Conexion Chocolate - Mocha Latte Light Roast Coffee Milk Chocolate 40% Cacao (bar) - May 23, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Conexion Chocolate
Mocha Latte - Light Roast Coffee Milk Chocolate 40% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 300 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Touring Chocolatier, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Conexion Chocolate Mocha Latte - Light Roast Coffee Milk Chocolate 40% Cacao (bar) was from

Aroma notes included: slightly earthy coffee and dark milk chocolate with a very faint (barely detectable) herbal and light vanilla.

Texture: rich, creamy milk chocolate surrounded a very generous helping of crunchy, ground coffee bits. (Chew well before swallowing due to slightly jagged coffee bean bit edges.)

Flavor notes included: creamy sweet milk chocolate blended with unsweetened, lightly roasted ground coffee, and light vanilla. Together the flavors harmonized well together, but the coffee grit was a little distracting.*

I enjoyed the relatively long, authentic mocha finish. 

And I appreciated the use of Arriba Nacional cacao; the fact this bar was made "in country" (in Ecuador where beans are grown); the mocha flavors in this Ecuador bar; and the makers striving to be the connection (conexion) between small Ecuadorian cacao farmers and end customers across the globe. 

Ingredients: Cacao mass, cane sugar, milk powder, cacao butter, coffee, natural vanilla, sunflower lecithin.

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Produced in a facility that also handles dairy and" "Gluten Free" "Soy Free"

Good King - Arise Mocha Crunch Snacking Cacao - Oct. 6, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Good King
Arise Mocha Crunch Snacking Cacao
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total package
Calories: 130 calories in 1 serving (1/2 package)
Cost: $6.00 (sale) for 1 package
Purchased from: Zak's Chocolate (Scottsdale, AZ), online order

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

Today's Good King "Arise" Mocha Crunch Snacking Cacao was manufactured by Cocoa Future, SPC (Seattle, WA). 

Aroma notes included: fruit, chocolate (cocoa), coffee, caramelized date/coconut sugar, and very faint, fleeting (almost there) whisp of sweet mushrooms sauteed in coconut milk and butter. 

Texture: There was a lot of fiber with each gently crunchy cacao bean and coffee based morsel. Happily, while while the cacao beans are fairly intact (in the original cacao bean form), these flavorful snack pieces weren't too dry or fibrous. 

Flavor notes for this 65% snacking cacao included: authentic, flavorful and well-balanced cacao (bean), with tasty coffee, caramel (and/or caramelized ingredients), coconut milk, cocoa butter and a tiny bit of salt. One of the best "coatings" for cacao beans I've tasted.

This was a perfect snack (and possibly breakfast); and I'd happily eat this again. Unfortunately, Good King offerings may be unavailable at the moment. I hope they return soon.

The ingredients used were thoughtfully sourced. The single origin, USDA Organic, Fair Trade  International (direct trade) cacao beans were from Coagricsal Co-op, Honduras. And the single origin, USDA Organic and Fair Trade for Life coffee was from Cafe Feminino, Peru.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Coconut Milk Powder*, Cacao Butter*, Coffee Beans*, Salt (* = Organic).

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Coconut" ("Vegan, Non-GMO, Dairy Free, Gluten Free")

 

Dreyer's - Mocha Almond Avenue ice cream - July 16, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Dreyer's 

Mocha Almond Avenue ice cream

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: 2/3 cup (86 g.) / 1.5 Quarts (1.41 Liter) in total container

Calories: 200 calories in 2/3 cup serving

Cost: $5.99 (estimate) for 1 container 

Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week--a series that has been temporarily high-jacked by a series of coffee/mocha frozen dessert entries due to summer weather.

Today's Mocha Almond Avenue ice cream was distributed by Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Inc. (Oakland, CA), a company originally founded in Oakland in 1928.* 

Of all the ice creams so far this week, this Mocha Almond Avenue ice cream evoked the most positive childhood memories related to coffee and chocolate ice creams. It also had the most generous (and tasty) serving of nuts (almonds).

The aroma telegraphed rich, creamy coffee latte with faint nutty notes. The texture was light (pillowy) and quite creamy. And the flavors were smooth and well-balanced. A creamy coffee ice cream base contained well incorporated swirls of smooth dark chocolate fudge and the aforementioned crunchy hunks of roasted almonds.

Ingredients: Skim milk, cream, sugar, fudge swirl (sugar, corn syrup, skim milk, cream, cocoa processed with alkali, palm oil, bitter chocolate, modified tapioca starch, sodium alginate), corn syrup, roasted almonds (almonds, safflower oil, salt), whey, coffee, guar gum, carob bean gum, monoglycerides.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk and almond ingredients."

*In 2004, Dreyer's invested in Haagen-Dazs. In 2006, Dreyer's became a subsidiary of Nestle; and in 2019 Nestle sold their U.S. ice cream brands to become part of Swiss joint venture company, Froneri as part of an estimated $4 billion deal. Note: If you live in the Eastern U.S. (east of the Rockies), the Dreyer's brand may be sold as Edy's Ice Cream. 

Blue Tree Gourmet - Mocha Crisp - July 5, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Blue Tree Gourmet

Mocha Crisp

Good +

Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 7 oz. (198 g.) in total package

Calories: 160 calories in 1 serving (2 pieces)

Cost: $8.95 (estimate) for 1 package of 10 pieces (Thank you John!)

Purchased from: Crissy Field, Warming Hut, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week. There are many ways to enjoy coffee, and not always in beverage form.

Today's Mocha Crisps were from Blue Tree Gourmet, LLC (Sun Valley, CA). The company offers a line of oat-based crisps, including two containing chocolate (Mocha and Chocolate Chip).

The aroma for this granola/biscuit was oat-forward with very faint mocha and vanilla notes. These substantial crisps had a robust, crunchy, crispy, oat-y texture, and were very lightly sweetened (thank you).

The Mocha Crisps had a very authentic oat-y flavor, from aroma to finish, with faint cocoa and mocha, and very faint sunflower seed background notes.

These hearty crisps with a whole oat biscuit flavor would go well with coffee, mocha or hot chocolate, especially on a chilly, foggy day. 

Ingredients: Gluten free rolled oats, tapioca syrup, brown cane sugar, expeller-pressed sunflower oil, pure maple syrup, cocoa powder processed with alkali, coffee, vanilla extract (vanilla extractives in water, alcohol), salt.

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that processes tree nuts, soy, and/or wheat." "Vegan, Gluten Free, Non-GMO"

88 Acres - Double Chocolate Mocha Seed Bar - Nov. 22, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

88 Acres - the seed co.
Double Chocolate Mocha Seed Bar
Good +
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Double Chocolate Mocha Seed Bar was from 88 Acres - the seed co. (Boston, MA).

This nut-free, gluten free and soy free bar had a slightly nutty, coffee aroma. The company's seed blend of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flax seeds gave this a nice crunchy texture. The mocha flavor was subtle and balanced.

Lake Champlain Chocolates - moka fleck (bar) - Nov. 12, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lake Champlain Chocolates
moka fleck (bar)
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 162 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's moka fleck (bar) was from Lake Champlain Chocolates (Burlington, VT). The company, founded in 1983, has been turning out a variety of milk and dark chocolate bars and confections with a variety of flavor inclusions for many years.

The bar was described as "dark-milk chocolate with a jolt of Dominican coffee and cacao nibs" and contained 43% cocoa (solids).

This 43% cocoa milk chocolate bar was sweet, but the included the roasted cacao nibs helped tone down the sugar glow a bit, which dark chocolate fans will appreciate.

This chocolate had smooth, quite sweet mocha latte aroma and flavor, interspersed with "crunchy flecks of house-roasted cocoa nib."*

*I've included Lake Champlain Chocolates' product descriptions (in quotes) in today's write-up because I found them to be accurate, without a lot of marketing fluff. And what I would've written sounded a bit redundant. 

The only language I might change would be the word "jolt" (of Dominican coffee and nibs). I found these flavor elements to be smooth and in-balance. (Milk powder helps mellow the stronger flavors a bit.) But, if you're looking for wake up candy, this chocolate does contain sugar, caffeine (coffee + cacao) and theobromine (the stimulant in cacao).

Scandal-less Mocha Chip - May 20, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lucerne Foods, Inc.
Open Nature Scandal-less Chocolate Mocha Chip Light Ice Cream
Good
Weight: 1/4 container (65.25 g.) (118.25 mL) / 1 Pint (473 mL) total container
Calories: 85 calories in 1/4 container
Cost: $3.99 for 1 container
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Coffee and Vanilla Theme Week.

Today's Open Nature Scandal-less Chocolate Mocha Chip Light Ice Cream was distributed by Lucerne Foods, Inc. (Pleasanton, CA).

A lot of people have created light ice creams, hoping to deliver the rich, creamy essence of ice cream, without all the fat and sugar. And the resulting products have mostly improved over time.

Today's "Scandal-less" ice cream had relatively creamy texture and light chocolate mocha flavor with a touch of authentic coffee taste, and tasted naturally sweet (erythritol) without an artificial sweetness.

The "only 340 calories in 1 pint" claim might encourage someone to have more than one serving, which may defeat the purpose. We still prefer a smaller portion of ice cream with the shortest ingredient list possible; but, people do enjoy having options like this.