Auro Chocolate - Saloy Single Estate 100% Dark Chocolate (Philippines) - May 2, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Auro Chocolate
Saloy Single Estate Philippines 100% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Saloy Single Estate 100% Dark Chocolate bar was produced by Auro Chocolate (Calamba City, Laguna, Philippines). 

The company produces tree-to-bar chocolate from cacao grown in the Philippines. Today's bar was made with cacao sourced from farmers in the forests of Davao ?

One way to support cacao farmers (and great chocolate) is to buy single origin/estate chocolate, like today's bar-- where direct sourcing has taken place, and farmers are typically paid above commodity market prices. 

Aroma notes for this Philippine origin dark chocolate included: diffuse but dark, dried fruit, faint green fruit (fleeting honeydew melon and kiwi), earth, herbs, deep, dense cacao, and very slightly sweet, "clean" mineral water.

This ultra-dark chocolate had a slow, even melt and firm, buttery texture (in a cool room).

The flavor unsweetened, buttery (muted, balanced) cacao flavor with a mellow depth--a slight but balanced, buttery slightly bitter-sour (buttered bread and stout) taste, followed by a lightly lingering finish.

Maker's tasting notes: "Located between tropical mountain forests, Saloy (estate) has fresh spring water flowing through the lush farms, giving its chocolate very dynamic notes of herbs, bergamot (and) cherries." 

Ingredients: Cacao mass

Allergen-related information: "This product is manufactured in a facility that processes other products which may contain milk, soy, tree nuts and peanuts."

 

Triangle Roasters - Philippines 70% Malah Na Bulong (bar) - May 1, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Triangle Roasters
Philippines 70% Malah Na Bulong (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: .85 oz. (24 g.) / 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and the Philippines Theme Week.

Today's Philippines 70% Malah Na Bulong* craft chocolate bar was from Triangle Roasters (Philadelphia, PA). 

Roasting cacao is an important step in flavor development when you're making bean to bar chocolate. And, as their name implies, Triangle Roasters have considerable experience in coffee and cacao roasting.

Aroma notes included: cocoa, dried fruit (honeyed fig, dried stone fruit), faint sweet green and caramel, and even fainter molasses spice and fleeting roasted coffee (caramel mocha latte).

The texture was smooth, with a very faint fruit astringency.

Relatively gentle and complex flavors included: cocoa (leans toward Criollo/heritage cacao varieties), brown (dried) stone fruit and fig fruit flavors, a bit of red grape fruit acidity, and a pleasing, faint caramel cookie sweetness that extended into the finish. 

The complexity offered some depth and helped balance the sugar and natural, fruit sweetness. Without the complexity this bright, 70% dark chocolate may have tasted too sweet.

Maker's tasting notes: "hot cocoa, marshmallow, caramel"

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

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility with nuts, dairy and wheat."

*"Malah Na Bulong is a bio diversified sustainable farm in South Cotabato, Davao, Philippines."

Luisa's - Philippines 92% Cacao (bar) - Apr. 30, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Vegan Chocolates by Luisa Ltd.
Philippines 92% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 148 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and the Philippines Theme Week. 

Today's Philippines 92% Cacao (bar) was handcrafted and made from bean to bar at Vegan Chocolates by Luisa Ltd. (Nottingham, UK).

Aroma notes included: light molasses fig cookie, faint sweet green, sweet lemon and chocolate. A faint fermented fruit (light citrus and buttery stone fruit (peach, nectarine)) mellowed after opening; i.e. the faint fermented note tapered off* and the buttery, nectarine pie note remained.

This very thick bar was naturally sweet (fig/date, peach/nectarine, lemon and honey) and relatively low in bitterness for a high-percentage (92% cacao) chocolate. 

It tasted like a blend of Criollo (heritage) and Trinitario cacao varieties. There was one small uptick of slightly bitter earth, but otherwise everything was smooth sailing. 

Maker's chocolate tasting notes: Yellow fruits, spicy, brown fruits 

Ingredients: Cacao mass, unrefined sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: (No allergens listed.) (Vegan)

*Chocolate in a well-sealed pouch/package may sometimes have a lingering fermentation aroma when first opened. Leaving the freshly opened package open to the air for a few hours usually causes fermentation notes to diminish, or even disappear. However, don't wait too long, as some volatile, more delicate, desirable and interesting notes (e.g. florals) may escape as well.

Theo & Philo - Milk Chocolate with Barako Coffee - Apr. 29, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Theo and Philo Chocolate Factory
Milk Chocolate with Barako Coffee (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .795 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) in total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and the Philippines Theme Week. 

Today's attractively-packaged Milk Chocolate with Barako* Coffee (bar) was made by Theo and Philo Chocolate Factory (Valenzuela City, Metro Manila, Philippines).

Aroma notes included: bold, roasted coffee and dark milk chocolate.

A fine mist of ground coffee was enshrined in a smooth dark milk chocolate base. 

The bold coffee was well integrated with the chocolate. In addition to a strong coffee flavor, there was a faint sweet wood/fibrous nut note, combined with relatively low level bitterness and acidity levels. 

The coffee balanced the sweeter, smoother dark milk chocolate and vice versa, creating a flavorful (and somewhat addictive) coffee and chocolate blend.

Ingredients: Sugar, cacao beans, milk powder, cocoa butter, coffee beans

Allergy-related information: Contains milk. Processed in a facility that also processes peanuts and other tree nuts. 

*Kapeng barako, aka barako coffee (Coffea liberica) is a variety of coffee grown in the Batangas and Cavite provinces--in Luzon, south of Manila.

The Tagalog word "barako" refers to wild boar--known to eat farmers' crops, including coffee--and a reference to a strong coffee.

Srsly Chocolate - Oaxacan Espresso 70% Dark (bar) - Apr. 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Srsly Chocolate
Oaxacan Espresso 70% dark (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 (plus any shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Srsly Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Oaxacan Coffee Espresso 70% dark (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Srsly Chocolate (Austin, TX).

Aroma notes for this (Dom. Rep. cacao) chocolate included: chocolate, chili pepper, faint mole spice, and even fainter coffee.

The dark chocolate had a slightly granular astringency (that could also have been part of an authentic stoneground texture choice) and a slightly fruity (acidic red berry) flavor that meshed well with the faint roasted coffee and pepper flavors.

An uptick in rich, almost smoky (BBQ) spicy chili heat began its ascent about mid-way through each mouthful, tickling the throat on the way down.

This four-ingredient, wild bunch bar conjured up a flavorful southwest experience. And the bold, layered complexity of the cacao, chipotle (smoked and dried jalapeno) chili peppers, and coffee made it a good wake-up chocolate.

Maker's tasting notes: "Smoke and fruit dominate the beginning. A warm, complex coffee and chocolate middle note that gives way to a spicy finish..."

Ingredients: Organic cacao, organic cane sugar, coffee, chipotle pepper

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also processes milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts and wheat."

Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Milk Chocolate Cafe Con Leche 63% (bar) - Apr. 27, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Milk Chocolate Cafe Con Leche 63% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Milk Chocolate Cafe Con Leche 63% Cacao (bar) was crafted by Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA). This bar was part of the company's "Maker's Choice" series created to highlight favorite flavor combinations.

For this Cafe Con Leche* dark milk chocolate, the maker(s) paired "directly sourced Boyaca (region) cacao (from Colombia) with Barrington Coffee's single origin Ketiara, grown by a women's cooperative in the Sumatra Highlands."

Very subtle aroma notes for this chocolate included: faint chocolate, as well as very faint lemon balm herb (green tea, oxalis) and dairy milk. 

Luxurious, creamy, milky texture and taste gave way to very creamy, dark chocolate (with milk-buffered dark, roasted earth notes) and mocha flavor, and finished with creamy coffee mocha (with buffered coffee acid and subtle red fruit notes).

The milk balanced sweetness (yet enabled a soft, undulating caramel note). It also melded and mellowed sharper/stronger chocolate and coffee notes, while still allowing for some complexity.

This dark milk chocolate honored the spirit of cafe con leche, and was not too sweet (thank you). The judicious use of sugar allowed more complex chocolate and coffee notes to shine through the rich whole milk (powder)--that had a starring, almost magical, role in this bar. 

Maker's tasting notes: "Imagine drinking a Cafe con Leche* in Central America!"

Ingredients: Single origin cacao beans, organic sugar, single origin cocoa butter, organic whole milk powder, single origin coffee.

Allergen-related information: "May contain trace amounts of peanuts and tree nuts."

*Cafe con leche (coffee with milk in English) is similar to a cafe latte or cappuccino. All three beverages are made with strong coffee (espresso) and milk. 

However, the milk in a cafe con leche is steamed (or scalded) rather than frothed. Also, it may contain slightly more (traditionally whole) cow's milk--50% milk and 50% coffee/espresso. Sugar is added to one's liking, and/or may be part of a thin "espuma" (foam) layer on top--made by whipping sugar and espresso.

Navitas - Cacao Latte Plant-based drink mix - Apr. 26, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Navitas Organics
Organic Cacao Latte - Plant-based drink mix
Good +
Weight: .42 oz. (12 g.) in 1 (single serving) packet
Calories: 50 calories in 1 packet
Cost: $ Missing information - $2.49 (estimate)
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Cacao Latte Plant-based Superfood Drink Mix (single-serving packet) was from Navitas Organics (Novato, CA).

Aroma notes included: warm, rich hot cocoa, faint warm spice, and very faint coconut marshmallow.

The texture was uniform and smooth (no lumps after stirring).

This warm beverage had a relatively mellow hot chocolate flavor, but wasn't nearly as sweet. (This will thrill some, but may disappoint those with a sweet tooth). It had a slightly bitter cocoa powder flavor edge to it, but otherwise was very satisfactory for a low calorie, plant-based hot cocoa beverage. 

I paired this beverage with two small chocolate and coffee sweets: a piece of organic coffee dark chocolate candy, and a small Chocolat Cafe-Tasse dark chocolate and coffee (Noir + Cafe) square. A perfect match.

Ingredients: Organic cacao powder, organic coconut oil powder, (organic acacia fiber, organic MCT* oil), organic coconut palm sugar, organic guar gum, natural flavor, sea salt, organic cinnamon, organic monk fruit extract.

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nuts (coconut).

*Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)--found in coconut, palm (and some other plant-based) oils--are believed to have certain health benefits.