Castronovo - Signature Collection Puerto Rico 70% (bar) - May 3, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Castronovo Chocolate
Signature Collection Puerto Rico 70% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.1 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62.2 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Castronovo, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Caribbean Chocolate Cruise Week. After a week-long virtual visit to Haiti (through the magic of chocolate), it's time to explore other Caribbean destinations (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and then back to Haiti).

Historically cacao was brought to Puerto Rico (from Central and South America) by the Spanish. However, I can't remember tasting a chocolate made entirely of cacao grown in Puerto Rico, so a big thank you to Castronovo for making this possible. See information below for more information.*

Today's Signature Collection Puerto Rico 70% (bar) was from Castronovo Chocolate (Stuart, FL). Aroma notes included: dark chocolate; faint sweet floral (vanilla) green/botanical; and (appealing) pickled peppers--that faded after the package had been opened for a bit.

Texture: smooth, even, texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: well balanced, sweet and flavorful dark chocolate with intriguing, faint, fleeting pickled pepper; and fruit (ripe berry (blackberry) and date). These notes all harmonized very well together and made for a very nice dark chocolate bar.

I really liked this well-executed dark chocolate, and found it somewhat addictive--with its, well-balanced, tasty, almost piquant flavor element(s).

Maker's tasting notes: "I love this chocolate for its nice natural flavors of date, vanilla, a sweet nuttiness like pecan and a delicious creaminess..."

Ingredients: organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter. 

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that uses milk and wheat. Contains no nuts. Made in a nut-free facility (nut-free and soy-free)."

*Castronovo has been working with a farmer named Juan in Puerto Rico since 2016, on fermentation and fundraising after a 2017 hurricane. Some background on the cacao farm from Castronovo Website is pasted below:

"...Juan discovered some very old original cacao trees, growing wild amongst a variety of fruit trees in the forest. He describes the pods as being very large with red and yellow colors. Hurricane Maria in 2017 wiped out a newly planted 60-acre farm, but the old trees grown in the agro-forest on his father's land survived. Despite the setback from Hurrican(e) Maria, they have replanted and have adopted cultivation techniques to provide more resilience from future storms. They continue learning as much as they can with a vision to develop the fine cacao industry in Puerto Rico..."

By trying this fine chocolate from the USA...you can support more chocolate from Puerto Rico in the future. "All proceeds from the cacao purchase go directly to the farm."

Firetree Chocolate - PNG Karkar 72% Cocoa (bar) - Jan. 3, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Firetree Chocolate Limited
Single Estate Papua New Guinea Karkar 72% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 141 kcals (calories) in 1 bar
Cost: $4.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and South Pacific Islands.

Today's Single Estate Papua New Guinea Karkar 72% Cocoa (bar) was from Firetree Chocolate Limited (Peterborough, U.K.).

This chocolate had an aroma with strong dark chocolate, balanced loamy earth, earthy nut, umami, and wood notes. The melt, texture and mouthfeel were smooth and even.

Flavor notes included dark, sweet fruit (prunes and dark, ripe black cherry) with a balanced acidity. This satisfying deep, dark chocolate had even, slight earthy nut/umami notes. These flavors fused and receded into a smooth, rich dark chocolate finish.

The maker's tasting notes read as follows: "Walnut and wild mushroom yield to intense cocoa, ending with truffles. To enjoy fully, take time to let the flavours develop on the palate."

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, unrefined sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: sunflower lecithin.

 

Firetree Chocolate - Solomon Islands Guadalcanal 69% Cacao (bar) - Dec. 31, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Firetree Chocolate
Solomon Islands Guadalcanal 69% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 kcals (calories) in 1 bar
Cost: $4.00 for 1 mini bar 
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and South Pacific Islands.

Today's Guadalcanal 69% (bar) was from Firetree Chocolate (Peterborough, U.K.). The company produces "rich volcanic chocolate" (bars) made from cacao grown on Pacific islands.

The volcanic theme (carried over into Firetree's striking black and lava-like colors in their packaging) refers not only to the islands' geological origins, but also to the rich, volcanic soil where the cacao trees grow. 

Today's Single Estate 69% Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands) bar had a relatively subdued, but still rich aroma, with notes of dark chocolate (bold, medium acidity) and fruit (plum). 

The texture of this chocolate was smooth and even.

The flavor was true to the aroma with similar flavor notes: bold but well balanced, roasted cacao with medium-acidity (often identified as "citrus"), fruit with plum and red fruit (pomegranate, red apple) and very faint flickers of spice (cinnamon).

The maker's "taste notes" read as follows: "red fruit, citrus, plum" -- signified with red, yellow and purple color icons, respectively, on the packaging.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, unrefined sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier: sunflower lecithin. (Those with food sensitivities may be happy to read that this bar was dairy free and made in a nut-free factory.)

Atypic Chocolate - Heart of Pacific 88% Dark Chocolate with Nibs (bar) - Dec. 28, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Atypic Chocolate

Heart of Pacific 88% Dark Chocolate with Nibs (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 173 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and South Pacific Islands Theme Week.

Today's "Heart of Pacific" 88% Dark Chocolate with Nibs bar was from Atypic Chocolate*(Melbourne, Victoria, Australia). This multi-origin bar was crafted in Australia using sustainably harvested cacao beans from islands in the South Pacific.

The aroma of this bar had caramel notes associated with a creamy, dark milk chocolate with milk and sugar. I had to double check the label. Was there milk in this ultra-dark milk bar? (No.)

Note: Sometimes aroma and flavor notes for a dark chocolate bar are very similar; and the taste is just an extension of the smell. However, beans with complex flavors and/or very dark chocolates can have surprising differences between aroma and flavor. Today's 88% bar fell in this latter category, with a more complex, layered experience.

Admission: I love a well-made chocolate with an interesting, complex flavor ride.

The texture alternated between smooth ultra-dark chocolate 88% base chocolate and hearty, crunchy cocoa nibs. There was sweetness (more than one might find in most 88% chocolate bars), but certainly not the sweet caramel "candy" kind. It was a very satisfying blend.

The flavor was bold with very balanced earthy, woodsy real cacao flavor, with a very slightly fermented cacao note. The acidity and bitterness levels were just right (not too high).

Ingredients: cacao beans, organic cane sugar, cacao butter, sunflower lecithin 

*The company's name, Atypic, comes from the French word meaning atypical. Many entrepreneurial, bean-to-bar makers have had to diverge from the far more popular way of selling chocolates--by buying and using someone else's chocolate, and re-melting it to make bars and confections. 

The "new wave" of craft/artisan chocolate makers have many more steps to follow if they're making their own chocolate from scratch, from the cacao bean. And most chocolate makers who take this "atypical" road less traveled, if they really care about high-quality, will likely find themselves traveling to cacao-growing countries, getting to know cacao farmers, learning about fermenteries, examining aspects of fair trade--to ensure they have access to the best beans, to make the best chocolate, from start to finish. 

I have tried to honor all chocolate makers on Chocolate Banquet. I believe anyone starting a small business deserves respect. And to tackle complex craft food and beverage items, however intellectually satisfying it may be, deserves an extra helping of respect, and our thanks.

Francios Pralus - Tobago Estate 70% Trinitario bar - July 9, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Francois Pralus
Tobago Estate  - Single Estate Trinitario bar 70% bar
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. of bar
Cost: $14.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao at The Heathman, Portland, OR

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week.

Today's Tobago Estate  - Single Estate Trinitario bar 70% bar was made by French chocolate maker Francois Pralus (Roanne, France).

The Tobago Estate is in "the lush green hills of Roxborough...overlooking the Atlantic Ocean." Tobago is part of the twin island country, Trinidad and Tobago, in the West Indies region of the Caribbean Sea/Atlantic Ocean—a region long considered the birthplace of the popular Trinitario* variety of cacao.

This bar had a warm, rich dark chocolate aroma with a hint of spice cake. The texture was creamy and had an almost whipped lightness. It had a natural sugar sweetness, but was not too sweet, with hints of fruit (light berry, faint dried fruit).

The (Pralus) maker's tasting notes read: "Powerful and aromatic nose with layers of raisins, brown sugar and blackberries followed by a long creamy finish."

*Trinitario cacao is often described as a cross between the more delicate, complex Criollo heritage cacao variety and the more robust, bold flavored Forastero variety. There are interesting nuanced differences in flavors between these three varieties, as well as the other, less commonly discussed strains. Flavor is also influenced by the type of soil where cacao is grown, or terroir, and during steps taken to make/process cacao, such as fermentation, bean handling and sorting, and roasting.

Haagen-Dazs - Belgian Chocolate Vanilla and Blackberry Ice Cream - July 4, 2019

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Haagen-Dazs
Crispy Trio Layers Belgian Chocolate Vanilla and Blackberry Ice Cream
Good +
Weight: 1/3 cup (62 g.) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) total container
Calories: 180 calories in 1/3 cup
Cost: $1.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Island Nations Theme Week.

Happy 4th of July!—also known as Independence Day in the U.S. It was a great evening to see fireworks, on an island.

To honor the red, white and blue today, an appropriately tri-colored ice cream sundae was created and eaten, starting with Crispy Trio Layers Belgian Chocolate Vanilla and Blackberry Ice cream from Haagen-Dazs (distributed by Nestle Dreyer's Ice Cream Company in Oakland, CA).

This ice cream was topped with fresh blueberries, red raspberries, and a drizzle of Raspberry Aqua Perfecta from St. George's Distillery (based in Alameda, CA, Island #1). It was a great dessert for a backyard, pre-fireworks meal, and it was followed by a chocolate cigar.

Venchi Cuba Chocolate Cigar

Today we also celebrated Independence Day with a Venchi Cuba (Island #2) chocolate and hazelnut cigar, made with cacao from New Guinea (Island #3).

Askanya - Paradis 47% Cacao Milk Chocolate Haiti bar - Feb. 27, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Los Chocolateries Askanya

(Haiti) Paradis 47% Cacao bar

Good +++ - Very Good

Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar

Calories: 145.5 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate, Enchanted Islands and Pirates Theme Week.

This Haiti Paradis 47% cacao bar was the last in the series of four bars from Los Chocolateries Askanya (Ouanaminthe, Nord-Est, Haiti). The bar was made in Haiti, using Haitian-grown cacao. The previous three bars from this maker featured this week were dark chocolate bars.

Today's Paradis 47% cacao bar was a delightful milk chocolate bar made with Haitian Cacao, Sugar, Milk and Cocoa Butter. It was smooth, almost creamy, and sweet with an appealing light fruitiness to it.

This was one of those milk chocolate bars that even a dark chocolate fan could appreciate.

Parliament Chocolate - Dominican Republic Oko Caribe 70% Cacao bar - Feb. 23, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Parliament Chocolate

Dominican Republic Oko Caribe 75% Cacao bar

Very Good 

Weight: .85 oz. (24.05 g.) / 1.7 oz. (48.1 g.) in total bar

Calories: 127 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $4.50 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Miette, Oakland, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate, Enchanted Islands and Pirates Theme Week.

Today's enjoyable Dominican Republic Oko Caribe 75% Cacao bar was from Parliament Chocolate (Redlands, CA). 

This smooth, medium-bodied (but intriguingly flavorful) dark bar had lilting hints of dried pears, dried golden plums and dried grapes.

Tasting notes on the packaging read: Red grapes, prune, honey, hibiscus and pomegranate

Zokoko - Guadalcanel Solomon Islands bar - Feb. 22, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

Zokoko Artisan Chocolate

Guadalcanal - Solomon Islands bar

Good ++

Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 223.8 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $16.99 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Village Market, Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate, Enchanted Islands and Pirates Theme Week.

Today we're on a virtual journey, paying a visit to the South Seas to sample a Guadalcanal - Solomon Islands* 78 percent cacao dark bar from Zokoko Artisan Chocolate (Emu Heights, Australia).

This luxuriously packaged bar was made of four ingredients: cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter and sunflower lecithin.

The chocolate had a rich fragrance and dark chocolate flavor, with roasted coffee and cream notes.

*The Solomon Islands, located east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu, consist of six major islands, including Guadalcanal—and hundreds of smaller islands.

The Grenada Chocolate Co. - 100% Cacao bar - Feb. 20, 2018

Chocolate of the Day:

The Grenada Chocolate Company

100% Cacao bar

Good - Good +

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar

Calories: 143 calories in 1/3 bar

Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Enchanted Islands and Pirates Theme Week.

Today's 100% Cacao bar  from The Grenada Chocolate Company (Grenada) was made in the same country ("in-country" or "on island" in this case) where the cacao was grown. This pioneering tree-to-bar company was found in 1999.

The thick chocolate bar had a slightly graduated melt and texture (thick and creamy, then almost gummy, with a very slightly granular finish).

The dairy free, gluten free, nut free and organic bar had a subtle dark chocolate aroma, and (as one would expect from a 100% cacao bar with no sugar) some bold, dark taste with acidic/tart/sour and bitter notes, and no real "off" notes.

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.