Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate - Seasonal Release Winter Wilderness 65% Belize Dark Chocolate (bar) - June 23, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate
Seasonal Release Winter Wilderness 65% Belize Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate & Earth, Mountains, Forests and Gardens Theme Week. This week's Earth theme embraces mountains and forests of all types--from tropical cacao rain forest farms to pine and redwood forests.

Today's Winter Wilderness 65% Belize Dark Chocolate (bar) was crafted by Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate (in Eureka, CA-- a Northern California city often considered a "gateway" to nearby redwood groves/forests*).

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, refreshing rosemary (sweet pine-y menthol), faint citrus, mint and other "tree" notes (maple, sweet pine/fir). There was also an almost ginger-like zing in the first bite or so (as my brain sorted out the flavors). 

This tree-forward blend, sweetened with maple sugar, successfully conjured up a brisk walk in the woods on a cool, crisp fall day with pine-scented fresh air. Originally designed as a Seasonal Release for the winter holidays, this chocolate could be enjoyed in any season.

Texture: smooth with an even and satisfying melt

I enjoyed this seasonal bar. Authentic rosemary blended with the maple, peppermint, citrus and fir tree; and the fun lingered into a long, happy finish. It was like a walk through an aromatic forest in the northern woods.

Ingredients: Cacao*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*, Maple Sugar, Orange Oil, Peppermint Oil, Siberian Fir Oil (*Organic) Cacao Solids: 65% minimum.

Allergen-related information: "Processed on shared equipment with milk, tree nuts, wheat and peanuts."

*The local Eureka zoo even includes an elevated redwood tree walkway--touted to be the longest such walkway in the Western U.S.

The Organic House - Chocolate Covered Maple Candied Orange Slices - June 8, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Organic House 
Chocolate Covered Maple Candied Orange Slices
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .706 oz. (20 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total package 
Calories: 70 calories (estimate) in 1 piece/slice 
Cost: $22.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Citrus Week.

Today's Chocolate Covered Maple Candied Orange Slices were from The Organic House (Burlington, Ontario, Canada). 

The company is a bean-to-bar chocolate maker that specializes in vegan, gluten- and dairy-free, and organic chocolate bars and confections made with ethically-sourced cacao.

Aroma notes for today's chocolate and maple sugar covered, dehydrated orange slices included: citrus (orange, orange peel), maple sugar cake and dark chocolate.

Texture: chewy, authentic orange slices; lightly textured, authentic maple sugar and coconut flower nectar; partly covered by a smooth dark chocolate. 

Flavor notes included: high-quality, authentic maple sugar and dried orange slices flavor, and smooth dark chocolate. The maple and coconut flower nectar added a rich flavor of their own as well.

I appreciated the short list of quality, local (Ontario maple sugar) ingredients.  

Ingredients: "Oranges, Ontario maple sugar, cacao beans, coconut flower nectar, cacao butter"

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that uses tree nuts. "Vegan, Non-GMO, Gluten Free"

The Organic House - Chocolate Easter Egg - Vegan Cookies & Cream - May 12, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Organic House
Chocolate Easter Egg - Vegan Cookies & Cream
Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total Egg
Calories: 300 calories in 1/2 Egg

Cost: $13.50 (approximately) for 1 Egg (Paid $26.99 for 2 Eggs)
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Bees and Trees Week -- including several chocolates with honey, maple and other tree-related flavors (besides cacao).

Today's Chocolate Easter Egg - Vegan Cookies & Cream was from The Organic House (Burlington, ON, Canada). 

The company offers a variety of gluten free and dairy free chocolates--including some sweetened with Canadian maple sugar. This Easter egg was a version of the company's Cookies & Cream maple oat milk chocolate (Philippines cacao) bar -- with maple flavored white/oat milk chocolate and cacao nibs. 

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, maple sugar, green, sweet nut and grain and faint floral cacao (nibs).

Texture: smooth (dark and white chocolate melded together, with crunchy (authentic cacao) nibs.

I wasn't sure I could detect a "cookie" flavor; but it became more evident when I tasted the chocolate from start to finish. Today's egg was sweet and satisfying. The nibs helped sell the cookie crunch. And the subtle cashew and oat/oat milk ingredients also helped round out a faint, "cookie-like" taste.

I liked the flavor and texture blend: use of organic and gluten-free ingredients, the rich, sweet (less processed) maple and coconut sugars that added some pleasing, subtle, flavor warmth (think very faint brown sugar, caramel) and depth.

Ingredients: "Organic cacao butter, Organic cacao beans, Ontario maple sugar, Organic cashews, Organic coconut flower nectar, Gf organic oats."

Allergen-related information: "Contains Cashews, Oats. May contain: Almonds, Hazelnuts, Pistachios."