Taza - Raspberry Nib bar - March 4, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Taza Chocolate
Raspberry Nib bar
Good
Weight: .75 oz. (21.25 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 120 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $7.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Nib Theme Week.

This Factory Limited Raspberry Nib bar from Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA) was slightly gritty and crunchy, having been made with stone ground chocolate and cacao nibs; however, that same lack of processing meant this 65% dark bar sparkled with natural tasting raspberry and chocolate flavors (i.e. the flavors weren't ground down to blandness).

The Taza Raspberry Nib bar was one of three Factory Limited bars I bought. (I will also feature the Hazelnut Butter and Belize bars in the future.)

Black Mountain Cocoa Nib Bar - March 3, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Black Mountain Chocolate
Cocoa Nib Bar
Good
Weight: .56 oz. (15.7 g.) /2.25 oz. (63.6 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 84 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $N/A - sample
Purchased from: Black Mountain Chocolate (online order)

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Nib Theme Week.

Black Mountain Chocolate (based in Swannanoa (near Asheville), NC) makes bean-to-bar chocolates, including today's bar.

And, as noted in earlier entries this week, nothing expresses more of the cacao bean than a dark chocolate bar with crunchy, roasted cacao nibs. The combination creates a concentration of dark flavors and textures. This 70% cacao bar had a very subtle earthy flavor.

My understanding is that the owners of Black Mountain Chocolate were thinking of naming the bear that appears on the company's packaging (and bars). I'm hoping the bear's name will be something like "Mr. Nibs." It would be an apt moniker for a dark-colored bear mascot.

{cocoa} dark bar with nibs - March 2, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

{cocoa}
everyday chocolate
"Noir" Dark Chocolate with Nibs bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .96 oz. (28 g.) / 2.9 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 144 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Heath Ceramics (Mission District location), San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Nibs Theme Week.

This dark chocolate bar with nibs*, from pastry chef Jewel Zimmer, was certainly chocolate that I could enjoy "everyday." The dark chocolate (66% cacao, mixed origins) had a smooth, simmering chocolatey taste -- think hot cocoa and brownies. It was very pleasant, without being boring.

*Nibs are roasted cacao beans ground up into pieces, one of the first steps of the chocolate-making process. They are typically unsweetened, and crunchy, almost nut-like in texture.

Endangered Species - Dark Nibs bar - March 1, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Endangered Species Chocolate
Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs bar
Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.15) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) in .5 oz. piece of bar
Cost: $2.00 (sale price) for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Santa Cruz, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Nibs Theme Week.

This "Natural Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs" bar from Endangered Species Chocolate (Indianapolis, IN) was adorned with a picture of an upside down fruit bat. Why? Because this company donates ten percent of their proceeds to species and habitat conservation.

I felt particularly supportive of this mission statement when I visited the local zoo today. While it was wonderful to look at fruit bats and exotic birds (like this Ross's Turaco at right) at the zoo, my hope is that there are still plenty of these bats and birds out there in the wild for years to come.

Back to the chocolate...The dark chocolate (72% cocoa)* broke with a hard snap, and it was cold enough that I tried to hold a bite of this bar in my mouth for a few seconds to soften up, to taste more flavors. The nibs offered bits of textural crunch.

*This Endangered Species bar was made with Rainforest Alliance Certified, Non-GMO Verified Cocoa that was Certified gluten-free and kosher.

Pascha - 55% bar with Nibs - Feb. 28, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pascha Chocolate Company
55% Cacao with Cocoa Nibs bar
Good
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Santa Cruz, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Nibs Theme Week.

This 55% Cacao with Cacao Nibs bar was made in Peru, for Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto, ON, Canada), reflecting the company's "bean-to-bar close to the source," philosophy, and making it easier to trace each ingredient.

The base chocolate was smooth, but was a little too sweet for me. Adding some crunchy, unsweetened nibs to a sweeter, milk chocolate base has produced good results for other similar bars I've tasted.

Made in a dedicated allergen free facility, this vegan bar contained no genetically modified ingredients and was free of wheat, peanuts, nuts, soy, dairy, egg, and gluten. (Having been around someone suffering from a life-threatening allergic reaction to peanuts yesterday, I want to extend my thanks for Pascha Chocolate and other vendors who go the extra mile to prevent accidental exposures like this in their products.)

Steve DeVries - Nibs Cluster - Feb. 27, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Steve DeVries
Nib Cluster(s)
Good+
Weight: .29 oz. (8.25 g.) / 1.16 oz. (33 g.) (estimate) total package of 4 pieces
Calories: 43 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $4.00 for 1 package of 4 pieces
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Nibs Theme Week.

Steve DeVries was one of the early craft (bean-to-bar), chocolate makers in the U.S. this century.

I was intrigued by a small unmarked plastic bag on a counter during a recent trip to The Chocolate Garage (Palo Alto, CA); and was delighted find out that these were Steve DeVries Nib Clusters.

The small dark chocolate rounds made from 80% cacao from Costa Rica were topped with caramelized cacao nibs (also from Costa Rica) -- a recipe for fine dark, complex flavors and textures if executed correctly, and it was.

Cacao Atlanta - Aztec Aphrodisiac bar - Feb. 26, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Aztec Aphrodisiac bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .75 oz. (21.5 g.) / 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 170 calories (listed on label)
Cost: $6.95 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Chili Theme Week, and we're going out with a bang.

This 60% dark chocolate, Aztec Aphrodisiac bar, incorporated a "secret mix of chilis and spices." It registered somewhere in the medium spicy range, with evenly distributed and well-balanced heat and flavor.

The dark chocolate base was rich-tasting, and could easily pass for 70% (a higher) cacao percentage -- another example of where cacao percentages are just a starting point. Dark fans, don't skip over a bar just because of this % number. Try it first.