Belvie Chocolate Maker - Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao Coffee-Mint-Nibs Trinitario (bar) - Oct. 12, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Belvie Chocolate Maker
(Socala Ca-phe Sua bae ha (bar))
Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao Coffee-Mint-Nibs Trinitario (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 226 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao Coffee-Mint-Nibs Trinitario (bar) was from Belvie Chocolate Maker (Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam).

The Trinitario variety cacao beans used to make this chocolate were from Dong Nai province.

Aroma notes included: sweet dark chocolate, coffee and mint candy; with very faint fruit and warm spice/cookie (vanilla).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate with a satisfying melt with tiny, crunchy bits of coffee. (The coffee bean bits were just the right size, and were not too hard. Thank you!) 

Flavor notes included: smooth, relatively sweet dark chocolate, coffee latte--and chocolate and vanilla mint (cookie-like notes). (Note: there was no vanilla listed in the ingredients; but it did have that pleasant, warm (almost floral) flavor.) 

The milk in this bar was quite subtle; and it added a bit of creamy texture and a little natural, mellow sweetness.

I enjoyed trying this coffee and sweet chocolate dessert; it was like a dessert parfait all in one bar.

Ingredients: "Cacao & Cacao Butter 55%, Milk Powder, Coffee, Mint Extract, Cane Sugar: 45%"

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk.

Belvie Chocolate Maker - Kumquat Dark Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao Trinitario (bar) - Oct. 11, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Belvie Chocolate Maker
Kumquat Dark Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao Trinitario (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 226 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Kumquat Milk Chocolate 55% Cacao Trinitario (bar) was from Belvie Chocolate Maker (Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam).

The Trinitario cacao beans used to make this bar were ("purchased directly from planters on an above fair trade price...") from Dong Nai province, "a highly inland area underlaid by volcanic rock, (that) supports cacao plantations on its low-lying slopes as well as its valley..."

Aroma notes included: chocolate (cocoa) slightly floral matcha latte; light fruit (banana, aromatic citrus); and barely detectable marshmallow. 

Texture: relatively smooth, with barely detectable fruit particles (kumquat peel powder). These particles were almost entirely incorporated into the chocolate.

Flavor notes included: smooth-flavored, sweet chocolate with diffuse tropical fruits (gentle, sweet citrus, banana) and very faint matcha latte marshmallow.

I enjoyed tasting this 55% dark milk chocolate--that lacked a heavy milk or cream flavor or texture,  allowing the light, aromatic fruit to shine.

Ingredients: "Cacao & Cacao Butter 55%, Cane Sugar 25%, Milk Powder (20%), Kumquat Peel Powder"

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk." 

Ranger Chocolate - 75% Vietnam Ben Tre (bar) - Oct. 10, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Ranger Chocolate

75% Vietnam Ben Tre (bar)
Good ++

Weight: 1.25 oz. (32 g.) in 1 bar

Calories: 194 calories for 1 bar

Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Ranger Chocolate, online order

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

Today's 75% Vietnam Ben Tre (bar) was from Ranger Chocolate (Batch #13) (Portland, OR).

Aroma and flavor notes included: pleasant, smooth, naturally sweet chocolate with very faint warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, root beer, molasses); dried fruits (fig, date); and barely-there vanilla notes.

Texture: This relatively thick bar broke with a well-tempered snap; the smooth, dark chocolate had a relatively creamy texture and melt.

Note: Apologies to the maker. I enjoyed this well-executed bar after the likely expiration date. While it still tasted fine to me, I may have missed out on some notes/qualities that were beyond their best. 

Maker's tasting notes: "dried fig, nutmeg, molasses"

"Two ingredients: organic cacao, organic cane sugar"

Allergen-related information: (labeled as Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free)

The Organic House - Vietnam Dak Lak Cacao Vanilla Bean and Sea Salt 60% Cacao (bar) - Oct. 9, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Organic House 
Vietnam Dak Lak Cacao Vanilla Bean and Sea Salt 60% Cacao (bar) 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 293 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Organic House, online order

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

Today's Vietnam Dak Lak Cacao Vanilla Bean and Sea Salt 60% Cacao (bar) by The Organic House (Burlington, ON, Canada).

The cacao used to make this bar was from Dak Lak--a mountainous province in the Central Highlands of  Vietnam. (Sourced from T-BROS chocolate makers in Vietnam.*)

Aroma notes for this chocolate included: chocolate, light and bright botanical (fruit, banana floral--all infused with vanilla (and to a lesser extent vanilla marshmallow and vanilla coconut flower nectar/sugar).

Texture: This relatively thin dark chocolate bar had an almost velvety smooth melt and mouthfeel, and a fleeting texture from the generous dusting of fleur de sel flakes (if you can detect the delicate salt flakes before they quickly melt and disappear).

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate with an uplifting chorus of sweet, almost floral flavors--buoyed by vanilla and coconut floral nectar. These more angelic notes were tempered with sea salt, faint smoke, and balanced, flavorful dark chocolate with medium (diffuse fruit) acidity and low-medium bitterness.

I enjoyed the texture and the lively mix of aromas and flavors in this bar. (Even though the vanilla and salt almost stole the show.) Almost everyone enjoys a gravity-defying vanilla uplift--especially warming and welcoming as the weather turns cooler.

Many chocolates have very similar aroma and flavor notes. But single origin chocolates (especially those with certain teas/herbs, coffee, fruits, flowers, spirits and authentic vanilla bean flavor inclusions) often call for additional aroma details. My advice: smell chocolates before eating them, or you may miss something very unique and special. 

Maker's tasting notes: "Vanilla bean and maple with light notes of cherry, lemon, orange, and mocha."

Ingredients: "Vietnam Dak Lak cacao beans, Coconut flower nectar, Ontario maple sugar, Peru cacao butter, Vanilla beans, Sea salt"

Allergen-related information: "May contain: Almonds, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Oats, Pistachios"

*T-BROS (aka TBROS), a bean-to-bar chocolate company, was founded in 2017 by two friends and classmates, Truong Minh Thang and Nguyen Duy Thong. They direct source cacao from farms/farmers and focus on "meticulous post-harvest cacao processing" -- resulting in award-winning chocolate bars.

Mashpi Chocolate - 65% Cacao Chocolate (mini bar) - Oct. 8, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Mashpi Chocolate 
65% Cacao Chocolate (Mini bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .212 oz. (6 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total pack of 10 Mini bars
Calories: 35 calories in 1 mini bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 pack of 10 Mini bars
Purchased from: Choiba Agroforestry Products, online order

Welcome to Day #17 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Today's 65% Cacao Chocolate mini bar was made by Mashpi Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador); and imported and distributed by Andean Ecocrafts, LLC (Reno, NV). It was part of a larger 10-bar variety assortment.

The cacao variety used to make this bar was "Cacao Nacional Fino de Aroma." 

Aroma and flavor notes for this chocolate included: rich, smooth dark chocolate with fruit (cacao fruit pulp syrup + very faint brown sugar).

Texture: pleasantly smooth dark chocolate with an attractive melt.

I loved the complex, bright and almost earthy sweetness (think sweet potato/yam + citrus, melon, mango and maple syrup brownies). Cacao fruit (pulp that surrounds the seeds) flavors vary a lot, depending on the cacao variety, ripeness and origin/where it was grown. It can taste like many other tropical fruits melded together, like watermelon candy; and/or, like today, its very unique self. 

This 65% Masphi dark chocolate would be great in a side-by-side chocolate tasting, if for no other reason to enjoy the range of sweet, cacao fruit notes, and the relatively low level of bitterness.

I appreciated: the short list of (just three) authentic and quality ingredients; as well as the company's commitment to sourcing cacao from farmers who practice regenerative agriculture.

Ingredients: Cacao mass, raw sugar cane, cacao butter

Allergen-related information: (None listed on the package that I could see.)   

Mashpi Chocolate - Chocolate Bar 80% Cacao (bar) - Oct. 7, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Mashpi Chocolate 
Chocolate Bar 80% Cacao
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Choiba Agroforestry Products, online order

Welcome to Day #16 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Bar 80% Cacao (bar) was made by Mashpi Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador); and imported and distributed by Andean Ecocrafts, LLC (Reno, NV).

The Ecuadorian Nacional Cacao variety used to make this bar was "Cacao Nacional Fino de Aroma" grown in Ecuador.

Aroma and flavor notes for this 80% cacao chocolate included: rich, dark, (chocolate-y) chocolate with  sweet green (botanical, almost floral), diffuse tropical fruit (cacao fruit pulp) and balanced, slightly woody/nutty, toasty cacao nibs. It had a pleasant, clean finish with a very faint, doubly dark chocolate cookie/brownie--made with brown sugar--taste.

Texture: smooth, chocolate-y texture. 

Relatively low in bitterness and acidity, this dark chocolate was full of balanced cacao flavor(s) and gentle complexity. 

I enjoyed tasting both yesterday's Mashpi 80% bar with unroasted cacao (which had more nuanced sweet green, maybe a little clay and less nutty/toasty notes) as well as today's 80% bar made with (roasted) cacao. 

Today's bar had a flavor profile similar to Mashpi's dark chocolate bar with cacao nibs, but with a smoother texture. (The nibs were fully ground/incorporated in this version.) I found this Ecuadorian cacao (and this batch/lot) to be very friendly and tasty.

I appreciated the short list of (just two!) authentic and quality ingredients; as well as the company's thoughtful commitment to and practice of regenerative agriculture.

Ingredients: "Cacao mass, raw sugar cane"

Allergen-related information: (None listed on the package that I could see.) 

*The vast majority of the world's chocolates are made with roasted cacao, so you'll rarely see the word "roasted" mentioned on the packaging or list of ingredients (because it's assumed the cacao was roasted). Happily a few makers include information on cacao roast profiles. (Usually said makers have experience roasting coffee, or have customers who appreciate these details).

Mashpi Chocolate - Unroasted Chocolate Bar 80% Cacao - Oct. 6, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Mashpi Chocolate 
Unroasted Chocolate Bar 80% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Choiba Agroforestry Products, online order

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate Bar with Unroasted Chocolate Bar 80% Cacao (bar) was made by Mashpi Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador); and imported and distributed by Andean Ecocrafts, LLC (Reno, NV).

The cacao variety used to make this bar was "Cacao Nacional Fino de Aroma" from Ecuador.

Aroma and flavor notes for this 80% unroasted cacao chocolate after first opening the inner wrapper included: smooth dark chocolate with fruit (tropical fruit - mango, cacao fruit, light date), followed by assorted botanical, green notes; and very light marshmallow/mallow and mild nut/seed. These flavors evolved over time. The sweetness, lighter, fruitier and green notes lessened and the classic dark chocolate flavor came to the forefront.

Texture: smooth textured, with a light (fruit/green) astringency toward the finish. This faint astringency turned slightly less astringent slightly more (balanced) light bitterness over the next few hours.

I expect that most 80% dark chocolates will be more intense (harsh, acidic or bitter) in flavor (than 60-70% cacao percent chocolates). However, certain heritage cacao varieties have a milder profile. Today's bar was not too acidic or bitter and, at least initially, was full of botanical complexity and natural sweetness.

Why unroasted? Some find unroasted cacao milder than roasted cacaos. More delicate floral and other notes may be better preserved. Others like the nutritional benefits: higher levels of anti-oxidants (polyphenols, flavanoids) are conserved with less processing/heating.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to taste this 80% unroasted cacao bar. And I look forward to comparing this bar with the company's 80% (roasted) cacao (bar) tomorrow.

I also appreciated: the short list of authentic and quality ingredients; and the company's commitment to sourcing cacao from farmers who practice regenerative agriculture.

Maker's tasting notes: "...many dark chocolates are considered bitter, our 80% Cacao bar is exceptional..."

Ingredients: "Cacao mass, raw sugar cane"

Allergen-related information: (None listed on the package that I could see.)