Castronovo Chocolate - Colombia Arhuacos 66% Ancestral Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar)

Chocolate of the Day

Castronovo Chocolate 
Colombia Arhuacos 66% Ancestral Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Castronovo, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week.

Today's Colombia Arhuacos 66% Ancestral Cacao* Dark Milk Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar) was from Castronovo Chocolate (Stuart, FL).

Aroma and flavor notes included: pleasing, authentic milk chocolate (malted chocolate milkshake); light caramel; and faint nut cookie.

Texture: creamy (milk chocolate) and crunchy (nibs). A few of the nibs had a hard crunch; but the overall flavor was one of subtly complex, relatively light, cacao.

Naturally sweet attributes (and lack of bitterness) gave this ancestral cacao-based chocolate a sweet nature.

I enjoyed the gently complex flavors in this special chocolate. 

Maker's tasting notes: "...subtle flavors of white wine, pecan, honey, and a malty rich chocolate creaminess with a crunch of roasted cacao nibs."

Ingredients: "cocoa beans*, cane sugar*, whole milk*, cocoa butter*, cocoa nibs* (* = organic ingredients)

Allergen-related information: "Made in a nut-free facility that uses milk and wheat."

*Many cacao farmers have long ties to the land where they are harvesting cacao. This is especially true in countries closer to the Amazon Basin in South America, where indigenous peoples have had a relationship with cacao for thousands of years. 

The maker included advice (printed on the packaging of this bar) from a Colombian spiritual leader of the Arhuacos, of Katansama, Colombia. "...listen to the elements: the wind, water, and the ancestral cacao from our forest"...."protect Mother Earth" and "be mindful of how you change nature."

 

Castronovo Chocolate - Colombia Arhuacos 80% Ancestral Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 16, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Castronovo Chocolate 
Colombia Arhuacos 80% Ancestral Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Castronovo, online order

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

Today's Colombia Arhuacos 80% Ancestral Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Castronovo Chocolate (Stuart, FL).

The maker included a message (on the packaging) from a spiritual leader of the Arhuacos, Katansama, Colombia. "...listen to the...wind, water and the ancestral cacao from our forest. They ask you to protect Mother Earth and to be mindful" about changes to nature. 

Aroma and flavor notes included: chocolate (ganache, mousse); subtle fruit (very faint, soft peach) and caramel; and barely detectable, fleeting chalk/grain (rice, oat straw) and sweet green/green floral. The 80% dark chocolate was relatively smooth, with a subtle astringency (drying effect).

I liked the very gentle, wide ranging complexity in this ultra-dark bar that is found almost exclusively in/with heritage/Criollo variety cacaos (or in this case ancestral cacao).

This 80% cacao chocolate had a mild to medium acidity, was low in bitterness and had the sweetness level of a 70% bar.

Maker's tasting notes: "...subtle flavors of white wine, orange blossom, honey, clover and an elegant rich creaminess."

Ingredients: "cocoa beans, cane sugar*, cocoa butter* (* = organic ingredients)

Allergen-related information: "Made in a nut-free facility that uses milk and wheat."

Cacao & Cardamom - Health Freak Tumaco Colombia 85% Cacao (bar) - Sept. 14, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao & Cardamom
"Health Freak" Single Origin Tumaco Colombia 85% Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 546 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Cacao & Cardamom, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Colombia Theme Week, and one last doff of the hat to Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week. (Find the hidden six seeds in this bar.*)

Today's "Health Freak" Single Origin Tumaco Colombia 85% Cacao (bar) was from Cacao & Cardamom (Houston, TX).

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate, faint fruit, nut and seed; and very faint spice. 

This striking bar was designed with a variable grid-pattern that held rows of seeds (chia, hemp, flax) as well as ruby-toned goji berries, and small pieces of coconut.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, slightly crunchy, tiny fields of seeds and fruit. A very subtle touch of vanilla warmed up the 85% dark chocolate and complemented the other elements.

Ingredients: "85% Tumaco Dark Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and vanilla extract), Chai (sic) Seeds, Hemp Seeds, Flax Seeds, Goji Berries, Coconut"

Allergen-related information: "Vegan & Gluten Free"

*Answer: cacao beans used to make the chocolate (seeds); vanilla likely used to make the extract (seeds); chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, and coconut (single seed drupe). 

  

Goodnow Farms Chocolate - Colombia Boyaca 73% Cacao (bar) - Sept. 13, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Colombia Boyaca 73% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 165 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Goodnow Farms Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Colombia Boyaca 73% Cacao (bar) from Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA) was part of this bean-to-bar maker's Signature Line of bars.

Aroma notes included: chocolate, delicate fruit, caramel, spice (green pepper), 

The texture was very smooth, almost creamy.

Flavor notes included: chocolate with complex, delicate very faint "cream", light loam and green foliage (barely detectable initial, fleeting cooling menthol); spice; very faint, diffuse tropical/cacao fruit; sweet notes (honeyed caramel, toasted marshmallow + bitter caramel ice cream); and a few other tantalizing notes too faint and fleeting to catch. I kept tasting more of this chocolate hoping to "find" more hidden notes. It was like trying to catch a glimpse of a rare tropical bird through a lush rainforest canopy. Tantalizing; and just out of reach.

I really appreciated the intriguing complexity of this bar. It tasted lighter, sweeter and more subtle than many 73% cacao chocolates. It was also sophisticated and well-crafted from start to finish. The freshly pressed cocoa butter enriched this single origin cacao experience. And even the natural-tasting sweetness was layered and nuanced. 

I associate some of the more subtle fruit, cream and caramel notes mentioned above with fine Criollo heritage cacaos. The cacao used to make this bar was from "a new fermentation facility in the town of San Pablo de Borbur" (in Boyaca, Colombia, that) "allows farmers to produce these exceptionally high-quality fine flavor beans."

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Toasted Marshmallow & Honey"

Ingredients: Single Origin Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Single Origin Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: "Soy Free, Vegan, Gluten Free"    

Cacao & Cardamom - 72% Venezuelan Mendiants - Sept. 12, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Cacao & Cardamom
72% Venezuelan Mendiants
Good ++
Weight: 3.52 oz. (100 g.) / 4.7 oz. (133 g.) (estim.) in total container
Calories: 546 calories (estimate) in 100 gram serving
Cost: $15.00 for 1 container (+ shipping)
Purchased from: Cacao & Cardamom, online order

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

Today's 72% Venezuelan Mendiants with Fig, Almonds, Pistachio and Candied Ginger were from Cacao & Cardamom (Houston, TX).*

The company used "a (Valrhona) 72% Araguani chocolate from Venezuela with roasted Pistachios, Almond slivers, Calimyrna Figs, and crystallized Ginger" to make these hexagonal chocolate mendiants. (Mendiants are attractive, traditional French chocolate confections (often flat discs) topped with dried or candied fruits and nuts.)

Aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate, faint fruit and nut, and spice (ginger).

The texture was a tasty blend of creamy and crunchy elements -- including the very subtle, edible tiny seeds in the dried fig strip.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, ginger and subtle nuts (almonds, pistachios) and dried fig. The ginger added great flavor and complemented the dark chocolate nicely.

Ingredients: 72% Venezuela Chocolate, Calimyrna Figs, Almonds, Pistachios, Ginger

Allergen-related information: "Dairy Free & Gluten Free"

* Four of today's ingredients involved seeds: 1.) cacao beans (seeds); 2.) almonds and 3.) pistachios are seeds from drupes, i.e. not technically nuts; and 4.) dried figs offered additional tiny little seeds.

 

Creo Chocolate - Dark Toasted Coconut - 73% Premium Ecuadorian Cacao (bar) - Sept. 11, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Creo Chocolate
Dark Toasted Coconut - 73% Premium Ecuadorian Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Creo Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Seeds Theme Week. Coconuts have been labeled as fruits, nuts and...you guessed it...seeds (as in single-seed drupes). Confusing? Yes. Respect for all seeds. Now, let's taste.

Today's Toasted Coconut 73% Premium Ecuadorian Cacao (bar)--made with single-origin Ecuadorian cacao beans--was from Creo Chocolate (Portland, OR).

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate and subtle, authentic toasted coconut.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with a luxe melt; and an attractive layer of coconut (thin ivory strips with golden brown edges) on the back side of the bar.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (smooth, ultra-dark flavor, extra dark ganache/fudge brownie) and coconut.

The dark chocolate was hearty and not too sweet, making it easier to enjoy the subtler cacao flavor nuances and the natural flavor of the coconut--that was also not too sweet (thank you!). 

Too much sugar in chocolates can overwhelm other flavors. Happily, this was not the case for this well-executed chocolate made with single origin Ecuadorian cacao.

Maker's flavor notes/description: "toasted coconut, nuts, fruit..." "...a crunchy piece of paradise"

Ingredients: "cacao beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, organic coconut" 

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Tree nuts (coconut)" "Manufactured  on shared equipment with products containing eggs, wheat, sesame seeds, soy, peanuts & tree nuts"

Theo Chocolate - Organic Salted Cashew 85% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 10, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Theo Chocolate
Organic Salted Cashew 85% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $2.79 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Organic Salted Cashew 85% Dark Chocolate (bar) was distributed by Theo Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes for this ultra-dark bar included: dark chocolate with very faint fruit, nut and even fainter spice (green floral, vanilla).

Texture: relatively thick (cocoa buttery) texture with a relatively rapid, smooth melt, with soft bits of nut.

Flavor notes included: smooth ultra-dark chocolate (roasted, deep, smooth fudge brownie); sparkles of sea salt; faint, mellow nut; and well-managed bitterness.

I enjoyed the salt in this bar, and the well-balanced, 85% dark chocolate--that wasn't too sweet (thank you!). 

I also appreciated the maker's short list of organic, fair trade (fair for life) ingredients (with no emulsifiers or "natural flavors"). Theo Chocolate was one of the earliest to seek out and offer organic and fair trade chocolates that I can recall in the wave of craft, bean-to-bar chocolate makers that began over two decades ago.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate* (Cocoa Beans *+, Cane Sugar*+, Cocoa Butter*+, Ground Vanilla Bean*), Cashews*, Sea Salt. (* Organic, + Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: Contains Tree Nuts (Cashews). "Made on equipment that also processes milk, peanuts, and other tree nuts."