Wm. Chocolate - Haiti KAFUPBO 80% Dark (bar) - Nov. 15, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Wm. Chocolate

Haiti KAFUPBO 80% Dark (bar)

Good +++

Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar

Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar

Cost: $3.75 (sale) for 1 small bar

Purchased from: Chocosphere.com, online order 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Hispaniola Theme Weeks--featuring Dominican Republic cacao-based chocolates last week; and chocolates made from cacao grown in the Republic of Haiti this week.

Today's Haiti KAFUPBO 80% Dark (2019 Harvest) (bar) was made from bean to bar by William Marx at Wm. Chocolate LLC (Madison, WI).

KAFUPBO is "a farmer-owned co-op producing world-class organic cacao in northern Haiti." In 2019/2020, Haiti produced only about 5,000 metric tons of cocoa. (The Dominican Republic produced approximately 70,000 metric tons that year.) That's up from the 4,400 tons reported in 2016, but down from the over 20,000 tons from decades earlier--numbers that reflect challenges in this country.

Several organizations, including Produits des Iles S.A. (PISA) and Singing Rooster, have been working with farmers and helping to bring Haiti coffee and cacao to market. I felt grateful to find bars for a Haiti series this week.

Aroma and texture

Today's Wm. Chocolate 80% cacao chocolate had a subtle, complex aroma--a blend of chocolate cookie, with diffuse fruit (red berry, raspberry, very faint sweet lemon, and even fainter lemon herb (oxalis, sour grass, wood sorrel)) notes. The melt and texture were creamy and smooth.

Flavor and tasting ultra-dark bars

As is often the case with ultra-dark (80% and above) chocolates, the flavors are "darker" than the aroma.* Tasting this bar, the initial aroma evoked a sunlit summer tea party with cookies, raspberry jam and lemon slices. 

As I tasted the first piece, it felt like the imaginary tea party had suddenly decided to move into the shaded forest to pick and eat wild blackberries. And I was happy to follow, with an occasional imaginary glance over my shoulder for bears. (Thankfully, no bears or rough or off notes, or earthy spikes; just wonderful, perfectly ripe dark berries and one last cup of tea.)

This bar had a rich dark chocolate flavor that was smooth (well managed) yet complex (rich flavors were allowed to shine). Balanced occasional upticks of earthiness were effectively incorporated into authentic ripe, dark berries: soft undulations of blackberry tea, black currant/elderberry, and black raspberry ice cream notes.

Maker's tasting notes: "Rich and herbal with notes of raspberry, black tea, biscuit"

Ingredients: Certified Organic cacao beans, Certified Organic whole (unrefined) cane sugar, Certified Organic cacao butter

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

*This rather sudden shift to a darker, more unsweetened cacao taste (vs. a "sweeter" or fruitier initial aroma) found in bars with less than 20% sugar can be a shock--especially for those who are not used to pure cacao flavors or unsweetened chocolate. Our palettes and brains expect chocolates to taste sweet; that's what we're used to. 

However, the best chocolate makers work with farmers, post-harvest fermentation experts, and others to create ultra-dark chocolates with such care and skill that the unique and true flavors of great cacao sing without sugar sparkle; and occasionally (such as with today's maker), seem to add wings for an extra enjoyable ride, where it's possible to experience a form of imaginary culinary transportation.

Moku Chocolate - Dominican Republic Zorzal Cacao 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Nov. 14, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Moku Chocolate

Dominican Republic Zorzal Cacao 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) 

Good ++ 

Weight: .8 oz. (22.5 g.) / 1.6 oz. (45 g.) in total bar

Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $8.75 for 1 bar ($35 for 4 different bars)

Purchased from: Moku Chocolate, online order (via Good Food Awards Marketplace)

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Hispaniola Theme Weeks, beginning with chocolates made using cacao from the Dominican Republic--the eastern portion of the larger Caribbean island known as Hispaniola. Haiti lies to the west; and chocolates made from Haitian cacao will follow.

Today's Dominican Republic Zorzal Cacao 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was handcrafted by Moku Chocolate (Philomath, OR), using cacao grown on the Zorzal* reserve.

The maker's motto: "Chocolate crafted from bean to bar with careful attention to the cacao that goes into it, respect for the farmers who grow it and reverence for the environment that sustains it." An articulate expression of the intent and ethos shared by many smaller batch, single origin chocolate makers.

The subtle aroma notes for this bar included: fruit (plum), molasses, and chocolate (brownie)--followed by secondary notes that included a slight uptick of freshly baked bread and a single very faint, fleeting vegetable (potato) note.

The melt and texture were relatively smooth.

And flavor notes included: sustained chocolate (fudge brownie) tart-sweet red fruit (plum), and a background flicker of molasses--very consistent with the Moku maker's notes (below). (There's not always this level of congruence.) The uniformly smooth, dark/bittersweet chocolate-y flavor was enough to provide an effective balance with the relatively bright tart-sweetness and fruit acidity levels.

Maker's tasting notes: "Plums, red wine, and molasses."

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: "vegan, non-GMO, gluten free"

*Moku Chocolate maker and founder, Maureen Nikaido, became interested in bean-to-bar chocolate (after sponsoring a child in Nicaragua in 2006 and exposure to cacao and chocolate making, including travel in Central America). Nikaido founded Moku Chocolate in 2020. 

Moku is a word for "island" in Hawaii. Cacao is grown on many islands near the Equator, including Hispaniola (DR and Haiti)--and Hawaii--in addition to other tropical areas close to coastlines. (Large bodies of water can help moderate extreme temperature fluctuations.)

Nikaido has focused primarily on single origin bars (some with flavor inclusions). One of those origins has been Zorzal Cacao in the Dominican Republic.

Zorzal Cacao is an agricultural-forestry project that is part of Reserva Zorzal, a large (1,000+ acres) bird sanctuary. It includes a cacao demonstration farm and fermentery operations. Zorzal (Spanish for thrush--a type of bird) is located in a mountainous area in north central Dominican Republic. 

Manufaktura Czekolady (Chocolate Story) - Dominican Republic 70% cocoa + cranberries (bar) - Nov. 13, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Manufaktura Czekolady
(Chocolate Story)
Dominican Republic 70% cocoa + cranberries (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 316.25 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Hispaniola Theme Weeks, with a focus in the first week on cacao from the Dominican Republic.

Today's Dominican Republic 70% cocoa + dried cranberries (bar) was from Manufaktura Czekolady aka Chocolate Story (Lomianki, Poland).

This dark bar had an aroma with slightly tart-sweet dried fruit (Concord grape/raisin, cranberry) in a sea of true chocolate (brownie) notes. 

The base 70% cacao chocolate was thick, soft and fairy creamy. Soft chewy dried cranberries added texture and sweet-tart flavor that complemented the chocolate nicely.

During the tasting, the chocolate (rich brownie) notes were more pronounced (than in the aroma). The chocolate was well-rounded with barely there nut and fruit notes--the latter was amplified a bit by the dried cranberries.

The finish was fairly clean with a faint lingering red berry (strawberry, cranberry) note.

Hats off to the bean-to-bar makers (Krzysiek Stypulkowski and Tomek Sienkiewicz) who produced this complementary melding of fine cacao flavors and the tart-sweet cranberries. 

I enjoy cranberry and orange together and it seemed there might have been a trace of citrus (very faint sweet orange?) in the cacao that created a nice pairing. Faint nut and/or savory or earth notes would also have helped create what felt/tasted like a well-rounded blend. 

It's more difficult to detect the underlying cacao notes when there is a flavor inclusion (fruit, nut, spice or other) item added to chocolate; but I can guess what might be there.

Ingredients: Roasted cocoa beans from Dominican Republic (70%), sugar, dried cranberry 9% (cranberry, cane sugar, sunflower oil). Chocolate: cocoa solids 70% min.

Allergen-related information: "May contain milk, nuts."

Cacaoteca - 51% Negro con Leche Chocolate Dominicano (bar) - Nov. 12, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Cacaoteca 
51% Negro Con Leche 
(51% Dark with Milk) (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.50 (sale) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Hispaniola Theme Weeks, featuring chocolates made with Dominican cacao this week. 

Today's 51% Negro Con Leche (51% Cacao Dark with Milk bar) was from Cacaoteca S.R.L., the only chocolate maker this week to be based in the Dominican Republic. 

This dark milk chocolate bar had a very pleasing aroma--one that encompasses a blend of nutty, faint earth, slight savory, and chocolate notes. (Sea salt brownie and milk anyone?) The milk (powder) contributed a creamy, smooth texture.

The flavors were also very pleasing with chocolate, a slight spike of earth, smooth nut, very faint savory, diffuse fruit sweetness and creamy milk notes. 

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder

Allergen-related information: "Contains: milk...Manufactured in a facility that also processes: milk, peanuts, almond, cashew, walnut, pecan"

Wm. Chocolate - Dark + Salt - 70% Cacao Dominican Republic (bar) - Nov. 10, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Wm. Chocolate LLC
Dark + Salt - 70% Cacao Dominican Republic (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 145 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Wm. Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Hispaniola Theme Weeks, focusing this week on the Dominican Republic side of the island.

Today's Dark + Salt - 70% Cacao Dominican Republic Single Origin (bar) was produced by Wm. Chocolate LLC (Madison, WI). 

Aroma and flavor notes for this nuanced and complex chocolate included: chocolate brownie, pleasing, sweet earth and shimmering faint fruit (raisin, red berry, sweet orange, fig), light savory (subtle buttered nuts), molasses, faint green tea syrup, and very faint, and a fleeting aromatic (sweet, faint floral fruit) tobacco and faint toffee. 

Tiny crystals of salt (harvested in the U.S.) added an occasional flavor sparkle and crunchy texture.

Summary: This chocolate was well balanced with subtle, layered aroma and flavor. The shifting array of subtle cacao flavors included a judicious overlay of savory with the naturally sweet.

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

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

Wm. Chocolate - Dark + Coffee 70% Cacao Dominican Republic (bar) - Nov. 10, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Wm. Chocolate LLC
Dark + Coffee - 70% Cacao Dominican Republic Single Origin (bar)
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Wm. Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Hispaniola Theme Weeks, focusing this week on the Dominican Republic side of the island. Today's Dark + Coffee - 70% Cacao Dominican Republic Single Origin (bar) was produced by Wm. Chocolate LLC (Madison, WI). 

The maker (Will Marx) describes this bar as "smooth dark chocolate with crunchy coffee bean pieces." True statement; but it's a bit of an under-statement.

Aroma fest
When the sealed Dark + Coffee 70% Cacao bar pouch was opened, the air was filled with the scent of freshly ground coffee (with bright, almost fruity notes). After a few minutes, the underlying 70% dark chocolate surfaced with faint, sweet earth, nutty, brownie notes. And a few minutes after that, the coffee had receded to the level of a bold, smooth partner in this blend. An hour later, pleasing earthy, nutty, and graham cracker notes appeared.

The relatively thick bar had an enjoyable, substantial creamy and crunchy textural blend.

This rich and luxurious blend of flavors was a skillfully balanced marriage, that included dark chocolate, brownie, coffee, faint red berry, and fleeting gingerbread/molasses notes. Not too sweet or bitter, these bold flavors were crafted together to form a very satisfying match. (Note to self: great winter holiday gift for chocolate addict friends and relatives.)

This rich, special breakfast (or anytime) chocolate and coffee bar should be slowly savored over the course of an hour either with good company and conversation--or simply as a treat for oneself. The unfolding, complex and wonderful aromas--present with every Wm. Chocolate bar I've tasted--are well worth slowing down for.

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

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

Wm. Chocolate - Classic Dark 70% Dominican Republic Single Origin (bar) - Nov. 9, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Wm. Chocolate LLC
Classic Dark - 70% Cacao Dominican Republic Single Origin (bar)
Good +++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 144 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Wm. Chocolate, online order 

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Hispaniola Theme Weeks, focusing this week on the Dominican Republic side of the island.

Today's Classic Dark 70% Cacao Dominican Republic Single Origin (bar) was produced by Wm. Chocolate LLC (Madison, WI). 

Aroma notes included (in order of appearance) brown sugar; a subtle, shifting blend of dried fruit (plum/prune/date/fig/banana); dark chocolate; very faint and fleeting vegetable (cooked potato); a faint green floral fruit riff (custard apple); and clear fudge brownie.

After a soft-spoken, short flurry of faint brown sugar, very faint herb-spice and delicate fruit notes, the chocolate flavors resolved into high-end fudge brownie, followed by occasional pop-up appearances from invisible tropical fruit(s); and high-end chocolate torte with a whisper of sea salt. And after I thought the flavor show was over, there were a few more very faint notes of delicious earth* and fruit. 

This was a well-balanced, masterfully executed bar with plenty of layered aroma and flavor notes.

Maker's notes/description: "...smooth dark chocolate sweetened with traditional whole cane sugar."

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

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

*The phrase "earth notes" covers a lot of territory and can refer to harsher dirt notes, something more balanced and loamy (light mushroom), savory clay, clean mineral (think sidewalks after a rain), or even chalky notes. 

Occasionally you'll hear makers mention "forest floor" notes that might evoke a walk through a rainforest. 

In today's case, this earth note was one of the most pleasing, balanced earth chocolate notes I remember tasting. It was a light two-note chord with a soft, chocolatey, almost nutty, earthiness and a lighter, tropical fruit (almost lychee but not quite)--both arriving on the palette at the same time. 

I'm always grateful for mysterious and beautiful notes like this.