Preston's Candy by Javier - "5X Very Berry" Dark Chocolate 63% cacao (bar) - Aug. 9, 2025

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Preston's Candy by Javier
"5X Very Berry" Dark Chocolate 63% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Filoli store, Woodside, CA

Dandelion Chocolate
Halva Bonbons
Good ++
Weight: 1.94 oz. (54.9 g.) / 6.8 oz. (192.7 g.) in total box of 7 pieces
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 2 bonbons
Cost: N/A - gift from family member - Thank you Megan!
Purchased from: N/A - gift from family member

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

5X Very Berry Dark Chocolate bar

Today's 5X Very Berry All Natural Dark Chocolate 63% cacao (bar) was from Preston's Candy By Javier (Burlingame, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes for this 5-fruit studded dark chocolate bar included: rich, bittersweet chocolate;  hearty, balanced fruitiness with bursts of tart-sweet goji, raisin, cherry, and other berries; and very faint nut. (Note: there were no nut ingredients.)

I enjoyed the hearty blend of smooth dark chocolate and the dried (but still relatively plump and moist) berries and fruits. It was indeed a 5x Very Berry chocolate.

Note: This was very similar to a bar I tasted in 2023. So, I also enjoyed this bar with some Halva Bonbons from Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA). No berries on the bonbons, but they were berry, berry good.

Ingredients: "63% Bittersweet chocolate (cacao beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla beans), Dried Goji, raisins, raspberry, blueberry and cherries."

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also makes products containing milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

Halva Bonbons

These Halva Bonbons were a collaboration between Seed + Mill (New York) and Dandelion Chocolate (a bean-to-bar chocolate maker in San Francisco, CA). 

Dandelion has been reliably turning out great chocolate bars for many years; and in recent years, has been producing an increasing number of tasty chocolate confections (typically made with one of their single origin chocolates).

I really enjoyed these luxe, halva-filled chocolate confections--covered with creamy (Tumaco) Colombia cacao-based dark chocolate. 

I paired these generously-sized bonbons with the above berry chocolate bar + fresh cherries and vanilla cherry ice cream. It was a very decadent, sweet summer day and evening.

Aroma and flavor notes for these creamy bonbons included: authentic sesame tahini aroma and flavor; rich, dark, single origin chocolate; and very faint sweet spice (cardamom).

Sweet, complex, layered flavors and rich textures: very slightly crispy-crunchy sesame halva on top of flavorful chocolate ganache, then enrobed in creamy, high-quality chocolate. Delicious.

Ingredients: Dandelion 70% House Blend chocolate (cocoa beans, organic cane sugar), halva (sesame paste, sugar, glucose, saponaria extract), Dandelion 70% chocolate (cocoa beans from Tumaco, Colombia, organic cane sugar), cocoa butter, heavy whipping cream, glucose syrup, cardamom, sea salt, edible gold leaf).

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk, Sesame Seeds. "Crafted in a facility that also processes wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts (hazelnuts, coconuts, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, almonds)."

 

Mandala Chocolate - Cacao Alchemy (bar) & Wilderness Poets - Goji Berries, Cashews, Cacao Nibs (mix)

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Mandala Chocolate
Cacao Alchemy - Sugar Free Dark Chocolate with Superherbs and Mushrooms (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 192 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: East West Bookstore, Mountain View, CA

Wilderness Poets
Wild Mix - Abundance Trail Mix with Goji Berries, Pistachios, Golden Berries, Cacao Nibs, Cashews
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 8 oz. (226 g.) in total package
Calories: 143 calories in 1 serving
Cost: Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information 

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week and Day #4 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Week.

There are many nut and berry blends with cacao/chocolate. Today's two entries covered a wide range of possibilities.

Mandala Chocolate
Today's Cacao Alchemy bar was from Mandala Naturals, LLC (Barnardsville, NC). 

This smooth, stoneground, raw and sugar-free 70% dark chocolate was blended with a long list of "superherbs and mushrooms," including: cacao and...spiceberries. 

What are Spiceberries? I think of spice berries as the dried, unripe fruit of the allspice tree. But this term may also refer to wild harvested spicebush berries (Lindera benzoin) that grow in the Eastern U.S. I'm tempted to think it was the latter in today's bar--since this ingredient was marked as "organic and wildcrafted." 

Either way, it had a smooth flavor. All the herbs and mushroom ingredients were fully integrated into the chocolate. I liked that it was relatively low in bitterness, and had no "off" notes.

I enjoyed the natural level of subtle sweetness. (This bar was labeled as sugar free, but you could have fooled me. There were no artificial sweeteners.) 

Ingredients: *Cacao, *Yacon, *Lucuma, *Sprouted Brown Rice Powder, *Mesquite, *Maca, *Cinnamon, *Ginger, *Vanilla, *Licorice, +Chaga, *Ashwaganda, *Mucuna, +Spiceberries, +Reishi, *Tulsi, +Pedicularis, Celtic Sea Salt(TM), Spilanthes Oil. (* = Organic, + = Organic and Wildcrafted, 

Allergen-related information: (None listed that I could find.) 

Wilderness Poets

The "Wild Mix - Abundance Trail Mix" (with cashews, pistachios, goji berries, golden raisins, golden berries and cacao nibs) was created and distributed by Wilderness Poets (Ashland, OR).

I enjoyed this authentic-tasting blend of nuts and berries made from quality nuts, berries and nibs. (The cocoa nibs were lightly sweetened with coconut nectar and were quite good.) The flavors harmonized well, and the mix was not too sweet or salty. Just right all by itself, or it could be used as a topping or mix-in.

Maker's description: "Our raw Organic Trail Mixes are an excellent snack for kids, hikers, travelers, active people, professionals, and Poets of all kinds."

Ingredients: Cashews*, Pistachios*, Goji Berries*, Golden Raisins*, Golden Berries*, Cacao Nibs* (sweetened with coconut nectar) (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Contains tree nuts (cashews & pistachios). Made in a facility that processes various tree nuts. Warning: May contain nut shell fragments."

ChocolateBet: June 29, 2007

Chocolate of the Day:
Himalania
Dark Chocolate Covered Goji Berries
1 oz. serving/ 6 0z. total package
These are Very Good; I don't know that much about Goji Berries, but they taste good in dark chocolate.
Calories: ~ 150 calories ? for 1 oz.
$8.99/6 oz. package

We bought these at Elephant Pharmacy. I'm not sure if it's a big chain or not, but I like the name of this relatively new store, and it's an interesting (albeit expensive) place to go to shop. They also are a good source of high-end chocolates.