Seattle Chocolate Co. - Maeve - Maple Bourbon with Maple Sugar and Crunchy Toffee (bar) - Sept. 13, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Seattle Chocolate Co.

Maeve Chocolate - Maple Bourbon Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar with Maple Sugar and Crunchy Toffee
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh to You, online order

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

Today's Maeve Chocolate - Maple Bourbon Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar with Maple Sugar and Crunchy Toffee (bar) was a trademark of Seattle Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet dark chocolate (roasted cacao), brown/maple sugar, vanilla and very faint spirits.

Texture: soft, creamy texture with just the right amount (a light smattering) of crunchy toffee bits.

While this dark chocolate truffle bar was relatively sweet, I enjoyed the rich complexity of the sweet flavor inclusions and ingredients. Roast-y cacao, toasted brown sugar toast, sweet brown sugar, caramel, maple, vanilla and faint woodsy/oak, bourbon-like notes. A touch of salt helped balance the sweetness and  the whole bar was somewhat addicting.

Ingredients: dark chocolate (cocoa mass, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, organic soy lecithin, natural vanilla), toffee (beet sugar, glucose syrup, cream, butter, skim milk powder, salt), coconut oil, maple sugar, organic natural flavor, organic natural flavor, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk and Soy. "This product is manufactured in a plant that processes milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, and wheat products." "sorry, this bar does not contain alcohol"; Kosher Dairy.

*Maeve Chocolate is a trademark of Seattle Chocolate Co.

John Kelly - Dark Chocolate Fudge Bourbon Truffle Fudge Bar - Mar. 13, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

John Kelly

Dark Chocolate Bourbon Truffle Fudge Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 264 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $ Missing information 
Purchased from: Village Market, S.F. Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Bourbon Truffle Fudge Bar, from John Kelly Chocolates (Los Angeles, CA) was swaddled in gold foil.

This gold ingot of a bar offered a hearty, sweet, rich, and very slightly boozy (Knob Creek) Kentucky Straight Bourbon chocolate tasting experience with a rich (buttery) smooth fudge-y texture.

Ingredients: Cane Sugar, Semi-sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor Processed With Alkali, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin {Emulsifer}, Natural Flavor), Evaporated Milk (Milk, Dipotassium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Vitamin D3), Unsweetened Chocolate, Butter (Pasteurized Cream, Salt), Dark Chocolate Flavored Confectionery (Sugar, Palm Kernel and Palm Oil, Cocoa Powder, Skim Milk Powder, Demineralized Whey Lactose {Milk}, Soy Lecithin {An Emulsifier}, Vanilla Extract), Natural Flavor, Tapioca Syrup, Invert Sugar Syrup, Knob Creek Bourbon (Less than 1% Alcohol by Volume), Natural Flavors, Kosher Salt

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk and Dairy, Soy

Kasama Chocolate - Odd Society Single Malt Canadian Whisky 70% Cacao (bar) - Dec. 1, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Kasama Chocolate
Odd Society Single Malt Canadian Whisky 70% Cacao Barrel Aged (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 163 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $19.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Odd Society Single Malt Canadian Whisky 70% Cacao Barrel Aged (bar) was from Kasama Chocolate (Vancouver, B.C., Canada).  

This Special Release bean-to-bar chocolate was made using cacao beans from Northern Ecuador (Costa Esmeraldas). These roasted cacao beans (broken into pieces, aka nibs) were "aged with Odd Society Distillery's Commodore single malt whisky*. The nibs were then dried and stone ground to create a...rich dark chocolate with oak and whisky notes."

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth, dark chocolate; a bouquet of marinated fruits (ripe cherry, sweet/boozy orange, citron and sweet lime); barrel-aged whiskey; very, very faint (fleeting) vegetable (green beans + nopalitos cooked with a little lemon); and very faint herbal (licorice). In the finish: fudge brownie, whiskey, vanilla and cherry tobacco, subtle oak.

Texture: smooth, chocolate-y with a pleasing melt and mouthfeel.

I enjoyed the balanced, rich complexity and unexpected fruitiness in this bar. It was flavorful, not too sweet (thank you!), and satisfying. I liked that the complex cocktail of flavors extended into a relatively long finish with mellow, authentic, barrel-aged whiskey, vanilla and light cherry. 

This would be a great bar to share with friends and family over the holidays, or to provide a little warmth to any winter day/evening.

Ingredients: Commodore Whisky Aged Cacao Nibs, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cacao Butter* (* = Organic) 

Allergen-related information: None listed, except "Made in a facility that contains nuts."

*The Odd Society Commodore small-batch whisky in this bar tasted closer to Bourbon than Scotch. It was "distilled with 100% BC grown, malted barley, and aged in ex-bourbon barrels, giving it a...peppery-sweetness, along with dark fruit, clove, and toffee notes." 

Intrigue Chocolate - Bourbon & Vanilla Bean Truffle - Nov. 30, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Bourbon & Vanilla Bean 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 #6 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week. 

Today's Bourbon & Vanilla Bean Truffle was from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA). It was part of a baker's dozen of different flavors. Each truffle was labeled with its flavor name and individually-wrapped.

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth but rich dark chocolate, spirits (Bourbon) and vanilla, with a pleasing, light lingering (very slightly boozy) finish.

Texture: soft, creamy/buttery, very slightly fudgey, with a generous coating of cocoa powder.

I enjoyed this well-balanced, thoughtfully created adult truffle confection. This small truffle was full of flavor, not too sweet (thank you!), and very satisfying. 

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. 

Honoka'a Chocolate - 70% Cacao Barrel Aged Bourbon Bar - Nov. 26, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honoka'a Chocolate
70% Cacao Barrel Aged Bourbon Bar 
Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 (estimate) (1 of 3 bar trio for $48.00)
Purchased from: Honoka'a Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #20 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week; and Day #2 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's 70% Barrel Aged Bourbon Bar (bar) was from Honoka'a Chocolate (Honoka'a, HI). Honoka'a is a small town on the scenic (and green) Hamakua coast on the northeast side of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate; faint sweet green (tree/maple syrup, very faint banana, citrus (orange), and barely detectable (possibly imagined) Mediterranean green walnuts in sweet green syrup/honey); faint, fleeting herbal (sweet, not quite licorice/fennel--but close); and barely detectable warm spice (vanilla).

Texture: very smooth, with a well-executed melt and mouthfeel. 

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (very tasty dark chocolate ganache with faint caramel/brown sugar, bourbon, and subtle, smooth wood (oak)), and citrus (orange).

I really liked the luxurious, silken texture and the subtle and intriguing complexity. The aging/soaking of cacao nibs in spirits and/or oak barrels (that have held spirits) can result in some truly beautiful, rich flavors. And each spirit (in this case bourbon) has its own unique flavor to impart. This bar--and yesterday's Kuleana Barrel Aged Rum Bar from the same maker--were both great examples of what's possible using these techniques.

I also really appreciated the very short list of (two) high-quality ingredients, and the use of Hawai'i grown cacao in all the Honoka'a bars I've tried this week.

Ingredients: "100% Hawai'i island cacao, organic turbinado cane sugar. Cacao nibs and bourbon are aged in oak barrels for 4-5 months before processing into chocolate."

Allergen-related information: ("Gluten Free, Fair Trade, Non GMO, Vegan, Dairy Free")  

Honoka'a Chocolate - 70% Kuleana Barrel Aged Rum Bar - Nov. 25, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Honoka'a Chocolate
70% Cacao Kuleana Barrel Aged Rum Bar 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 (estimate) (1 of 3 bar trio for $48.00)
Purchased from: Honoka'a Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #19 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Spirits Theme Week.

Today's 70% Kuleana Barrel Aged Rum Bar (bar) was from Honoka'a Chocolate (Honoka'a, HI). Honoka'a is a small town on the Hamakua coast on the northeast side of Hawai'i. Kuleana Rum Works is also located on the Big Island.

Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate; faint sweet green (tree/maple syrup, very faint banana, and even fainter Mediterranean green walnuts in sweet syrup/honey); faint, fleeting herbal (almost, but not quite licorice/fennel) and warm spirits (high-quality rum; maybe a little rum baba without all the sugar) and a little oak.

Texture: silky smooth, with a luxurious, buttery (almost dairy milk/cream) mouthfeel and melt. (Note: there were no milk/dairy ingredients listed.)

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (attractive and tasty dark chocolate ganache with faint sweet green), with flavorful hints of faint rum, caramel and oak.

I really liked the luxurious, silken texture and the subtle and intriguing complexity. 

The aging/soaking of cacao nibs in spirits and in oak barrels often results in some very attractive, full-bodied flavors. Today's Barrel Aged Rum Bar was a great example of how well these techniques can work. 

I also really appreciated the very short list of (in case case, two) high-quality ingredients, and the use of Hawai'i grown cacao, in all the Honoaka'a bars I tried this week.

Ingredients: "100% Hawai'i island cacao, organic turbinado cane sugar. Cacao nibs and rum are aged in oak barrels for 4-5 months before processing into chocolate."

Allergen-related information: ("Gluten Free, Fair Trade, Non GMO, Vegan, Dairy Free") 

Rimini - Banana-Rum and Salt Caramel chocolates - June 2, 2023

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Rimini
1.) Banana Rum - Good ++
2.) Maple-Bourbon - Good ++
3.) Salted Caramel - Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 3 pieces out of a total 25-piece box
Calories: (No information; was a gift)
Cost: $ N/A - gift from family (Thank you Megan!)
Purchased from: N/A - Mother's Day gift

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

Today's Banana-Rum, Maple-Bourbon and Salted Caramel chocolates were from Rimini Chocolate (Colorado). 

After spending time in Rimini, Italy, owner and chocolatier Michael Schneider opened two Italian-inspired gelato and chocolate shops in Vail and Beaver Creek (CO) in the U.S.

Aroma notes for these chocolates included: faint chocolate, warm spice, salt caramel, and very faint spirits.

These attractive filled chocolates were skillfully executed with great blends of texture and taste. Flavor notes included rich, smooth dark/bittersweet chocolate and delicious soft, flowing salt caramel/ganache flavored centers. 

The Banana-Rum chocolate had subtle tropical fruit (banana) and faint salted butter rum flavoring. The Maple-Bourbon filled chocolate had faint, authentic maple and bourbon flavor notes. 

The centers were flavorful (and just a little bit salty). And the flavors were high-end, fresh and authentic.

Last, but not least was the Salted Caramel piece. I paired all of today's chocolates with a savory snack plate (homemade salted potato with cheeses, artichoke, savory almonds); but even so, the salt level in the Salted Caramel was very satisfying even on its own. A dark chocolate shell surrounded a beautifully silky salt caramel center. 

These were my kind of filled chocolates. They were well-executed, likely by a trained chef/chocolatier. The couverture thicknesses were just right (not too thick). Everything was well-balanced--smooth yet flavorful. Not too sweet; and well balanced with salt. And their elegant, hand "painted" appearance made them well-suited for gifts.

Ingredients: (Received as a gift; outside packaging/information had been removed.)

Allergen-related information: (May have contained milk.) (No information.) 

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.

Dick Taylor - 70% Belize Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Aged (bar) - Dec. 24, 2022

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Dick Taylor 

70% Belize Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Aged (bar)

Good +++ - Very Good 

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar

Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Airport store or Los Altos?

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

Today's 70% Belize Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Aged (bar) was created by Dick Taylor (Eureka, CA).

Aroma: heavenly. Rich, dark chocolate (single origin Belize) dark chocolate was enlivened with the aromatic spirit of a well-rounded Bourbon. Slightly fruity, and very slightly woody/woodsy notes were also part of this bouquet.

Flavor notes for this dark, smooth and creamy bar included: very appealing dark chocolate with well-balanced, diffuse fruit (sweet, dark ripe blackberry, plum, sweet citrus). Gently intoxicating Bourbon cask wafts lingered lightly in the finish.

This is one of my favorite bars this year, from one of my favorite chocolate makers. Adam Dick and Dustin Taylor (the creative duo that is Dick-Taylor Craft Chocolate) have been consistently turning out well-crafted, small-batch chocolate in Northern California for many years now. No small feat.

The only sad news: This 70% Belize Bourbon chocolate is a Limited Edition bar, that sells out quickly. So, these may be hard to find out of season.

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, Bourbon Whiskey

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that also processes milk, tree nuts, wheat and peanuts. 

Dick Taylor - Orange Bourbon Pecan 65% Dark (bar) - Nov. 26, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Dick Taylor
Orange Bourbon Pecan (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sweet Shop, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Holiday Spices Series.

Today's Orange Bourbon Pecan 65% Dark (bar) was handcrafted by Dick-Taylor Craft Chocolate (Eureka, CA).

Aroma notes for this bar included: chocolate, pecan cookie, orange and slightly sweet spirits (Bourbon/whiskey).

Smooth, flavorful 65% (Belize cacao) dark chocolate enveloped crunchy pecan bits that were full of complex flavor upticks: nut, Bourbon, orange (and faint maple) flavors. 

I sprinkled one piece of this bar with a tiny shake of freshly ground cinnamon. It tasted like a holiday pie dessert plate in one bite.

And speaking of holiday pies, a family recipe for a Bourbon-soaked pecan (and orange) flavored pie was the inspiration for this Dick Taylor chocolate bar. Worked for me! I loved the layered sparkles of complementary flavor(s).

Ingredients: Chocolate (organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter) organic pecans, organic maple syrup, bourbon, orange essential oil 

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that also uses milk, tree nuts, wheat and peanuts.

Fruition Chocolate - Cinnamon Maple Bourbon 65% (bar) - Feb. 24, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Fruition Chocolate
Cinnamon Maple Bourbon 65% (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 172 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Spices Theme Weeks.

Today's Limited Release Cinnamon Maple Bourbon 65% (bar) was made by Fruition Chocolate Works (Shokan, NY).

This tasty bar had rich, layered flavors including rich milk chocolate, caramel and faint echoes of an aged bourbon cask. (Cocoa nibs used to make this bar were aged with cinnamon and "locally distilled" bourbon.)

The choice of (Tree Juice brand) maple sugar made in the Catskill mountains of New York (vs. cane sugar) and cinnamon, added warmth and flavor depth. (And, like many other high-quality dark milk chocolate bars, this one was mildly addictive.)

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, organic maple sugar, whole milk powder, organic cocoa butter, bourbon, cinnamon

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

Bixby - Split Rock Bourbon Bar 70% Dark Chocolate - Dec. 29, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Bixby and Co.
Bourbon Bar 70% Dark Chocolate  
Good +
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (49.5 g.) (estimate) in total bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar (including shipping, part of a larger order)
Purchased from: Good Food Awards (Marketplace), online order 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Holiday Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Split Rock Bourbon Bar 70% Dark Chocolate was from Bixby and Co. (Rockland, ME). 

The maker's description: "Barrel aged, grain-to-glass Maine made bourbon blended into our single origin, Dominican Republic bean-to-bar chocolate."

Aroma and flavor notes for this ebony-hued bar included deep, dark chocolate, very slight citrus (orange) and fermented corn/grain, slightly malty sweetness (whiskey). While the 70% dark chocolate was almost boldly flavorful, it was also balanced, and not terribly bitter or acidic. The chocolate itself seemed to have a base level of relative natural sweetness.

The bar had a smooth melt and a uniform texture with a very slight astringency (light graininess).

Maker's tasting notes: "Notes of orange with a rich smooth taste."

Ingredients: Organic dark chocolate (organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar), organic bourbon whiskey

Allergen-related information: "Prepared in a facility that processes milk, tree nuts and peanuts."

Ghirardelli Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Bourbon Caramel Squares - Aug. 21, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Dark Chocolate Bourbon Caramel Squares
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.59 oz. (45 g.) / 5.3 oz. (151 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 3 squares
Cost: $2.99 (estimate) for 1 package of 10 squares
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's individually-wrapped Dark Chocolate Bourbon Caramel Squares were made by Ghirardelli Chocolate Company (San Leandro, CA).

These squares might hit the spot for those looking for a sweet, smooth, dark chocolate treat with a touch of spirits* infused into a thin layer of soft caramel filling.

No surprise for a caramel chocolate, the number one ingredient was sugar, followed by unsweetened chocolate, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk.

*"natural bourbon flavor"

Haagen-Daza - Spirits Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle Ice Cream - Aug. 12, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Haagen-Dazs
Spirits - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle Ice Cream
Good ++
Weight: 2/3 cup  (132 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) in total container
Calories: 340 calories in 1 (2/3 cup) serving
Cost: $4.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Spirits - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle Ice Cream was from Haagen-Dazs* (Minneapolis, MN).

This ice cream, laced with soft bits of dark chocolate, had creamy rich texture and flavor with a hint of bourbon and vanilla. (Brown sugar, molasses, maple, vanilla bean and coconut oil also gave the taste some natural flavor depth.)

*The Haagen-Dazs ice cream brand originated with Reuben and Rose Mattus in Brooklyn Heights, New York, in 1961. The couple started with three flavors: vanilla, chocolate and coffee, and opened their first retail store in Brooklyn, NY, in 1976. 

The brand was acquired and is now associated with two larger corporations (Nestle and General Mills). Somehow, thankfully, against all odds, the ingredients list has for a growing number of ice cream flavors been kept relatively short, and is usually of a higher quality than most large brand name ice creams. (Haagen-Dazs is also one of the few brands that doesn't add a lot of vegetable gums. Thank you!)

Haagen-Dazs - Coffee and Vanilla Layers Ice Cream; Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co. - Bourbon Nib Brittle - Aug. 11, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Haagen-Dazs
Crispy Trio Layers - Belgian Chocolate with Coffee and Vanilla Ice Cream(s)
(topped with Chocolate Banquet special bourbon-soaked nibs)
Good ++
Weight: 1/4 cup (44 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) in total container
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 1/4 cup serving + 50 cals. for nib topping
Cost: $3.50 (sale, 2 for $7) for 1 container
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

The Haagen-Dazs (Minneapolis, MN) Crispy Trio Layers collection is part of the companies expanding family of ice cream-related products. Flavors include Belgian chocolate, vanilla ice cream and a featured third flavor (blackberry, coffee, caramel, etc.) The line-up also includes a triple chocolate flavor and non-dairy variations as well.

Today we're featuring the Belgian Chocolate Coffee and Vanilla ice cream, that was quite tasty. It contained a nice blend of crispy darker chocolate layered pieces and creamy and flavorful coffee ice cream, mellowed by a smooth and upbeat vanilla ice cream.

Recently, Haagen-Dazs announced a line of ice creams with spirits. (We'll feature one tomorrow). But, in the spirit of spirits, we jumped the gun with our own spirited inclusion to today's Crispy Trio Layers flavor.

We amped up the chocolate flavor by topping this ice cream with Chocolate Banquet's own secret recipe for bourbon soaked cacao nibs (with bitters and orange peel).

And speaking of bourbon and cacao nibs...

Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co.
Bourbon Nib Brittle
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package
Calories: 280 calories in 1/3 package
Cost: $18.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Cashmere + Chocolate, Santa Fe, NM

We also re-tasted two small pieces of Bourbon Nib Brittle from Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co. (Nashville, TN). We originally enjoyed this back in 2012. (How time flies.) It was sweet, crunchy and satisfying, with a very light Bourbon touch.

Fruition Chocolate - Hudson Bourbon Dark Milk 61% bar - Aug. 10, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fruition Chocolate
Hudson Bourbon Dark Milk 61% bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chokola, NM

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

Today's Hudson Bourbon Dark Milk 61% bar was made by Fruition Chocolate in "their workshop in the Catskill Mountains" (Shokan, NY).

Today's bourbon bar, a Good Food Awards winner, was spirited chocolate at its best: high-quality bean-to-bar chocolate blended with balanced, well-executed flavor inclusion(s).

The chocolate had an aroma with light fruit, chocolate and faint roasted coffee latte notes, and a creamy, even melt and texture. The warm, round, almost buttery flavor, also embraced a very subtle, rich bourbon presence.

The chocolate maker (Bryan Graham's) tasting notes and bar description read as follows: "Roasted nibs, aged with Hudson Baby Bourbon and barrel staves, are crafted into a creamy dark milk chocolate with hint of oak."

Flax 4 Life - Chocolate Brownie + bourbon ice cream, whiskey nibs - July 16, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Flax 4 Life
Chocolate Brownie (muffin)
Good ++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 14 oz. (396 g.) in total container
Calories: 140 calories in 1 muffin
Cost: $4.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Bourbon and Whiskey Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week.

Today's mini-muffin shaped Chocolate Brownie from Flax 4 Life (Bellingham, WA) was part dessert and part health-food. (The number one dry ingredient was ground flax seeds.)

Sadly, we may have neutralized some of the health benefits by pairing this cute and delicious muffin with a shot of Bourbon Maple Blondie ice cream sprinkled with whiskey-soaked cacao nibs. The nibs helped add flavor depth and texture and helped balance the creamy, caramel sweetness of the ice cream. Cheers.

Timothy Adams - Bourbon, Scotch and Cognac chocolates - July 15, 2018

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Timothy Adams Chocolates
Bourbon, Scotch and Cognac chocolates
Good ++, Good ++ and Good +++
Weight: .39 (11 g.) (estimate) x 3 = 1.17 oz. (33 g.) in 3 pieces
Calories: 175.5 calories (estimate) in 3 pieces
Cost: $7.50 (estimate) for 3 pieces
Purchased from: Timothy Adams, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Bourbon and Whiskey Theme Week.

Today's trio of dark chocolate truffles (Bourbon, Scotch and Cognac) were created by Timothy Adams Chocolates (Palo Alto, CA).

Each had a 58% creamy filling infused with the spirit of choice, and was covered in a 72% dark chocolate shell.

All three flavors were worth sampling. And a side-by-side, blind tasting was enjoyable and informative.

Ben and Jerry's - Urban Bourbon Ice Cream - July 14, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream
Urban Bourbon Ice Cream
Good - Good+
Weight: 1/2 cup (109 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL) in total container
Calories: 300 calories in 1/2 cup serving
Cost: $2.50 (sale) for 1 container
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Bourbon and Whiskey Theme Week.

There was a lot going in today's Ben and Jerry's Urban Bourbon Ice Cream. Imagine alternating flashes of toasted caramel, coconut, almonds, chocolate (fudge flakes) and bourbon—all packed into a cold, rich ice cream breakfast.

This ice cream contained enough sugar and spirits to fuel a trip into the urban San Francisco and—at 300 calories for a single (1/2 cup) serving—keep hunger at bay until lunchtime.

Note to gluten free eaters, this Urban Bourbon ice cream is probably not gluten free. In between the cocoa powder and the guar gum in the ingredients list was dry malt extract (barley).

Ritual Chocolate - Vanilla Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla 70% bar - July 12, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ritual Chocolate

Vanilla Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla 70% Cacao bar

Good +++ - Very Good

Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar

Calories: 159 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate, Bourbon and Whiskey Theme Week.

This Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla 70% Cacao bar "crafted at 7,000 feet" by Ritual Chocolate (Park City, UT) managed to attain an ideal state: a creamy, smooth texture and complex, rich flavor.

To get a creamier texture or mouth-feel, a chocolate maker usually conches or grinds cacao for a longer period of time, achieving a finer particle size. However, in doing so, more volatile flavors can be lost during this process. This chocolate was made using a special (Mid Mountain) house blend of cacao beans from different origins.

Today's complex, well-balanced dark chocolate bar contained flavor notes of cherry and vanilla—but not just flat, dime store vanillin in alcohol. Rather, it was an earthy, faintly smokey, authentic ground vanilla bean vanilla, from Madagascar. High-quality Bourbon* vanilla from Madagascar-grown beans is much prized. 

*The term "Bourbon vanilla" does not involve any whiskey. Instead it refers to vanilla beans (orchid Vanilla planifolia) originally from the Americas, that were (like cacao and other crops) taken to be cultivated in Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean. (One of these colonial islands was once known as Ile Bourbon.) Bourbon vanilla is slightly different than Mexican vanilla and quite a bit different than Tahitian vanilla (which is more aromatically floral).