Wm. Chocolate - Extra Dark 85% Cacao Dominican Republic (bar) - Nov. 8, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Wm. Chocolate LLC
Extra Dark 85% Cacao Dominican Republic (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Wm. Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Hispaniola Theme Weeks, with a focus this week on the Dominican Republic.*

Today's Extra Dark 85% Dominican Republic (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Wm. Chocolate LLC (Madison, WI). 

Aroma notes for this ultra-dark bar included: brown sugar/molasses, deep dark chocolate, green, faint dried fruit and Boston brown bread notes. (Later re-tasting: also nut butter - freshly ground peanut butter and dried banana.)

The well-tempered, well-executed and relatively thick chocolate had a thick and creamy melt and texture.

The flavors were intriguingly layered--at once uniformly dark and smooth but also with faint layers of dried fruit (plum, light raisin) in the background--and, about 3/4 way through, fudge brownie that lingered a bit in the finish. In re-tasting this bar, there was a (barely there) fleeting lighter, sweeter fruit notes -- faint flavors of freshly baked, buttered bread with a wisp of light lychee fruit.

William Marx, the talented chocolate maker behind Wm. Chocolate bars, is very skilled at managing and realizing flavor depth in each unique cacao origin/batch he works with--to the point where skill may be mistaken for subtle magic. Do take your time with this Wm. Chocolate bar (and others), or you'll miss a lot along the way. And do re-taste this over time. A well-crafted chocolate will be smooth on the surface, but will reveal hidden facets over the course of a few hours, or even minutes.

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic cacao butter

Allergen-related information: "No soy, dairy, grain, nuts, refined sugar, or animal products."

*Hispaniola refers to the Caribbean island that encompasses both Haiti (to the West) and the Dominican Republic (to the East). Island nation neighbors include Cuba to the northwest of Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico to the southeast.

The Dominican Republic (DR) is larger than the U.S. state of Maryland, but smaller than West Virginia, and is home to more than 10 million people. It has varied terrain, including rain forests and mountains and areas well-suited to growing cacao.

Almost all DR cacao is shade-grown (under the canopies/leaves) of other trees, such as citrus, banana and avocado; and much of the cacao is Trinitario (variety).

Raaka Chocolate - 70% Pomegranate Orange Dominican Republic (bar) - Nov. 6, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Raaka Chocolate
70% Cacao Pomegranate Orange Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.35 oz. (38 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50.9 g.) in total bar
Calories: 209 calories (estimate) in 3/4 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Raaka.com, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and the Island of Hispaniola Weeks--with a focus this week on the Dominican Republic.*

Today's 70% Cacao Pomegranate Orange Unroasted Dark Chocolate (bar) was crafted by Raaka Chocolate (Brooklyn, NY)--with other flavor and sweetener inclusions from Just Date Syrup (San Mateo, CA).

Raaka makes their chocolate using fermented but unroasted cacao. Raaka does not used the term "raw" cacao as temperatures in the fermentation, mixing and fine grinding (e.g. melanging and conching) steps typically exceed 112 degrees (F) (44.4 degrees (C)).

The cacao used for this bar was from Zorzal Cacao (a fermentery, specialty cacao farm and bird sanctuary) in the mountains of the Duarte Province in the Dominican Republic. 

Aroma and flavor notes for this bar included: dark chocolate (warm, rich cocoa) with faint tangy citrus and red fruit. These concentrated fruit flavors were subtle and well integrated into the dark chocolate and were more discernible in the flavor than the aroma. 

During the tasting of this bar there were also balanced upticks of light earthiness and green notes, as well as very faint sparkles of authentic orange, dried fruit (date, plum), and pomegranate.

This bar had a fairly creamy, smooth texture, had smooth but interesting flavor complexity, and was not too sweet (thank you). It was sweetened with lower-glycemic** organic date sugar and Just Date's pomegranate molasses syrup, giving it a bit more flavor depth.

Maker's tasting notes: "Sweetened with date sugar and Just Date's pomegranate molasses, this bar blends tangy pomegranate with bright orange zest for a refined sugar-free treat."

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic date sugar, organic cacao butter, organic pomegranate powder, organic pomegranate syrup, organic orange.

Allergen-related information: "Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Nut Free"

*Hispaniola refers to the Caribbean island that encompasses both Haiti (to the West) and the Dominican Republic (to the East). Island nation neighbors include Cuba to the northwest of Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico to the southeast.

The Dominican Republic (DR) is larger than the U.S. state of Maryland, but smaller than West Virginia, and is home to more than 10 million people. It has varied terrain, including rain forests and mountains and areas well-suited to growing cacao.

Almost all DR cacao is shade-grown (under the canopies/leaves) of other trees, such as citrus, banana and avocado; and much of the cacao is Trinitario (variety).

**The date sugar was considered to be "lower glycemic," meaning this food item would be absorbed more slowly, and scores lower on the glycemic index (GI) scale. The result is that blood sugar does not spike as much or as quickly as, e.g., more processed/refined white sugar.

Red Star Chocolate - Duffy's Dark Chocolate Orange 65% (DR) (bar) - Nov. 6, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Duffy's

(Red Star Chocolate)

Duffy's Dark Chocolate Orange 65% bar with single origin DR cacao

Good ++

Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar

Calories: 174 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $9.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate and Dominican Republic Theme Week.

Today's Duffy's Dark Chocolate Orange 65% bar--"stone-ground and handmade in Lincolnshire, England"--was a product of Red Star Chocolate Ltd. (Cleethorpes, England). 

This 65% chocolate and citrus bar had a uniform, smooth--and a bit darker/richer chocolate flavor, than expected. (It tasted more like a 70% - 72% cacao chocolate, and that was fine by me.) The single origin cacao was sourced from the Dominican Republic.

Aroma notes included: of dark chocolate, orange and faint floral, spice and bread.

The bar had a creamy melt and texture. It was a pleasing, balanced blend of uniformly smooth yet rich dark chocolate with orange (oil) flavor with a very faint floral cake note.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic sugar, cocoa butter, orange oil and sunflower lecithin.

Allergen-related information: "Soya free, gluten free"

 

Michel Cluizel - Noir 63% Ecorces D'Orange (Dark 63% Orange Peels) (bar) - Nov. 5, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Michel Cluizel

Noir 63% Ecorces D'Orange

(Dark 63% Orange Peels)

Good ++

Weight: 33.3 oz. (1.16 g.) / 100 oz. (3.5 g.) in total bar

Calories: 179.8 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar

Cost: $10.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week.

Today's Noir 63% Ecorces D'Orange (Dark 63% Orange Peels) bar was from Michel Cluizel (Damville, France).

This chocolate had a subtle aroma. This relatively thick bar yielded a smooth, substantial mouthfeel with a sustained creamy melt and texture.

The dark chocolate had smooth and satisfying flavor and malt and butter notes, with occasional sparkles of orange (candied orange peel). The vanilla pod was used sparingly. Overall, it was very nicely balanced, not too sweet (thank you) and quite appealing.

Ingredients: Cocoa, sugar, candied orange peels (13% minimum) (orange, sugar, glucose syrup), cocoa butter, emulsifier (rapeseed lecithin), Bourbon vanilla pod.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of shelled tree nuts, milk and gluten."

Hogarth Chocolate Makers - Sarsaparilla and Orange 68% (bar) - Nov. 4, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Hogarth Chocolate Company Ltd.
Sarsaparilla and Orange 68% Cacao (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 185.6 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Sarsaparilla and Orange 68% Cacao (bar) was from Hogarth Chocolate Company Ltd. (Nelson, New Zealand).

Hogarth makers described sarsaparilla* as a "thirst quenching, slightly spicy tonic, (that's) not so common these days." They combined sarsaparilla with licorice and ginger to achieve this classic spicy flavor (similar to sassafras, horehound, birch beer and/or root beer) and blended it with cacao and orange.

Orange is a challenging flavor to impart in desserts and baked goods. Orange peel loses it's flavor and is often enhanced with orange juice and/or orange oil (and/or artificial flavors) as a result. It also often requires preservatives. (Sugar can also act as a preservative.)

The aroma for this sarsaparilla flavored chocolate with candied orange pieces included: subtle dark/bittersweet chocolate, root-y/herbal, and faint citrus/floral notes.

The bar had a lush, thick, creamy texture with a satisfying melt and mouthfeel.

After a few day of sweet milk chocolates, this less sweet bar was very satisfying. (I admit I have a fairly strong bias toward less sugar, if only because too much sugar obscures flavor nuances.) This orange flavored chocolate was not too sweet. (Thank you!)

The flavor was a mix of dark/bittersweet chocolate and a balanced, yet complex, blend of slightly earthy and naturally sweet root flavors: sarsaparilla, ginger, licorice, and maybe a little inferred arrowroot (cookie) and star anise. These flavors lingered lightly into the finish. 

Tiny islands of sugared orange peel/zest shreds were pressed into the back of the bar. The orange peel provided a subtle, authentic citrus flavor (that complemented the roots/herbs) and contributed a barely there chewy textural element.

Maker's notes: "...aromatic and refreshing, with candied orange pieces for a sweet zesty bite."

Ingredients: Cocoa solids 68% (organic cocoa beans, organic, fair trade cocoa butter), organic sugar, sarsaparilla root, licorice root, ginger root, orange oil; candied orange (orange peel, glucose, sugar, citric acid, preservative E220).

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of milk and nuts."

*Sarsaparilla (actually a group of similar plants in the Smilax genus) is a woody, tropical vine-like plant that can be found in South American rainforests, Jamaica, the Caribbean, Mexico, Honduras, and the West Indies...some of the same places where cacao is grown/originated.

The soft drink known as "sarsaparilla" that was popular many years ago was often made with sassafras, birch, and other roots and herbs. (The taste is said to be similar to sassafras, horehound and "wild sarsaparilla," birch beer and/or root beer.) Due in part to health concerns associated with people consuming too much sassafras and sarsaparilla (e.g., not being cooked in the correct way to make it fully safe), and perhaps cost savings associated with substitutes, the flavors of these herbs/roots are often synthesized in a lab or factory.

Note: The roots of "Wild sarsaparilla" (Aralia nudicaulis)--a North American plant closer to the ginseng family, and not part of the Smilax genus--is sometimes used as a sarsaparilla substitute to flavor root beer and has also been used as a medicinal plant.

Confusing? Yes it is.

Al Nassma Chocolate - Macadamia-Orange Camel Milk Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 3, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Al Nassma Chocolate
Macadamia-Orange Camel Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 198.8 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $8.50 (+ summer shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Macadamia Nut and Orange Zest Camel Milk Chocolate (bar) was produced by Al Nassma Chocolate (Dubai, United Arab Emirates). 

This is the third milk chocolate and orange bar this week. All three have been quite sweet. (Think richer versions of store-bought chocolate orange cupcakes or filled chocolate orange truffles). And some have had aromas and flavors possibly "enhanced" or altered slightly by addition of "natural flavors" or preservatives. 

Those with a sweet tooth will likely enjoy the sweetness. However, if you've cut back on sugar over time, and/or would like to taste more of the cacao and other flavor nuances, too much sugar can be a little overpowering.

Thanks to the unique addition of camel's milk, the texture was smooth and relatively creamy. Tiny bits of mild (macadamia) nuts added some soft crunchy texture, as did the slightly (naturally) chewy flecks of orange zest (outer, flavorful orange peel(s)).

Overall, flavor notes included sustained, uniform sweet chocolate and sweet orange flavor all the way through into the finish.

Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa butter, camel milk powder (19%), cocoa mass, macadamia nuts (5%), orange zest (5%), honey, natural flavorings, bourbon vanilla. Cocoa 36% minimum in the chocolate mass.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of other nuts and soy lecithin."

Venchi - Crema Scorzette chocolate (bar) - Nov. 2, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Venchi

Crema Scorzette Arancia Cioccolato Fondente 56% (bar)

(56% Bittersweet Chocolate with Candied Orange Peels Filling (bar))

Good + 

Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) / 3.52 oz. (100 g.) in total bar

Calories: 260 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $9.00 (plus summer shipping) for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Crema Scorzette Arancia Cioccolato Fondente 56% (bar) was from Venchi S.P.A. (Castelletto Stura (CN), Italy. The company's history stretches back to Turin in 1878. The chocolatier became known for their hazelnut nougatine candies dipped in chocolate.

Aroma notes for this bar included an alluring blend of dark chocolate, orange, sweet orange liqueur and faint nut and candied orange peel cake.

Yes, this filled chocolate bar was sweet. However, the smooth, dark, bittersweet chocolate shell (that tasted a bit darker than 56%) that surrounded a soft, golden brown, orange-flavored filling,  helped to balance the sugars. The sweet center included small flecks of candied orange peel that had an authentic, soft chewy texture.

Milk, butter (and cocoa butter), vanilla and other flavorings in this gluten free bar rounded out the chocolate and orange blend.

Ingredients: Chocolate liquor, sugar, glucose syrup, cocoa butter, concentrated milk butter, candied orange peel (orange peel, glucose-fructose syrup, sugar, acidifier, citric acid. (100 g. of orange peels per 100 g. of candied product), whole milk powder, condensed sweetened whole milk - 9% fat (milk, sugar), cocoa powder, water, emulsifier: soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor, natural flavoring, acidifier: citric acid.

Allergen-related information: Contains: milk, soy. May contain: tree nuts.