Chocolat Madagascar - Mokarana Honey Fine Dark Chocolate 85% Cacao (bar) - May 16, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolat Madagascar
Mokarana Honey Fine Dark Chocolate 85% Cacao (bar)

Good ++
Weight: 1.325 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 222 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar 

Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate, Bees and Trees Theme Week.

Today's Mokarana Honey Fine Dark Chocolate 85% Cacao (bar)--made with Cacao Grand Cru de Sambirano--was from Chocolat Madagascar (United Kingdom). 

The company is based in the UK, but the chocolate was crafted (tree-to-bar/"in country") by Chocolaterie Robert (Antananarivo, Madagascar).

Aroma notes included: chocolate, faint spice and very faint banana bread and sweet green seed/nut.

Texture: relatively soft, velvety dark chocolate

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate fudge brownie with honey.

I enjoyed the gently complex aroma and flavor elements: fudge brownie, honey, spice, fruit (banana), and that the chocolate wasn't too sweet--or too bitter for an ultra-dark 85% cacao bar. 

Ingredients: Madagascar cocoa beans, Mokarana Honey. (Madagascar Origin)."

Allergen-related information: "May contain milk, soya & cashew nuts."

Public Chocolatory - Nano Batch #01-2 - Coffee 50% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 30, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Public Chocolatory
Nano Batch #01-2 - Coffee 50% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, CA

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

Today's Nano Batch #01-2 - Coffee 50% Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Public Chocolatory (Republic of Korea).  

Aroma and flavor notes included: nuanced dark milk chocolate; subtle, diffuse fruit (mango, ripe berry, peach) and nut (almond, pecan); creamy whole milk and coffee latte.

Texture: creamy and smooth

I really enjoyed this special, well-executed milk chocolate. The nuanced aroma and flavor notes were superb. A milk-subdued yet bright, upbeat sense of fruit, lightly roasted nutty coffee and rich cacao--all gently integrated into a creamy substrate. Both single origin cacao (Madagascar) and coffee (Brazil) were thoughtfully sourced and very nicely balanced. 

This small-batch bar was a cut above most mocha-style chocolates on the market.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, from Akesson's Organic, Madagascar, Organic Cane Sugar, Cacao Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Coffee roasted by Mesh Coffee from Santa Ines, Brazil.

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk.)

Fjak Sjokolade - 70% - Dark Reindeer Moss & Lingonberry (bar) - July 26, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade 
70% Dark Reindeer Moss & Lingonberry (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .935 oz. (26.5 g.) / ~1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 in 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate & Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Organic 70% Dark Reindeer Moss and Lingonberry bar was made with cacao from Akesson's Bejofo Estate, and handcrafted in Hardangerfjord, Norway, by Fjak Sjokolade.

Reindeer moss is a lichen (Cladonia) that grows in Scandinavia and other parts of the world, and is eaten by reindeer and other animals--and occasionally by people.*

Aroma notes for this single origin Madagascar chocolate included: dark chocolate (rich cocoa) and fruit (grape, raisin and dark berry). 

This dark chocolate had a uniform, creamy taste and texture. The flavor inclusions were well incorporated.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes and included a rich, fruity dark cocoa with naturally sweet dark berry notes. Small, dark (visible) lingonberries offered concentrated, rich dark red/purple berry flavor that blended seamlessly with the 70% chocolate. The flavor inclusions were well incorporated.*

The constellations of tiny dried lichen bits were small enough that it was hard to detect any extra texture or flavor.

Maker's tasting notes: "Rich dark chocolate with notes of black cherry and tart wild berries"

Ingredients: Cocoa beans*, cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, lingonberry* and reindeer moss* (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: (Organic, vegan, gluten free)

*Lichens have at times been considered a "starvation" plant--consumed more during times of little available food. Native peoples in North America ate and use(d) this lichen as a medicinal plant. I'd not tried this lichen before, described as having a crunchy texture, before today. It was difficult to detect its flavor as it was a small quantity.

Fjak Sjokolade - Single Origin 60% Milk Madagascar (Akesson Bejofo Estate) - July 25, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Fjak Sjokolade 
Single Origin 60% Milk Madagascar - Akesson Bejofo Estate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .935 oz. (26.5 g.) / ~1.87 oz. (53 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 in 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's 100% Organic Single Origin 60% Melk Madagaskar (Milk Madagascar) bar--made with cacao from Akesson's Bejofo Estate, was handcrafted in Scandinavia by Fjak Sjokolade (Hardangerfjord, Norway).

Aroma notes for this single origin 60% bar included: milk chocolate, fruit (raisin) and very faint vegetable (potato vegetable soup). Like most chocolates, any savory vegetable notes generally "disappear" or recede after a few minutes of opening. 

This dark milk chocolate had a uniform, creamy taste and texture, with a slight granular astringency.

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate, subtle cream caramel, and lovely fruit (fresh, ripe, sweet, white wine grape; white raisin and very faint sweet tangerine).

Maker's tasting notes: "Round creamy chocolate with hints of citrus and caramel"

Ingredients: Cocoa beans*, cane sugar*, milk powder* and cocoa butter* (*Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains milk.

Nibble Chocolate - Mango 70% Madagascar Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar) - July 24, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Nibble Chocolate
Mango 70% Madagascar Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar (4 servings)
Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Mango 70% Madagascar Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Nibble Chocolate, LLC (San Diego, CA).

Aroma notes for this 70% cocoa chocolate included: dark chocolate (drinking chocolate/cocoa), fruit (mango) and vanilla.

The texture was smooth, and relatively thick and creamy (in a cool room).

Flavor notes included: rich, bold dark chocolate with balanced fruit acidity, and authentic fruit (tart sweet mango, very faint orange), vanilla and faint spice.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic whole unrefined cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, mango, organic vanilla.

Allergen-related information: Processed in shared equipment with products containing nuts.

 

Nibble Chocolate - 85% Cocoa Organic Extra Dark Chocolate Madagascar Single Origin Trinitario (bar) - July 23, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Nibble Chocolate
85% Cocoa Organic Extra Dark Chocolate Madagascar Single Origin Trinitario (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar (4 servings)
Cost: $5.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's 85% Cocoa Organic Extra Dark Chocolate Madagascar Single Origin Trinitario (bar) was from Nibble Chocolate, LLC (San Diego, CA).

Nibble offers single origin and blended origin bars, and bars with flavor inclusions. Their square bars are scored into an 8x8 grid of 64 much smaller squares. The idea is to invite people to savor chocolate more slowly...to "nibble rather than gobble."

Aroma notes for this 85% Madagascar ultra-dark chocolate (crafted from Trinitario* variety cacao grown in Madagascar) included: bold dark chocolate; faint sweet tart green-lemon herb; very faint nut, spice, and freshly baked bread; and, last but not least, diffuse, tart/sour/acidic dried fruit notes. Madagascar cacao is known for having fruit notes (often citrus and tart berry).

The texture was smooth, almost creamy.

Given the relatively bold, acidic aroma, I was pleasantly surprised that the taste was more appealing/friendly than I imagined it might be.

Flavor notes included: rich, bold dark chocolate with moderate-to-high fruit acidity. The complex, sweet-tart to mildly sour fruit (dried stone fruit (plum), tart-sweet/sour citrus (pink grapefruit with berries) notes were frisky yet well-balanced. And the deep chocolate-y (extra dark fudge brownie, tart) taste was very appealing in the best possible way--very flavorful and not that sweet. 

Nibble Chocolate description: "Notes: plum, citrus, raspberry, and spices. Bold with underlying earthiness."

All these flavors from just two ingredients...

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

Allergen-related information: Processed in shared equipment with products containing nuts.

*The Trinitario cacao is known for fruit notes--as is cacao from Madagascar in general. The theory is that Trinitario cacao is a product/cultivar of bolder Forastero cacao and milder and subtly fruity "heritage" cacao varieties like Criollo, and Nacional. Trinitario likely originated in the Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago).

 

Madecasse - Beyond Good Madagascar Single Origin Chocolate - Salted Almond 63% Cocoa (bar) - July 22, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Madecasse - Beyond Good
Madagascar Single Origin Chocolate 
Salted Almond 63% Cocoa (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $1.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Beyond Good Madagascar Single Origin Chocolate 65% Cocoa (bar) was produced in Madagascar and distributed by Madecasse LLC (Brooklyn, NY).

Aroma notes included salted nut (almond), dark chocolate and faint salted potato chip--that disappeared after the bar was opened for a few minutes.

Texture: Smooth dark chocolate was interspersed with crunchy bits of almonds.

The base dark chocolate was well-balanced, and not too sweet (thank you). This 63% dark bar tasted darker--more like a 72% dark chocolate. 

This Madagascar cacao-based bar had flavor notes that included: chocolate-y (chocolate syrup to dark chocolate brownie), and balanced acidic fruit (bright-tart citrus (tangerine), and dark tart berry (blueberry)) notes.

It had a restrained, balanced bitterness; that is, it was not too bitter, but it was bolder than many other 63% dark chocolates. The salted almonds added complementary mellow, savory flavor.

Maker's tasting notes: "Uniquely delicious notes of red fruits and nuts"

Ingredients: "*Cocoa beans, *Cane Sugar, *Almond Nibs, *Cocoa Butter, *Sunflower Lecithin (Emulsifier), Sea Salt." *Organic Ingredient

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk and other tree nuts."

 

Monsoon Chocolate - Bejofo Estate Madagascar 64% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - July 21, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Monsoon Chocolate
Bejofo Estate Madagascar 64% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 138 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Monsoon Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Bejofo Estate Madagascar 64% Dark Milk Chocolate (Batch #7) bar was from Monsoon Chocolate LLC (Tucson, AZ).

Part of the company's Origin Series, this chocolate was crafted using cacao grown on the Bejofo Estate in northwest Madagascar's Sambirano Valley.

This estate is managed by "Bertil Akesson, who has specialized in growing fine cocoa, pepper, and other spices for many years, Bejofo Estate produces 300 tons of cocoa a year. The cocoa has been designated as certified "Heirloom" by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Initiative (HCP)."

The subtle aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate, fruit (tropical fruit, melon, kiwi) and faint cookie. 

The texture was smooth, with a creamy mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate with tart-sweet fruit notes (mango, cacao fruit (pulp), melon, tangerine, very faint sweet green fruit (kiwi)); faint clean mineral water; faint caramel; and faint butter cookie. 

Similar to other chocolates made with (Criollo, Nacional) heirloom cacao varieties, the flavors in today's dark milk chocolate were subtle, pleasant and complex. The milk and unrefined cane sugar softened the tart-sweet fruit flavors and also added a bit of caramel flavor.

This 64% dark milk chocolate bar was smooth, and sweet and very low in bitterness. It will surely please most milk chocolate fans. However, both dark and milk chocolate fans may also appreciate the sophisticated cacao and softly undulating fruit flavors. I certainly did.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, Milk Powder* (*Certified Organic)

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."

 

Monsoon Chocolate - Bejofo Estate Madagascar 80% Dark Chocolate (bar) - July 20, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Monsoon Chocolate
Bejofo Estate Madagascar 80% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 136.4 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Monsoon Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Bejofo Estate Madagascar 80% Dark Chocolate (Batch #15) bar was from Monsoon Chocolate LLC (Tucson, AZ).

The cacao used to make this chocolate was grown on an estate in Madagascar. The "Bejofo Estate is an organic cacao orchard that is part of the larger Akesson Estate in northwest Madagascar's Sambirano Valley. Managed by Bertil Akesson, who has specialized in growing fine cocoa, pepper, and other spices for many years, Bejofo Estate produces 300 tons of cocoa a year. The cocoa has been designated as certified "Heirloom" by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Initiative (HCP)."

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate; faint, freshly baked bread, gingerbread; fruit (tart-sweet green grape), and very faint "refreshing" clean mineral.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (ganaches); tart-sweet (acidic) tropical fruit (mango, kiwi, cacao fruit (pulp), pineapple, citrus) that peaked, and then receded. The relatively long finish featured rich cocoa (drinking chocolate) relatively notes.

This flavorful, fruity chocolate's natural fruit sweetness made this chocolate seem more like a 74% cacao than an 80% cacao bar. 

Each year I look forward to featuring "new" Madagascar chocolates for a week and tasting the fruit flavors that they're known for. And, like today's 80%er from Monsoon Chocolate, many (if not most) of the best single origin Madagascar bars I've tasted in the last 20 years have been crafted from cacao grown on the Akesson Estate in the Sambirano Valley. 

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter* (*Certified Organic)

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"

Michel Cluizel - Plantation Mangaro Madagascar 71% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) - July 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Michel Cluizel (Cluizel Paris)
Plantation Mangaro Madagascar 71% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar  
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Madagascar Theme Week.

Today's Plantation Mangaro Grand Cru Ambohimarina 71% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Michel Cluizel (Paris, France).* 

Aroma and flavor notes for this single origin Madagascar dark chocolate included: dark chocolate/cocoa, gentle but persistent fruit (mango, cacao fruit (pulp)), and faint, balanced, vaguely botanical, fermentation (that faded after opening) and light spice notes. The texture was even and smooth. 

The fruit was sophisticated and subtle, and less overtly tart/acidic/citrus-y than some dark Madagascar chocolates I've tasted in the past. The fruit notes were more similar to heritage cacao bean fruit notes, and/or a cacao flavor that was softened by a bit more single origin, cocoa butter. 

I enjoyed the subtle, intriguing flavor notes. 

Maker's tasting/aroma notes: "Biscuit, tangy exotic fruits, gingerbread, hot cocoa, notes of citrus and pepper." (Note: Cluizel offers more online tasting information at www.lessensduchocolat.com.)

Ingredients: Cocoa (71% minimum), sugar, cocoa butter

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

* Michel Cluizel in a bean-to-bar chocolate making company that was founded in the French town of Damville in Normandy in 1948.

 

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Madagascar with Sea Salt (bar) - Sept. 20, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
70% Madagascar with Sea Salt (bar)
Good +-Good++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order 

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

Today's 70% Madagascar with Sea Salt (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this bar included: faint fruit (mango, tropical fruit, fruitcake), chocolate (dark chocolate ganache); sweet, subtle, honey-ed floral; and diffuse light fruit (dried melon, jackfruit, mild tangerine, dried cacao fruit/pulp). In a re-tasting (several hours later), I experienced peach-mango fruit aroma notes.

This well-tempered chocolate had a smooth, relatively slow melt (at room temperature), allowing bright fruit flavors to unfold. Tiny flakes of sea salt added a bit of texture, and an additional dimension of flavor.

Flavor notes included rich cocoa, followed by a rapid blooming of a bouquet of tart-sweet fruits (sour cherry, jackfruit (pineapple, mango), sweet citrus, tart-sweet red and dark berry, other), and sparkles of sea salt. Fruit flavors played the starring role, and these bright notes leveled off after about 10 seconds and lingered into the finish. 

After about a minute (after swallowing this chocolate) there were two fleeting, barely-there chocolate notes (very faint, balanced earth and warm spice)--revealed after the fruit flavors had receded. (After the bar had been opened for several hours, the tart-sweet fruit notes mellowed a little.)

This well-executed, 70% Madagascar dark chocolate bar--like the Spinnaker 70% Dark Madagascar and 58% Dark Milk Madagascar bars reviewed earlier this week--offered a bright and fruit-forward rocket ride with no off notes. 

The addition of sea salt was interesting. I love trying umami adds and salt(s) with chocolates, especially if there are nuts or nutty notes involved. And this was high-quality sea salt.

However, in today's case, adding salt felt like salting an exotic fruit salad or fruit juice. The delicate sea salt flakes helped balance the naturally tart-sweetness; but I also wanted to taste all the very unique and prominent Madagascar cacao fruit notes in this bar without other elements competing for my attention.

Maker's tasting notes: "The always delicious Madagascar beans paired with Jacobsen Salt Co.'s Pure Flake Finishing Salt. My oh my."

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic cane sugar, sea salt flakes

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

Spinnaker Chocolate - 58% Madagascar Dark Milk (bar) - Sept. 19, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
58% Madagascar Dark Milk (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate, online order 

"Tonga soa" (welcome) to Day #7 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week.

Today's 58% Madagascar Dark Milk (bar) was made by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this bar included: butterscotch fruit pie; light and bright, fruity caramel; and buttered cocoa.

This chocolate had a smooth, relatively slow, creamy melt (at room temperature), allowing a bevy of bright buttery, fruity chocolate flavors to unfold.

Flavor notes included rich cocoa with a generous pat of butter, followed by a subtle blooming of tart-sweet fruits (red berry (strawberry), red currant, jackfruit (pineapple,mango, and faint sweet banana), sweet citrus (sweet, ripe tangerine), and then a warm uptick with more sweet berries--ripe red to ripe to sweet ripe blackberries--that gradually leveled off and lingered into the finish). The fruit notes were muted a bit by the milk, but were still detectable.

As with yesterday's 70% Madagascar bar (also from Spinnaker Chocolate), there were enjoyable fruit flavors. And, a few minutes later (after swallowing a few bites), there were two fleeting, barely-there chocolate notes (subtle warm spice and faint, balanced earth). And was with its 70% sibling, later in the day, after the bar had been opened for several hours, the bright tart-sweet fruit elements mellowed a little.

This 58% Dark Milk Madagascar release was a lovely rich and flavorful chocolate, offering a blend of creamy, buttery dairy with bright and fruits, and no off notes. This 58%er (along with yesterday's fruity 70% pleasure trip) would be nice adds to a chocolate tasting flight. Both bars illustrate just how much inherent flavor can be expressed with just a few ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "...elegant, malted caramel flavor malted milk and caramel flavor"

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic cane sugar, dried milk, cocoa butter. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk. Store in a cool, dry place." "Processed in a facility that uses milk powder and nuts."

Spinnaker Chocolate - 70% Madagascar (bar) - Sept. 18, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

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

"Tonga soa" (welcome) to Day #6 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week.

Today's 70% Madagascar (bar) was made by Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this bar included: chocolate (ganache); sweet, subtle, honey-ed floral; and diffuse light fruit (dried melon, jackfruit, mild tangerine, dried cacao fruit/pulp). In a re-tasting (several hours later), I experienced peach-mango fruit aroma notes.

This well-tempered chocolate had a smooth, relatively slow melt (at room temperature), allowing a rainbow of bright fruit flavors to unfold.

Flavor notes included rich cocoa, followed by a rapid blooming of a bouquet of tart-sweet fruits (sour cherry, jackfruit (pineapple, mango), sweet citrus, tart-sweet red and dark berry, other), that leveled off after about 10 seconds and lingered into the finish. 

After about a minute (long after swallowing this chocolate) there were two fleeting, barely-there chocolate (very faint, balanced earth and warm spice) notes--revealed after the fruit flavors had receded. (Later in the day, after the bar had been opened for several hours, the fruit "punch" had mellowed just a little.)

This well-executed, 70% Madagascar dark chocolate bar offered a bright and fruit-forward rocket ride with no off notes. This would be fun to add to a chocolate tasting flight to illustrate naturally occurring fruit notes in a two-ingredient chocolate bar.

Maker's tasting notes: "Madagascar beans are famous for being full of bright, cherry notes. This bar packs a fruity punch."

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic cane sugar

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

White Label Chocolate - Madagascar Bejofo Estate 68% (bar) - Sept. 17, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

White Label Chocolate 

Madagascar Bejofo Estate 68% (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) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Mutari Chocolate, Santa Cruz, CA

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

I bought today's Madagascar Bejofo Estate 68% (bar) from bean-to-bar maker Mutari Chocolate shortly before they were forced to close their retail location in Santa Cruz, CA, and to move due to a multi-block urban renovation project. In this shop they offered bars, confections and drinking chocolates. (I am hoping they find a new retail space close-by soon.)

The Akesson Plantation, Bejofo Estate--located in the Sambirano Valley region in northwest Madagascar--produces Trinitario and Criollo varieties of cacao. 

Aroma notes for this bar included: very subtle, caramel, cocoa, and softly tart-sweet fruit (red berry, faint tangerine).

This bar had an even melt and smooth texture.

The flavor notes mirrored the aroma notes mentioned above (relatively smooth but subtly nuanced chocolate (cocoa), red fruit, and mild and sweet citrus). (Later re-tasting also yielded very mild and faint cream and malt notes along with more subdued red fruit.)

Toward the finish, I got a hint of red fruit jam with a dab of cream cheese on a lightly salted cracker among the chocolate notes. I experienced the rich flavor of fruit jam(s), yet, the chocolate was not too sugary sweet. (A welcome experience, particularly for a sub-70% cacao chocolate bar.)

Maker's tasting notes: Cocoa, raspberry, juicy citrus

Ingredients: Cacao bean, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter

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

Kaitxo - Txoko Madagascar Valle del Sambirano 67% (bar) - Sept. 15, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Kaitxo
Txoko - Madagascar Sambirano Valley 67% (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Txoko Madagascar Valle del Sambirano 67% dark chocolate (bar) was produced by Kaitxo (Balmaseda, Spain), a specialty coffee and chocolate maker.

Aroma notes for this bean-to-bar Madagascar chocolate included: dark chocolate (dark chocolate mousse); soft sweet green; very faint marshmallow; subtle caramel; barely detectable fruit (faint, diffuse banana/plantain with mild red berry jelly); almost floral; and very faint, sweetly aromatic tobacco.

The chocolate had even melt and texture with a very slight astringency/graininess--that seemed to disappear after several bites.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark chocolate mousse, ganache); slightly muted bright red fruit (red currant, cherry); pleasant, very faint earth; and very light tobacco. 

Cacao varieties used to make this chocolate included: Trinitario, Forastero and Criollo. While there are plenty of hybrids of these available, including all three in one chocolate is not necessarily the norm. The resulting chocolate flavors were well balanced and blended and offered an agreeable, complex range of bold and subtle notes.

Chocolates with less than 70% cacao content can taste too sweet. (Too much sugar can mask flavors.) Happily, this was not the case with this bar. There were enough flavors from the above mentioned cacao varieties to shine through.

I admired the well-executed complexity and subtle layers of (aroma and) flavor. And I enjoyed the sweet red fruit and other notes that unfurled in subtle, almost three-dimensional ways in this 67% cacao chocolate. Very enjoyable bar.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, sugar, cacao butter

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

 

Beyond Good - Madagascar Pure Dark 80% Cocoa (bar) - Sept. 14, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Beyond Good
Madagascar Organic Pure Dark Chocolate 80% Cocoa (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.32 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA

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

Today's Beyond Good Organic Madagascar Pure Dark 80% Cocoa (bar) was distributed by Madecasse LLC (Brooklyn, NY). 

As with yesterday' 92% single origin Madagascar bar from the same company, the cacao was grown in Madagascar and made into chocolate in Madagascar, allowing more money to stay in the country of origin. 

Aroma and flavor notes for this ultra-dark bar included: green botanical (sweet green, tree sap/syrup) dark, acidic/tart stone and dried fruits (prune, fig, candied citrus), ultra-dark chocolate blender-ized with prune-orange marmalade). Later, into the finish, the acidity mellowed and there were fainter, diffuse fruit (plum, lighter tropical (tart-sweet mango), very faint goji berry), and faint green forest.

Texturally, this chocolate had an even, smooth melt and a very slight granular mouthfeel.

The fruit acidity level was relatively high (higher than the darker, 92% version of this bar featured yesterday), the level of bitterness was balanced and not too high. 

Created from only four ingredients, this dark chocolate captured lots of flavors cultivated and  developed in Madagascar, where cacao was grown, fermented, dried and made into chocolate.

Beyond Good pure dark chocolates illustrate what made "in-country" chocolate can be: complex and interesting chocolate to taste and explore, with a much simplified supply chain, where cacao farmers reap more of the proceeds.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic sunflower lecithin (emulsifier).

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk and tree nuts." Gluten free, soy free, vegan. 

Beyond Good - Madagascar Pure Dark Chocolate 92% Cocoa (bar) - Sept. 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Beyond Good
Madagascar Organic Pure Dark Chocolate 92% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.32 oz. (37.5 g.) / 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Half Moon Bay, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week. It's with much delight that I return to single origin chocolates this week, including a few made "in country" (in Madagascar), where the cacao was grown.

Today's Beyond Good Organic Madagascar Pure Dark 92% Cocoa (bar) was distributed by Madecasse LLC (Brooklyn, NY). 

The cacao used to make this single origin bar was grown in Madagascar and made into chocolate in Madagascar, allowing more money to stay in the country of origin. This sounds simple, but Madecasse has worked hard over the years to optimize this model--one that is still an exception in the chocolate industry. Typically the supply chain involves more third parties (collectors, exporters, importers, etc.), and less money goes to farmers. 

Aroma notes for this ultra-dark bar included: subtle, rich, sweet root (cooked sweet beet and yam), dark chocolate mousse cake, faint diffuse fruit (light tropical, mango), faint fresh green forest and/or wood, and faint nut and seed.

Texturally, this chocolate had a smooth melt; and it had a very slight granular astringency.

Flavor notes for this wondrously complex, balanced, and slightly acidic dark chocolate included a range of muted dark, dried, and brighter background fruit notes. And it had a relatively low, balanced bitterness level (for a 92%er). 

When I say complex, I mean this chocolate qualifies for a virtual travel experience. A better description for this chocolate might be a tropical-forest-in-a-bar. It evoked green, botanical, dried fruit (mango, North American pawpaws, sapote, fig, very light tangerine), light spicy nut fruit and fig cake, sweet wood, light earth, warm spice, and fresh mineral water spring notes...

...And those are just the notes I was able to put a name to, after tasting and re-tasting small squares of this bar. Other flavor and fruit notes came and went so quickly that I couldn't identify them. All were interesting and well within the enjoyable zone. 

Created from only four ingredients, this dark chocolate seemed to capture so much of the terroir and origin flavors where it was made, in the large island nation of Madagascar, off the East Coast of Africa. 

Today's Beyond Good pure dark chocolate illustrated what made "in-country" chocolate can be: great chocolate to taste and explore, with a much simplified supply chain, where cacao farmers reap more of the proceeds.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic sunflower lecithin (emulsifier).

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk and tree nuts." Gluten free, soy free, vegan. 

Fresco - Madagascar 70% Recipe 290 Medium Roast, Medium Conche (bar) - Oct. 2, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Fresco Artisan Chocolate

Madagascar 70% Recipe 290 Medium Roast, Medium Conche (bar)

Good  ++ -  Good +++

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

Calories: 136.5 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: (Part of a $57 chocolate tasting for 5 different bars)

Purchased from: Fresco Artisan Chocolate/Chocolopolis tasting, online order

Welcome to Day #2 in a series of five different single origin bars obtained as part of a New Origin Fresco Chocolate Tasting. (Thank you to Rob and Amy at Fresco Chocolate and Lauren Adler at Chocolopolis.com for the great remote tasting experience.)

Today's new Madagascar 70% (Batch 21-454) Medium Roast, Medium Conche* (bar) was made by Fresco Chocolate (Lynden, WA) . The beans used to make this bar were from the (Bertil) Akesson plantation in the Sambirano Valley of Madagascar--a region known for its flavorful cacao.

Aroma notes (in order of appearance) for this chocolate included faint green, floral, green stalks, a faint, flickering bitter dark chocolate note, bread and butter, cooked rice, diffuse faint fruit (peach, persimmon, lemon), brown sugar, and barely there tart green (oxalis). The texture and mouthfeel were very satisfying and buttery smooth.

Flavor notes included rich, sweet dark chocolate (dark chocolate torte), and, most significantly, a blooming of bright, tart fruit: a blend of sweet, round, white wine grape juice and golden raisin mixed with pink grapefruit and red berry. (Other fruit notes present in later re-tastings: cherry, orange, mango and ripe, sweet pineapple.) All these fruit notes presented a jump up from (contrast with) the relatively subdued aroma notes. 

Bright red berry and citrus notes are often associated with chocolate made with Madagascar cacao; but today's Fresco bar presented a festive yet sophisticated variation on this theme.

I enjoyed tasting this newly unveiled, rich, flavorful and well-executed dark chocolate bar from a company that recently celebrated receipt of their 50th International award for their chocolate.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter

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

*Conching follows the initial cacao grinding process. Fresco describes conching as "heat, motion, aeration and time producing chocolate's final flavor." The maker notes: "adjusting these variables can produce dramatically different flavors."  (Thank you to Rob at Fresco for allowing us to experience this in your chocolate line-up, geared to edify even the most seasoned of chocolate palettes.) 

Chocolarder - Millot Farm - 80% Dark Chocolate Sambirano Valley, Madagascar (bar) - Mar. 21, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolarder

Millot Farm - 80% Dark Chocolate Sambirano Valley, Madagascar (bar)

Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 198 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Millot Farm 80% Dark Chocolate Sambirano Valley, Madagascar (bar) was from Chocolarder (Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom).

Chocolarder crafts single origin bars, from bean-to-bar, using single estate/plantation cacao(s) from countries including Venezuela, Java, Madagascar, Peru and the Dominican Republic. And they also offer small batch bars with intriguing flavor inclusions (gorse flower, cinnamon toasted cacao nibs, Cornish honeycomb), as well as confections.

The company's Millot Farm Madagascar 80% chocolate bar today was made using cacao grown on a Malagasy farm (established in 1904, that also produces spices and essential oils) located in the Sambirano Valley in northwest Madagascar, a region known for great cacao, like today's "fine flavour" Trinitario hybrid cacao strain that originated in Java.

This bar had aroma notes that included: deep dark chocolate, green sencha (roasted brown rice) tea, wood, brown sugar and very faint spice.

This 80% cacao chocolate was made with less sugar (less than a 70% cacao bar, that might be 30% sugar). It wasn't too sweet (thank you)!* 

I applaud the chocolate makers this week who were bold enough to go with 80%+ cacao Madagascar bars. Great choice for this origin. (Note: Chocolarder also offers a 74% Ottange Farm, Madagascar bar if you're looking for an interesting side-by-side tasting pairing.)

The first bite of this two-ingredient bar was full of pleasing dark chocolate flavor. I enjoyed this chocolate's light, balanced fruit (golden raisin, and aromatic, sweet white wine grape) flavor notes. There was also a faint, fleeting tart sweet stone/red fruit astringency, and a balanced, very faint, woodsy earth tone/note. 

 

The makers' tasting notes read as follows: "Bursting with tart cherry and sweet raisin flavours with hints of sandalwood."

Ingredients: cacao beans, unrefined raw sugar

Allergen information: "Made in a factory that also handles tree nuts."

*Why does the sugar content matter? Sugar can amplify or obscure/overpower certain cacao flavors in chocolate. Madagascar-grown cacao is known for its very bright, tart-sweet fruit (typically citrus and berry) flavors that blossom with, or soon after, the first bite. (Now, think fresh berry lemonade with a little white grape and maybe some orange, grapefruit, peach and cherry juices thrown in. And imagine adding 30% sugar. Do your teeth hurt yet?). 

I'm here for the cacao, and not the sugar; and I love experiencing (Sambirano Valley's) Malagasy cacao fruit notes with a bit less added sugar. Anyone who has slowly savored the flavors in a ripe mango, or peach, or has enjoyed the fruit pulp that surrounds cacao seeds/beans, will know what I mean. 

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

Chocolate of the Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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