Wild West Chocolate - Snowcapped Coconut 50% Cacao Oatmilk Chocolate (bar) - June 16, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Wild West Chocolate

Snowcapped Coconut 50% Cacao Oatmilk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.6 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65.2 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.08 (approx.) for 1 bar - 1 of 3 bars for $21.25 
Purchased from: Wild West Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate & Earth: Mountains, Forests & Gardens Theme Week. (The next 4 weeks will focus on chocolates related to the elements: Earth, Water and Fire.) 

Today's Snowcapped Coconut 50% Cacao Oatmilk Chocolate (bar) was from Wild West Chocolate  (Missoula, MT).

This chocolate was "inspired by the majestic peaks of the snow-covered Rocky Mountains" and was "blanketed with a whimsical flurry of organic coconut flakes."

Aroma and flavor notes for this vegan dark oatmilk bar included: smooth dark chocolate, faint diffuse fruit (berry, tropical fruit, and barely-there citrus (sweet tangerine)), and very faint coconut.

Texture: creamy smooth chocolate with a dusting of very fine-textured coconut "snow" on one side. 

I enjoyed the balanced blend of very subtle fruit, smooth chocolate, and very light and authentic coconut "snow."

I appreciated the use of Organic ingredients; the fruit powder blend used to sweeten the chocolate; and that this oat milk bar did not taste "oat-y". It was sweet, but not too sweet--allowing greater appreciation for the subtle chocolate and other flavors.

Ingredients: Organic Oatmilk Chocolate (Organic Fruit Blend [Powdered Date+, Powdered Mulberry+, Powdered Peach+, Powdered Mango+], Organic Cocoa Liquor++, Organic Cocoa Butter++, Oatmilk+, Vanilla Extract+), Coconut+.  (+Organic; ++49% Fair Trade ingredients)

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

Karuna Chocolate - Gin infused dark chocolate 75% Edelschwarz Alpine Bio Gin (bar) - May 14, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Karuna Chocolate
Gin infused dark chocolate 75% Edelschwarz Alpine Bio Gin (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 158.7 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

Today's Gin infused dark chocolate 75% Edelschwarz* Alpine Bio Gin (bar) was from Karuna Chocolate (South Tyrol, Italy).

Mountains are special places. This chocolate was made from Chuncho cacao grown in the mountains of the Urubamba Valley in Peru by Karuna Chocolate makers who live and produce chocolate in view of the Alps--in an area where Italian, German and Austrian influences can be felt (think Edelweiss flowers, felt hats, forests and mountains).

The subtle but complex aroma notes for this 75% dark chocolate bar included: chocolate (faint roasted, very faint raisin rice pudding, dark berries (blueberry, cranberry, juniper)), faint citrus botanical, and very faint Boston brown (molasses) bread.

This dark chocolate had a creamy, "light"/whipped texture with a relatively rapid melt. (Chuncho cacao is associated with having a slightly higher percent of cocoa butter and a creamy texture.)

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark forest, rich, roasted cacao), dark berries (blueberry, cranberry, juniper), and very faint gin citrus (lemon) and botanicals. (There was no alcohol flavor.)

This chocolate was not too sweet (thank you), making it easier to make out the chocolate and gin flavor nuances. The juniper (often the signature flavor of a gin flavor inclusion) was extremely subtle allowing other berries/fruits and botanicals to share the stage.

I suggest savoring this chocolate slowly to appreciate the subtle flavors. It reminded me of sitting quietly in a dark forest glade and gradually noticing berries, flowers and perhaps a small bunny or two scampering by. Something a little magical about this place. 

Maker's tasting notes: "berries, citrus fruits, juniper and herbs"

Ingredients: Cocoa beans*, raw cane sugar*, Edelschwarz Bio Gin* (20%), cocoa butter*, Cocoa min. 75% (*certified organic).

Allergen-related information: "It may contain traces of nuts." ("Non-alcoholic product")

*Edelschwarz is a dry London style gin with 17 botanicals including (edelweiss), blueberry (schwarzbeere), juniper, cranberry, rosehips...and more.  

Sweet 55 - Bonus Chocolates, Cowgirl Creamery for July 28, 2019

Chocolate(s) of the Day (Bonus Entry):

Sweet55

1. Eiger - milk chocolate
2. Eiger - dark chocolate
3. Heart - filled chocolate

Welcome to a bonus, evening entry, as part of Chocolate and Cowgirl Theme Week.


A surprise find of cheese from Cowgirl Creamery (Point Reyes Station, CA) this evening led to the decision to feature a cheese and fruit plate with three flavors of filled chocolates from Sweet55 (Half Moon Bay, CA).

Cowgirl Creamery

Cowgirl Creamery (Point Reyes Station, CA) specializes in making artisan, organic cheeses. While they do have a few chocolate items (high end chocolate milk, and an occasional panna cotta or dessert with chocolate), their wonderful local cheeses are a welcome addition to any chocolate and fruit platter.

And that includes Cowgirl Creamery's Clabbered* Cottage Cheese, made "the traditional way with pillowy non-fat curds tossed in a dressing of cultured cream and organic milk..."

This is not your bulk supermarket cottage cheese. It looks similar. But it was made with a shorter list of higher-quality ingredients and had a pleasingly authentic cheese flavor that big store brands lack.

The cheese was paired with fruit, nuts, gluten-free crackers and three types of filled chocolates.

Sweet55 Chocolates

We enjoyed the three creamy smooth chocolates from Sweet55, a Swiss-style chocolatier. All three paired nicely with fruit, nuts and cheese.

The first two of three chocolates on this cheese plate were milk chocolate and dark chocolate versions of the "Eiger"—filled with almond gianduja and orange caramel crunch. The company developed special 3D molds to accurately capture the shape of this impressive mountain in the Bernese Alps.**

The third chocolate was a pretty heart-shaped chocolate with a light filling.

*Clabbered cream is similar to creme fraiche and is added to the cottage cheese curds.

**The Eiger is a 3,967 meter (13,025 foot) mountain in Switzerland that draws climbers from around the world who are intent on reaching the top of this mountain.