Tabal Chocolate - Huckleberry 58% Craft Dark Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 3, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Tabal Chocolate 
Huckleberry 58% Craft Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 233 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Huckleberry 58% Craft Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Tabal Chocolate (Wauwatosa, WI).

The founders "stone grind their chocolate for three days in small batches from bean to bar to develop exotic flavors and maintain nutrients."

Aroma and flavor notes for today's huckleberry chocolate included: relatively strong, sweet blueberry (with a touch of slightly earthy, ripe wild blackberry); smooth, sweet dark chocolate; and very faint herb (sage).

It was fun to try a huckleberry-flavored chocolate. This berry is native to the Americas and can grow in mountainous areas. The 58% chocolate bar seemed quite sweet, almost too much for me (a committed dark fan). I'd love to try a 70% version of this bar just to compare the two. However, most people will likely find this sweet and even refreshing (like a flavorful frozen berry pop on a hot summer day).

Ingredients: Direct-trade cacao*, cane sugar*, cacao butter*, huckleberry oil (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Vegan, Soy Free, Gluten Free" (No other allergens listed on packaging.)

 

JonnyPops - Chocolate-Dipped Cherries with Fresh Cream (frozen pops) - Aug. 2, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

JonnyPops
Chocolate-Dipped Cherries with Fresh Cream (bars)
Good ++
Weight: 2.06 oz. (61 g.) / 8.25 fl. oz. (244 mL) in total box of 4 pops
Calories: 150 calories in 1 bar
Cost: Missing information
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate-Dipped Cherries (pops) were manufactured and distributed by JohnnyPops, LLC (Elk River, MN).

On the first few bites I really enjoyed the thin, crispy, authentic-tasting, and very slightly earthy, dark chocolate coating on the upper half of this frozen pop. Most chocolate coatings on ice cream bars are considerably sweeter and contain a lower percentage of cacao, that's often been alkalized (treated to remove bitterness).

The frozen cherry interior was less like a conventional ice cream and more like real cherries with added cream/milk. More like a smoothie that is using genuine (not overly processed) frozen fruit.

I liked everything about this frozen pop. I could actually taste real dark chocolate and real frozen cherries. And I appreciated the short list of quality ingredients -- with no (possibly gut-disrupting) additives or gums.

Ingredients: Cherries, Heavy Cream (Heavy Cream, Organic Guar Gum), Cane Sugar, Whole Milk, Purified Water, Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Vanilla Extract, Soy Lecithin, Whole Milk Powder), Coconut Oil, Vegetable Oil (Soybean), Salt. 

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk, Coconut, Soy. May contain cherry pits.

Ocelot Craft Chocolate - Black Cherry 70% dark chocolate (bar) - Aug. 1, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Ocelot Craft Chocolate
Black Cherry 70% dark chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week. 

Today's Black Cherry 70% dark chocolate (bar) was from Ocelot Craft Chocolate Limited (Dundee, U.K.).

Aroma notes included: chocolate, red berries and berry-cherry cereal.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with occasional tiny bits of dried cherry pieces.

Flavor notes included: dark, slightly earthy chocolate, tiny bursts of tart sweet cherry and "natural" cherry fruit flavoring. I'm not fond of added flavorings because I've never tasted a chocolate that is improved by such a flavoring. (More often, "natural" flavorings* taste odd or distorted to me. So, I admit I'm biased in this regard. Some might taste cherry fruit. I taste cherry cough syrup.)

I enjoyed the smooth dark chocolate texture and the small bits of cherries,

Ingredients: "cacao mass*, raw cane sugar*, cacao butter*, dried cherries (0.6%)*, natural black cherry flavour (0.13%). Cacao solids: 70% minimum. 

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk, tree nuts, peanuts, seeds (including sesame seeds & mustard seeds), soya, cereals (gluten), eggs & celery"

*Natural flavours in the U.K. are derived from "natural sources"-- from vegetable, animal or microbiological origin(s); and the processing of these substances may be considerable (involving enzymes, microbiological or physical methods).

Javier Confectionery - Cherrylicious Delight (bar) - Aug. 1, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Javier Confectionery
(Preston's Candy by Javier)
Cherrylicious Delight (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories in 33 g. of bar
Cost: $9.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Filoli gift shop, Woodside, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Cherrylicious Delight (bar) was from Javier Confectionery (Burlingame, CA). 

Javier's bars can be found at Preston's Candy by Javier. (Preston's chocolates date back to 1946.) 

Aroma and flavor notes included: dark chocolate, sweet diffuse fruit (with bursts of tart-sweet cherry pieces), subtle nut (almond pieces) and vanilla marshmallow. (Note: there were no marshmallows in this bar.)

Texture: generously-sized, thick, smooth, almost creamy dark, sweet (63% cacao bittersweet) chocolate; chewy dried cherries; and crunchy toasted almond pieces.

I liked the almonds and cherries, and the thoughtful list of components (that included organic and fair trade ingredients).  And the proportions were balanced and compatible.

The sugar and vanilla (baked goods/marshmallow) taste made this quite sweet. I've recently eaten a lot of chocolates flavored with coconut nectar/maple sugar/brown sugars, making today's cane sugar-sweetened bar seem quite sweet and buzzy by comparison.* 

Ingredients: 63% Bittersweet chocolate (cacao beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla beans), pure cane sugar. Cane Sugar, Dried Sour Cherries (Sour Cherries, Sunflower), Almonds, Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: Contains soy, almonds. "Made in a facility that also makes products containing milk, soy, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat."

* Many chocolatiers and customers prefer ("white"/processed) cane sugar as it's a more flavor-neutral choice. It doesn't add flavor that might interfere with cacao nuances and other flavor inclusions. (I respect that, but I'm a dark(er) chocolate fan, and I prefer less processed sugars (that are also typically lower on the glycemic scale). So I'm biased and my preference for less sugar follows accordingly.

Mandala Chocolate - Cacao Alchemy (bar) & Wilderness Poets - Goji Berries, Cashews, Cacao Nibs (mix)

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Mandala Chocolate
Cacao Alchemy - Sugar Free Dark Chocolate with Superherbs and Mushrooms (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 192 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: East West Bookstore, Mountain View, CA

Wilderness Poets
Wild Mix - Abundance Trail Mix with Goji Berries, Pistachios, Golden Berries, Cacao Nibs, Cashews
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 8 oz. (226 g.) in total package
Calories: 143 calories in 1 serving
Cost: Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information 

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week and Day #4 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Week.

There are many nut and berry blends with cacao/chocolate. Today's two entries covered a wide range of possibilities.

Mandala Chocolate
Today's Cacao Alchemy bar was from Mandala Naturals, LLC (Barnardsville, NC). 

This smooth, stoneground, raw and sugar-free 70% dark chocolate was blended with a long list of "superherbs and mushrooms," including: cacao and...spiceberries. 

What are Spiceberries? I think of spice berries as the dried, unripe fruit of the allspice tree. But this term may also refer to wild harvested spicebush berries (Lindera benzoin) that grow in the Eastern U.S. I'm tempted to think it was the latter in today's bar--since this ingredient was marked as "organic and wildcrafted." 

Either way, it had a smooth flavor. All the herbs and mushroom ingredients were fully integrated into the chocolate. I liked that it was relatively low in bitterness, and had no "off" notes.

I enjoyed the natural level of subtle sweetness. (This bar was labeled as sugar free, but you could have fooled me. There were no artificial sweeteners.) 

Ingredients: *Cacao, *Yacon, *Lucuma, *Sprouted Brown Rice Powder, *Mesquite, *Maca, *Cinnamon, *Ginger, *Vanilla, *Licorice, +Chaga, *Ashwaganda, *Mucuna, +Spiceberries, +Reishi, *Tulsi, +Pedicularis, Celtic Sea Salt(TM), Spilanthes Oil. (* = Organic, + = Organic and Wildcrafted, 

Allergen-related information: (None listed that I could find.) 

Wilderness Poets

The "Wild Mix - Abundance Trail Mix" (with cashews, pistachios, goji berries, golden raisins, golden berries and cacao nibs) was created and distributed by Wilderness Poets (Ashland, OR).

I enjoyed this authentic-tasting blend of nuts and berries made from quality nuts, berries and nibs. (The cocoa nibs were lightly sweetened with coconut nectar and were quite good.) The flavors harmonized well, and the mix was not too sweet or salty. Just right all by itself, or it could be used as a topping or mix-in.

Maker's description: "Our raw Organic Trail Mixes are an excellent snack for kids, hikers, travelers, active people, professionals, and Poets of all kinds."

Ingredients: Cashews*, Pistachios*, Goji Berries*, Golden Raisins*, Golden Berries*, Cacao Nibs* (sweetened with coconut nectar) (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Contains tree nuts (cashews & pistachios). Made in a facility that processes various tree nuts. Warning: May contain nut shell fragments."

The Chocolate Therapist - Rx - Super Hero 72% Dark Chocolate, Cherries & Whole Almonds (bar) - July 29, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Chocolate Therapist 
Rx - Super Hero 72% All Natural Dark Chocolate, Cherries & Whole Almonds (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 354 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.00 for 1 bar ($12.00 for 3 bars)
Purchased from: The Chocolate Therapist, online order

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate, Berries & Cherries Theme Week.

Today's Rx Super Hero - 72% Natural Dark Chocolate, Cherries & Whole Almonds (bar) was designed by The Chocolate Therapist (Littleton, CO). 

Company founder and head, Julie Nygard, is "a long time chocolate enthusiast" with a passion for nutrition as well. (Each square of this bar was stamped with an "Rx"*. Very clever.)

Aroma notes included: smooth, bittersweet dark chocolate, nuts (almonds) and red fruit (cherries).

Texture: appealing blend of smooth dark chocolate, crunchy whole almonds and chewy cherries.

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate, fresh-tasting almonds, salt and flavorful, tart-sweet, moist and authentic dried cherries.

I liked the blend of flavors and textures; the fact that the bar wasn't too sweet; and the salt that balanced the sweetness and helped integrate the chocolate, almonds and cherries.

Ingredients: Bittersweet Dark Chocolate (Unsweetened Chocolate, Sugar, Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla), Tart Dried Cherries (with 1% Sunflower Oil), Whole Almonds.

Allergen-related information: "Contains Almonds. Produced on Equipment That Also Processes Milk Products, Tree Nuts, Peanuts and Soy and May Contain Traces of These Products." 

*Rx is a shorthand term for medical prescriptions. (It is derived from the Latin verb "recipere" (which can mean to receive, to take or to regain--and it's also the root word for recipe). The abbreviated "Rx" likely originated in doctor's notes to pharmacists.

The Chocolate Therapist - Rx - Blue Suede 'Shews - 72% Dark with Blueberries & Cashews (bar) - July 28, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Chocolate Therapist 
Rx - Blue Suede "Shews" - 72% Dark with Blueberries & Cashews (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total bar
Calories: 332 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.00 for 1 bar ($12 for 3 bars)
Purchased from: The Chocolate Therapist, online order 

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate, Berries and Cherries Week.

Today's Blue Suede 'Shews -  72% Dark Chocolate Blueberries & Cashews (bar) was from The Chocolate Therapist  (Littleton, CO). The company's bars are designed by Julie Nygard, "a long time chocolate enthusiast" with a passion for nutrition.

Aroma and flavor notes included: very slightly earthy but relatively smooth dark chocolate; faint, lightly salted cashew pieces; and the occasional authentic-tasting dried (but still flavorful and moist) blueberry.

I liked that this bar was balanced and not too sweet; and that the blueberries tasted like real blueberries. Both blueberries and cashews complemented the dark chocolate nicely.

Ingredients: "72% Dark Chocolate (Unsweetened Chocolate, Sugar, Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla), Blueberries (Blueberries, Sucrose, Sunflower Oil), Roasted Cashews, Salt."

Allergen-related information: "Contains Cashews. Produced on Equipment That Also Processes Milk Products, Tree Nuts, Peanuts and Soy and May Contain Traces of These Products."