Intrigue Chocolate - Smoked Tea + Allspice 60% Cacao (bar) - Dec. 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate
Smoked Tea + Allspice 60% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Tea, Herbs and Spices Theme Week.

Today's Smoked Tea + Allspice 60% Cacao (bar) was made and distributed by Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA), in collaboration with The Pathfinder - Hemp & Root, a patented distilled non-alcoholic spirit.

Origin story: The cacao used to make this chocolate was from Ecuador (Region: Costa Esmeraldas, Muisne Canton (Type: Ecuadorian Nacional hybrids). (Batch No.: 000000111524). The smoked black tea used to flavor this chocolate was Lapsang Souchong.

Aroma and flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate (roast-y, dark ganache with dark ripe berry/almost dark cherry); slight roast-y/smoke-y black tea and warm spice (allspice, cinnamon). (Note: there was no cinnamon, just high-quality allspice in this bar; but that allspice tasted like a whole spice blend in and of itself--thus the name, all-spice.)*

Texture: relatively smooth--with a subtle tea astringency.

The blend of all the flavors full-bodied, wonderful and especially satisfying on a winter morning. I liked many things about this bar. First, this blend was thoughtfully conceived and well executed. And the very slightly smoke-y, sweet flavors all harmonized very nicely.

If you think you've tasted allspice before (hidden in some tame, grocery store apple pie spice blend maybe?), think again. The Jamaican allspice* in today's bar took things to another level, and added a layer of natural sweetness.

Sweetness level: 60% cacao is normally a bit sweet for me, but the rich, authentic tea and spice flavors balanced the sweetness. The chocolate was sweet, but not too sweet for dark fans.

Like other chocolates from Intrigue, I appreciated the short list of high-quality ingredients, the lack of emulsifiers or other additives, and the use of raw cane sugar.

Makers tasting notes/description: "..."We used the deep aromas of Lapsang Souchong (smoked black tea), balanced by the sweet spice complexity of Jamaican allspice, and the cherry/bourbon notes of this cacao to create the perfect pairing..."

Ingredients: "Roasted cacao nibs, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter, smoked black tea, allspice."

Allergen-related information: None listed on packaging. 

*Allspice (dried, unripe berries that grow on trees) is native to the Americas (West Indies [Caribbean island nations], Central America and Mexico). The earliest drinking chocolates and confections in the Americas included ground cacao beans, flowers, spices (such as allspice), peppers, honey and/or other local flavor inclusions--but not cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger--spices brought by spice traders much later.

Intrigue Chocolate - Jamaican Hot Chocolate Truffle - Nov. 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Jamaican Hot Chocolate Truffle 
Good ++ 
Weight: .314 oz. (8.9 g.) / 4.09 oz. (116 g.) (estimate) in total box of 12 (13) truffles
Calories: 49 calories (estimate) in 1 truffle
Cost: $44.00 for 1 box of 12 (13) truffles
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

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

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate this holiday. Chocolate turkeys were handed a pardon this year. Instead, today's holiday chocolate treat was a small, square, spiked chocolate truffle.

Today's Jamaican Hot Chocolate Truffle was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this dark rum infused truffle included: subtle, sophisticated, warm, dark chocolate with very subtle rum and warm spices (nutmeg, vanilla). An additional bit of heat came from (what was for me just the right amount of) habanero chili, mid-way through.

Texture: creamy ganache, with a generous coating of cocoa powder.

Bittersweet, and not too sugary, this blend of flavors was a perfect chocolate warmer for a cold day. Enjoyed as a small bite of joy on a Thanksgiving dessert plate, it evoked sunny, subtle Caribbean island warmth and spiced rum flavor you might hope for in a dark truffle.

Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, soy lecithin), Cream (milk), flavors (as described in the truffle name).

Allergen-related information: Contains Dairy, Soy.

Charbonnel et Walker - Blackwell Jamaican Rum Truffles - May 31, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Charbonnel et Walker 
Blackwell Fine Jamaican Rum - Rum Truffles
Good ++
Weight: 1.38 oz. (39 g.) / 4.05 oz. (115 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 3 chocolates/truffles
Cost: $28.00 for 1 box of 9 truffles
Purchased from: Charbonnel et Walker, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate, Spirits and Savory Snacks Theme Week.

Today's Blackwell Fine Jamaican Rum - Rum Truffles were from Charbonnel et Walker (London). The company was established in 1875.

Aroma notes included: warm rum, brown sugar/honey, and chocolate.

The Rum Truffle centers had a buttery texture and melt, and were surrounded by a firmer, relatively thick dark chocolate shell. 

The smooth dark chocolate and rum flavors were harmonious and balanced, and had a slight natural, brown sugar/honey sweetness and booziness that extended into the finish. 

These Rum Truffles were enjoyed with salted nuts and blood orange (fresh fruit).

Maker's description: "...smooth Blackwell (tm) Rum Truffles in Fine Dark Chocolate. Blackwell (tm) Black Gold Fine Jamaican Rum..."

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa fat, soy lecithin), milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa fat, whole milk powder, unsweetened chocolate, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavoring), butter (salt, milk), Blackwell (tm) Rum (4.6%), sugar, unsweetened chocolate, natural flavorings, soy lecithin, milk fat, fat reduced cocoa powder, dry whole milk. 

Allergen-related information: Contains milk and soy. May contain Tree nuts, Egg and Wheat.

One One Cacao - Blue Mountain Coffee 71% (bar) - July 2, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

One One Cacao 
Blue Mountain Coffee 71% (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .353 oz. (10 g.) (estimate) in 1 sample-sized bar
Calories: 55 calories (estimate) in 1 sample bar
Cost: $53 - one of 6 sample bar chocolate tasting
Purchased from: Happy Chocolate Experiences, online order 

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Jamaica Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week. 

Today's Blue Mountain Coffee 71% sample bar was from One One Cacao (Kingston Parish, Jamaica).

This sample-sized Jamaican coffee bar was part of an online Jamaica chocolate tasting with One One Cacao founder, Nick Davis, arranged by Sunita de Tourreil at Happy Chocolate Experiences.*

Aroma notes for this 71% dark bar included subtle coffee, nut, savory (salted purple grape, very faint smoked sea salt/savory), and light fruit (raisin) and almost invisible floral (honey).**

The texture was smooth, but slightly rustic (think stone-ground chocolates, or chocolate with finely ground coffee). 

This chocolate offered substantial, hearty, well-balanced dark chocolate (faint brownie batter and dark fudge cake) flavors. Do savor slowly to fully enjoy the wonderful Blue Mountain coffee and cacao elements in this chocolate. 

The sweetness was pleasant and not overwhelming. These were high-quality coffee and cocoa beans to start with. The aroma and flavor notes were subtle,  complex, hearty and satisfying all at the same time. The beans' natural flavors (varieties, fermentation, conching/grind and refine times) and the roast time(s)--for both coffee and cacao--seemed very well calibrated to hit this point. Thank you to One One Cacao.

Maker's description: "Jamaica's Blue Mountain Coffee is often said to be the most expensive in the world. It isn't but it's super expensive compared to (your) average cup of Joe because of the incredible fruity and floral notes found in a light medium roast of the beans. Wait a second! Fruit floral notes, combined with Trinitario cacao's similar profile, with the chocolate notes in the coffee itself. It's a match made in heaven, we roast both beans using state of the art fluid bed bed technology to tease out the best flavour. Two bean's one love!"

Ingredients: (Not included on small sample packet.)

Allergen-related information: (Not included on small sample packet.)

*Sunita previously founded The Chocolate Garage in Palo Alto, CA. Happy Chocolate Experiences enable chocolate lovers expand their awareness about great chocolate, and makers around the world.

**Note: I enjoy well-balanced salt, savory and umami flavors/flavor inclusions in chocolate, and considered this very faint salt/savory/salted buttered nut note a plus.

Moonsoon Chocolate LLC - Bachelor's Hall Estate 100% Jamaica (bar) - July 1, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Moonsoon Chocolate LLC

Bachelor's Hall Estate 100% Jamaica (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

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

Calories: 139 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Bachelor's Hall Estate 100% Jamaica (bar) was from Monsoon Chocolate LLC (Tucson, AZ).

Subtle aroma and flavor notes included very faint chocolate (chocolate mousse) molasses spice, green tea, faint caramel and very faint, fresh-baked bread with butter and honey and peach jam. 

This chocolate was wonderfully approachable for a 100% cacao bar. This was similar to the 100% bar from LetterPress earlier this week (and yesterday's 85% bar from Moonsoon Chocolate). All three were made from cacao from Bachelor's Hall Estate*--and all three were low in bitterness and acidity, but not flavor. Today's 100%er had very mild, balanced green + fruit acidity, and possessed a well-executed, well-balanced subtle complexity, with no detectable "off" notes. 

Ingredients: Cocoa beans

Allergen-related information: "There is no gluten or animal product added to this bar. However it is processed in a facility that also processes wheat, dairy, nuts and soy" 

*"Bachelor's Hall Estate is a 1000 acre farm located in St. Thomas Parish, Jamaica, and is owned and operated by Desmond Jadusingh, who inherited the farm from his grandfather. The cacao grown here was originally transplanted from Trinidad in the 1800s, and Desmond does a remarkable job of fermenting and drying the cocoa--resulting in some of the most exquisite and sought after beans in the world."

Monsoon Chocolate - Bachelor's Hall Estate 85% Jamaica (bar) - June 30, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Moonsoon Chocolate LLC

Bachelor's Hall Estate 85% Jamaica (bar)

Good ++ 

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

Calories: 139 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $13.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Jamaica Theme Week.

Today's Bachelor's Hall Estate 85% Jamaica (bar) was from Monsoon Chocolate LLC (Tucson, AZ).

Subtle aroma and flavor notes included very faint chocolate (chocolate pudding/mousse) molasses spice, fresh green stalks, green tea, caramel and fresh-baked bread and butter. 

This chocolate was very approachable, friendly and intriguing. It would be very hard to find another 85% cacao bar so low bitterness and acidity. It was quiet mild, but had a well-executed, well-balanced, whispered complexity, with no detectable "off" notes. 

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

Allergen-related information: "There is no gluten or animal product added to this bar; however it is processed in a facility that also processes wheat, dairy, nuts and soy"

  

Moonsoon Chocolate - Bachelor's Hall Estate - 55% Caramelized Milk Chocolate (bar) - June 29, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Moonsoon Chocolate LLC

Bachelor's Hall Estate

55% Caramelized Milk Chocolate (bar)

Good ++

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

Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $13.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Jamaica Theme Week.

Today's Bachelor's Hall Estate 55% Caramelized Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Monsoon Chocolate LLC (Tucson, AZ).

The rich milk chocolate had a creamy, caramel texture with aroma and flavor notes that included: caramel, vanilla, fleeting faint earth, milk chocolate, cream, butter, butterscotch and fleeting, faint diffuse fruit and almost undetectable clean, clear green (tea). 

This bar may be a bit on the sweet side for dark chocolate fans, but it had enjoyable and well-executed complexity.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic cocoa powder, organic milk powder 

Allergen-related information: "Contains dairy (milk). Made in a facility that handles tree nuts, wheat, milk, eggs, and peanuts. May not be suitable for people with allergies to these foods."

 

LetterPress Chocolate - Bachelor's Hall Jamaica 100% Dark Chocolate (bar) - June 28, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

LetterPress Chocolate 
Bachelor's Hall Jamaica 100% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Jamaica Theme Week.

Today's Bachelor's Hall Jamaica 100% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate maker(s) at LetterPress Chocolate LLC (Los Angeles, CA).

Aroma notes for this 100% ultra-dark chocolate included relatively subtle roasted coffee (mocha); gentle, diffuse fruit (nectarine, starfruit, faint sweet red berry/currant jam); and faint, fleeting matcha green tea.

This well-tempered bar broke with a hard snap at room temperature (68 degrees F., or 20 degrees C.).

The chocolate had skillfully executed, smooth, creamy texture. As is often the case with 100% cacao bars (with no added sugar), tasting involved an initial few seconds of disconnect--a cold water plunge to the taste buds-to-brain neural pathways) after an aroma that held the promise of sweeter things (sugar).

However, rich, enjoyable flavors quickly got my brain/senses re-engaged. Flavor notes included: a well-rounded, creamy, mildly malty, chocolate stout; an espresso-level bitterness that is cushioned a bit by cocoa butter; fairly prominent chocolate cookie (Oreo* sandwich cookie). The finish had a subtle lingering quality and included faint flickers of green tea matcha latte, a faint, malty stout and oatiness, and a very, very faint naturally sweet, fruit sour-bitter in the throat a few minutes later.

This single-ingredient, ultra-dark chocolate's satisfying, luscious unsweetened darkness was bold, but well-balanced. Thank you to the makers for making this 100% version with no sugar, that allowed the underlying cacao notes to shine.

Maker's tasting notes: "Starfruit, mocha, spice"

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Organic unrefined cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy" 

*The original Oreo sandwich cookie with a creme filling was introduced in the U.S. by Nabisco (East Hanover, NJ) in 1912. (Nabisco (a contraction of National Biscuit Company),  later became a subsidiary of Mondelez International (Chicago, IL). Oreo, currently a registered trademark of Mondelez International, is now a brand that extends to a variety of cookie-related offerings.)

It should also be noted that the 1912 Oreo Biscuit (renamed Oreo Sandwich cookie later) closely resembled the Hydrox sandwich cookie introduced by the Sunshine (Biscuits) company in Illinois in 1908.) Like most geneology stories, corporate origins can get more complicated/interesting the further back one goes. And this includes the history of cookie bakers.

The origins of cookies date back centuries ago (perhaps to Persia) in the Western world. Their existence required availability of grains and sugars. But, it was only when cacao (in the form of ground cocoa powder) was introduced from the New World that cocoa-flavored cookies started to appear in Europe that would later provide inspiration for chocolate sandwich cookies back home in the Americas.

If one were being picky about chocolate confection origins, my bet is the somewhere in the forests of Central/South America (where cacao originated), centuries ago, someone was making chocolate confections that might have had ground cacao, honey and some kind of ground seed meal or starch. But, I have no proof of that--other than something like that was given to me by Mayan people in the forests of Southern Belize, who were still living on the same temple grounds that their Mayan ancestors lived on a very long time ago. 

Summary: Creating today's chocolate cookies or bars, took the collective collaboration between new world and old, global supply chains, mergers and consolidations as well as new startups, and modern, temperature controlled facilities to get to mass-produced chocolate cookies and chocolate bars--like the one I'm writing about today. Thank you to everyone, worldwide, who made this all possible.

Letterpress Chocolate - Bachelor's Hall Jamaica 85% Dark Chocolate (bar) - June 27, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

LetterPress Chocolate 
Bachelor's Hall Jamaica 85% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 153 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Bachelor's Hall Jamaica 85% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate maker(s) at LetterPress Chocolate LLC (Los Angeles, CA).

Aroma notes for this 85% ultra-dark chocolate included roasted seeds; green (matcha green tea and assorted botanicals); natural, natural (less processed) sugar(s) (maple); and very faint, diffuse fruit (red berry jam + marshmallow).

This well-tempered bar broke with a hard snap at room temperature (68 degrees).

The chocolate had skillfully executed, smooth flavor depth. The well-balanced blend of subtle flavors included: flickers of smooth, almost malty chocolate stout and soft, fruity roasted coffee-like bitterness; faint upticks of dark cocoa; as well as very subtle green, botanical, and very fleeting cookie/fruity breakfast cereal notes.

This two-ingredient, ultra-dark chocolate's pleasing complexity held my interest and was bold, without roughness. It was also not too sweet (thank you!)

Maker's tasting notes: "Starfruit, mocha, spice"

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Organic unrefined cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Processed in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy"

SOMA Chocolatemaker - Brown Butter Rum Bar - June 26, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

SOMA chocolatemaker 
Brown Butter Rum Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Brown Butter Rum Bar was from SOMA chocolatemaker (Toronto, ON, Canada). 

The cacao used to make this bar came from Desmond Judasingh at Bachelor's Hall Estate (farm), located in St. Thomas Parish, Jamaica. The "Dark Waters" rum was a single barrel release by Kinsip (a small distillery in Ontario, Canada). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included fleeting floral, butterscotch, butter cream, butter rum, very mild nut (cashew, pili*), and honey-vanilla butterscotch brownie (or butterscotch milk chocolate fudge) notes.

The texture of this sweet milk chocolate was light and very creamy, with an easy, velvety, buttery melt. A friendly, flavorful bar to satisfy a sweet tooth. (Organic cane sugar was the number one ingredient.) 

I'd love to try a slightly less sweet version of this chocolate that allows some of the high-quality flavors to shine through a bit more. But, I am a dark chocolate fan; so this fantasy is to be expected.

Speaking of being creative, the range of SOMA high-quality chocolate flavors and formats over time continues to be impressive; and the company's choice of artwork (pressed into the chocolate bars and on the outside packaging) is always inspired. 

I spent time in the San Francisco Bay marshlands today; and the bedazzled mallard duck (painting/illustration) on today's chocolate bar package was a perfect match for this local duck and shorebird-rich outdoor setting.

Maker's tasting notes: "cashews, butterscotch, honey, oak, fudge"

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, cacao nibs, skim milk powder, cocoa butter, rum, soy lecithin, natural vanilla, sea salt, butter.

Allergen-related information: "May contain trace amounts of peanuts and tree nuts. Contains dairy and Alcohol. Store in a cool, dry place."

*Pili nuts are popular in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia and South Pacific island nations (e.g. Papua New Guinea). The ivory colored nuts have a very mild, buttery flavor.

 

Pump Street Chocolate - "The Fermentation Project" Tulloch Estates, Jamaica 76% Limited Edition - June 25, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Pump Street Chocolate

"The Fermentation Project" Tulloch Estates, Jamaica Ltd. Ed. (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 197 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Limited Edition 76% "The Fermentation Project" bar--created using cacao beans from Tulloch Estates (farm) in Jamaica--was crafted by the bakers and chocolate makers at Pump Street Chocolate (Suffolk, UK).

This chocolate had a very attractive, complex botanical aroma, with notes that included: tea (iced green tea with maple syrup), very faint, light aromatic (pipe) tobacco, very faint fresh baked bread, very faint wood (and woody nut) notes, and naturally sweet plants, roots and fruits (maple, maca lucuma, sweet carrot/yam, vanilla bean, purple grapes/raisins, mangosteen).

The relatively thick bar had a hearty, smooth texture with a very slight fruit/tea/clean mineral astringency; but this "dryness" or granular/puckery mouthfeel (as you might encounter in pomegranates, persimmons and certain berries) did not interfere with the enjoyment of this unique and special chocolate. 

The 76% dark chocolate also had a trace of light, balanced dark bitterness (think chocolate stouts), which came to forefront more the second day after it had been opened, perhaps after some of the more volatile aroma bouquet notes mentioned earlier had faded.

What makes this chocolate unique? A "sourdough-style starter" was added to newly harvested cacao beans to "kick-start and equilibrate" the fermentation process. (Not surprisingly to hear that the Pump Street chocolate makers (who are bakers and bread makers as well) looked into this.) Given the interesting results, perhaps we'll see more special fermentation projects in the future.

I love botanical flavors and I thank the farmers, fermenters and makers for their attention to detail and for enabling, highlighting and preserving so many subtle chocolate flavors in this bar.  

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, cane sugar and organic cocoa butter (minimum cocoa solids 76%)."

Allergen-related information: "We also handle dairy, gluten, nuts and seeds on the premises."

 

Mutari Chocolate - Jamaica Bachelor's Hall 72% (bar) - June 24, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Mutari Chocolate

White Label - Jamaica Bachelor's Hall 72% dark chocolate (bar)

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) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Mutari Chocolate, Santa Cruz, CA*

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

Today's White Label Jamaica Bachelor's Hall 72% dark chocolate (bar) was from Mutari Chocolate (Santa Cruz, CA). 

The small batch bean-to-bar maker worked with Desmond Jadusingh at Bachelor's Hall Estate (a 1,000 acre farm in St. Thomas Parish) to craft today's single estate, single origin Jamaica bar.

This Jamaica bar had a very subtle, and very complex aroma and flavor. Notes included: a natural sweetness (honey), very diffuse fruit (berries), and very faint warm spice and very fleeting black pepper, graham cracker/cookie, and green botanical (nut, seed, fleeting vegetable/wood sorrel) notes. 

Even the true chocolate flavor in the taste (faint fudge brownie batter) seemed relatively subtle--perhaps because I was focused on identifying all the other interesting notes mentioned above that were playing hide-and-seek.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Honey, Waffer (sic), Fudge, Dried Berries"

Ingredients: Cacao beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter

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

*Mutari Chocolate's Front Street, Santa Cruz, CA, location closed in February 2022 (due to a downtown development project). The maker(s) are currently hoping to resume operations later in 2022. Their fans await.

One One Cacao - St. Thomas 71% dark chocolate (bar) - June 23, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

One One Cacao 
St. Thomas 71% dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) (estimate) in 1 sample bar
Calories: 54 calories (estimate) in 1 sample bar
Cost: N/A - Part of a six-bar tasting kit (A full-size bar was $11.00.)
Purchased from: Happy Chocolate Experiences, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's sample Clarendon 71% bar from One One Cacao* (Kingston Parish, Jamaica) was one of six sample bars in a tasting (kit) sent to participants in advance before an online discussion/interview and tasting experience.

Tasting these Jamaican chocolates was made possible by Sunita de Tourreil** at Happy Chocolate Experiences. Sunita interviewed founder and chocolate maker Nick Davis and Marta from One One Cacao, which provided some great context for the diversity of flavors found in one island nation.

Aroma notes for today's 71% dark tasting square included fresh, slightly sweet coffee ice cream or custard, very faint fruit (black sapote?), barely there fragrant black tea, and almost invisible warm spice and vegetable notes.

The flavor was full of subtle complex flavors including true chocolate (light brownie batter), dried stone fruits (faint plum/prune), warm plum spice cake pieces in custard topped with a drizzle of caramel and pecan pieces, and complex tea latte with brown sugar notes.

This was a high-end dessert buffet in one small bar. Do savor slowly to pick up all the sweet aroma and flavor nuances.

Maker's description: "This is an Award Winner picking up an Academy of Chocolate Award in 2020. Nutty with complex notes of biscuit and toffee, like a Graham Cracker combined with a Custard Creme. International award winning cacao from Johnson's Mountain, St. Thomas. The cacao in this bar is award winning...I'm not saying it for jokes, it's literally some of the best and most expensive and rare cacao on earth."

Ingredients: (Not listed on small sample bar packet)

Allergen-related information: (Not listed on small sample bar packet)

* The company name was inspired by an old Jamaican proverb: "One one cocoa, full basket" that conveys the notion that little by little, cocoa pods and beans fill baskets, baskets are filled, and goals can be met.

**Sunita previously founded Chocolate Dividends, and was proprietor of (and a wonderful chocolate concierge at) The Chocolate Garage in Palo Alto, CA. Happy Chocolate Experiences provides windows into happy cacao--places, makers and destinations--and of course wonderful chocolate.

  

One One Cacao - Portland 71% (bar) - June 22, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

One One Cacao 
Portland 71% dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) (estimate) in 1 sample bar
Calories: 54 calories (estimate) in 1 sample bar
Cost: Part of a $53 six-bar tasting kit + tasting experience 
Purchased from: Happy Chocolate Experiences, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Portland 71% sample bar from One One Cacao* (Kingston Parish, Jamaica) was part of a six-bar sample pack + online tasting experience. The chocolate selection (and conversation between the maker and a moderator) allowed tasters to experience a virtual tour of Jamaica through the lens of cacao. The chocolates were made from cacao grown in four different Jamaican parishes. 

Today's virtual stop? The Portland Parish of Jamaica, located north/northeast of Kingston, an area that includes the famed Blue Mountains National Park where coffee and cacao are grown.

The tasting and virtual travel this week was made possible by Sunita de Tourreil** at Happy Chocolate Experiences. As always, her knowledge and interaction with makers, in this case Nick Davis and Marta at One One Cacao, during the online tasting experience was enjoyable and valuable. (Check out her site (link above) for information about a planned chocolate trip to Jamaica later in 2022.)

Portland 71% bar

Aroma notes for today's dark tasting square included: cocoa, very faint spice and faint savory (vegetable and freshly baked potato bread). 

This chocolate had a rich chocolate taste and texture with a background whisper of fruit acidity/astringency. The remaining flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes above.

Re-tasting this Portland 71% bar (after the chocolate had been out of the packet for 5-7 minutes on a relatively warm morning) revealed subtle bittersweet lime flower/floral and balanced dark earth notes--adding enjoyable flavor and complexity. (The initial very faint vegetable/potato bread note I associated with fermentation was gone.)

Occasionally layered flavor shifts happen when you let certain chocolates "breathe" for a few minutes after they're unwrapped from a sealed package--as you might do for certain red wines before serving. Or when you re-taste another piece of the same bar (due to changes in your mouth chemistry as well as in volatile chocolate aroma elements reacting to air/oxygen, heat and/or light).

As with other One One Cacao Jamaica bars this week, the sweetness level for today's 71% bar, felt just right. 

Ingredients: (Not listed on small sample bar packet)

Allergen-related information: (None listed on small sample bar packet)

* The company name One One Cacao was inspired by an old Jamaican proverb: "One one cocoa, full basket" that conveys the notion that little by little, cocoa pods and beans fill baskets, baskets are filled, and goals can be met.

**Sunita previously founded The Chocolate Garage in Palo Alto, CA. Happy Chocolate Experiences provides windows into happy cacao--places, makers and destinations--and of course wonderful chocolate.

  

One One Cacao - St. Mary 71% Dark Chocolate bar - June 21, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

One One Cacao 
Saint Mary 71% dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) (estimate) in 1 sample bar
Calories: 54 calories (estimate) in 1 sample bar
Cost: One bar in a $53 six sample bar kit + tasting experience 
Purchased from: Happy Chocolate Experiences, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's St. Mary 71% (sample bar) from One One Cacao (Kingston Parish, Jamaica) was the third of six sample bars from One One Cacao.* 

Saint Mary is a small parish in northeast Jamaica, west of the Blue Mountains National Park. Agricultural products from this region include bananas, sugar cane, citrus, cacao, coconuts, coffee and pimento/peppers.

Tasting these One One Cacao Jamaican chocolates was made possible by Sunita de Tourreil** at Happy Chocolate Experiences. (Tasting kits were sent out in advance to participants before a video interview and tasting with the maker.)

The (online/remote) interview + tasting experience with Nick Davis and Marta at One One Cacao yielded some great information on how the company was built, and how the chocolate is made. 

The aroma notes for today's dark tasting square was a pleasing, gentle blend of stone fruit (plum, cherry), subtle bread/biscuit, light cocoa, very light butterscotch brownie/caramel, and a barely there whiff of tart green herb (oxalis). 

The flavor bouquet notes for this smooth, sample square bar included: a very balanced, mild diffuse yellow stone fruit tartness (light peach, nectarine); oxalis (wood sorrel); cocoa (light chocolate and butterscotch brownie); and subtle honey graham cracker/cookie.

The level of sweetness was satisfying, and did not obscure the more delicate cacao flavor notes--that reminded me of a blend of the relatively mild but lush (heritage) criollo and the slight fruit tartness and flavor of trinitario cacao varieties.

Ingredients: (Not listed on small sample bar packet)

Allergen-related information: (Not listed on small sample bar packet)

* The company name was inspired by an old Jamaican proverb: "One one cocoa, full basket" that conveys the notion that little by little, cocoa pods and beans fill baskets, baskets are filled, and goals are met.

**Sunita previously founded The Chocolate Garage in Palo Alto, CA. Happy Chocolate Experiences provides windows into happy cacao--places, makers and destinations--and of course wonderful chocolate.

  

One One Cacao - Clarendon 71% Jamaican dark chocolate - June 20, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

One One Cacao 
Clarendon 71% dark chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) (estimate) in 1 sample bar
Calories: 55 calories (estimate) in 1 sample bar
Cost: N/A - Part of a six-bar tasting kit (A full-size bar was $10.00 USD.)
Purchased from: Happy Chocolate Experiences, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's sample Clarendon 71% bar from One One Cacao (Kingston Parish, Jamaica) was the second of six sample bars from One One Cacao* (Kingston Parish, Jamaica). 

Tasting these Jamaican chocolates was made possible by Sunita de Tourreil** at Happy Chocolate Experiences. (Kits with sample bars were sent out in advance to participants, before a video conference and tasting with the makers at One One Cacao.)

Sunita's shared, online tasting experience with Nick Davis and Marta at One One Cacao yielded some great information on how the company was built. Davis, an ex-BBC correspondent, also discussed how he's developed partnerships with farmers in the different growing areas (parishes) of Jamaica, and evolved their own tree-to-bar chocolate making process over time.

One clear take-away: flavors vary among regions within this island nation. This is the case in other cacao-growing countries as well where there are different topographies, micro-climates, soil types, and farming and fermentation methods. As such, collaboration between farmers and makers is often very important.

Clarendon 71% dark chocolate

The cacao used to make this 71% dark bar was from Clarendon Parish, located in south central Jamaica, west of Kingston. 

Today's dark tasting square had subtle, complex and balanced aroma and flavor notes, including of molasses spice, faint dried fruit (rum raisins), gentle wood and naturally sweet fruity roast coffee notes.

The dark chocolate had a slightly dry, granular (faintly astringent) texture/melt. This was a subtle distraction that did little to interfere with the pleasure of tasting the relatively soft, nuanced flavors.

Maker's description: "Working alongside our partners at the Jamaica partners at the Jamaica Cocoa Farmers Association we source these beans in this central Parish of the island. Fermented up the wonderfully named Morgan's Valley area the chocolate has a wonderful summer fruit, cane rum, and all-spice flavour with hits of wood, carob, and coffee; a medium body, finely acidic/slightly tannic."

Ingredients: (Not listed on small sample bar packet)

Allergen-related information: (Not listed on small sample bar packet)

* The company name was inspired by an old Jamaican proverb: "One one cocoa, full basket" that conveys the notion that little by little, cocoa pods and beans fill baskets, baskets are filled, and goals can be met.

**Sunita de Tourreil founded The Chocolate Garage in Palo Alto, CA. Happy Chocolate Experiences provides windows into happy cacao--places, makers and (travel) destinations linked to learning about and enjoying wonderful bean-to-bar (sometimes tree-to-bar) chocolates.

  

One One Cacao - Sorrel 51% bar and Jamaican mocha almond ice cream - June 19, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

One One Cacao 
Sorrel 51% White Chocolate bar
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) (estimate) in 1 sample bar
Calories: 55 calories (estimate) in 1 sample bar
Cost: N/A - Part of a six-bar tasting kit (A full-size bar was $12.00.)
Purchased from: Happy Chocolate Experiences, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's sample Sorrel 51% bar from One One Cacao (Kingston Parish, Jamaica) was made with Jamaican sorrel (hibiscus*)--the first of six sample bars from Jamaica chocolate maker and One One Cacao founder, Nick Davis. Tasting these bars was made possible by Sunita de Tourreil** at Happy Chocolate Experiences.

This small tasting square was full of rich, balanced aroma notes: sweet as well as botanically tart and slightly savory (green leafy) notes. The scent promised a range of flavors; and the color was intriguing. (It wasn't the typical ivory-hued white chocolate. It was a light cocoa color with a pink hue that shimmered in the sunlight.) 

This chocolate had a true, rich cocoa buttery texture with a smooth, even melt.

The flavor was full and complex, in all the right ways. Bright tart hibiscus (aka Flor de Jamaica, sorrel) notes conveyed the full authentic floral flavor of this Jamaican flower--that brightened up the flavorful Jamaica cacao butter base. This was the best white chocolate I've had in years; and it wasn't too sweet (thank you!). 

Maker's description: "Sorrel adds a wonderful fruity flavour and ruby like colour to this most Jamaican of flavours. It's not called Flor De Jamaica for nothing! We love white chocolate but can kinda be a bit meh for lots of purists, but locally pressed cacao from our trinitario trees have so much flavour, combined with this hibiscus make for a match made in chocolate haven."

Ingredients: Not listed on small sample bar

Allergen-related information: Not listed on small sample bar

For those who remember that I don't "count" white chocolate as a Chocolate of the Day, I did pair this lovely white (mauve-hued) chocolate with a small bowl of homemade Jamaican Jamocha almond fudge ice cream. It had the flavor of an affogato (a shot of espresso over vanilla gelato), only with a shot of Jamaican coffee over coffee ice cream plus 82% Sail Shipped Belize cacao dark chocolate and toasted almonds.

And for you botanical-philes, the color "mauve" is derived from the color of mallow flowers (several are purple-pink). Fittingly, in today's case, the edible members of the mallow (Malvaceae) family also include hibiscus and cacao. 

**Sunita previously founded Chocolate Dividends, and was proprietor of (and a wonderful chocolate concierge at) The Chocolate Garage in Palo Alto, CA. Happy Chocolate Experiences provides windows into happy cacao--places, makers and destinations--and of course wonderful chocolate.

 

The Oakland Chocolate Co. - 80% Bachelors Hall Farm (Jamaica) bar - March 6, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

The Oakland Chocolate Company
80% Cacao Bachelors Hall Farm, St. Thomas, Jamaica bar
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.7 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar + shipping
Purchased from: The Oakland Chocolate Company, Oakland, CA

Welcome to Day #9 (last day) of Chocolate and Jamaica Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and JKLM Theme Week, in which I feature chocolate items with flavor additions and/or origins that begin with the letters of the alphabet. This week those letters are: J, K, L and/or M.

Today's 80% Cacao Bachelors Hall (Jamaica) bar was made by Nancy Nadel owner and chief chocolate maker at The Oakland Chocolate Company (Oakland, CA). 

Nadel makes single origin bars and confections, all from Jamaican grown cacao--from a single parish (Saint Thomas) and estate/farm (Bachelors Hall Estate).

The aroma of today's 80% cacao Jamaica bar had a true chocolate (fudge brownie) aroma, with very faint and balanced umami, fermented cacao, and pleasing earth notes. 

The flavor notes were very similar with a hint of cream, and red fruit (mild, ripe cherry), fleeting coffee and spice. (Note: there was no cream or dairy in this bar.) It had balanced, relatively low bitterness for an ultra-dark chocolate.

Almost all the Jamaica bars featured in the past week, from different chocolate makers, used cacao from the same farm (Bachelors Hall Estate). So any differences in aroma and/or flavor were more likely to be due to a maker's choices, such as different cacao bean inspection (micro-sorting), roast profiles or conch times, or even aging or packaging.

Today's bar was a great example of all the tasting notes possible with this Jamaican cacao origin. Luscious true chocolate brownie flavor--with a little earth, fruit, spice, fermented cacao, umami and cream, but not too much (or too little) of any one element.

Ingredients: cocoa mass, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, sea salt

*Jamaica is located at approximately 18 degrees North latitude -- well within the cacao growing belt (0 to 20 degrees north and/or south of the Equator). 

Most chocolate makers today are using Jamaican-grown cacao beans from the country's largest cacao farm in St. Thomas Parish, in Surrey County, in Eastern Jamaica -- Bachelor's Hall Estate, east of Kingston. Although where you find coffee farms in Jamaica, you may also see a few cacao trees as well. The two crops have similar growing requirements. 

The Oakland Chocolate Company - Caramel Bar - March 5, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

The Oakland Chocolate Company
Caramel 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 #8 of Chocolate and Jamaica Theme Week.

Today's Caramel Bar was made by Nancy Nadel owner and chief chocolate maker at The Oakland Chocolate Company (Oakland, CA). Nadel makes reasonably priced, high-end craft chocolate bars and confections, from scratch, using cacao grown in Jamaica.

This snack-sized, filled, dark chocolate Caramel Bar was a very satisfying take on a traditional dark chocolate and caramel filled confection. A thick covering of flavorful, rich dark chocolate elevated this bar to the next level. 

When I started Chocolate Banquet in 2006, most chocolate covered caramels had fragile, bland and sweet chocolate shells that collapsed (into a sweet, sticky mess) if not handled very carefully. The emphasis was on the sugar and not on the chocolate. 

This Oakland Chocolate Co. bar was an artful melding of single origin (Bachelors Hall Estate (farm), Jamaica) dark chocolate (with fudge brownie aroma and flavor notes) and soft, rich, buttery caramel--made with real cream and butter.*

The addition of the coconut palm sugar used to make the caramel filling increased flavor depth and helped reduce the sugar buzz** a little (thank you Nancy!). Yet, there was enough sweetness to be appealing to caramel fans as well.

Today's Caramel Bar was a satisfying and enjoyable high-end take on a confectionery classic.

*Ingredients: "Cocoa mass (direct source from farmer Desmond Jadusingh, Bachelors Hall, Jamaica), organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, cream (milk), butter, organic coconut palm sugar, rice syrup, vanilla, sea salt." 

** Coconut palm sugar is lower on the glycemic index than processed cane sugar. I noticed I wasn't experiencing as rapid a rise in blood sugar, i.e. a "hard" sugar buzz, with this sweetener many years ago when I started sampling chocolates made with coconut palm sugar. And as long as a sweetener (of any sort) doesn't interfere with tasting the chocolate, I am all for that. The stimulants in cacao (primarily theobromine, and a bit of caffeine) in chocolate are enough for me. 

Coconut palm sugar starts with people climbing high up in palm trees to gather coconut flower sap/nectar that is then made into the sugar we see in stores and in chocolates. After watching people collect this nectar in SE Asia, I have a great deal of respect for those engaged in this work.

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