Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Yasica Especial 70% Cacao (bar) - May 23, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms
Limited Edition Dark Chocolate Yasica Especial 70% Cacao - Guatemala (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $35.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Goodnow Farms Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Central America Theme Week.

Today's Limited Edition Dark Chocolate Yasica Especial 70% Cacao - Guatemala (bar) was created by Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA), as part of their "Limited Release" series.

Aroma and flavor notes included: appealing dark chocolate with a faint and diffuse fruitiness (soft peach; very faint banana; even fainter sweet strawberry and sweet red bell pepper). 

Texture: smooth, with a satisfying melt and a very slight astringency (dryness/graininess) in the finish.

I really enjoyed the authentic, balanced and gentle bouquet of fruit notes in this cacao -- exactly the kind of subtle complexity, low acidity and bitterness; and gentle honey-ed sweetness you'd hope to taste from a single origin, heritage (Criollo) cacao-based chocolate. The makers enhanced this tasting experience by also using single origin cocoa butter--rather than bulk, deodorized cocoa butter typically added in chocolate making.

Was this worth $35.00 (USD)? Years ago, I was able to see the great work that Giff Laube was doing in Nicaragua; and I'm willing to pay this price, to enjoy great chocolate in the future--chocolates made possible by makers like Goodnow Farms using great single origin cacaos from the forests and farms in Central America.

Will others feel the same? Hard to know. Cacao prices are currently at a 60-year high this year. They'll likely remain high due to several short-term (tariff uncertainties) and long-term challenges (climate change).

Maker's description: "Rich with notes of juicy strawberries, cream, honey and cashews, this rare Nicaraguan Yasica Especial dark chocolate is crafted from ancient Central American Criollo white cacao. Along the Yasica River, farmer Giff Laube tends his small patch of trees yielding only one sack of cacao. In local Matagalpan legend, Yasica embodies adventure and new discovery; enjoy this special chocolate tasting journey!"

Ingredients: Single Origin Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Single Origin Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: None listed on packaging. "Soy Free, Vegan, Gluten Free" 

Sirene Chocolate Makers - Limited Edition No Sugar Milk 60% Dark Milk (bar)

Chocolate of the Day 

Sirene Chocolate
Limited Edition - No Sugar Milk 60% Dark Milk (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 191 calories in (estimate) 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA 

Welcome to Day #3 of Unique Chocolates Theme Week.

Today's Limited Edition - No Sugar Milk 60% Dark Milk (bar) was from Sirene Chocolate (Victoria, B.C., Canada).

Why was this bar unique? It contained no added sugar, and yet it was (to my taste) sweet. It was a great opportunity to taste how sweet a dark milk chocolate can be--without added sugar(s). Surprisingly, this was only the third bar I've tried in 18 years like this.

I enjoyed the creamy texture, milk chocolate mouthfeel and melt, the authentic sweetness supplied by the milk and the very slight bitterness toward the finish. The milk mellowed any bitterness (or absence of sugar).

The claims of "no sugar" or "sugar free" chocolates in the past meant artificial sweeteners or some other sweetener sleight of hand. However, today's two-ingredient bar, let us know that the milk (lactose) alone can do the job. I hope I'm able to try more chocolates like this in the future.

Ingredients: "cacao beans, whole milk powder"

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Made In A Nut Free Facility, Soy Free, Gluten Free" 

Ritual Chocolate - Limited Edition Philippines Kablon Farms 75% Cacao (bar) - Jan. 15, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Ritual Chocolate
Limited Edition Philippines Kablon Farms 75% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Ritual Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and The Philippines Week.

Today's Limited Edition Philippines Kablon Farms 75% Cacao (bar) was from Ritual Chocolate (Heber City, UT).

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate with very faint, diffuse fruit (dark red, ripe berry); forest (very faint woodsy/cedar/fir); nut (roasted peanuts with skins); and very faint (barely detectable) spice (black pepper, black licorice, star anise).

Texture: this was a relatively slim chocolate bar (all the better as it allows better, more immediate access to texture and flavors) that had a smooth chocolate bite and a creamy melt and mouthful. 

After enjoying a few weeks of chocolates with flavor inclusions, it was great to get back to a single origin bar (made with just three organic ingredients) where 100% of the focus was on this full-bodied cacao from the Philippines that had well-executed complexity.

Maker's tasting notes: "Kablon Farms...organic since the '90's and pioneers in fermentation.....Their beans topped our taste tests with rich, roasted peanut flavors..."

Ingredients: "Organic Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of Wheat, Tree Nuts and Soy"

Honey Mama's - Cocoa Truffle Bar Pumpkin Spice (bar) - Oct. 14, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Honey Mama's 
Cocoa Truffle Bar Pumpkin Spice (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 345 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: FarmFresh, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate, Pumpkin and Warm Spices Week. Most of the bars and confections featured this week are seasonal or limited edition items; so act fast if you want to find/order these fall and winter special treats.

Today's Honey Mama's Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cocoa Truffle Bar was from Nectar Foods, Inc. (Portland, OR).

Aroma and flavor notes included: chocolate (cocoa), botanical (seed, honey, warm spices, citrus (light orange), vanilla, and very faint (barely there), fleeting earthy vegetable (carrot, pumpkin coconut soup). Note: there were no vegetable ingredients.*

This refrigerated Pumpkin Spice bar had a uniform, satisfying chew with a generous helping of softly crunchy pumpkin seeds. Refrigeration helped guard against possible melting; but if you let the bar warm up to room temperature (not in direct sun), you can taste more of the warm spice and other flavors.

I liked that this was honey-sweetened, and that it was not too sweet. The (alkalized) cocoa used to give this Truffle Bar a rich dark color and cocoa flavor depth was smooth and subtle.

Ingredients: Organic Raw Honey, Organic Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil, Organic Alkalized Cocoa Powder, Himalayan Pink Salt, Organic Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract, Organic Ginger Root, Organic Allspice, Organic Cloves, Organic Nutmeg, Orange Oil. 

Allergen-related information: "Contains Tree Nuts: Coconut"

Ingredients: Organic Raw Honey, Organic Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil, Organic Alkalized Cocoa Powder, Himalayan Pink Salt, Organic Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract, Organic Ginger Root, Organic Allspice, Organic Cloves, Organic Nutmeg, Orange Oil.

Allergen-related information: "Contains Tree Nuts: Coconut"

*Occasionally, I taste certain ingredients in chocolate (in this case warm spices + coconut) and I experience a brief flicker of recognition, and a leap to a food or flavor memory. Today, for a brief second or two, I "tasted" a sweet and savory vegetable soup -- similar to a sweet Thai-style pumpkin coconut soup (with a touch of carrot, orange and spices). 

 

Duffy's - Honduras Indio Rojo 72% (bar) - June 19, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Duffy's
(Red Star Chocolate Ltd)
Honduras Indio Rojo (Mayan Red) 72% (bar)|
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.11 oz. (60 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 180 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Duffy's Fine Chocolate Mayan Red (Indio Rojo) 72% bar (made in Lincolnshire, UK) was from Red Star Chocolate Ltd (Cleethorpes, England).

This chocolate had a subtle, yet very complex aroma and flavor and was made with Xoco* (Criollo variety) cacao grown in Honduras.

The aroma notes alone included: aloe, cucumber, cream, avocado and very faint dried fruit (guava, light golden raisin, currant), very faint tart green herb, followed by Boston brown bread (steam-baked with molasses, corn meal, raisins), creamy polenta, and light, fresh, mineral water notes.

The chocolate had a relatively creamy, smooth melt and uniform texture, and a subtle true chocolate flavor, with diffuse, naturally sweet, fruit, very faint tart green herb (lemon balm, oxalis), and very faint vegetable (aloe, cucumber, potato) notes. 

The finish was quite mild with a faint, gentle fruit/floral tea astringency.

Duffy's tasting notes: "Strong, complex, quality dark chocolate with currants, tangy orange and a raisin and coffee aftertaste."

Bar and Cocoa notes: "The maker rarely gets these beans in stock -- only 25 kg some years -- and always looking for more. A complex chocolate that almost crosses the line towards savory."

Ingredients: Criollo cocoa beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter and sunflower lecithin.

Allergen-related information: "Soya free, gluten free. Vegan-friendly."

*Early on (in 2011), Duffy's started to work with Xoco Gourmet (based in Honduras). 

Xoxo is an organization that has worked to help preserve rare, fine flavor cacao trees (e.g. via grafting programs) and performs centralized fermentation for cacao farms/farmers in Central America (Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Nicaragua). Farmers are paid "a premium for their quality." And Zoco markets this high-end cacao to artisan chocolate makers.

Duffy's has continued to buy Honduran cacao directly from Xoco, and works to highlight the variety of subtle, complex flavors inherent in these (Criollo) "Indio Rojo" beans when making batches of their bars. 

Raaka Chocolate - Tahini Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar) - Apr. 20, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
Tahini Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar
Calories: 285 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raaka, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and RSTU Theme Week, featuring chocolates with origins and/or flavor inclusions that start with the letters R, S, T and/or U. Today was a seed celebration.

This Tahini Swirl Unroasted Dark Chocolate 62% Cacao (bar) was made by Raaka Chocolate (Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY). Raaka offers a variety of bars made with cacao that is unroasted that "captures the brighter, bolder, and fruitier side of cacao."

To create this Tahini* bar, Raaka partnered with Seed + Mill--a New York-based, women-owned, tahini and halva maker. Seed + Mill's "extra silky tahini (was) crafted with Ethiopian sesame seeds, into (Raaka's) signature unroasted dark chocolate." 

The cacao source was: Reserva Zorzal, Dominican Republic. It had bold cacao flavor with some fruit acidity. However, because it was unroasted, more subtle green, floral and other cacao flavors were also preserved.

This unique bar had a deep dark chocolate aroma with green floral, green seed (jaguar cacao) notes. The melt and texture were smooth and the dark chocolate and tahini flavors were skillfully integrated. And the back of the bar was visually stunning with the dark brown and golden seed butter colors swirled together.

The tahini seemed to mellow and complement fruit acids in the chocolate. (Imagine nut and fruit pairings like peanut butter and jelly.) Flavors were elevated and not dimmed. Together, these two ingredients were relatively vibrant and compatible, and lasted into the finish. Pleasant green floral and green "waxy" seed notes that were detected (noted above) in the initial aroma returned toward the end of the finish. And 30 seconds after I thought the finish had ended, there was a gentle flourish of sesame seed flavor.

The Seed + Mill tahini was, thankfully, made with just roasted, ground, hulled sesame seeds and nothing else. If there was salt in this tahini bar it must have been a very small amount. Too much salt in a chocolate with a "condiment" type flavor inclusion create salty-sweet sparklers, but subtler flavors are trampled in this kind of snack food formula revelry.

This was unadulterated, great chocolate partnered with authentic tahini--resulting in a executed bar with satisfyingly nuanced flavors.

Ingredients: organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, organic toasted coconut, organic tahini, organic sunflower lecithin

Allergen-related information: (Contains sesame); "Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free"

*Tahini is a popular condiment from north Africa and the middle east typically made with toasted, hulled sesame seeds. 

Not that different than cacao really. However, the cacao seeds (beans) are typically fermented first. Thank goodness for seeds. Chocolate Banquet, and much of life on this planet, wouldn't exist without them.

Madre Chocolate - Kona Criollo Limited Edition 70% Dark Chocolate (Kololeka Hawaii) bar - Nov. 28, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Madre Chocolate
70% Kona Criollo Limited Edition Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Kokoleka Hawai'i*
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in total bar
Calories: 227 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Madre Chocolate, online order 

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

Today's Limited Edition Kona Criollo 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was crafted by Madre Chocolate (Honolulu, HI) and is one of a series of Kokoleka Hawai'i* bars made the company.

The aroma of this bar had notes of baked goods (freshly baked bread, arrowroot spice cookies, graham cracker), very mild fruit notes (light peach, goji berry) and a green (almost floral) note I couldn't quite put my finger on (lilies?). 

The chocolate had a creamy melt and mouthfeel. Flavors included sweet nutty (roasted, naturally sweet hazelnuts, almonds), green nutty seeds (Jaguar cacao?**) notes, and a very mildly green, aromatic woodsy/rootsy (parsnip green tea with woodland flower nymphs?) finish. Any bold bitter-sweetness normally associated with conventional dark chocolate was absent.

This bar was crafted from a unique Criollo variety of cacao, yielding a very soft, suave and special tasting experience. Thank you to Nat and all at Madre for offering this bar. 

The Covid-19 virus is permitting only virtual travel (via chocolate) this month. However, if I were in Hawaii, I'd stop by Madre Chocolate and thank them personally for their work with local farmers and for making great chocolate using Hawaiian-grown cacao and inclusions over the years. 

Today's Kona Criollo bar was a largely a result of a relationship between Madre Chocolate and farmer Virginia "Gini" Choobua of Kikao Kula Cacao Farm in Holualoa, south of Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii--an area historically known for its rich, volcanic soil and Kona coffee.

Madre Chocolate tasting notes

Th Madre Chocolate maker's tasting notes read as follows: "We have selected the finest creamy sweet Criollo cacao beans grown to make this limited edition chocolate bar for you to enjoy. Criollo is a variety bred by the Maya and their predecessors for a mild nutty non-bitter flavor that lends this bar overtones of amaretto and hazelnut rarely seen in an unflavored chocolate bar."

Ingredients: Criollo cacao, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, whole vanilla.

* Kokoleka Hawai'i translates to Hawaiian Chocolate. Kokoleka is the Hawaiian word for chocolate.

**What is Jaguar cacao? When we eat chocolate, we are eating the seeds/beans from Theobroma cacao trees, the rock star of the Theobroma family. Much rarer is the Jaguar cacao tree (Theobroma bicolor--also known as mocambo, balamte, pataxte and white cacao). Theobroma bicolor fruit's large, slightly wrinkled white seeds are also edible, but are much milder than the seeds/beans from Theobroma cacao used to make chocolate.

Mindo Chocolate Makers - Special Edition Sea Salt Sesame Garlic 77% Chocolate Bar - July 13, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Mindo Chocolate Makers
Special Edition Chocolate Bar
Sea Salt and Sesame Garlic bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.45 oz. (40 g.) / 2.9 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Mindo Chocolate Makers, online order

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

Today's Special/Limited Edition Sea Salt and Sesame Garlic 77% Chocolate Bar from Mindo Chocolate Makers (Dexter, MI and Mindo, Ecuador) was one of the most savory flavored bars to date.

The aroma was complex with hints of garlic,* and savory soup-like notes--along with wisps of chocolate and sesame. There are times when it's fun to be confused.

The base 77% heirloom cacao (Ecuador) chocolate had some floral aroma and flavor notes (characteristic of Ecuador cacao). You would think that these more almost light, sweet and delicate floral notes might have been crushed under such strong savory flavor inclusions and a relatively dark (higher % cacao) chocolate. But no. This co-existence was a testament to the makers, who created a nicely balanced, and very unique bar.

I enjoyed the tiny spikes of crunchy sea salt, garlic, sesame seeds, and some unique synergistic flavors created by this blend. About 3/4 way through the tasting process I tasted a fleeting, faint waxy flavor note. It was not necessarily unpleasant; and it may have been a reaction from the garlic and chocolate together.

This special bar may not be for everyone, but I had fun trying it. It should be noted: I'm fond of savory chocolate snacks and chocolate that isn't too sweet.

Ingredients: cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, garlic,* celtic sea salt, toasted sesame seeds

*The garlic used in this bar was from Dyer Family Organic Farm (Ann Arbor, MI).

TCHO - Black Lime + French Thyme 68% Cacao (bar) - Oct. 10, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

TCHO Ventures, Inc.
Maker's Series: Black Lime + French Thyme 68% Cacao (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar (plus shipping)
Purchased from: TCHO.com, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate, Salt and Savory Theme Week.

Today's Maker's Series: Black Lime + French Thyme 68% Cacao (bar) was created by Chief Chocolate Maker, Brad Kintzer,* at TCHO (Berkeley, CA).

Only 647 of these lime and thyme dark bars were made for sale; and this flavor was Number 12 in TCHO's micro batch Maker's Series. Many of the other flavors in this series have sold out before I've had the opportunity to try them. I felt lucky to obtain one of these bars—that was minted just a few weeks earlier.

Bars in this series were packaged in a luxurious outer dark navy blue box with embossed copper colored logo type, and inside the box was a dark chocolate brown colored lining and a brochure with more information. The design was reminiscent of packaging you might see with fine cigars, jewelry, wine, etc.

The aroma and flavor of this bar was weighted toward fresh thyme, an herb used in many savory dishes. Interspersed with the (dried) thyme notes were crunchy hard micro-bits of black (sun-dried, Persian) lime which yielded balanced micro-bursts of tangy citrus. Lime, like chocolate can go savory or sweet, and did so nicely here.

Your brain will be so busy trying to figure out and enjoy the savory inclusions that the nuances of the smooth dark chocolate may get a bit lost. But, that's a "risk" worth taking in discovering new chocolates.

A wee bit of sea salt further contributed to the savory profile, helping to confuse the brain for a split second. However, a very subtle hint of vanilla added a faint, warming, floral note, which (along with cane sugar) helped nudge the brain ever so gently into chocolate bar recognition territory).

The maker's notes described the inspiration for this bar read, in part, as follows:

"The combination of citrus and herbs might evoke memories of savory feasts and, honestly, that's exactly the bit of inspiration that leads to this micro batch...This may be a chocolate bar, but the pairing of Black Lime and French Thyme still has all the savory feels."

"For our 12th release, we wanted to pay homage to a classic combination with our twist by embracing the zesty "funk" from the black lime and the lighter piney, minty, and peppery French thyme. These unusual flavors layer together with the 68% dark chocolate for an herbal and tangy kick of umami.."

Plus it must be refreshing fun for the makers to do experiment a bit with high-quality limited editions after spending so much time carefully jockeying high-volume, high-quality blends from multiple sources.

*My favorite part of learning about TCHO Chief Chocolate Maker, Brad Kintzer, was hearing about his family roots in chocolate, and that an older relative (grandmother?) was buried with a Hershey's chocolate bar. 

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Fresco - Limited Release Carupano Pintao Venezuela 72 percent bar - May 13, 2019

Chocolate of the Day:

Fresco Artisan Chocolate
Limited Release Carupano Pintao Venezuela 72% bar
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) (estimate) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

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

At the beginning of this theme week, we talked about the potentially short lives of craft chocolate bars based on annual harvests (similar to wine) at smaller plantations and possible fluctuating circumstances in source countries themselves. Bars made from a small batch or harvest that are here today may be unavailable tomorrow. Makers successfully obtain a small batch of great cacao beans, but after that quantity is used up, that may be it.

Today's Limited Release Carupano Pintao Venezuela 72 percent bar was from Fresco Artisan Chocolate (Lynden, WA). The cacao for this bar was lightly roasted and had a "subtle conch."

The chocolate had a pleasant chocolate aroma with dried fruit, browned butter, very light spice and very faint green notes. The flavor was chocolatey with dried fruit and some earthiness.

Larabar - Limited Edition Strawberry Chocolate Chip bar - April 7, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Small Planet Foods, Inc.
Limited Edition Larabar Strawberry Chocolate Chip bar
Good+
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) / 8 oz. (226 g.) in total box of 5 bars
Calories: 190 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $3.99 (estimate) for 1 box of 5 bars
Purchased from: Target Stores, Mountain View, CA

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

Today's Larabar Limited Edition Strawberry Chocolate Chip bar from Small Planet Foods, Inc. (Minneapolis, MN) was constructed with a relatively short list of ingredients: Dates, Almonds, Semisweet Chocolate Chips, Strawberries, Apples, Cocoa Powder and Sea Salt.

The original Larabar fruit and nut bar line was launched in May 2000 by founder Lara Merriken.

Natural tasting, not too sweet and very satisfying, this gluten-free, dairy-free, Non-GMO and vegan bar had balanced, rich dried fruit, cocoa and strawberry flavor.