Oodaalolly - Trinitario Cacao 40% Salty Toffee Milk Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 21, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Oodaalolly Chocolate
Trinitario Cacao 40% Salty Toffee Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Malaya Botanicals, Alameda, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and The Philippines Theme Week.

Today's Trinitario Cacao 40% Salty Toffee Milk Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by Oodaalolly Chocolate using Trinitario variety cacao and Ilocano salt--both from the Philippines.

Aroma and Flavor notes included: sweet, smooth milk chocolate with chocolate-y (dark milk chocolate ganache) and very faint (barely detectable) fruit and butter toffee--with a tasty, slightly salty chocolate and toffee finish. 

This 40% milk chocolate bar was quite sweet; however the salt and the higher quality cacao helped balance the sweetness.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy texture and melt with intermittent tiny crunchy bits of salt and toffee. 

I really appreciated the maker's use of single origin cacao and salt; the short list of quality and organic ingredients; and the sweet and salty balance.

Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Milk Powder, Ilocano Sea Salt, Toffee. Manufactured by Oodaalolly, a H&G Chocolate Distribution Company* (in Richmond, CA). 

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk. "Manufactured in a Facility That Also Processes: Milk, Almond, Coconut"

*Note: Oodaalolly Chocolate merged operations with H&G Chocolate Distribution Company in 2024.

Levelez - Chocolate Oscuro Mexico 75% Cacao Trinitario Sierra de Tabasco (bar) - Mar. 29, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Levelez
Chocolate Oscuro Mexico 75% Cacao Trinitario Sierra de Tabasco (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $20.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Levelez Chocolate Oscuro Mexico 75% Cacao Trinitario Sierra de Tabasco (bar) was produced by Silvia Guedez Chocolatier (Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico). 

This 75% dark chocolate was crafted "with Trinitario cacao from the community of Carro Blanco in Tacotalpa,...in the mountains of Tabasco."

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate gentle fruit (melon) and very faint warm spice.

Texture: relatively smooth, with a very faint fruit astringency.

Flavor notes included: sweet and smooth-tasting dark chocolate with lots of fruit(s) (melons, ripe tropical fruit (mango, cacao fruit pulp), and mild, almost apple. A few hours later, I tasted tangy, sweet fruit that included sweet, slightly more tangy mango, berry, and very faint dried fruit (almost date, and almost dried plum). It was a bit of chocolate magic how these fruit flavors evolved over just a few hours.

This dark chocolate tasted slightly sweeter than expected. (It tasted more like a 62% cacao bar vs. a 75% cacao chocolate--in part due to the naturally sweet fruit notes).

Maker's Tasting Notes: "This mountain grown cacao offers a flavor profile with delicate fruity notes and subtle woody undertones, capturing the unique essence of its origin..."

I enjoyed the balanced, complex range of fruit flavors that made this a fun chocolate to taste.

Ingredients: Organic premium cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter.

Allergen-related information: Manufactured in a facility that also processes nuts and dairy.

   

L'Amourette Chocolat - Limited Edition 75% Trinitario Cacao Medalla Nicaragua (bar) - Feb. 5, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

L'Amourette Chocolat LLC 
Limited Edition 75% Trinitario Cacao Medalla Nicaragua (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 194 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA 

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

Today's Limited Edition 75% Trinitario Cacao Medalla Nicaragua (bar) was made by L'Amourette Chocolat LLC (San Francisco, CA).

L'Amourette was founded in 2011 by Andre V. (and partner Roxanne). They offer European style dark chocolates: single origin chocolate bars; bars containing flavor inclusions; toffee; and truffles.

The Medalla cacao in this bar is a fine aroma cacao variety from Nicaragua, from Ingemann Fine Cocoa (Managua, Nicaragua). Chief chocolate maker Andre V., describes Medalla cacao pods as being "round and vibrant yellow."

Aroma notes included: flavorful dark chocolate; sweet green (green walnuts in syrup); dried fruits (fig, date, tropical fruit (cacao pulp, banana, pineapple, gentle citrus (orange, lemon), mango, mangosteen, other); and diffuse, warm spices & brown sugar-molasses cookie. 

Texture: smooth, thick (creamy nut butter-like) melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: a dazzling, harmonious array of rich, flavorful chocolate and fruit notes (fudge brownie with mixed tropical fruit jam, cacao pulp, dates, figs and brown sugar). All this, with a nicely-balanced fruit acidity and bitterness. This bar had a lingering finish with almond butter and berry notes at the very end.

I loved the well-executed vibrant complexity of aromas and flavors in this chocolate.

Maker's description: "Notes of dried fruit, molasses, Caribbean spices, and oats..."

Ingredients: Trinitario Cacao Beans, Cacao Butter, Cane Sugar

Allergen-related information: Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts.

Intrigue Chocolate Co. - Uganda Kisinga 78% Cacao (bar) - Apr. 27, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co. 
Uganda Kisinga 78% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar

Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate & Uganda Week.

Today's Uganda Kisinga 78% Cacao (bar) (Batch 000000022124) bar was made by Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).*

The cacao used to make this bar was "mostly Trinitario and Amelonado" (cacao varieties) from Uganda (Region: Rwenzori, Kisinga microlot). Harvest year: 2022.

Aroma and flavor notes included: a relatively faint aroma, but the dark chocolate (true chocolate-y) flavor was rich and satisfying as were the subtly complex secondary notes: mixed citrus (orange, kumquat, Meyer Lemon, candied pink grapefruit) marmalade, toasted nuts (Brazil nut, almond butter), dates; and very faint, very fleeting herbal-floral (almost jasmine).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with a satisfying melt, with a very small amount of balanced dryness/astringency toward the finish.

I enjoyed the chocolate-y flavor and relatively subtle complexity in this bar and appreciated the opportunity to try this Kisinga Uganda cacao (micro-batch bar). I found myself leaning forward and going on a tasting treasure hunt through a tropical forest when I tried this chocolate.

The sweetness level (78% cacao) seemed like a good choice for dark lovers. The cacao had natural fruit sweetness (and well-balanced tartness, acidity, and characteristics of a fine Trinitario cacao). Less cacao and more sugar might retain a sense of citrus brightness, but mask some valuable/interesting flavor nuances.

Maker's tasting notes: "This origin yields chocolatey dense/rich flavors of baked dates, candied lemon and grapefruit peels, and almond butter."

Ingredients: Roasted cacao nibs, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter. 

Allergen-related information: (No information on package.)

*Note: Intrigue may be relocating to Chisholm, MN soon. But, online orders will still be possible according to the owners.

Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate - Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao "Grown in Maui" (bar) - Apr. 3, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate
Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao "Grown in Maui" (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao "Grown in Maui" (bar) was manufactured by Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate Inc. (Lahaina, Maui, HI).

This dark bar was made using locally grown cacao. from Maui. It's also a rare example of a "made in country" (from tree to bar in the U.S.) chocolate. Hawaii is a special place in many respects; it's also one of the only U.S. states with the optimal climate and soils to support cacao trees.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate with sweet green botanical; subtle diffuse tropical fruit (mango) and date), faint floral and barely detectable ripe white wine grapes/cacao pulp.

This 70% chocolate had a rich, balanced and authentic dark chocolate flavor with bright, diffuse tropical fruit (mango, cacao pulp, sweet white wine grapes) notes; and faint, fleeting floral oolong tea and then more fruit in the relatively long finish.

Goldilocks zone achieved. (It was not too strong, bitter or sweet. It was just right.) The chocolate was full of sophisticated, subtle flavors; and it had a pleasing natural fruit sweetness* rather than a sugar-y sweetness (thank you!). 

I really enjoyed the balanced complexity and natural bright fruit sweetness in this Hawaiian dark chocolate--thoughtfully made with just three ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "Tropical fruits, delicate cocoa, lingering fruit & wine notes."

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Sugar, Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: (None listed on packaging.) 

*These flavor notes were consistent with the cacao varieties listed. "Cacao varieties: Classic Trinitario, Upper Amazon mix, ancient Criollo, novel hybrids."

Domori - 70% Trinitario Dark Chocolate Colombia (bar) - Sept. 19, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Domori
70% Trinitario Fondente - Dark Chocolate Colombia (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 141 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's 70% Trinitario Colombia (bar) was from Domori S.p.A (None (TO) Italy).

Aroma notes included: strong dark chocolate with slight loam/soil/peat notes.

This dark chocolate had an even, smooth texture and melt; and it was surprisingly low astringency given the strong aroma and initial flavor.

Flavor notes included: strong--but balanced, well-managed and executed dark chocolate. It had peat (and almost but not quite smoky/umami)--notes; however, it was quite good. It was much better than expected, given the initial aroma after the sealed, inner packaging was opened.

I liked the short list of (two) ingredients, and the natural sweetness that emerged from what tasted more like an 80%+ dark chocolate than a 70% cacao dark bar.

Maker's tasting notes: "Notes of cashew nuts and honey. Extraordinary sweetness and persistence."

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar

Allergen-related information: May contain nuts, milk and soy. Gluten free.

Puchero - Philippines 75% Mana Single Origin (bar) - Sept. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Puchero 
Philippines 75% Mana Single Origin (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (35 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 207.5 calories for 1/2 bar 593 calories in 100 g of bar 
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and The Philippines Theme Week.

Today's Philippines 75% Mana Single Origin (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Puchero* (Valladolid, Spain).

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate (rich drinking chocolate with a light, balanced bitterness); tropical fruit (sweet, ripe mango; mangosteen); very faint fermentation (fruit, red wine grape); faint, fleeting spice (black pepper); and very faint white floral (orchid).

This upbeat, flavorful dark chocolate reminded me of a festive glass of dark sangria with tropical fruits. It was a celebration of single origin, Trinitario (cacao variety) flavor. I associate Trinitario with its bright fruit flavors. The Mana cacao (from the Philippines, used to make today's chocolate) "consists of 5 selected Trinitario varieties."** 

Maker's tasting notes: "A bright and balanced profile with a cascade of flavours: tropical fruit, bergamot and fresh flowers."

Ingredients: Cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter.

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of nuts, milk and gluten

*Tostarix S.L. (Spain)

**Trinitario cacao(s)--thought to be a cross of Forastero and Criollo cacaos--have some of the boldness of a Forastero, but with bright/tart fruit and sometimes other nuanced (stone fruit, gentler, honied) notes of a Criollo heritage variety cacao. 

 

Nibble Chocolate - Dominican Republic 85% (bar) - May 29, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Nibble Chocolate
Dominican Republic 85% Cocoa bar
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .575 oz. (16.25 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) ttl bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $7.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Dominican Republic Theme Week.

Today's Dominican Republic 85% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Single Origin Trinitario* (bar) was made by Nibble Chocolate, LLC (San Diego, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes for this well-tempered, ultra-dark 85% chocolate included: dark roast cocoa/espresso, diffuse red and dried fruit, faint spice (molasses, black licorice); faint, fleeting wood/nut; and faint earth (loam).

Instead of making a 70% cacao bar (with more sugar to sweeten the bold, roasted single origin Trinitario cacao), Nibble Chocolate maker(s) chose (to their credit) to make an 85% cacao ultra-dark chocolate, with well-managed (potentially frisky) fruit acidity and bitterness. 

If "nibbled" (savored slowly) as the maker suggests, tasting this bar will unfold like a journey through a deep, dark complex rainforest with occasional shafts of beautiful sunlight and opportunities to taste rare, hidden dark/dried fruits.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic whole unrefined cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Processed in shared equipment with products containing nuts."

*Trinitario (thought to originate in Trinidad, and to be a cross between Criollo and Forastero cacaos) is a variety of cacao that is bolder than delicate heritage (Criollo) variety/ies, and often has (slightly acidic) fruit and light spice and earth notes. However, it is generally less "dark" and dense than Forastero cacao varieties. 

There are many varieties (and hybrids) of cacao, but the three varieties mentioned here tend to be featured often. 

Nibble Chocolate - 85% Cocoa Organic Extra Dark Chocolate Brazil Single Origin Trinitario (bar) - Nov. 10, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Nibble Chocolate
85% Cocoa Organic Extra Dark Chocolate Brazil Single Origin Trinitario (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar (32 tiny squares) (per label)
Cost: $5.39 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Organic 85% Extra Dark Chocolate Brazil Single Origin Trinitario (bar) was from Nibble Chocolate, LLC (San Diego, CA).

Aroma notes for this bar included: smooth dark chocolate, faint floral, dried fruit (banana), faint graham cracker and very faint sweet green.

Flavor notes included: rich, subtlely layered dark chocolate with a mellow, natural sweetness (maple, coconut sugar), and very faint dried fruit (dates, banana).

This was an attractive (I kept wanting to retaste it) and very approachable (85% cocoa) ultra-dark bar. It was low in bitterness, had no off notes, and had a gentle finish. I may buy this again in a chocolate tasting flight or to share this with friends.

This square Nibble bar was scored into smaller squares (64 tiny squares in all)--a design intended to encourage people to  slow down and savor smaller bites of chocolate. Good idea. This pleasing, single origin Trinitario (cacao variety) chocolate was worth enjoying slowly. Handcrafted with just two ingredients; and it had a lot to offer.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic unrefined cane sugar 

Allergen-related information: USDA Organic, vegan, paleo, gluten free, soy free

 

Domori - Trinitario 70% Sur Del Lago Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 14, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Domori 

Trinitario 70% Sur Del Lago Dark Chocolate (bar)

Good ++ Good +++ 

Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 282.75 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $9.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Trinitario 70% Sur Del Lago Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Domori (None, Italy).

Subtle aroma notes (in order of appearance) included very faint green herb (oxalis) and latex/rubber in the first 30 seconds. These notes dissipated after the chocolate was removed from the inner wrapper and allowed to sit for a few minutes. Then molasses, green, true chocolate, and later, very faint fruit jam aroma notes appeared.

This well-tempered bar broke with a snap, and had a smooth, even texture.

The overall flavor was bold but mellow. (This apparent contradiction is possible with Trinitario, a variety of cacao that can embody aspects of bolder Forastero and milder, fruitier Criollo varieties.) 

Do let this bar melt in your mouth and chew each piece very slowly or you'll miss the subtle flavors blossoming on your tongue. Flavor notes (in order of appearance) included green, and true chocolate and molasses notes; but then these shape-shifted to include lovely buttery nut, strawberry + raspberry jam flavors, and faint, fleeting angel food cake, faint ginger molasses cookie, and faint floral (vanilla cream cheese) notes over a period of 10-20 seconds.

This was a well balanced and executed bar with a gradual unfolding of tiny flavors (think of a male peacock spreading out its tail) for those patient enough to wait.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cane sugar. 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of nuts, milk and soy." No gluten ingredients

Francois Pralus - Costa Rica Trinitario 75% (bar) - Dec. 25, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Patisserie Chocolaterie Pralus s.a.s. - Francois Pralus 
Costa Rica Trinitario 75% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 297.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.60 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from:  Chocosphere.com, online order

Welcome to Day #9, the last day, of Chocolate and Costa Rica Theme Week. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. 

Today's Costa Rica Trinitario 75% (bar) was from Pastisserie Chocolaterie Pralus s.a.s., founded by master chocolate maker Francois Pralus (Roanne, France). 

Francois Pralus, who came from a confection/patisserie background, was an early convert to craft, bean-to-bar, chocolate in France. And he continues to search out and find the best cacao from different countries to produce great single origin chocolate bars.

This 75% cacao dark, rich, true chocolate (dark chocolate cake), with light spice (mixed spices), fruit (berry blend), and light, clean green/floral notes (vanilla). 

The melt was creamy and the texture was velvety smooth.

The flavor had deep, smooth chocolate (brownie) notes with a balanced bitter-sweetness and authentic (cocoa nib-like) flavor. The finish was light and lingering with a faint, smooth roasted nut note, followed by a fleeting light tropical fruit (mild mango) note, interlaced with more chocolate brownie notes.

The choice to use 75% cacao (vs. 70% cacao) was a good choice. Dark chocolate lovers will enjoy this bar. And it was still sweet and smooth enough to support going a little darker, without alienating chocolate lovers with a sweet tooth.

Pralus tasting notes: "Woody and robust, fresh and vanilla"

Ingredients: "75% cacao, sugar, buerre de cacao (cocoa butter), soy lecithin (non-GMO)"

Georgia Ramon (GR) - Haiti Pisa Farmers Trinitario 70% Dunkle Schokolade (bar) - Oct. 31, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Georgia Ramon (GR)
Haiti Pisa Farmers Trinitario 80% Dunkle Schokolade (bar)
Good  ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 275 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA 

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate, Dominican Republic and Haiti Theme Week. And Happy Halloween to all. 

Not as many children go trick-or-treating through neighborhoods for candy and chocolate treats as I experienced during the hey-day of this holiday tradition. But, the artwork on the packaging (with a festive looking skull) for today's bar celebrated not only Haitian traditions but it captured the spirit of Halloween as well.

Today's Haiti Pisa Farmers Trinitario 80% Dunkle Schokolade (Dark Chocolate) (bar) was from Georgia Roman GmbH and Co. KG (Oberkassel, Germany). 

This chocolate had brown sugar, honey, nut butter and concentrated fruit (raisin, cherry, plum) and true chocolate notes. It had the rich flavors of an ultra-dark bar, and did have a lingering finish with a touch of very balanced bitterness. But this chocolate was relatively sweet and not that bitter for an 80% cacao bar. This would be a good choice for those who are a bit intimidated by a higher cacao percentage bar.

The chocolate maker's tasting notes read as follows: "Ripe figs, sour cherries and roasted nuts with floral notes" 

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter 

 

Definite Chocolate - Dominican Republic Oko Caribe 80% Dark Chocolate - Oct. 27, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Definite Chocolate
Dominican Republic Oko Caribe 80% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good
Weight: .424 oz. (12 g.) in 1 small bar
Calories: 57 calories in 1 small bar
Cost: $1.50 for 1 small bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate, Dominican Republic (D.R.) and Haiti Theme Weeks.

Today's small bar was from Definite Chocolate, S.R.L. (Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic).

This chocolate had a smooth melt and texture, and an aroma with chocolate, spice, faint green (floral), and light loamy notes. The flavor notes included: brown sugar, dark roasted cacao, and faint, fleeting nutty and acidic fruit (citrus). 

This was surprisingly "sweet" for an ultra-dark chocolate, in part due to the Trinitario--flavorful but ("less dense/dark") cacao variety (than, say Forastero cacao)--and Oko Caribe's great cacao fermentation/processing skills in the D.R.

Tasting notes provided for this bar read as follows: "...notes of jasmine, chamomile and lemon."

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, cane sugar

Kaitxo - Nicaragua El Castillero, Rio San Juan 75% Trinitario blend (bar) - Oct. 16, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

Kaitxo Specialty Chocolate
Nicaragua El Castillero, Rio San Juan 75% Trinitario blend (bar)  
Good ++
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cacao, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Nicaragua Theme Week.

Today's Nicaragua El Castillero, Rio San Juan 75% Trinitario blend (bar) was made from bean to bar in Basque country, Spain, by the makers at Kaitxo Specialty Chocolate (Balmaseda, Spain). The company, founded in 2017, offers chocolate, coffee, and tastings.

This three-ingredient* chocolate (no lecithin, thank you!) was made using an "El Castillero" blend of Trinitario (variety) of cacao beans, from the San Juan Coop in northern Nicaragua. (Growers in this Rio San Juan area also produce coffee.)

The resulting dark bar had a pleasing complexity with true dark chocolate, slight umami and very faint green aroma notes. The flavors of this 75% cacao dark chocolate also included a faint earth note and a balanced, brown sugar and/or date-like sweetness.

The Kaitxo maker's tasting notes read as follows: melaza (molasses), manzana asada (roasted apple) y (and) datiles (dates).

*Ingredients: Cacao beans, sugar, cacao butter

Castronovo Chocolate - Honduras Lost City 72% Wild Trinitario Dark Chocolate bar - Dec. 17, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Castronovo Chocolate
Honduras Lost City 72% Wild Trinitario Dark Chocolate bar
Good +++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week.

Today's Honduras Lost City 72% Wild Trinitario Dark Chocolate bar was from Castronovo Chocolate (Stuart, FL).*

Chocolate maker Denise Castronovo has been making chocolate and coaxing fine flavors out of heritage cacao beans grown in Central and South America in Florida, north of Miami,* for many years.

This bar is a tribute to a lost city discovered in a biological preserve in Honduras that is threatened by potential deforestation. (Many ancient structures and villages in Central America have become covered with vines and reclaimed by tropical and temperate forests over time, sometimes centuries, and some are occasionally are re-discovered.)

This Lost City area in Honduras is being protected by the Miskito indigenous people, who harvest and ferment wild cacao. Today's bar was made using cacao from this area.

This Honduran chocolate* had a rich, chocolatey aroma with hints of nuts (roasted almonds), subtle  fermented fruit (berries), and a very light salt-savory malt and leather saddle note. The resulting blend was delicious. It was balanced, complex and flavorful as well as enjoyable and approachable.

*Stuart, Florida is located on the Atlantic "Treasure Coast" area of Florida, and is also known as the "Sailfish Capital of the World." Technically one could grow cacao in southern Florida, but few do (so far at least). The nearest cacao farms might be in Cuba, Central America, and other, more distant Caribbean island nations (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). That said, Stuart, FL, is "closer" to cacao-growing regions than most areas of the U.S.

**This Honduras Lost City bar was labeled as Batch No. 858.

Domori - Trinitario 70% Tanzania Dark Chocolate bar - Nov. 3, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

Domori srl
Trinitario 70% Tanzania Dark Chocolate bar
Good +
Weight: .44 oz. (12.5 g.) / .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 137 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocosphere (online order)

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Week.

Today's Trinitario 70% Tanzania Dark Chocolate bar was from Domori srl (None, Italy), made with cacao grown in the Morogoro region of Tanzania in Africa.

This thin 4-square bar had a wild aromatic profile: earthen jars, marinated dried fruit/raisins, grapes/sweet and sour fruit fermenting in oak casks, a cute but slightly gamey lion cub,* and a slight bitter(s) note.

The melt and texture were very civilized: smooth, creamy and uniform. They were the tamest part of this bar.

The flavor was complex and interesting with some of the some earth and fermented fruit notes described in the aroma. (However, there was no touch of lion or bitterness.) And the finish was lingering, but fairly clean.

As wild as this bar sounds, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Bean to bar chocolates are becoming more uniform in flavor in recent years, thanks to fermentation training and expertise; decisions about what is "good" cacao; and farmers getting more support and a fair price for their cacao which may, in turn, enable efforts to produce better quality cacao.

This evolution has, arguably, produced better chocolate, or at least fewer bars with off flavors, which is good. But, there are also more bars with tamed down and uniform flavor profiles that are almost dull. I miss the Wild West sometimes.

*Yes, lions are a cheap way to get your attention, aren't they? Fortunately, Tanzania (while having to take strong measures to protect elephants (like the one pictured on the packaging for this bar)) has one of the healthier populations of wild lions remaining in Africa. Lion cubs are adorable and a privilege to hold when they're young (in a zoo or approved facility, not out in the wild). Like many wild animals, they can have a faint gamey or pungent aroma, especially if they've been in an enclosed area around adults. 

Note: This chocolate was recently expired (2019) when I wrote this review (2019). Generally, bars, if stored properly, have a reasonably long shelf life. However, I believe it is unfair the maker if I write a review of an expired bar without disclosing this information.

Copyright 2019. Unauthorized use of the text and/or images from this site, www.ChocolateBanquet.com, is a copyright violation.

L'Amourette Chocolatier - Trinitario Single Origin Venezuela Trincheras 70% bar - May 10, 2019

Chocolate of the Day: 

L'Amourette Chocolatier
Trinitario Single Origin Venezuela Trincheras 70% bar
Good
Weight: 1.1 (31 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1 serving of bar
Cost: $7.99 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week.

Today's Trinitario Single Origin Venezuela Trincheras* 70% cacao bar** was from bean-to-bar maker,  L'Amourette Chocolatier (San Francisco, CA).

This soy and gluten free, and vegan, bar had a dark chocolate aroma with dried fruit, and very faint bitter, citrus notes. And it had a relatively uniform bold dark chocolate flavor with dried fruit notes with hints of grapefruit and a slight earthiness.

*Trincheras, Venezuela, is located in a small mountain valley, and has a history of coffee and cacao production. The description printed on the packaging of today's bar explains that the name "Trincheras" came from clay trenches that were used for cacao fermentation.

**Ingredients: Trinitario cacao beans (Trincheras), Venezuelan cacao butter, Organic cane sugar

LetterPress Chocolate - San Juan Mint 70% Dark bar - March 21, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

LetterPress Chocolate LLC

San Juan Estate Mint 70% Dark Chocolate bar

Good + - Good ++

Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar

Calories: 172 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.00 (estimate) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Mint Theme Week.

Today's small batch San Juan Estate Mint 70% Dark Chocolate bar (Batch 0072) was crafted by bean-to-bar maker LetterPress Chocolate LLC (Los Angeles, CA).

And it was another very aromatically mint dark bar. The menthol notes eclipsed the subtleties of the chocolate flavor, and gave the bar a "clean" tasting, lasting finish and conveyed more sweetness than likely was actually present in this 70% cacao bar.

Tasting Notes printed on the packaging read: mint, marshmallow, vanilla. Ingredients: organic cacao beans, organic unrefined sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic mint oil.

The Trinitario cacao used to make this bar was grown in the Gran Couva area of central Trinidad.* And this Trinitario cacao was "the first to be made into a single estate bar by the Valrhona Chocolate company." Careful cultivation by early chocolate makers like Valrhona has contributed to today's stock used by craft chocolate makers like LetterPress.

Happily, chocolate consumers benefit from cumulative expertise and sharing of knowledge.

*The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is a two-island nation located in the southern Caribbean Sea. Three varieties of cacao dominate most of the chocolate world. This bar was made with Trinitario cacao, a hybrid of Forastero and Criollo cacao, and likely first evolved in this part of the Caribbean.

Nibble Chocolate - Brazil 72% bar - Oct. 26, 2017

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nibble Chocolate
Brazil 72% Cocoa Organic Dark bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.7 g.) in total bar
Calories: 142 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cafe Mingei, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

Bem vinda (welcome) to Day #5 of South American Theme Weeks. Today we sampled another chocolate bar made from Brazilian-grown cacao.

The Brazil 72% Cocoa Organic Dark bar from Nibble Chocolate (San Diego, CA) had two ingredients: organic (Trinitario) cocoa beans and organic cane sugar.

The company founders are on a mission to provide quality bean-to-bar chocolate with few ingredients. They offer Brazil, Peru, Dominican Republic and other single origin bars with different percentages of cacao—an opportunity for educational side-by-side tastings.

This organic Brazil dark bar had uniform, bold, relatively acidic, sweet and sour (grapefruit, pineapple) flavor notes.

Nibble bars were obtained on a recent trip to San Diego's Balboa Park, filled with California architecture, museums and statues from the early 1900s.

L'Amourette Chocolat LLC - Trinitario Colombia Arauca 80% bar - Oct.

Chocolate of the Day: 

L'Amourette Chocolat LLC
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 258 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - part of a gift basket (thank you GTLA!)
Purchased from: N/A - was part of a gift basket

Bienvenidos (welcome) to the first day of South American Chocolate Weeks.

We're kicking off this series with a single origin Trinitario Colombia (Arauca*) 80% bar. Hats off to the chocolate maker (Andre V.) at L'Amourette Chocolat LLC (San Francisco, CA) for showcasing the complex flavors of these Colombian cocoa beans.

Today's bar was a very multi-layered chocolate. Almost every segment of the chocolate tasting wheel was represented in this 80% dark bar.

The first (aroma) impression was: dark chocolatey chocolate with citrus and light dried fruit (pear). The second impression: a dark chocolate aroma with hints of fresh almost floral green (green plants, green tea, fresh green fronds) and light spice. The tasting arc also included chocolatey, nutty and a faint hint of jungle funk earthiness.

The only "missing" artisanal flavor traits were red berries and coffee; but we haven't finished re-tasting this bar yet. Clearly chocolate tastes different, depending on what else you might be eating or drinking; however even adjusted for this factor, this was a relatively smooth blend of interesting elements, particularly for an 80% bar.

*The Province of Arauca shares a border with Venezuela, and the Arauca River is located on the border between Colombia and Venezuela. The cacao beans for this bar may be a mix of Criollo and Trinitario and were grown on a small farm on the banks of the Arauca River.