Chocolate Tree - Belize Black 100% Dark Chocolate (No Sugar) (bar) - Feb. 16, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Tree
Belize Black 100% Dark Chocolate (No Sugar) (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 177.1 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate & Central America Theme Week -- a week with several dark bars crafted by small batch makers using cacao grown in Belize.

Today's Belize Black 100% Dark Chocolate Bar was made by Chocolate Tree (Knowes Farm, Scotland), using "ancestral and rare" (Belize) cacao: "Native Criollo (varieties), Upper Amazon Hybrids". 

Aroma notes for this ultra-dark chocolate included: dark chocolate, sweet dried fruits (fig, date, mixed tropical fruits, tart raisin), faint candied yam, and barely detectable sweet green botanical.

Texture: smooth and buttery with a satisfying melt.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (chocolate-y, slightly roast-y), tart sweet dried fruits (mixed fruit, fig and citrus marmalade), and brief flickers of warm spice (cinnamon) and sweet-tart lemon in the lingering finish. Low in bitterness for a 100% cacao chocolate (with no added sugar(s)).

I appreciated the company's thoughtful sourcing; the mold/form they used to create the beautiful interlocking birds pattern on this bar (and other bars); the short list of two organic ingredients; and the chocolate-y flavor with diffuse, balanced fruit notes.

Note: I experienced an added bonus from this 100% cacao bar. I wasn't feeling well. A few bites of this ultra-dark bar and my airways opened and my cough disappeared.*

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Figs, Pineapple, Raisins"

Maker's Pairing Suggestions: "Pair With: Single Malt Whisky"

Ingredients: "Organic cocoa beans, organic cocoa butter."

Allergen-related information: "Nuts and dairy are used in our factory." 

*I've found ultra-dark chocolate to be a great bronchodilator.

Seahorse Chocolate - Belize Fina Chocolat 75% (bar) - Feb. 14, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Seahorse Chocolate 
Belize Finca Chocolat 75% (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) in 1 small bar
Calories: 78 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $25.00 for tasting, sampler pack of 5 small bars
Purchased from: Seahorse Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate & Central America Theme Week. (For a second, bonus post for Valentines Day, see write-up on a "Beet-ing Heart" confection from Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY)).

Today's Belize Finca Chocolat* 75% bar was made by Seahorse Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma and flavor notes for this relatively intense dark chocolate included: extra-dark fudge, diffuse dried tropical fruit blend (pineapple, raisin, fig, citrus (orange, tangerine)) and a light bitterness (lemon peel in dark chocolate).

Texture: relatively smooth, with a satisfying thick and creamy melt (in a cold room). 

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Reminds us of: Fudgsicle, Dried Fruit, Ice Cream truck in winter."

Ingredients: "Cocoa Beans, Organic Sugar"

Allergen-related information: "Vegan, Gluten Free"

*Fince Chocolat is a 500+ acre (200+ hectare) cacao, timber and spice farm sitting in the shadows of the Maya Mountains in southern Belize.

Spinnaker Chocolate - 90% Belize Single-Origin Maya Mountain cacao (bar) - Feb. 13, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
90% Belize Single-Origin Chocolate Maya Mountain Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar (current price)
Purchased from: Spinnaker, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, including several bars crafted using Belize cacao from Maya Mountain Cacao.

Today's 90% Belize Single-Origin Chocolate Maya Mountain Cacao (bar) was from Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this ultra-dark chocolate included: dark chocolate with a very light, and relatively pleasant, vegetable (potato and greens) note, as well as very faint, diffuse fruit (very mild tropical fruit, berry).

Texture: relatively smooth texture with an even melt

Flavor notes included: ultra-dark chocolate but without the usual bitterness and acidity (fruit or otherwise).

I really enjoyed the uniquely easy-going, very smooth, ultra-dark aroma and flavor in this chocolate; and the lack of sugar. This was one of the least bitter 90% cacao chocolates I've ever tasted. (This belongs in a tasting flight with other high-percentage bars to illustrate the range of intensity (high-to-low) that's possible.)

The mild fruit notes were not the lively citrus, pineapple, red berry one often tastes in "fruitier" Belize cacaos; but rather softer, subtler white and blue fruits lower in acidity (blue pitaya (dragon fruit)) and very mild blueberry.

I appreciated the maker's choice of a short list of just two ingredients: cacao and organic cane sugar--with no added cocoa butter. 

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Super smooth and deliciously fruity. Even at 90% there's no bitterness from the amazing Maya Mountain Belize cacao." "You will like this if...You like our 70% Belize (bar) but just want something even less sweet. You like blue fruits and berries."

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar

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

 

Chocolate Tree - Belize Maya Mountain 75% Bean to Bar - Feb. 12, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Tree
Belize 75% Dark Chocolate Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate & Central America Theme Week -- a week with several dark bars crafted by small batch makers using cacao grown in Belize--sourced from Maya Mountain Cacao in Southern Belize.*

Today's Belize 75% Dark Chocolate Bar was made by Chocolate Tree (Knowes Farm, Scotland), using cacao ("Native Criollo (varieties), Upper Amazon Hybrids") from Maya Mountain Cacao.

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (chocolate-y, slightly roast-y dark fudge brownie); diffuse and faint tart-sweet/tropical fruit; and very faint warm spice.

Texture: relatively smooth, dark chocolate with  a very subtle tart fruit astringency.

I appreciated the company's thoughtful sourcing; the mold/form they used to create the beautiful interlocking birds pattern on this bar (and other bars); the short list of three, organic ingredients; and the chocolate-y flavor with secondary, diffuse tropical fruit notes. (For those who don't care for the wonderful fruit, there was a little less fruit in this bar than some other Belize dark chocolates featured this week. Personally, I love balanced, naturally occurring cacao fruit notes.)

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Dried Fruit, Honey, Pineapple" 

Maker's Pairing Suggestions: "Pair With: Brownies, Granola, Dark Rum"

Ingredients: "Organic Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cacao Butter."

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that processes: milk, peanuts, soy, and tree nut ingredients." 

*When I visited Maya Mountain Cacao years ago, the Toledo district (and more broadly Southern Belize) felt like the equivalent (for cacao) of the Napa wine region in northern California. A special place. (The opportunity to discuss centuries old cacao traditions with Maya people/farmers was also very special.)

Maya Mountain Cacao purchases cacao (freshly harvested beans with pulp) from many local cacao farmers and provides high-quality, fine-flavored cacao beans to chocolate makers around the globe.

Choco Del Mar - Maya Mountain 70% Cocoa (bar) - Feb. 9, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Choco Del Mar
Maya Mountain 70% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Choco Del Mar, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's Maya Mountain 70% Cocoa (bar) was made by Choco Del Mar (Los Altos, CA), using single origin cacao beans from Maya Mountain Cacao in Belize.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (drinking chocolate), fruit (red berry, red raspberry) and cream. (Note: there was no actual cream/milk in this bar.)

Texture: smooth, rich texture with a satisfying melt

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate (dark ganache, dark cacao with faint and well balanced bitterness); fruit (mixed berry, raspberry; dark raspberry + dark red fruit jam); and barely detectable spice (black pepper) and saltine cracker.

I enjoyed this well-executed flavorful and fruity dark chocolate with balanced complex aroma and flavor notes--all developed from just three ingredients.

Ingredients: Cocoa Nibs, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that processes milk, nuts, and other common allergens."

Loon Chocolate - 75% Maya Mountain Belize (bar) - Feb. 8, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Loon Chocolate
75% Maya Mountain Belize (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar 
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, including several bars crafted from Belize cacao.

Maya Mountain Cacao* operates in Southern Belize, a region known for its fine cacao. Makers of many (if not most) of the single origin Belize chocolate bars available in the U.S. will have obtained their cacao beans through Maya Mountain Cacao.

Today's Loon Chocolate 75% Maya Mountain Belize (bar) was manufactured by White Birch Living LLC (Manchester, NH). The small batch chocolate makers hand sort, roast, shell and stone grind the raw cacao they receive.

Aroma and flavor notes for this relatively robust dark chocolate included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark fruity fudge) with flavorful diffuse dried fruits (citrus, tropical fruits, pineapple, mango, fig jam cookie) and very faint warm spice (vanilla) and sweet green/herbal. 

Texture: Smooth, satisfying thick (in a cold room) melt and mouthfeel with a very light astringency. 

I enjoyed this well-balanced, relatively bold, complex and flavorful bar--and the subtle interplay between the cacao's light bitterness and sweet/sour fruit elements. This chocolate had authentic, concentrated fruit sweetness, without being too sweet.

All this flavor was developed from just three (organic) ingredients. 

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

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a Facility That Uses Almonds, Milk and Wheat"

*Maya Mountain Cacao (MMC) is a specialty cacao sourcing company that works across the Toledo, Stann Creek and Cayo districts of Belize. 

MMC purchases fresh cacao, ferments and dried the cacao, and exports the cacao beans to numerous specialty chocolate makers in the U.S. and Europe.

Southern Belize is also known for having a very favorable growing climate for good cacao and for its rich cacao-related history.

Cacao has been cultivated in Belize for over 2,000 years, and has been used as food (and currency) by the Maya people. Cacao in this area has also been recognized by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund for its unique flavors and genetically distinct characteristics. 

Dandelion Chocolate - 70% Maya Mountain Belize (2024 Harvest) - Feb. 7, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Dandelion Chocolate
70% Maya Mountain Belize (2024 Harvest) (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift from friends - Thank you Evan, Maddy & Isla!

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, including several bars crafted from Belize cacao.

Today's 70% Maya Mountain Belize (2024 Harvest) (bar) was made by Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA).

Aroma notes for this chocolate included: dark, relatively bold chocolate with faint molasses and peat notes with a subtle, well-managed bitterness. (The faint peat note receded after the package was opened for several minutes.)

Texture: Relatively smooth with a very faint, tannic astringency 

Flavor notes included: Bold dark chocolate with balanced/managed bitterness and tannins with initial chocolate-y sweetness, followed by sour, dried fruit (citrus peel + apple + plum marmalade), barely detectable molasses, and light wood. 

After a few bites, the "sour"/marmalade fruit mellowed into tart-sweet red fruit and berry territory. 

This chocolate tasted more bold/intense than 70% cacao; it was closer to an 80%er. A fruit ale-like (almost hoppy)* bitterness lingered into a fairly long, ultra-dark chocolate-y finish. 

Note to milk chocolate fans with a sweet tooth...This Belize bar was full of flavors; but some of these flavors might be a bit intense for those easily frightened by bolder dark chocolates.

I really appreciated the makers' short list of just two ingredients; no added cocoa butter; and the choice of single origin (Maya Mountain Cacao, Belize) from a single harvest year (2024). 

I've long appreciated Dandelion Chocolate's range of single origin chocolates -- made with a group of different makers in their San Francisco location(s). A Belize bar one year might be slightly different than the next. The more specific the cacao type, origin, harvest and maker's roasting choices are, the more unique and special the flavor profile will be. 

Ingredients: Cacao Beans & Cane Sugar

Allergen-related information: "Contains No Dairy, Gluten, Nuts or Soy"

*Note: I drank some hop water, then re-tasted this chocolate. The chocolate tasted much mellower, balanced, sweeter and less bitter. So, this bar might be great paired with a hop-heavy ale or stout, or a smoky/peaty whiskey.

Amano Artisan Chocolate - El Cayo Belize 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 6, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Amano Artisan Chocolate
El Cayo Belize 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 202 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar (current price)
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, including several bars crafted from Belize cacao.

Today's El Cayo Belize 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Amano Artisan Chocolate (Orem, UT).

Aroma notes for this attractively packaged* dark chocolate included: dark chocolate with dried fruits (cacao pulp, pear, red raspberry, cherry, green fig, green walnuts in syrup, and fig + vanilla cookie.

Texture: relatively smooth, thick (in a cold room), satisfying melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: chocolate-y dark chocolate (fudge brownie), vanilla marshmallow, dried fruits (mentioned above -- red berry/raspberry, red cherry and ripe plum notes arriving first, followed by tiny spikes of dried fig, dried plum, with fig + vanilla cookie (and almost undetectable sugar molasses chocolate cake/Boston Brown Bread and nuts) toward at the end of a wonderfully long finish.

I really enjoyed the flavorful, fruit-forward complexity in this well-executed Belize dark chocolate. Savor this chocolate slowly to fully enjoy all this bar has to offer from start to finish.

Normally, I'm not a huge fan of vanilla (or vanillin) being added to single origin dark chocolates. However, the judicious dose of ground vanilla bean(s) in today's bar, added a cookie/baked goods warmth and very nicely complemented the fruit notes without being too overwhelming (thank you!).

Maker's Tasting Notes: "...strong chocolate base with notes of raspberries, pears, dried cherries, and plums."

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Pure Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Vanilla Beans

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Traces of Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Soy, Wheat and Milk  Products"

*The colorful artwork on the packaging was by painter Martina Shapiro.

 

Zotter - Belize 72% + Panama 72% Dark Chocolate (bars) - May 25, 2025

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Zotter 
Belize 72% + Panama 72% Dark Chocolate (bars)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total pkg. of 2 bars
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 of each two bars x 2 -- adding up to 1/2 pkg.
Cost: $10.19 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotter USA, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's 72% dark duo was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter US LLC (Fort Myers, FL) -- using cacao from two different countries: Belize and Panama.

Both Belize and Panama bars had relatively long conch times: 21 hours and 22 hours respectively.  Belize 72% cacao (bar) was joined by a Panama 72% cacao (bar); i.e. these two were individually wrapped, but wrapped up in the same package. 

Both Belize and Panama bars had relatively long conch times: 21 hours and 22 hours respectively and were relatively subtle in aroma and flavor. (No harsh or spiky notes.)

Belize "vs." Panama comparisons were not directly possible. The attractively packaged dual-origin bars concept was appealing; however, the two bars weren't clearly labeled, so they are identified below only as Bar #1 and Bar #2.

Bar #1

Aroma and flavor notes were very subtle... dark chocolate flavor (dark chocolate torte/tart, ganache, very slightly earthy, ultra-dark brownie). Diffuse, sweet fruit (citrus, raisin, dark ganache). 

The texture was smooth and creamy.

Bar #2

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet green (light green fig jam on freshly baked,fluffy bread); nut (faint cashew); almost floral; light, clean/clean mineral taste; and very faint bitter/earth drinking chocolate/ultra-dark cookie/brownie in the finish.

Texture: light, almost whipped/fluffy melt and mouthfeel.

Both of these Organic 72% dark bars has much in common. They both were made using cacaos "cultivated in the jungles of South America by indigenous farmers." And both chocolates were made with just three ingredients: Organic, Fair Traded Cocoa Mass, Cane Sugar and Cocoa Butter,

I liked: 1.) the gently complex flavor notes; 2.) the short list of thoughtfully sourced single origin and organic ingredients; 3.) the smooth textured chocolates; 4.) and being able to taste these two single origin chocolates side-by-side.

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on Equipment That Processes Tree Nuts., Peanuts, Milk, Sesame and Soy."

Honeymoon Chocolates - 70% Raspberry Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey, Belize (bar) - June 22, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honeymoon Chocolates
70% Raspberry Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey, Belize (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 171 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Missing information

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

Today's 70% Raspberry Dark Chocolate with Raw Honey, Belize (bar) was from Honeymoon Chocolates (St. Louis, MO). The company was "founded in a dorm room in 2016," and, happily for us, has produced a variety of (single origin cacao) chocolates sweetened with honey.

This dark bar was created using bean-to-bar Maya Mountain Belize cacao; Missouri Wildflower and Clover honey; and raspberries.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (deep dark chocolate fudge; berry fruit; very faint, fleeting warm spice, fruit vinegar); raspberry fruit pieces; and very faint floral (honey).

Texture - somewhat soft dark chocolate, with a rich, slow melt; and occasional bits of raspberry and crunchy whole raspberry seeds.

Tasting notes included: pleasing, single origin (Belize) dark chocolate flavor, interspersed with authentic, bright, tart-sweet raspberry fruit bits.

I liked that this chocolate was not too sweet (thank you!) and I appreciated it was made with just four high-quality ingredients--allowing each ingredient to shine.

Ingredients: Cacao, Raw Honey, Cacao Butter, Raspberry

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that prepares Dairy products. "Free of refined sugar, soy, and gluten."

  

Dick Taylor - Chocolate Coated Cherries (65% Belize dark chocolate) - Jan. 7, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate 
Chocolate Coated Cherries - 65% Belize dark chocolate
Good ++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 7 oz. (198 g.) in total container
Calories: 260 calories in 1 (2 oz./57 g.) serving 
Cost: $16.00 for 1 container
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Belize Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Cherry Week.

Today's Chocolate Coated Cherries from Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate (Eureka, CA) were a delicious intersection of these two themes.

It's a cold, rainy winter outside; but it's bright and fruity inside. Last week's New Year's lineup featured the almost magical fruit flavors/notes in six different single origin Belize dark chocolate bars. This week: a Chocolate and Cherry Series, will be followed by a Chocolate, Berries and Vanilla week. Winter seems less drab and gray with bright fruits, warm spices and chocolate.

Dick Taylor - Chocolate Coated Cherries

Aroma notes for these high-end chocolate coated cherries included rich dark cocoa, warm spices (cinnamon, cardamom) and very faint fruit and sweet cream/yogurt. 

Every mouthful was full of flavor. When I bit into a piece, there was a gentle crackling through the successive layers of thinly-deposited 65% Belize dark chocolate, into a chewy dried cherry fruit center. This chocolate had mild tart-sweet fruit notes. 

The tasting experience was both a reveal and a delightful ambush: that started with smooth and flavorful, layered dark chocolate followed by strong bursts of tart-sweet, organic cherry. 

Notes: Possibly addictive. I recommend not biting into these pieces right away. You'll get more of the chocolate experience that way. The authentic, concentrated cherry flavor tends to dominate once you bite into the center.

Maker's notes/description: "Organic dried tart cherries deliciously coated in layer upon layer of our award-winning 65% Belize dark chocolate. " 

Ingredients: Organic cherries, organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa powder, organic cocoa powder, organic sunflower oil (cherries).

Allergen-related information: (None visible on label. Check with Dick-Taylor if you have questions about these confections.) Note: the allergen-related language printed on the packaging of the last Dick-Taylor bar I sampled read: "Made in a facility that also processes milk, tree nuts, wheat and peanuts." 

Zotter - Belize Sail Shipped Cacao 72% dark chocolate (bar) - Jan. 6, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Labooko Belize Sail Shipped Cacao 72% dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar (of 2)
Cost: $8.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotter, online order 

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

Today's Zotter Labooko Belize 72% dark chocolate (bar) was made in Austria using cacao sailed across the Atlantic, and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

Zotter offers several single origin bars (Labooko line) as well as a wide variety of organic and fair trade, creatively layered, filled bars with flavor inclusions. (The wrapper design/artwork is powered by Andreas H. Gratze and has helped convey this family-owned company's unique and creative spirit.)

Aroma notes for this bar included: subtle dark chocolate (brownie, dark chocolate cookie), and very faint, fleeting cool green, warm sweet spice and barely there nut.

This well-tempered bar broke with a snap and had a surprisingly creamy melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate with balanced, mixed fruit acidity, and a bit of ripe, sweet blackberries in the finish.

Like the other makers (and Belize bars featured this week), Zotter's 72% dark bar was made using cacao beans from the well-respected co-op and fermentery, Maya Mountain Cacao (MMC), in the Toledo District of southern Belize. The fact that cacao was sail-shipped to its European maker/destination is a nice environmental story. (It took two month to sail the cacao from Belize to Hamburg.) 

This bar was a bit higher in cacao solids (72%) than the other Belize dark chocolates (70%). It was creamier in texture, but tasted slightly darker, and had subtler fruit complexity than the even more tart-sweet, fruit-forward others.* The enjoyable, fluxing fruit from this origin can't be denied.

Maker's description: "...This bar starts with a fruity bouquet along with a hint of olive and cinnamon, then transforms into something entirely different on the tongue: a pleasantly mild taste, caramelized nuts, sweet condensed milk, and a delicate floral note. The finish offers blackberries and a beautiful aftertaste of grape hulls and malt."

Ingredients: Organic, fair traded cocoa mass; organic, fair traded cane sugar; organic, fair traded cocoa butter. 

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, milk, soy, peanuts and sesame."

*All these Belize chocolates have been above average; and tasting them in the same week makes it easier to experience the many choices, and sometimes trade-offs, that are made when working with a given cacao origin. 

In today's case, a creamier mouthfeel may have been, in part, the result of the 21-hour conching time and added cocoa butter. While still having some Belize/MMC fruit magic, the milder (less intense) fruit flavor (compared with others) could have been a result of roasting and processing times and/or the higher cacao percentage.

Standout Chocolate - Maya Mountain Belize 70% (bar) - Jan. 5, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Standout Chocolate

Maya Mountain Belize 70% (bar)

Good ++ 

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 146 calories in 1/2 bar (per label)

Cost: $10.25 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Maya Mountain Belize 70% (bar) was handcrafted in Sweden by Standout Chocolate (Kallered, Sweden), using cacao beans from Maya Mountain Cacao in the Toledo District of southern Belize.

Aroma notes included smooth dark chocolate, soft fruit (stone fruit salad: dried peach, ripe sweet cherry, plum with a drizzle of honey), sweet yeast bread, and very faint sweet green.

The texture was smooth with a very faint tart fruit astringency in the finish.

Low in bitterness, this flavorful 70% dark chocolate was high in tart sweet fruit flavor (stone fruits and dried fruit acidity--the type one might find in dried grapes (golden raisins) or dried golden berries, aka Inca berries (Physalis peruviana).

This naturally sweet bar gave me a lift with its invigorating, pleasing, tart fruit notes. 

Maker's tasting notes: Stonefruits, raisin, honey

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of milk. 

Maverick Chocolate - 70% Belize Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 4, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Maverick Chocolate Co.
70% Belize Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 (estimate - part of a larger, 3-bar order) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Good Food Awards Marketplace, online order

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

Today's 70% Belize Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Maverick Chocolate Co. (Cincinnati, OH), using cacao from Maya Mountain Cacao* in the Toledo District of southern Belize. 

Aroma notes for this person included true chocolate (dark chocolate cookie/brownie), gently undulating fruit (sweet black currant, pomegranate juice, peach jam), nut butter, faint warm vanilla spice and brown sugar.

Flavor notes for this three-ingredient 70% cacao chocolate included rich, smooth and subtly flavorful dark chocolate with subtle fruit (ripe red cherry) and spice (warm vanilla), faint bread, and ultra-faint sweet green notes. 

Summary: Nicely balanced, single origin bar; enjoyable deep (for 70%) dark chocolate bar with subtle, sophisticated layered fruit complexity. Clean finish; relatively low in bitterness.

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

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and milk products due to shared equipment. Soy free. Vegan."

*Founded in 2010, Maya Mountain Cacao--a co-op and centralized fermentery that works directly with cacao farmers in Belize (and Guatemala)--has become a key supplier of high-quality cacao for many craft chocolate makers--and has made possible the single origin Belize bars featured this week from Spinnaker Chocolate, Maverick Chocolate Co. and Standout Chocolate (Sweden).

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Belize with Nibs and Salt (bar) - Jan. 3, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
70% Belize with Nibs and Salt (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar (per label)
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 70% Belize Nibs and Salt (bar) was made by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA) using cacao from Maya Mountain Cacao in southern Belize. 

This is the 3rd Belize bar featured this week from Spinnaker. All have been well above average. Like every bean-to-bar chocolate that "scores" very well, today's makers started with sourcing great beans, and followed a very rigorous chocolate making process to ensure the best results possible.

They have, e.g., built some of their own sorting equipment* to further ensure that no off flavors happen and they roast cocoa nibs vs. cocoa beans.**

Aroma notes for this bar included: Criollo-like (cacao variety) smooth chocolate; complex and layered fruit (dried peach and light tropical fruits, dried goji and red berries, very faint date); and fresh bread with jam and salted butter.

Flavor: deep, appealing chocolate with complex fruit notes. Flavor notes included: "true" chocolate (freshly roasted and ground cacao, deep dark chocolate brownies with cacao nibs (with mild woodsy nut aspects) that balanced out the natural sweetness of the mixed fruits (dried stone fruits (peaches, red plums), sweet citrus, very faint sweet tropical fruit and ripe red berries). 

There was a fleeting earthiness in one bite (likely from one nib), but otherwise it was awash in waves of bright, beautiful freshly baked fruity chocolate sunshine, and quite low in bitterness.

All this flavor was balanced with a perfectly balanced, judicious dose of sea salt. The Pure Flake Finishing Salt from Jacobsen Salt Co. (Portland, OR) contributed subtle, warm saline sparkles. When you have a cacao that is this flavorful, every inclusion must be thought about carefully.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa nibs, sea salt flakes.

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

*Without exception, all my favorite bean-to-bar chocolates have been made by chocolate makers who have been driven (some would say obsessed) with their process and machinery, right down to the micron level. 

And all who have been willing to show me how they operate in their factory will stand with pride (rightfully so) next to equipment they have either created themselves or finely tuned with a great deal of precision. Hats off and a deep bow for their dedication.

**Cacao beans may vary enough in size that a single roasting profile may not roast all beans equally; whereas grinding the cacao beans into smaller, more evenly sized cacao nib pieces may result in more even, predictable flavor. 

Note: My question was would the greater surface to mass ratio of the pieces vs. the whole cacao bean in the roasting process result in the loss of more volatile flavors. However, the makers at Spinnaker Chocolate seem to be very carefully choosing gentle roasting profiles.

 And, the proof is in the results. The resulting chocolates (based on the Belize bars I've tasted this week) have been very flavorful and wonderful.

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Belize (bar) - Jan. 2, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
70% Belize (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 bar (per label)
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 70% Belize (bar) was made by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA) using cacao from Maya Mountain Cacao in southern Belize. 

Aroma notes for this bar included: Criollo-like (cacao variety) smooth chocolate; slightly honey-ed fruits (peach, light tropical fruit, goji berry, faint date); faint fleeting fresh bread; faint sweet green; and graham cracker/cookie.

Flavor: tangy, relatively tart fruity flavor notes including: mixed fruits (stone fruits (dried peaches, red plums), sweet citrus (tangerine), very faint sweet pineapple, and berries (golden and goji)), and gently complex dark chocolate.

Summary: This single origin 70% dark bar had an appealing chocolate complexity with abundant and complex fruit, a natural sweetness (warm, fresh baked bread with honey), and long pleasant and clean finish. It was also relatively low in bitterness. A well-executed chocolate that preserved and highlighted the best features of a wonderful cacao.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar

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

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Belize with Bourbon - Jan. 1, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
70% Belize with Bourbon (bar)
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 bar (per label)
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar

Welcome to Day #1 of 2023, and the first day of Chocolate and Belize Theme Week.

Today's 70% Belize with Bourbon (bar) was crafted by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA) using cacao from Maya Mountain Cacao in southern Belize, and with 100% Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey supplied by Seattle distillery 2BAR Spirits.

Aroma notes for this New Year's Day bar included: Relatively "mellow(ed)" dark chocolate, sweet green notes, heady bourbon whiskey spirits, and faint, diffuse fruit (sweet orange, goji berry, very faint, fleeting fig and cherry).

Wow, the flavor. Notes included dark chocolate; diffuse and gently morphing/fluxing fruits (listed above); bourbon; sweet butter/cream; vanilla; very faint sweet corn; and much more. 

Flavorful may be an overused word to describe single origin chocolates, but today's 70% dark chocolate raised the bar for use of this term. There was more flavor per (ounce, gram, square, bar, ingredient, etc.) than 90% of 70%ers out there. 

And yes, I do like the flavors that spirits impart. Whiskies pair very nicely with many chocolates. Today, e.g., I enjoyed getting the maximum residual distilled and aged flavors without much (if any) alcohol.*

Thank you to Spinnaker Chocolate for making today's special chocolate. After some heavy rain yesterday in California (that included minor flooding in my kitchen, today's soothing, flavorful chocolate was especially welcome--and the Spinnaker "nautical" theme was humorously appropriate. Ride the waves!

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, straight bourbon whiskey (for flavor)

*Maker's Note: "This product contains liquor and the alcohol content is one percent or less of the weight of the product."

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

Valrhona - Tulakalum (Belize) 75% dark chocolate (bar) - Oct. 16, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Valrhona

Tulakalum (Belize) 75% dark chocolate (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $7.50 (plus shipping) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order 

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's Tulakalum (Belize) 75% cacao dark chocolate (bar) was from Valrhona Chocolate (Tain L'Hermitage, France).*

Aroma notes (in order of appearance) included: earthy, dried fruit (fig, prune, banana), sweet cocoa and nut butter.

Texture: Thick, creamy melt and smooth mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: chocolate-y (fudge brownie with a hint of vanilla) with bright, tart fruit (raspberry, sweet cherry, and strawberries dipped in brown sugar) that extended into the finish. 

Valrhona description/tasting notes: "Tulakalum's...fruity, tangy...nutty intensity and powerful cocoa nibs dreamily encapsulate the gorgeous biodiversity of Belize, an endlessly colorful country with multiple culture and history."

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans from Belize, brown sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla..."

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that uses milk." "This product may contain: gluten, nuts, soya." "May contain wheat, soy, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, chestnuts, coconut and/or all their derivatives."

*Valrhona has historically (since 1922) partnered with pastry chefs and artisan chocolatiers around the world, supplying them with quality French chocolate. In recent decades they have enhanced their efforts to source sustainable cacao (traceable and sourced directly from producers). They are also a Certified B Corporation (that stipulates adherence to standards associated with social and environmental impact).

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."

Zotter - Labooko Belize 82% Sail Shipped Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) - Oct. 10, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter

Labooko - Belize 82% Sail Shipped Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 2 bars

Calories: 210 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $8.25 for 1 bar (+ summer shipping)

Purchased from: Bar and Cacao, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week, featuring chocolates made with cacao from Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Today's Labooko Belize 82% Sail Shipped* Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Cape Coral, FL). The company makes a variety of bars and chocolates that are organic and fair trade.

Aroma notes included (in order of appearance): dark and chocolate-y with slight, balanced bitterness, and diffuse, dried fruit (potent but not too strong, bright or sweet, e.g. plum/prune + fig) and a very faint hint of warm spice. (In re-tasting, there was also a barely there, fleeting vegetable (green + baked potato + nut) note, and a very faint, fleeting earth note.)

This chocolate had an attractive, thick, creamy (almost whipped), and nut buttery mouthfeel and texture.

Flavor notes: The bar was well balanced with smooth, flavorful, dark chocolate (fudge, ale) and a smooth, pleasing ultra-dark finish. (In re-tasting, there were also some sparkles of red berry/fruit.) 

Maker's Notes

Zotter aroma notes: "The chocolate is just faintly bitter and offers a broad aroma spectrum." "Fragrance notes: nutty notes, accents of dried fruit (plums, cherries).

Zotter tasting notes: "...nutty praline, cream, accents of caramel, mild notes of spice. Also fruit: hints of cranberry and plum, then intense sour cherry aroma. A mild note of tannin at the finish."

Ingredients: Organic cocoa mass, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, milk, soy, peanuts and sesame."

*The "genuine Maya" cacao used to make this bar was grown in Belize, and transported (emission free) from Belize across the ocean to Hamburg via sailboat.