ChocolateBet: May 25, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 1/2 pieces
Alaska Jack's
Bear Berry Clusters
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.125 oz. (31.8 g.) for 1.5 pieces / 6 oz. (170 g.) total box/package of 8 pieces
Calories: 150 calories for 1 1/2 pieces
Cost: $12.95 for total box of 8 pieces
Purchased from: gift shop in Ted Stevens airport, Anchorage, Alaska

These dark chocolate clusters, with caramel, small bits of pecan and dried cranberries were an Alaska Jack creation. I didn't care for the hydrogenated palm oil, but the Alaska Jack Harper story was interesting. Apparently he got the idea for adding cranberries by watching grizzlies in Denali eat them. I didn't see any live bears in Alaska when I was there earlier this month, but I made up for that by eating quite a few chocolate bear chocsimiles (chocolate facsimiles).

ChocolateBet: May 24, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Alaska Wild Berry Products
1.) Cub Crunch - Milk Chocolate and Almond Toffee
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .459 oz. (13 g.) in 1 small package/piece
Calories: 69 calories (estimate)
Cost: $
Purchased from: downtown Anchorage, Alaska

2.) Alaska Grizzly/Brown Bear - (molded, milk chocolate)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .55 oz. (15.56 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 82.5 calories (estimate)
Cost: 75 cents ($1.50 for 2 pieces)
Purchased from: Alaska Wild Berry Products, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

3.) Alaska Salmon - (molded, dark chocolate)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .55 oz. (15.56 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 82.5 calories (estimate)
Cost: 75 cents ($1.50 for 2 pieces)
Purchased from: Alaska Wild Berry Products, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

The grizzly and salmon chocolates (shown above right) were part of the Alaska Wildlife in Chocolate series, or line, from Alaska Wild Berry Products. I missed seeing either one of these species live, in the wild, during my trip -- so, I took these two chocsimiles (chocolate facsimiles) home with me. Thanks to the staff at Alaska Wild Berry for your help in picking out these chocolates.

ChocolateBet: May 23, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
9 small pieces (rocks)
Manufactured for and Distributed by Alaska Jack's
Chocolate River Rocks
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.)/6.75 oz. (191 g.) total plastic jar
Calories: 75 calories
Cost: $8.95 total jar
Purchased from: gift store at Ted Stevens Airport in Anchorage, Alaska

I wasn't able to visit Alaska Jack's while I was in Anchorage, but the company seemed to have a fair number of products available in stores there. The Alaska Jack's brand included an image of a grizzled prospector (Jack?) -- that evoked the gold rush in the Yukon era.

ChocolateBet: May 22, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
Novelty Mints/Distrib. Tweedie and Storter (Alaska)

1.) Alaska - Milk Chocolate bar (with art from Alaskan artist Jon Van Zyle)
Good - Good +
Weight: .33 oz. (9.3 g.)/ 2 oz. (56 g.) total bar
Calories: 55 calories in 1/6 bar
Cost: $3.50 for total bar
Purchased from: Cabin Fever, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

2.) Gourmet Milk Chocolate bar - with The Alaska Art of Barbra Lavallee
Good - Good +
Weight: .375 oz. (10.6 g.)/ 2.25 oz. (64 g.) ttl bar
Calories: 56 calories in 1/6 bar
Cost: $3.50 for total bar
Purchased from: Cabin Fever, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

I enjoyed finding out more about local Alaska artists when I purchased these two chocolate bars at the Cabin Fever gift shop, in downtown Anchorage.

ChocolateBet: May 21, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day
Wild Berry Products of Alaska

1.) Mt. McKinley - Very Good
1/2 piece
Weight: .7 oz. (19.81 g.)/1.4 oz. (39.62 g.) in 1 whole piece
Calories: 105 calories (estimate)
Cost:
Purchased from: Alaska Wild Berry Products, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

2.) Chocolate Covered (polar, brown and black) Gummy Bears - Good +
6 small bears (2 polar bears, 2 brown bears, 2 black bears)
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 135 calories (estimate)
Cost:
Purchased from: Alaska Wild Berry Products, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

3.) Dark Strawberry Rhubarb chocolate - Good + - Very Good
1 piece
Weight: .4 oz. (11.3 g.) (estimate) 1 piece
Calories: 59 calories (estimate)
Cost:
Purchased from: Alaska Wild Berry Products, in downtown Anchorage, Alaska

ChocolateBet: May 20, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
3 small packages
Will Henri's Farm
Chocolate with Almonds
Very Good + - Yum
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) (estimate) for 3 small packages
Calories: 300 calories
Cost: $3.00 for 3 small packages
Purchased from: Cabin Fever, in Anchorage, Alaska

I enjoyed shopping in the Cabin Fever gift shop in downtown Anchorage. Thank you to the staff who pointed out the various local chocolate offerings in the store. Will Henri's Farm is a non-profit in Anchorage that teaches work skills to mentally, emotionally, or physically handicapped individuals. I felt good supporting this cause, and their Chocolate with Almonds offering was very good indeed. The almonds used in this handmade chocolate drops/discs tasted like they were hickory smoked almonds; they created a savory and sweet flavor blend that I really liked.

ChocolateBet: May 19, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
4 truffles
Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge
1.) Raspberry Grove - Very Good
2.) Blueberry Patch - Very Good
3.) Buna Burst - Very Good
4.) Cacao Wow - Very Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.) (estimate) for 4 truffles
Calories: 240 calories for 4 truffles (estimate)
Cost: $11.80 for a 4-piece box of truffles
Purchased from: Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge, in midtown Anchorage, Alaska

I visited the Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge location in downtown Anchorage last week, and enjoyed trying their salmon and anchovy truffles, as well as a small sample of their drinking chocolate (very good). This was the final batch of truffles -- from the midtown location -- that I took to go when I left the city. They made it home intact after being jostled around and tipped over once during the long trip home to California, so you may see a bit of cocoa powder from the Buna Burst truffle (shown lower right) on the other truffles.

The Buna Burst truffle contained espresso and agave ganache, and was "rolled in dark chocolate," and then "rolled again in cocoa and cinnamon powder." Also shown: the Blueberry Patch truffle (upper right) with bittersweet blueberry ganache; the Raspberry Patch truffle (lower left) with bittersweet raspberry and maple ganache, enrobed in dark chocolate and finished with a luster finish; and the Cacao Wow truffle (upper left) with a dark 72% ganache and organic cacao nibs. Thank you again to the very helpful staff at the counter (in both locations) who helped field questions I had and allowed me to take a picture or two.