Weinrichs - Egg Liqueur Milk Chocolate with Egg Liqueur Truffle Filling (bar) - Aug. 7, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Weinrich's 1895  
Egg Liqueur Milk Chocolate with Egg-Liqueur Truffle Filling (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate & Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Egg Liqueur Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Ludwig Weinrich GmbH & Co. KG (Herford, Germany), and imported and distributed in the U.S. by Euro-American Brand (Paramus, NJ). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this filled bar included: chocolate, vanilla cream, eggnog*; rum/alcohol, caramel, and very faint nut.

Texture: very creamy milk chocolate; each square of the bar contained a thin layer of ivory-hued, soft filling.

Yes, this bar was very sweet. But I enjoyed the specific blend of very rich, sweet flavors more than I thought it would. (I expected it would be too sweet or too "egg-y"). It was as described: a thick and creamy milk chocolate, filled with spiked egg liqueur.

The alcohol imparted some attractive flavor depth and the milk + cream ingredients gave it a luxurious creamy texture and flavor.

Ingredients: sugar, cocoa butter, skim milk powder, cocoa liquor, butter fat (milk), egg liqueur (egg, alcohol, sugar, water, natural flavour), milk powder, glucose syrup, cream powder, invert sugar, whey powder, hazelnut paste, lecithins, invertase, salt, vanilla extract. Cocoa solids: 30% minimum in chocolate content. Milk solids 20% in product. 

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, egg and hazelnut. May contain wheat and other tree nuts (almond, pistachio, pecans). 

*Eggnog in the U.S. is a close "relative" of egg liqueur. Our U.S. version usually contains whole eggs, milk and cream, rum (alcohol) and lots of warm spices: primarily nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.

Egg liqueur in Germany (and Dutch advocaat) are similar in flavor to U.S. eggnog; however, they contain just the (richer) egg yolks (vs. whole eggs), sugar and spirits (brandy, rum, vodka). These two European cocktails may include vanilla, but typically little (if any) milk and/or cream. 

Stoked Chocolates - Japanese Whiskey Caramels - Aug. 6, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Stoked Chocolates
Japanese Whiskey Caramels
Good ++ 
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 2 oz. (48 g.) in total box of 6 caramels 
Calories: 73 calories (estimate) in 2 caramels/pieces
Cost: $16.00 + shipping
Purchased from: Stoked Chocolates, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate & Spirits Theme Week, including bars and chocolate confections flavored with spirits.

Today's Japanese Whiskey Caramels were from Stoked Chocolates (Hermosa Beach, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes for these golden-hued, dome-shaped chocolate confections included smooth, dark chocolate outer shells (chocolate-y, dark ganache) filled with gentle but flavorful whiskey-infused caramel filling. These caramels were well-balanced and subtly, boozy-sweet with a satisfying, warm whiskey and chocolate finish.

Texture: The firm chocolate outer shells had a very creamy dark chocolate melt. And the soft, silken caramel fillings were light, almost delicate; i.e., they weren't too heavy or stiff.

I enjoyed the well-executed flavors and texture; the small size of these chocolate caramels; and the packaging. (The illustration of the octopus on the outside of the box was very nice.) These caramel-filled confections would make a very nice gift.

Ingredients: (No ingredients listed on label); contact company for more information

Allergen-related information: Contact company for more information

Utopick - Milk Chocolate Sparkling Passionfruit 56% Cocoa (bar) - Aug. 5, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Utopick
Milk Chocolate Sparkling Passionfruit 56% Cocoa (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 238.8 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: Missing information - estimate $13.00
Purchased from: Oceana Market, Pacifica, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate & Passion Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Milk Chocolate Sparkling Passionfruit 56% Cocoa (bar) was from Utopick Chocolates s.l. (Valencia, Spain).

Aroma and flavor notes included: sweet dark milk chocolate with a hint of caramel, effervescent popping candy bits and warm tart-sweet passion fruit. It had the fun of a sparkling, passion fruit cocktail (mixed with a peach-apricot Bellini), surrounded by a creamy, craft chocolate mousse-tart, all in one bite. No small feat.

Texture: creamy milk chocolate with crunchy, fizzy bits of popping candy.

Even though this was on the sweeter side, I enjoyed the upbeat, layered tasting experience of this chocolate. It seemed perfect for a summer tasting--but could be enjoyed year-round.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, pure cocoa butter, whole milk powder; Popping candy (8%): sucrose, cocoa butter, lactose (13.2%), skim milk powder, cocoa mass, glucose, anhydrous butter, soy lecithin (E322), vanilla -- vanillin, flavorings, raising agent: carbon dioxide (E290), freeze-dried passion fruit (4%): cocoa butter, glucose syrup, passion fruit juice concentrate, maltodextrin, apricot pulp, thickeners: modified starch (E1414) and sodium alginate (E401).

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Soy.

"May contain traces of: Gluten, eggs, celery, peanuts, nuts, mustard, sulfur dioxide and sesame seeds, soy, sulfites."

Definite - Passion Fruit 69% Cacao Dominican Republic Bhonacao (bar) - Aug. 4, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Definite Chocolate
Passion Fruit 69% Cacao Dominican Republic Bhonacao (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate & Passion Fruit Theme Week. 

Today's Passion Fruit 69% Cacao Dominican Republic Bhonacao (bar) was from Definite Chocolate, S.R.L. (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (DR)).

About the cacao...

The cacao used to make this chocolate bar was grown and processed "in country." Cacao (beans) were transformed into chocolate in the same country where the cacao had been grown. Typically sacks of cacao beans are shipped to the U.S., Europe or elsewhere for the final manufacturing steps in bean-to-bar chocolates. 

And, I could actually taste the nuances in this single origin DR chocolate; the passion fruit added a pleasant tart-sweet flavor and there wasn't too much sugar. (Thank you!) What a difference when a chocolate is made with just three, high-quality ingredients.

About the fruit...

Passion fruit is native to South America, but even within the Americas this fruit is known by several different names. In the Dominican Republic it is called chinola. (On the other side of the large island of Hispaniola (that DR and Haiti share), it's known by its Haitian Creole name, grenadya.)

Aroma and flavor notes included: bold, well-executed dark chocolate (chocolate-y with barely detectable and well-balanced earth) and authentic tart-sweet tropical fruit (chinola aka passion fruit).

Texture: smooth dark chocolate; there were no fruit pulp or seed bits from the passion fruit.

Ingredients: "Cacao, cane sugar, cacao butter, freeze-dried passion fruit." 

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles nuts & milk."

*Bhonacao is a cacao processing organization located in Paraiso in the Barahona province of the Dominican Republic.

Karu - Maracuya Dark Milk Chocolate with Passion Fruit (bar) - Aug. 3, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Karu
Maracuya Dark Milk Chocolate with Passion Fruit (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate & Passion Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Karu Maracuya Dark Milk Chocolate with Passion Fruit (bar) was made in Bogota, Colombia using cacao grown in the Tumaco region of Colombia.

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate (dark, creamy, chocolate ganache) and authentic tropical fruit (passion fruit)

Texture: relatively smooth dark milk chocolate with tiny crunchy flecks of passion fruit seeds.

I enjoyed the natural tart-sweetness and relatively dark-tasting 50% cacao, single origin milk chocolate.

I also appreciated the short list of quality ingredients and the jaguar-themed packaging. The larger bar was scored into four, generously-sized squares. Each of the squares were embossed with a jaguar image. The inner gold wrapper was covered with milk chocolate hued brown leopard spots; and the outer packaging was a forest of sunny greens and yellows with images of maracuya (passion fruit) fruits--including some that were cut open to reveal delectable golden pulp and seeds inside.

Ingredients: Cacao, Cacao Butter, Cane Sugar, Milk Powder, Freeze-Dried Passion Fruit

Allergen-related information: "Produced in facilities processing milk and nuts"
 

Mayana - Spring Passion Bar - Aug. 2, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Mayana Chocolate
Spring Passion Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Cupertino, CA 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate & Passion Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Spring Passion Bar was from Mayana Chocolate (Spooner, WI).

Aroma and flavor notes included: chocolate, authentic-tasting, tart-sweet passion fruit + buttery, slightly salted caramel, faint vanilla and sweet marshmallow. 

A generous layer of passion fruit-infused caramel was topped with a layer of soft, pillow-y marshmallow; and these two layers were enrobed in a chocolate shell to form a finished filled chocolate bar.

I enjoyed the soft, almost silken texture of the caramel, the slight crackle-crunch of the chocolate shell when I bit into it; and the very attractive and authentic passion fruit flavor.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (Cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower/soy lecithin, natural vanilla, glucose syrup, sugar, heavy cream, butter (cream, salt), passion fruit puree, dextrose, sea salt, gelatin, passionfruit powder, lime powder, passion fruit extract).

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk & soy. May contain: Traces of tree nuts, peanuts, eggs & wheat."

Stoked Chocolates - Passion Fruit Caramels - Aug. 1, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Stoked Chocolates
Passion Fruit Caramels
Good ++ 
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 2 oz. (48 g.) in total box of 6 caramels 
Calories: 73 calories (estimate) in 2 caramels/pieces
Cost: $16.00 + shipping
Purchased from: Stoked Chocolates, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate & Passion Fruit Theme Week.

Today's Passion Fruit Caramels were from Stoked Chocolates (Hermosa Beach, CA).

Aroma and flavor notes for these purple-hued, dome-shaped chocolate confections included smooth, dark chocolate (chocolate-y, dark ganache) outer "shells" filled with a tart-sweet, authentic passion fruit caramel filling. 

Texture: The firm chocolate outer shells had a creamy dark chocolate melt. And the passion fruit caramel interiors were silky smooth and satisfying (not too heavy or sweet).

I enjoyed the well-executed flavors and texture; and the illustration of the octopus on the outside of the box was lovely.

Ingredients: (No ingredients listed on label); contact company for more information

Allergen-related information: Contact company for more information