Montezuma's - 100% Cocoa Absolute Black with Cocoa Nibs - Feb. 28, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Montezuma's

100% Cocoa Solids Absolute Black with Cocoa Nibs

Good +

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 150 calories in 1/4 bar

Cost: $ missing information

Purchased from: Trader Joe's, Pacific Grove/Monterey, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Plain Dark Chocolate Theme Week, and Day #1 of 100 percent Chocolate Theme Series.

Sometimes chocolate theme weeks overlap and become akin to nested Russian dolls. In this case 100 percent cacao chocolate bars could be a sub-category under "plain dark chocolate" (meaning there are no added flavor inclusions); but if plain means ordinary, 100 percent cacao bars are usually anything but.

Today's 100% Cocoa Solids Absolute Black with Cocoa Nibs bar was from Montezuma's Chocolates (West Sussex, U.K.).

This bar had a slightly bitter, dark, forbidding chocolate aroma; and a fire-roasted dark flavor—but without the expected bitterness. It was, refreshingly, un-sweet, almost savory. A generous helping of cocoa nibs gave the bar a hearty, authentic cacao flavor and a crunchy texture.

One does need to work with very high-quality cacao for 100% chocolate, as there is nothing else to hide behind. No sugar, nothing else.

It's wonderful to see more 100% (no sugar) bars on the market over time that are actually enjoyable to nibble on. Montezuma's also offers their absolute black bars with flavors also (mint, orange, almond, etc.). 

Noi Sirius - Icelandic Chocolate 56% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 27, 2020

Chocolate of the Day:

Noi Sirius
Icelandic Chocolate 56% Dark Chocolate (bars)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.02 oz. (29 g.) / 7.05 oz. (200 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 160 calories in 1.02 oz. (29 oz.) of 1 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: N/A - gift (Thank you Don!)

Welcome to Day #9 of Plain Dark Chocolate Theme Week.

Plain, does not mean boring, or lesser quality chocolate. Today's Icelandic Chocolate 56% Dark Chocolate, from Noi Sirius (Reykjavik, Iceland), was from...Iceland! And the flavors in this bar were subtle and intriguing.

When I see a non-origin* specific chocolate (often a blend origins) that is lower than 60%, my expectations about flavor tend to be relatively low.

However, this bar had very light baked chocolate cake infused with light fragrant green (tea) and faint peach, cherry or tropical fruit/light floral aroma and flavor notes. Added vanilla and dry cocoa contributed to the uplifting, lighter, sweet baked goods, flavor profile.**

Light green, fruit and floral notes are relatively volatile, and often are lost during the chocolate-making process. So to have them preserved in this way was quite nice. Light and fun natural flavors from a cool country. (Today's weather forecast for Reykjavik, Iceland, called for snow and temperatures of 28 degrees F. (-2 degrees C.).)

*Origin of cacao beans, or indicating where cacao that was used to make this chocolate was grown. Cacao grows approximately 20 degrees (latitude) above and below the Equator.

**Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla, cocoa dry solids.

Chocolates Simon Coll, S.A. - 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 26, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolates Simon Coll, S.A.
70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2.99 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 159 calories in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) of bar
Cost: $6.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Plain Dark Chocolate Theme Week.


Not all "plain" dark chocolate blend bars are the same. However, the bulk of cacao harvested is used to make "bulk" chocolate, which does have a sweet, and sometimes relatively bland, over-roasted, very uniform chocolate flavor (occasionally brightened with some vanilla).

For large, high-volume makers flavor consistency is key--a requirement in fact--which means it's more difficult to find flavor depth and interesting variations that occur in a single year (or origin). This same volume vs. value situation holds true for wine and many other foods and beverages as well. However, this doesn't mean that all dark chocolate blends made with consistency in mind are alike.

Today, we sampled a dark bar from Spain, with some history dating back to the 1700s.

The 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate bar from Chocolates Simon Coll, S.A. (Barcelona, Spain) proved to be one of the better plain dark chocolate bars. (European flavor profiles can sometimes vary from U.S.-made dark chocolate.)

The packaging was adorned with an illustration/poster painted by Alphonse Mucha* circa 1900 for Chocolate Amatller*, a chocolate company founded in Barcelona in 1797.

And inside the attractive wrapper, the dark chocolate had a slightly malty, slightly fruity, sweet, chocolatey dark bar with a pleasant flavor and finish with a hint of vanilla.

Ingredients: "Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, fat reduced cocoa powder, emulsifier (soya lecithin) and flavouring (vanilla)."

*Alphonse Mucha was a Czech painter, illustrator and graphic artist known for his Art Nouveau style paintings and stylized theatrical posters. The founders of Chocolate Amatller were patrons of the arts. The Chocolate Amatller brand was, more recently, incorporated into Chocolates Simon Coll, S.A., a company that continues to feature the brand's historical look.

Dagoba - New Moon 74% Cacao (bar) - Feb. 25, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dagoba Organic Chocolate
New Moon 74% Cacao (bar)
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories (per label) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ missing information
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #7 of Plain Dark Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's New Moon 74% cacao bar was from Dagoba Organic Chocolate* (Ashland, OR). This organic and gluten free "rich dark chocolate" bar did in fact have a bit more flavor depth than your average "plain" dark chocolate bar, with relatively balanced fruit acidity and earth/bitter notes.

The dark chocolate was made using Organic and Rainforest Alliance Certified cacao. (No country of origin was listed.) This bar also, if I'm reading the ingredients list** correctly, contained some milk.

*Dagoba Organic Chocolate, a division of The Hershey Company, was founded in 2001 by Frederick Schilling. The brand has been owned by The Hershey Company since 2006. Hershey has maintained the Dagoba factory facility in Ashland, OR.

**Ingredients: Organic dark chocolate (organic and Rainforest Alliance Certified cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter), Non-GMO soy lecithin); organic milk.

Trader Joe's - Fair Trade, Organic 72% Belgian Dark Chocolate Bar - Feb. 24, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
72% Dark Chocolate Bar (no origin?)
Good
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: ??? calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift (thank you Joe-Ming!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Welcome to Day #6 of Plain Dark Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Fair Trade Organic 72% Cacao Belgian Dark Chocolate Bar was made in Belgium and distributed and sold by Trader Joe's (Monrovia, CA).

So many popular dark chocolate bars (made in higher volumes where consistency becomes a key objective), trade off consistency for interesting flavor profiles.

This dark chocolate had ripe, dried fruit and earthy notes that added aroma and flavor depth to this bar.

The cacao beans used to make this bar were organically grown and fairly traded.

Godiva - Masterpieces Dark Chocolate Ganache Hearts - Feb. 23, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Godiva
Godiva Masterpieces Dark Chocolate Ganache Hearts (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 260 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: N/A - gift (Thank you Joe-Ming!)
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Welcome to Day #5 of Plain Dark Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's Godiva Masterpieces Dark Chocolate Ganache Hearts (bar) was distributed by Godiva Chocolatier, Inc. (New York, NY).

This segmented bar was composed of squares. Atop each square was a heart-shaped dark chocolate pocket filled with a soft, dark chocolate ganache.

Yes, this was relatively sweet and uniform dark chocolate; but it was also well executed and satisfying to eye and palette.

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates - California Coast Whales Dark Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 22, 2020

Chocolate of the Day; 

Sjaak's Organic Chocolate
California Coast Whales Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (56 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $4.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Dark Chocolate Theme Week.

Today's California Coast Whales Dark Chocolate bar from Sjaak's Organic Chocolates (Petaluma, CA) was decorated with an illustration inspired by whales that can be seen off the California coast.

This bar had a true, rich dark chocolate aroma and flavor with a creamy melt.