that registered with me when I bit into this bar was an authentic sea buckthorn berry aroma and flavor. Many folks outside of northern Europe may not be familiar with these bright orange-yellow edible berries that grow on bushes.*

The berries have a mild sweetness and slight astringency and are high in Vitamin C. I found them closer to milder varieties of gooseberries or goji berries than to berries we see in the U.S. (e.g. strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or other berries we use for eating or in pies and jams). I hope to try these festively orange berries, dried or fresh, in the future.

Small caramel/toffee chips added sweetness to this chocolate.

*Also known as seaberries, sea buckthorn berries (and other parts of the plant) also have been used historically across northern Europe for medicinal purposes. 

Note: photos have been delayed this week. The image of  kayak on the water (on the package surrounding today's bar) was particularly relevant as this bar was enjoyed the day after an unusually windy and high tide day near the San Francisco Bay where I live, to the delight of windsurfers and kite surfers around the bay. Water levels were high enough to support small sailboats as well as canoes and kayaks. Chocolate is a wonderful outdoor snack.

Ocho Caramel and Reese's milk chocolate peanut butter filled trees - Dec. 25, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ocho
Organic Caramel Trees - Milk Chocolate
Good +
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.88 oz. (110 g.) in total package
Calories: 150 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Reese's
(The Hershey Company)
Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter - Tree stuffed with Reese's pieces
Good
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) in 1 small package
Calories: 160 calories in 1 package
Cost: $0.79 for 1 package
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Holiday Tea and Spirits Theme Week.

Decorating holiday trees this week, and hiking outdoors with friends and family inspired the choice of two filled chocolate "trees" on Christmas Day. It was also a beautiful day outdoors today, with live trees and lit up trees of all kinds, everywhere.

Hope you all enjoyed the holidays.

Ocho Caramel Trees
The individually-wrapped, diminutive Milk Chocolate Caramel Tree from Ocho was oozing with fresh, authentic-tasting caramel. And the chocolate tasted authentic and relatively high-quality as well. Did I mention these were Organic as well?

Ocho, based in Oakland, CA, was an early player in the healthier candy bar market, with offerings that not only lacked artificial colors or preservatives, but also were organic and better tasting than their packaged candy ancestors.

The Reese's* Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Tree

Reese's small novelty holiday tree was filled with colorful, candy-coated, crunchy Reese's pieces. Stuffing the "ornaments" inside the peanut butter tree, made for a sweeter, crunchier tasting experience than the standard peanut butter cup.

*The H.B. Reese Candy Company is a subsidiary of Hersheys (The Hershey Company, Hershey, PA). The two companies became one in the early 1960s.

Ashby Confections - Tortoises - Dark Chocolate Pecans and Agave Caramel - May 31, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ashby Confections

Tortoises - Dark Chocolate Pecans and Agave Caramel with Monterey Bay Sea Salt

Good++

Weight: 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) / 3.6 oz. (101.8 g.) in package of 2 

Calories: 270 calories (estimate) in 1 tortoise

Cost: $8.50 for 1 package of 2 tortoises

Purchased from: Buttercream Cakes, Santa Cruz, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

Today's Tortoises from Ashby Confections (Scotts Valley, CA) were wonderfully layered. Between a disc-shaped layer of dark chocolate and a layer of pecan halves was a layer of agave caramel. And the Tortoises were seasoned with Monterey Bay sea salt.

Bracing myself for lots of overly sweet and gooey caramel, I was pleasantly surprised. These variations on caramel turtles were well balanced and tasty. The layered flavors worked very nicely. The smooth dark chocolate, roasted pecans and sea salt balanced the soft, sweet agave caramel center layer, so you weren't left with a mouthful of sugar (thank you!).

The caramel did contain cane sugar, agave syrup and organic cream, and behaved like authentic, gooey caramel—creating caramel "fangs" with each bite. But, the combination of high-quality ingredients and the relative lack of sugar in the nuts and dark chocolate elevated this confection to a new level.

These Tortoises were made with fair trade dark chocolate* and were gluten and soy free.

*The company uses Guittard and Askinosie chocolate.