Qantu - Don Maximo's Quest 80% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 16, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Qantu

La Quete de Don Maximo (Don Maximo's Quest) (bar)

Good +

Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar

Calories: 135 calories in 1/2 bar

Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Qantu La Quete de Don Maximo (Don Maximo's Quest) 80% cacao dark chocolate (bar) was from Qantu Cacao et Chocolat Inc. (Montreal, QC, Canada).

The cacao used to make this bar was (if I read the story correctly) grown, fermented and dried by a farmer named Don Maximo on a 6-hectare plot of sloping forest in Cusco, Peru. The cacao was then transported to the Qantu workshop for respectful and mindful transformation into chocolate.

Coincidentally, I went on a quest/adventure with friend named "Don" to the Pacific coast today that included culinary sampling (and enjoying this bar).

Aroma notes for today's bar included green herb (oxalis, sorrel with tart lemon/acidic note), faint diffuse fruit (berry, currant) floral perfume and very light citrus notes. 

The texture was fudge-y, smooth and creamy. The flavor was full of ultra-dark "true" chocolate (chocolate fudge, pudding and torte) notes, that were joined by a much fainter, fleeting umami note blend (leather saddle, savory/salt, woodsy).

The notes for this ultra-dark 80% bar were bold (but well balanced); and the chocolate had a moderate level of acidity without being too strong or intimidating.

Maker's tasting notes: Eye: dark brown; Nose: palo santo, touch of pepper; Mouth: almond, cedar, pecan; Finish: moderate fruitiness like blackcurrant (cassis).

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter

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

Kaitxo - Dark Milk and Earl Grey Tea Peru (Palo Blanco) 50% Cacao (bar) - Feb. 15, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Kaitxo 

Dark Milk and Earl Grey Tea Peru (Palo Blanco) 50% Cacao (bar)

Good +

Weight: 2.4 oz. (70 g.) in total bar

Calories: 440 calories in 1 bar

Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Limited Edition Dark Milk and Earl Grey Peru (Palo Blanco) 50% Cacao (bar) was from Kaitxo (Balmaseda, Spain). 

The cacao used to make this tea-infused chocolate was from (Cesar Vallejo de) Palo Blanco, Chulucanas, in Piura (department/region in northwestern Peru). 

After a week of 100% cacao bars, this beautifully aromatic (floral, citrus)* 50% cacao milk chocolate tasted like candy--or at the least like a very sweet milk tea. A slightly addictive chocolate "candy." If you like bergamot and Earl Grey/Lady Grey tea, you'll like this flavored bar.

Aroma notes included sweet milk chocolate and fragrant Earl Grey tea notes. Smooth, sophisticated and sweet, this tea-flavored bar had consistent, uplifting lightly perfumed flavor from start to finish. 

Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, powdered milk, organic cane sugar, organic cacao butter, and Earl Grey tea.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts and soy. Contains milk."

*Earl Grey tea is generally flavored with bergamot citrus fruit rind and/or the essential oil made from this rind. The small, wrinkly/bumpy Bergamot (Citrus bergamia, aka bergamot orange) fruit is cultivated extensively in Italy and is known for its perfume-like fragrance with citrus and floral notes. The essential oil is used as a flavoring in teas (and in some preserves and foods) as well as a scent in perfumes and cosmetics. (The fruit itself is not generally eaten.) 

Certain cacaos used to make chocolate have naturally occurring citrus aroma and flavor notes. Bergamot is one of several citrus flavor inclusions that pairs very well with chocolate.

Zotter - Labooko Maya Cacao 100% dark chocolate (bar) - Feb. 14, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Labooko Maya Cacao 100% dark chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.145 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.29 oz. (65 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar 
Cost: $8.25 (estimate) for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of 100% Cacao Theme Week, and Day #6 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week. (And Happy Valentines Day to all who celebrate.)

Today's Labooko Maya Cacao 100% dark chocolate (bar) was made in Austria (where Zotter is based) and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Cape Coral, FL). 

This ultra-dark chocolate was made with cacao from Central America (Belize, Guatemala) and "cocoa beans from Peru" according to the back label. These areas combined are at the heart of the cacao epicenter, where humans and animals first tasted and enjoyed cacao fruit and the beans (seeds) inside the fruit that grew on cacao trees thousands of years ago.

Aroma notes for this bar included: subtle dark chocolate, green citrus (oxalis, sorrel), diffuse fruit (cherry and apple compote with warm spice, and light tropical fruit (pineapple guava, cherimoya), and very faint, fleeting earthy root (potato).

This chocolate had a smooth, buttery texture. The pleasant aroma was followed by a much more intense flavor--that mellowed and became more approachable after about 20 seconds.

Initial bitterness evolved into acidity/sour (tannins, grapefruit/lemon) flavor, that mellowed into bold, roasted cacao (passing through a faintly earthy dark espresso roast coffee with cacao notes phase), followed by a very brief, faint red berries/fruit note, that then tailed off into a lingering ultra-dark, balanced bitter, chocolate finish. 

Once I recovered from the initial ride, I found I rather liked it. This 100%er was a great morning wake up chocolate. It felt like I'd experienced a satisfying sip of fragrant and full-bodied espresso. 

When I re-tasted this bar a minute or two later, I also picked up pleasing ultra dark chocolate torte and nutty, woody (cocoa bean) notes that rounded out/further mellowed this ultra-dark chocolate. Despite its initial intensity, I found this bar complex, interesting and oddly addictive.

Maker's tasting notes: "Fragrance notes: berries, cherries, mildly tropical accents. Taste notes: spicy-nutty. An initial acidity, with notes of red fruit, spice and nuts, with a sub-finish of tannins similar to black tea."

Ingredients: Organic, fair traded cocoa mass 

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, peanuts, milk, sesame and soy."

Goodnow Farms - Special Reserve Dark 100% Cacao (Peru) bar - Feb. 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Goodnow Farms
Special Reserve Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao (bar)
Good +++ - Very Good
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and 100% Cacao Theme Week, and Day #5 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week. 

Why are there so many 100% Cacao bars made with Peruvian cacao this week? Peru produces a range of cacao varieties with flavors ranging from the bolder Forastero/Amelonado cacaos to milder, Criollo-like cacaos (with cream and soft fruit notes). Today's subtle and sophisticated bar tasted closer to the latter. 

Today's Special Reserve Dark Chocolate 100% Cacao (bar) was from Goodnow Farms (Sudbury, MA). 

Aroma notes for this bar included: soft citrus (lemon), soft ultra-dark chocolate, and soft green notes. I rarely use the adjective "soft" to describe 100% cacao bars. The notes were present and nicely balanced, but gentler than expected, based on 100% cacao ultra-dark chocolates featured earlier this week. 

This bar broke with a hard snap, and had a uniform, sophisticated buttery melt and mouthfeel.

The flavor was smooth with a balanced bitterness (like a creamy ale), diffuse fruit (citrus, stone fruit) in cream, and very faint roasted mocha cream notes. 

Note: I re-tasted this bar 30 minutes later, and also detected some very, very faint, fleeting earth and umami (sauteed mushrooms in butter with a pinch of alderwood/hickory smoked salt) and very faint creamy green tea latte notes.) Creamy complexity. All good. Those who really slow down and pay attention may enjoy a four-course, five star meal in a bar.

The use of ("fresh-pressed") single origin cocoa butter likely contributed to this chocolate's unified, polished flavor profile. 

The clean, elegant flavor extended into a light, lingering finish that also recalled cream and dairy notes/mouthfeel.

Was this 100% cacao chocolate bar worth $15.00? Yes, it was.

Goodnow Farms maker's tasting notes: "Lemongrass, green grapes and peach"..."The smooth flavor of this award-winning bar will change the way you think about 100% cacao."

Ingredients: Single origin cacao beans, single origin cacao butter (Soy Free, Vegan, Gluten Free)

Allergen-related information: "May contain trace amounts of peanuts and tree nuts."

 

Original Beans - Cusco 100% Sacred Cusco Valley, Peru (bar) - Feb. 12, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Original Beans
Cusco 100% - "Mighty" Sacred Cusco Valley, Peru (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 183 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.50 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Buenos tardes (good afternoon) and welcome to Day #9 of 100% Cacao Theme Week, and Day #4 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Organic Cusco 100% - "Mighty" Sacred Cusco Valley, Peru bar (made in Switzerland) was from Original Beans (Amsterdam, NL). The Chuncho cacao used to make this ultra-dark bar hailed from an area not far from the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.* 

Aroma notes for this 100% cacao chocolate included: green, and slightly tart/astringent ripe fruit (pink grapefruit), fermented (almost vinegary, sweet-sour) stone fruit (cherry, plum).

This chocolate had a deep, dense roasted cacao dark chocolate flavor with a thick (nut butter) consistency and relatively slow buttery melt (on a cool day). 

There were also classic bittersweet chocolate chip and sustained faint tart, diffused acidic, slightly sour fruit notes in the background that lingered a bit into the finish.

Maker's tasting notes: "Tastes of dried flowers and grass mark the absolute altitude of this rarest of rare Chunco cacao..."

Ingredients: 100% cacao mass

Allergen-related information: (No information found on package.) 

* Original Beans founder and chief grower, Philipp Kauffmann, embraces regenerative (e.g. one tree is planted in the rainforest for every bar sold) and fair trade practices. Since founding the company in 2008, Kauffmann has worked with growers and sought out the "rarest and fairest" cacaos in select regions in South America (Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia), Mexico and Africa (Tanzania, Congo DR).

Cacaosuyo - Rupa Rupa Peru 100% (bar) - Feb. 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Cacaosuyo 
Discover 100% Cacao Rupa Rupa Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 224 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of 100% Cacao Theme Week, and Day #3 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's CacaoSuyo 100% Cacao Rupa Rupa Dark Chocolate (bar) was produced by Theobroma Inversiones (Lima, Peru). 

The company makes chocolate with cacao from the Peruvian Amazon. Cacaosuyo's tagline "The best kept secret of the Incas" underscored the long history of cacao in Peru and South America. 

Rupa Rupa (aka Tingo Maria) cacao refers to a growing region in central Peru (east of the Andes).

This single ingredient 100% cacao bar was hearty, yeasty (fresh baked bread) and earthy, with balanced bitterness (like a deep, rich ale with a citrus note).

Ingredients: Cocoa paste (Theobroma cacao)

Allergen-related information: "This product was produced in a facility that also processes milk, nuts and/or peanuts."

Pascha - 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Organic Cocoa Nibs (bar) - Feb. 10, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Pascha

100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Organic Cocoa Nibs (bar)

Good +

Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) in total bar
Calories: 252 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Missing information

Welcome to Day #7 of 100% Cacao Theme Week--featuring 100% (unsweetened) cacao chocolate and 100% cocoa nibs together, in one bar--and Day #2 of Chocolate and Peru Theme Week.

Today's Organic 100% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs (bar) was a product of Peru and was distributed by Pascha Chocolate Company (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, green, maple, faint molasses, diffuse warm (almost floral) spice and faint roasted wood and nut.

Flavor notes included, intense, rich dark chocolate that was well integrated with roasted, nutty cocoa bean/nib flavors. 

The blend (and roast) profiles of a smoother chocolate with more intact pieces of cocoa bean (seed) pieces (nibs) created a hearty, softly crunchy texture and added depth to the overall bold, fresh cacao taste.

This concentrated, balanced blend of authentic cacao flavors will appeal to those who you enjoy more intense, ultra-dark chocolates. I would add this bold bar to a 100% Cacao tasting flight to let people experience its pure cocoa bean and nutty nib flavors.

Ingredients: Organic chocolate liquor, Organic cacao nibs

Allergen-related information: "Made in a dedicated allergen free facility"..."Completely free from the 8 major allergens" (including peanuts, nuts, gluten, wheat, egg, soy, dairy). "Zero sugar. Keto-friendly"