Goodnow Farms - Special Reserve Dark 100% Cacao (Peru) bar - Feb. 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms
Special Reserve Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao (bar)
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and 100% Cacao Theme Week, and Day #5 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week. 

Why are there so many 100% Cacao bars made with Peruvian cacao this week? Peru produces a range of cacao varieties with flavors ranging from the bolder Forastero/Amelonado cacaos to milder, Criollo-like cacaos (with cream and soft fruit notes). Today's subtle and sophisticated bar tasted closer to the latter. 

Today's Special Reserve Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao (bar) was from Goodnow Farms (Sudbury, MA). 

Aroma notes for this bar included: soft citrus (lemon), soft ultra-dark chocolate, and soft green notes. I rarely use the adjective "soft" to describe 100% cacao bars. The notes were present and nicely balanced, but gentler than expected, based on 100% cacao ultra-dark chocolates featured earlier this week. 

This bar broke with a hard snap, and had a uniform, sophisticated buttery melt and mouthfeel.

The flavor was smooth with a balanced bitterness (like a creamy ale), diffuse fruit (citrus, stone fruit) in cream, and very faint roasted mocha cream notes. 

Note: I re-tasted this bar 30 minutes later, and also detected some very, very faint, fleeting earth and umami (sauteed mushrooms in butter with a pinch of alderwood/hickory smoked salt) and very faint creamy green tea latte notes.) Creamy complexity. All good. Those who really slow down and pay attention may enjoy a four-course, five star meal in a bar.

The use of ("fresh-pressed") single origin cocoa butter likely contributed to this chocolate's unified, polished flavor profile. 

The clean, elegant flavor extended into a light, lingering finish that also recalled cream and dairy notes/mouthfeel.

Was this 100% cacao chocolate bar worth $15.00? Yes, it was.

Goodnow Farms maker's tasting notes: "Lemongrass, green grapes and peach"..."The smooth flavor of this award-winning bar will change the way you think about 100% cacao."

Ingredients: Single origin cacao beans, single origin cacao butter (Soy Free, Vegan, Gluten Free)

Allergen-related information: "May contain trace amounts of peanuts and tree nuts."

 

Trader Joe's - Organic Almond Beverage Chocolate Bar - July 22, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Trader Joe's
Organic Almond Beverage Chocolate Bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, San Carlos, CA

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

Today's Organic Almond Beverage Chocolate Bar was from Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA).

The rich aroma for this chocolate bar included prune, date, light molasses, and vanilla nut (toasted almonds and pecans*) butter cookie and very faint green (tea, nut) notes.

The non-dairy bar had a creamy (milk chocolate) texture with a relatively rapid melt after the initial tempered firmness experienced with each new bite. 

The flavor was mild dark chocolate with a very faint plant (almond) "milk" flavor. The almond beverage inclusion and a good dose of cocoa butter (the number one ingredient) contributed to a subtle chocolate flavor--and (lighter, warmer) milk chocolate color. Almonds also balanced the sugar, i.e. it was not overly sweet (thank you!).

Very light touches of sea salt and vanilla rounded out the even, subtle chocolate flavor. This pleasant, organic bar may please vegan chocolate lovers who enjoy a smooth, buttery, dairy-free chocolate, with very low cacao acidity and bitterness. 

Ingredients: Organic cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa beans, organic almond beverage (organic almond flour, water), organic sunflower lecithin (emulsifier), sea salt, organic ground vanilla beans. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains Almond." Certified organic and Pareve (U). Vegan, gluten free, soy free.

*This bar contained almonds but did not contain pecan nuts, even if the aroma of this bar did bring back memories of pecan shortbread cookies from childhood.

 

Friis Holm - La Dalia 100% (Nicaragua bar) - Apr. 2, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Friis-Holm Chokolade
La Dalia 100% (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $20.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's La Dalia 100% (bar) was from Friis-Holm Chokolade (Hvalso, Denmark).

La Dalia is a largely rural area (that includes a town) in Nicaragua (near Matagalpa and Jinotega). The sub-tropical forests and volcanic soils in this hilly region are well-suited for growing cacao trees. 

Nicaragua is one of several cacao cradle/origin countries in Central America. Cacao has been cultivated and appreciated here for centuries. Happily, a handful of dedicated farmers and fermenteries have connected with skilled artisan chocolate makers around the world in recent decades--resulting in some great chocolates.

This aroma of this bar had light, pleasant notes of concentrated/dried fruits, raw sugars, nuts, dark chocolate and very faint, freshly mowed sweet, green grass.

The creamy, rapid melt and velvety smooth texture were enjoyable and luxurious.

Over time, the brain learns to be prepared for the surprising disconnect between the sweet aroma and the bitter taste of unsweetened, 100% cacao chocolates. Added cocoa butter* can help cushion the blow.

The flavor of this unsweetened, 100% cacao bar was like landing on a large, silk cushion--which is to say, it wasn't as bitter as expected. The deep, roasted cacao bitter flavor in this two-ingredient bar did surface but it was steady and balanced; there was no scary spikiness to it. 

*Ingredients: Cacao beans, cocoa butter.

Hachez - Cocoa de Maracaibo (Venezuela) 55% Milk Chocolate (bar) - May 7, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Hachez
Cocoa de Maracaibo 55% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 311 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Cocoa de Maracaibo 55% Superior Whole Milk Chocolate from Hachez* (Bremen, Germany) had an aroma with spice (cinnamon), milk chocolate, faint floral (vanilla) and muted fruit notes.

The bar had a thick, creamy melt (cocoa butter was the number one ingredient**)--tricking the palette into thinking about nut butter and triggering the thought that perhaps there was a nutty flavor note there. (Not really.)

This chocolate had a pleasant, uniform, high-percentage (55.5% cocoa solids) dark milk chocolate flavor. It was not too sweet (thank you). If one concentrated, one could pick up a faint fruit note; however it was largely numbed by the cocoa butter, milk and possibly emulsifier(s).

The finish was subtle but lingered a bit with soft notes of milk chocolate, fleeting faint earth and light vanilla.

*Hachez, named after Joseph Emile Hachez who founded the company in 1890, is the second largest German manufacturer of chocolate products (after Lindt).

**Ingredients: "cocoa butter, cocoa beans, sugar, whole milk powder (20%), cocoa powder, emulsifier, rapeseed lecithins, bourbon vanilla extract, bourbon vanilla pods."

Chocolat Bonnat - Madre de Dios 75% Cacao "Perou" (bar) - Apr. 16, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolat Bonnat
Madre de Dios - Chocolat noir 75% de cacao "Perou" (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 301.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $18.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order

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

Today's Madre de Dios Chocolat noir 75% de cacao "Perou" (bar) was from Chocolat Bonnat (Voiron, Isere, France).

Subtly complex and silky smooth, this bar had a creamy melt, with muted earth, jungle nut, and delicate fruit flavor notes.

Added cocoa butter gave this bar its classic Bonnat buttery texture and softly veiled fine cacao flavor. What came through was a subtle, complex Criollo-like variety cacao, dressed up in a fabulous, French silk evening gown that was easy on the eyes and palette.

This bar was also rather dear; at $18.50 (USD), I'm hoping that some of the proceeds went to help save the ancient, heritage cacao trees in this area--the Madre de Dios region in southeastern Peru that borders on Brazil and Bolivia, and that has a terrain described as low-lying Amazon rainforest.

It's easy to be smug about what needs to be done in a rainforest when you're eating chocolate in some far off, relatively prosperous northern city (that, sadly, was clear cut of its own native trees centuries ago). Kudos and best wishes to those working to preserve native strains of cacao and other rare and valuable trees and botanicals in the Amazon basin. Muchas gracias, merci and thank you to all who worked hard to produce today's great chocolate.

Middlebury Chocolates - 100% Dark Chocolate bar - May 7, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Middlebury Chocolates 

100 - one hundred percent dark chocolate bar

Good ++

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

Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA 

Welcome to Day #6 of 100% Cacao Theme Week.

Today's smooth 100% one hundred percent dark chocolate bar from Middlebury Chocolates (Middlebury, VT) was very approachable for an ultra-dark bar.

It had slight green and deep cocoa notes in the aroma, and was well executed and even—with no "off" flavors. The maker's Tasting Notes read: "Creamy, Bold and Intense."

This 100% bar contained a "thoughtful blend of Dominican Republic, Tanzania and Guatemala" Direct Trade cacao beans; and all three of the major cacao varieties were represented: Trinitario, Criollo and Forestaro.

Like most successful chocolatemakers, the folks behind Middlebury Chocolates are dedicated to the details of their craft. Information supplied on the bar packaging, contained a wealth of information about some of the steps taken to create a great bar:

• Fermentation: 4-7 days; Mostly sun dried
• Roast Level: Medium
• Refined: 72 hours at 100 degrees F
• Conched: 24 hours at 145 degrees F

Chocolat Bonnat - Ceylan 75% Chocolat Noir bar - Feb. 19, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolat Bonnat

Ceylan 75% Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate) bar

Good +++ - Very Good

Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 121.2 calories in 1/5 bar

Cost: $13.00 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Enchanted Islands and Pirates Theme Week.

Today's Ceylan 75% Cacao Chocolat Noir (Dark Chocolate) bar was made by Chocolat Bonnat (Voiron, France) and distributed by Custom Source LLC (Worcester, MA).

Every Bonnat dark chocolate bar I recall tasting has had a luscious buttery, creamy texture. This gluten free bar made with cacao beans grown in Ceylan* was no exception. It had a faint sweet leather aroma note, a rich, full chocolatey flavor, a faint sour cherry note and a slightly bittersweet finish. 

Tasting notes described this Ceylan bar has having Asian flavors. Not sure what that meant exactly. I didn't pick up any spice or other notes I associated with SE Asia chocolate or cuisine.

*The name Ceylan (Ceylon) is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean, south of India. 

The people of this island have felt the presence of European nations: first, the Portuguese in the early 1500s and then the Dutch (Dutch India Company), before falling under British rule from 1815 to 1948. 

The British brought a variety of plantation crops to grow on the island, including tea, rubber, coffee and presumably cacao. Ceylon became known for its lush tea plantations under British rule. Were it not for labor practices there, more of the people might have experienced its enchanted isle status. 

Concerns over foreign powers, and pirates in the Indian Ocean, have been a part of the region for some time. In the early 1940s Japan was said to have designs on Ceylon. And occasional incidents of piracy (e.g., raids on commercial/trading ships) in the surrounding seas continue to the present decade.

The country eventually re-gained its independence; and in 1972, it became the Republic of Sri Lanka. Ceylon has continued to be influenced by India, China and other larger trading partners as they participate in the global economy, with exports like tea, textiles, rice and other agricultural products, like cacao.

Arete - Hacienda Victoria 70% Ecuador bar - Sept. 10, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Arete Fine Chocolate

Hacienda Victoria 70% Dark Chocolate (Ecuador) bar
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 172 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Bienvenidos a (welcome to) Day #6 of Ecuador Chocolate Theme Week, and the day before Chocolate Banquet's 10-year anniversary.

To mark this occasion, I'm proud to be able to spotlight a series of bars made with Ecuadorian cacao from local Bay Area maker Arete Fine Chocolate (Milpitas, CA).

Nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, is a single-story facility where David and Leslie Senk are crafting a growing number of single origin chocolate bars.

Today's Arete Hacienda Victoria 70% Dark Chocolate bar combines beans from cocoa beans from a single large farm (Hacienda Victoria) with organic sugar and cocoa butter.

It's worth pointing out that the makers at Arete pressed the cocoa butter in this bar from cocoa beans from this same farm. This elevates the meaning of single origin.

Cacao growing close to the Equator (e.g. in Ecuador) is typically leaner than cacao growing farther away from the Equator, say, in Hawaii ("the North Pole for cacao")—where beans may have 10 percent more fat to protect them from harsher/cooler weather. Plants are smarter than we think.

This Ecuador had a flavorful, fruity (dried fruit such as plums, raisins) taste with a slight nutty flavor note.

Living Intentions - Gone Nuts! White Chocolate - Apr. 4, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Living Intentions
Gone Nuts! - White Chocolate
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total package
Calories: 210 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) need to confirm
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

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

The "Gone Nuts!" family of healthy snack products from Living Intentions (Point Richmond, CA) include various combinations of raw and sprouted nuts combined with other flavors--like today's White Chocolate blend.

The cashews were raw, not roasted. (They were air dried.) The almonds were sprouted.

This White Chocolate mix had a mild, naturally crunchy texture, with a subtle, balanced salty and sweet taste.

The nuts were "coated with a premium clear agave nectar, coconut powder, cocoa butter and mesquite pod powder," and seasoned with sea salt.

However, unlike most white chocolate offerings, this mix also had cocoa nibs--not just cocoa butter--for some tiny bursts of rich and "real"* (albeit faint) chocolate flavor.

*I taste some white chocolate items; but haven't counted them as my chocolate of the day unless they also contain some cocoa solids (cocoa nibs, milk or dark chocolate, cocoa mass or liquor, etc.).

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Vintage Plantations - Dark Chocolate with Toasted Almonds bar - Feb. 26, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Vintage Plantations Chocolates
Dark Chocolate with Toasted Almonds
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.07 oz. (30 g.) / 3.2 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 159 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $6.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

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

Today's Dark Chocolate with Toasted Almonds bar from Vintage Plantations Chocolates was enveloped in a work of art. Printed on the wrapper was an image of a beautiful cacao plantation (painting by Charlotta Janssen).

Vintage Plantations has been making chocolate since the 1990s. There is no specific origin specified for this bar, but the company has been working with "heirloom single estate cocoa beans" for many years.

This dark bar (no percentage listed) had a sweet, slightly nutty and roasted malt aroma, and a balanced bittersweet dark chocolate flavor.

There were four ingredients in this chocolate: ground organic cocoa beans, undeodorized* organic cocoa butter, organic evaporated cane sugar, and organic almonds; and the bar was gluten free and vegan.

*Cocoa beans are naturally high in fat (or cocoa butter) content. And extra cocoa butter is often added to bars to give it a richer flavor, or creamier texture and melt. Some chocolate makers use cocoa butter that has had some of the aroma and taste removed—in other words, it's been "deodorized." Other makers include the natural flavoring (undeodorized cocoa butter). Added cocoa butter may or may not come from the same batch of cocoa beans, or the same area of origin as the cocoa solids.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.