Monsoon Chocolate - Ucayali Peru 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 2, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Monsoon Chocolate 
Ucayali Peru 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 138 calories (estimate - not listed on packaging) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Ucayali Peru 60% Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was made by Monsoon Chocolate (Tucson, AZ).

The Ucayali River cacao used to make this bean-to-bar chocolate came from "a central fermentary that works with nearly 400 cocoa farmers along the Ucayali River outside the Peruvian city of Pucallpa."*

Aroma notes for this single origin, dark milk chocolate bar included: chocolate (slightly fruity cocoa) very faint, fleeting green; cream; and buttered (Southern U.S.) biscuit/well-buttered rice.

This relatively thick bar had a thick, rich and buttery mouthfeel.

Flavor notes blended very harmoniously in this well-executed bar, including the buttery, creamy flavors described in the aroma and texture (above). 

The organic cocoa butter and organic milk powder smoothed over the cacao notes (it's hard to know what we might or might not be missing and diminished the relative sweetness (thank you). 

That said, diffuse fruit (ripe sweet berries); very faint fermented cacao; rich whole milk warm cocoa; quiet buttery caramel; faint, fleeting cheesecake; very faint, fleeting floral spice (light honey and buttered saffron rice) and very faint salt notes, managed to shine through in this creamy fantasy of a bar.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, organic cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, organic milk powder

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "This product contains dairy. It is processed in a facility that also processes wheat, nuts, and soy."

*This chocolate was all sweetness and light. But Moonsoon Chocolate also describes some of the economic challenges and choices facing farmers in this Peruvian agricultural growing region that has a "long and complex history of narco-trafficking" and coca (cocaine). (Both coca and cacao are native to South America.)

Like many high-end craft chocolate makers, Monsoon works to obtain high-quality cacao grown in unique regions around the globe. Monsoon Chocolate pays Ucayali River farmers a premium for their wet cacao, "giving local farmers access to an alternate market to cocaine." 

Standout Chocolate - Single Origin Urubamba Peru 70% (bar) - Dec. 1, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Standout Chocolate

Single Origin Urubamba Peru 70% (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 146 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.25 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Standout Chocolate Single Origin Urubamba Peru 70% (bar) was hand-crafted in Sweden, with cacao beans grown in the Urubamba Valley of Peru.*

Aroma notes for this bar included: very faint, fleeting fermented cacao; hot cocoa/drinking chocolate; subtle fruit (sweet, dark red berries); and very faint, fleeting roasted coffee/mocha.

The texture was creamy smooth. Standout chocolate maker, Fredrik Martinsson, notes: "We slow roast to preserve as much of the natural taste profile as possible. We then stone grind for days and days until the flavors and texture are perfected."

Flavor notes included: naturally-sweet fruit flavor(s) (gentle, fleeting floral/fruit honey and ripe, sweet dark red berries (combination of ripe strawberry and sweet (Highbush) blueberry and ripe blackberry/black currant) and cream. 

The cacao was just bold enough--with a wee bit of balanced earth and true chocolate (dark cocoa)--to be interesting and complementary with its fruity flavor facets (a memory of faint, gentle earth recently attached to basket of freshly picked berries).

Nice creamy texture (and implied fresh cream flavor) perfectly meshed with lush and layered, authentic berry flavor(s). All this from just two organic ingredients: Peruvian cacao and sugar. 

Maker's tasting notes: "dark fruits, floral, blueberry"

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: (May contain traces of milk.)

*The cacao producer in the Urubamba valley was Alto Urubamba Cooperative (made up of approximately 50 local farmers). The altitude in this growing region is between 700-1500 meters (2,297-4,921 feet) above sea level.

Hogarth - Peru Single Origin 66% Cacao Piura Blanco (bar) - Nov. 30, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Hogarth Chocolate Makers
Peru - Single Origin 66% Cacao Piura Blanco (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 77.7 calories in 1 serving (1/5 bar)
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order  

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Peru Single Origin 66% Cacao Piura Blanco (bar) was created by Hogarth Chocolate Makers (Nelson, New Zealand). 

The Hogarth company name refers to chief chocolate maker, Karl Hogarth. And the company offers a variety of bean-to-bar chocolates, including today's single origin Peru bar.

Aroma notes for this single origin Peru chocolate included: gentle fermented cacao, cream; very faint, balanced earth; and very faint diffuse spice and lemon-herb (oxalis).

Texture: smooth with a very slight granularity (astringency). 

Flavor notes included: chocolate (warm cocoa/drinking chocolate), natural diffuse fruit sweetness (faint, slightly tart-sweet pink lemonade and goji berry), and fresh fleeting green (sweet green tea latte with lemon).

Ingredients: Organic fair trade cocoa beans, organic fair trade cocoa butter, organic cane sugar.

Allergen-related information: May contain traces of milk and nuts. "100% Organic, vegan, gluten free, soy free"

Coco Polo - Ginger dark chocolate - Nov. 29, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Coco Polo 
Ginger dark chocolate
Good +
Weight: .49 oz. (13.8 g.) (estimate) in small sample packet 
Calories: 70 calories (estimate) in 1 sample packet
Cost: $N/A - free sample
Purchased from: N/A - free sample

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Holiday Spices Theme Week.

Today's Ginger dark chocolate (sample) was from Coco Polo (Highland Park, NJ). The company offers a line of sugar-free, stevia-sweetened chocolates.

Ginger spice triggers holiday memories for me, with associations of gingerbread people, holiday gingerbread houses and castles, hot ginger tea, and gingerbread molasses cookies.

This sample Ginger chocolate had smooth dark chocolate, faint ginger spice, and very faint menthol (cooling feeling in mouth) flavor notes.

(Note: In fairness to Coco Polo, this sample was one I received quite a while ago. However, the full-sized 70% Ginger Root bar dark chocolate bar was still available when I checked the Coco Polo website today.)

Ingredients: (Ingredients were not listed on small sample packet.)

Allergen-related information: Not listed on small sample packet.

Thomas Keller Armando Manni - K+M Extra-Virgin Milk Chocolate Winter Spice (bar) - Nov. 28, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Thomas Keller - Armando Manni
K+M Extra-Virgin Milk Chocolate Winter Spice (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 193 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12+ (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sweet Shop, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Holiday Spices Series.

Today's K+M Extra Virgin Milk Chocolate Winter Spice (bar) was a collaboration bar between Chef Thomas Keller and extra virgin olive oil maker Armando Manni. (K+M Chocolate is based in Napa, CA.)

Aroma: The initial sniff revealed pleasing, balanced, warm holiday spices, faint chocolate and very faint citrus (sweet orange). Note: after being opened for a few hours, the spice aromas were not quite as strong.

Texture: This Thomas Keller + Armando Manni (K+M) holiday milk chocolate bar had a very special, smooth texture with a relatively creamy, luxurious slow melt. The collaboration between chef + olive oil expert delivered a unique, rich mouthfeel.

Flavor: The smooth, relatively mellow dark chocolate (made with cacao from Hacienda Victoria, Ecuador) had notes of faint warm spices (star anise, allspice, cinnamon, ginger). A blend of whole milk powder, cocoa butter and extra virgin olive oil provided splendid texture, but may have muted some of the chocolate and spice (smooth and balanced) flavors a bit. However, it was still a very enjoyable and interesting bar to try. 

K+M maker's tasting notes: "Allspice, Citrus, Lush, Velvety"

Note: K+M also offers a Winter Spice hot chocolate, made with spices (such as: allspice, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper)

Ingredients: (Note: missing complete packaging. As I recall ingredients included: Cocoa beans, whole milk powder, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic extra-virgin olive oil, spices, tangerine oil)

Allergen-related information: (Contained milk.)

Hu - Pumpkin Spice Dark Chocolate (Holiday Edition) - Nov. 27, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Hu

Pumpkin Spice Dark Chocolate (Holiday Edition)

Good +++

Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar

Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $2.99 total bar

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Holiday Spices Series.

Today's Hu (Kitchen) Holiday Edition Pumpkin Spice Dark Chocolate (bar) was distributed by Hu Products LLC (Austin, TX). 

Aroma notes for this thick dark bar included: pumpkin pie spices and dark chocolate gingerbread. 

The texture was thick and creamy with a very faint granularity, possibly from finely ground spices (and/or from stoneground dark chocolate).

The cacao selected was a great choice for this holiday edition chocolate. The flavorful, balanced 70% dark chocolate helped balance the sweetness level, and worked well with the spices. Ah, the spices. They were divine.

The spice flavors were well balanced and wonderful--capturing the best of not one (pumpkin pie) but two favorite holiday desserts (pumpkin pie and dark chocolate gingerbread--one of my personal favorites). Unrefined coconut sugar (and a smidge of organic pumpkin) contributed some background warm holiday flavors to this blend as well.

In an unofficial endorsement, this Hu bar won the holiday spice chocolate taste-off at my family's Thanksgiving get-together. The fact that it was Organic, Fairtrade (and didn't contain any emulsifiers/lecithins) was an added plus.

I hope this high-quality, Holiday Edition Pumpkin Spice bar makes a comeback next year!

Ingredients: Organic, fair trade cacao; organic unrefined cane sugar; organic fair trade cocoa butter; organic pumpkin; organic cinnamon bark extract (organic cinnamon bark, organic olive oil); sea salt; organic allspice extract (organic allspice, organic olive oil); organic nutmeg extract (organic nutmeg, organic olive oil), organic ginger extract (organic ginger, organic olive oil); organic clove extract (organic clove, organic olive oil).

Allergen-related information: Produced using equipment that also processes tree nuts, soy, peanuts, milk and wheat. (No refined sugar, cane sugar, sugar alcohols or erythritol; No dairy or soy; No palm oil; No lecithins or emulsifiers.)

Dick Taylor - Orange Bourbon Pecan 65% Dark (bar) - Nov. 26, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Dick Taylor
Orange Bourbon Pecan (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sweet Shop, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Holiday Spices Series.

Today's Orange Bourbon Pecan 65% Dark (bar) was handcrafted by Dick-Taylor Craft Chocolate (Eureka, CA).

Aroma notes for this bar included: chocolate, pecan cookie, orange and slightly sweet spirits (Bourbon/whiskey).

Smooth, flavorful 65% (Belize cacao) dark chocolate enveloped crunchy pecan bits that were full of complex flavor upticks: nut, Bourbon, orange (and faint maple) flavors. 

I sprinkled one piece of this bar with a tiny shake of freshly ground cinnamon. It tasted like a holiday pie dessert plate in one bite.

And speaking of holiday pies, a family recipe for a Bourbon-soaked pecan (and orange) flavored pie was the inspiration for this Dick Taylor chocolate bar. Worked for me! I loved the layered sparkles of complementary flavor(s).

Ingredients: Chocolate (organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter) organic pecans, organic maple syrup, bourbon, orange essential oil 

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that also uses milk, tree nuts, wheat and peanuts.