Yasso - Coffee Chocolate Chip Frozen Greek Yogurt (bars) - July 14, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Yasso, Inc. 
Coffee Chocolate Chip - Frozen Greek Yogurt (bars)
Good ++
Weight: 3.5 fl. oz. (103 mL) / 14 fl. oz. (414 mL) in total package of 4 bars
Calories: 100 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.50 (2 for $11.00) for 1 package/box of 4 bars
Purchased from: Safeway, Mountain View, CA

Yasso, Inc.
Coffee Poppables - Naturally Flavored Frozen Greek Yogurt
Good ++
Weight: .68 fl. oz. (20 mL) / 4.08 fl. oz. (120 mL) in total package of 6
Calories: 50 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $5.50 (2 for $11.00) for 1 package of 6 pieces
Purchased from: Safeway, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #13 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week, and Happy Bastille Day* to all who celebrate this holiday. Summer weather has prompted a series of items this week from the frozen/ice cream sections of local stores.

Today's Coffee Chocolate Chip Naturally Flavored Frozen Greek Yogurt (bars) and Coffee Poppables were manufactured for Yasso, Inc. (Boulder, CO). The company produces a line of frozen snacks including bars (plain and chocolate covered), ice cream-style sandwiches and poppables.

Coffee Chocolate Chip bar

The frozen coffee bar had a light coffee/mocha scent, an easy melt and creamy texture. An authentic coffee flavor lingered into the finish. The generous smattering of small chocolate chips had just the right melt and accessible chocolate flavor. (The chips were neither too hard or waxy, nor too soft). 

Coffee Poppable

The second yogurt treat--a dome-shaped, frozen Coffee "Poppable"--had more textural contrast than the Coffee bar. It had a thin, softly crunchy outer dark chocolate shell (with just the right texture), a creamy coffee frozen yogurt interior, and some crispy quinoa bits. 

At 50 calories a pop, these were a relative caloric bargain.

Both these Yasso coffee + chocolate greek yogurt treats ("ice cream upgraded") were creamy, appealing and sweet, without being too sugary. 

Coffee Chocolate Chip (bar) Ingredients: Nonfat milk, greek yogurt (nonfat milk, ultrafiltered nonfat milk, cultures), sugar, chocolate flavored chip (powdered sugar (sugar, cornstarch), coconut oil, cocoa processed with alkali, cocoa, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), milk protein concentrate, maltodextrin, cream, coffee extract, locust bean gum, guar gum, natural flavor.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk and soy." "Processed in a facility that uses tree nuts, eggs, peanuts and wheat."

Coffee Poppables Ingredients: Nonfat milk, dark chocolate flavored coating (coconut oil, sugar, cocoa powder processed with alkali, chocolate liquor, soybean oil, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), sugar, greek yogurt (nonfat milk, ultrafiltered nonfat milk, cultures), cream, milk protein concentrate, crisp quinoa, maltodextrin, coffee extract, locust bean gum, guar gum, natural flavor.

Allergen-related information: "Contains milk and soy." "Processed in a facility that uses tree nuts, eggs, peanuts, and wheat."

*Bastille Day, also known as French National Day (La Fete Nacional), is a holiday celebrated in France and many of its territories, to commemorate the storming of the Bastille (prison) on July 14, 1789. This event is often cited as a turning point in the French Revolution. Similar to the 4th of July (Independence Day) in the U.S., this public holiday is often celebrated with fireworks in the evening.

Taza Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans - July 13, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Taza Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in total package
Calories: 130 calories in 1 oz. (28 g.) serving (about 36 pieces)
Cost: $3.99 for 1 serving
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #12 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Organic and Vegan* Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans were from Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA). 

My favorite part of this tasting experience may have been when I first opened the package and inhaled deeply. Many of this past week's featured items have been more chocolate forward. Today it was coffee's turn. These espresso beans had a wonderful, bold coffee aroma.

The texture was a study in contrasts: smooth, creamy dark (direct trade, Ghana) chocolate covered crunchy, almost fibrous, coffee beans. Taza Chocolate is known for chocolate that is stone-ground cho--a process that can result in bolder/less processed flavor and a thicker/almost gritty texture. (I noticed no grit in today's chocolate. It seemed very thick and creamy in contrast with the roasted coffee beans.)

The flavor notes included the aforementioned bold espresso-roast coffee beans and true chocolate. However, the more fully intact (less processed) flavors also had vibrant, authentic complexity with flickers of fruit (diffuse red berry, faint red apple and nectarine, olive), balanced earth, roasted (wood, seed, nut) and sweetness (light brown sugar, faint vanilla).

A full serving (approximately 36 pieces, or 1 oz. (28 g.)) of these flavorful Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans (and the caffeine and theobromine they contain) will engage all your tasting senses and leave you wide awake and ready to start your walk, hike, run, ride or other project.

Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, organic cacao beans, organic espresso beans, organic cocoa butter, organic vanilla beans.

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of tree nuts and sesame seeds." "Dairy Free, Soy Free, Vegan,* Gluten Free"

*Many chocolate covered items use shellacs, glazes or "varnishes" made from insect-derived resinous lac/shellac to give them a shiny, glossy appearance--making them ineligible for Vegan status. Today's Vegan Taza chocolate-covered offering did not contain these insect-derived ingredients.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Cold Brew Coffee with Oatmilk Chocolate - July 12, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Stumptown Coffee Roasters 
Cold Brew Coffee with Oatmilk Chocolate 

Good +

Weight: 5.5 fl. oz. (162.5 mL.) / 11 fl. oz. (325 mL) in total container
Calories: 140 calories in 1 container

Cost: $1.99 for 1 container

Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee with Oatmilk Chocolate was manufactured for Stumptown Coffee Roasters (Portland, OR). 

This plant-based, refrigerated beverage was made with oat milk from Oatly Group AB* (Malmo, Sweden) and had a pleasant mocha and oat biscuit aroma.

The texture was relatively thick and hearty (creamy, with no oat grit). (It also contained vegetable gums that contributed to the homogenized mouthfeel.)

The Stumptown coffee was present in the aroma, but not so much in the actual flavor. The taste was more oat-y, with a mild chocolate milk flavor and a hint of warm vanilla. (The added cocoa powder had been alkalized.) 

This oat-forward chilled beverage was relatively satisfying and filling. Refreshingly, it was also not too sweet (thank you!).

Ingredients: Oatmilk (water, oats), cold brew coffee (water, coffee), contains 2% of less of low erucic acid rapeseed oil, cane sugar, cocoa powder processed with alkali, dipotassium phosphate, gum acacia, gellan gum, calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, natural flavors, dicalcium phosphate.

Allergen-related information: "Vegan, Gluten Free, Low Sugar, Dairy Free" (No other information listed on container label.)

*Oatly, a Swedish food company founded in the 1990s, produces dairy alternative offerings based on oats. The company is now owned by China Resources, a Belgium-based investment group (Verlinvest), The Blackstone Group, as well as employees and other investors.

Exquisito Chocolates - Cacao Nibble, Single Origin Roasted Cacao Nibs - July 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Exquisito Chocolates
Cacao Nibble, Single Origin Roasted Cacao Nibs
Good ++
Weight: 3 TB (28 g.) / 5 oz. (142 g.) in total package
Calories: 175 calories (estimate) in 1 serving
Cost: $10.00 (double check) for 1 package 
Purchased from: Exquisito Chocolates, online order

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week. 

Today's Cacao Nibble, Single Origin Roasted Cacao Nibs were from Exquisito Chocolates (Little Havana, Miami, FL).

The aroma for these softly crunchy, fresh cocoa nibs included cacao with medium (balanced) acidity, faint green and faint roasted nut and spice (pecan, cinnamon) notes.

Flavor notes included: authentic, unsweetened cacao with mild-moderate acidity, chocolate (faintly earthy/loamy brownie), and subtle(roasted (nutty, faintly woody seed, coffee) notes. 

These nibs were well-balanced with medium complexity and no "off" notes. They were suitable for several uses, including for snacking/nibbling if you like nibs. They also would be good for inclusion in sweet or savory dishes/rubs or sauces, marinating in whiskey or spirits, or in brownies, smoothies and chocolate confections.

Note: I tasted these first (by themselves) and also used some to make an (unbaked) cocoa nib confection with them (with coconut oil, finely ground almonds, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt). 

Maker's tasting notes: "Roasted nuts"

Ingredients: Cacao beans

Allergen-related information: (None listed on package, but the following information was included in the item description on the Exquisito Chocolates website: "Cacao processed in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts and wheat.")

TCHO - "Choco Latte" Coffee Truffle Filled Oat Milk Chocolate (bar) - July 11, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

TCHO
"Choco Latte" Coffee Truffle Filled Oat Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .833 oz. (23.3 g.)/2.5 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 3 bars
Calories: 130 calories in 1 small bar
Cost: $N/A - part of sample pack, tour (gift from a friend)
Purchased from: N/A - part of a sample pack, tour (Thank you Toni!)

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Coffee Theme Week. 

Today's "Choco Latte" Coffee Truffle Filled Oat Milk Chocolate (bar) was from TCHO Ventures Inc. (Berkeley, CA).

In late 2021 TCHO indicated they were making changes to their chocolate bar line-up, based on customer input they'd asked for. 

Among the changes: their existing (dairy) milk chocolate bars eventually would be replaced by a line of Organic, 100% Plant Based chocolate bars (including several filled bars). And the traditional square-shaped package would now hold 3 individually-wrapped bars, instead of one (larger) square bar. (Dairy milk would be replaced with oat and nut milks.)

If the established TCHO Mokaccino (dairy) milk chocolate bar--made with coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee, Inc. (Oakland, CA)--eventually disappears, today's Choco Latte bar with a "shot of dense mocha espresso" may be a logical successor. (Today's bar also contained Blue Bottle "premium and ethically sourced coffee beans.")

Today's 100% plant based bar had a relatively bold coffee and dark milk chocolate aroma and and a very smooth, creamy melt and texture (enabled by cocoa butter and cashew butter). 

There was also a slight caramel-like, sugar sweetness to the 47% cacao chocolate (shell) of this filled bar that enveloped the coffee-infused truffle core. The choice of coconut sugar helped add a faint brown sugar note and softened the sugar buzz a bit.

Unlike many filled bars, the texture and flavor differences between the coating and the filling were barely perceptible. The small differences between the two resulted in mild flavor depth and complexity--a good thing.

The oat milk was very well incorporated in this creamy blended bar; there was no detectable oat flour/milk grit or graininess. Although the oat milk may have neutralized coffee and chocolate flavors a bit (like dairy milk softens stronger flavors in traditional milk chocolate bars).

Ingredients: Organic, Fair Trade cacao beans; Organic, Fair Trade cocoa butter; Organic coconut sugar; Organic gluten free oat flour (Organic oat flour, Natural Vitamin E (to preserve freshness)). Organic cashew butter; Organic cane sugar; Organic coffee beans; Organic coconut oil; Organic sunflower lecithin; sea salt; Organic vanilla beans.

Allergen-related information: (Contains gluten free oats, cashews (cashew butter), coconut oil.) "May contain soy, milk, and other tree nuts." "Certified Kosher DE by Earth Kosher." 

Exquisito Chocolates - Cafe Con Leche Per'La Coffee (bar) - July 9, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Exquisito Chocolates
Cafe Con Leche with Per'La Coffee (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35.5 g.) / 2.5 oz. (71 g.) in total bar
Calories: 194 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Exquisito Chocolates, online order

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

Today's Cafe Con Leche with Per'La Coffee (bar) was handcrafted by Exquisito Chocolates (in Little Havana, Miami, FL). 

The company (a small batch chocolate factory and retail shop) offers a line of truffles, bars and confections, including bean-to-bar and single origin chocolates.*

Today's smooth, creamy and cocoa-buttery dark coffee bar was a seamless blend of sweet, authentic coffee blended with 63% cacao dark chocolate. 

The espresso used to make this bar was from Miami-based Per'La Specialty Roasters.

All five ingredients were very effectively used and were well balanced. (No preservatives or emulsifiers.)

Ingredients: Cacao beans, unrefined cane sugar, cocoa butter, milk, espresso.

Allergy-related information: (Contained milk) (No other information on package. See website more more detail.)

*Exquisito Chocolates owner/founder, Carolina Quijano, has described a chocolate maker as a "masochistic chocolatier who also self-produces chocolate from cocoa beans." 

Humorous and very true. A chocolatier can buy blocks of chocolate from a chocolate maker; but a chocolate maker (making chocolates from scratch) must go through many more steps to create bean-to-bar chocolate.

Exquisito Chocolates - "Miami Vice" Cafe con Leche + Dulce de Leche chocolate - July 8, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Exquisito Chocolates

"Miami Vice"

Cafe con Leche + Dulce de Leche chocolate
Good ++

Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) (estimate) in 6-piece assortment box

Calories: 77 calories (estimate) in 1 piece

Cost: $3.50 for 1 piece ($21.00 for a 6-piece assortment box) 

Purchased from: Exquisito Chocolates, online order

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

Today's "Miami Vice" (Cafe con Leche + Dulce de Leche) chocolate was from Exquisito Chocolates (Little Havana, Miami, FL). These two flavors were part of a 6-piece Artisan Collection assortment box.

This festive ("painted" with tiny speckles of hot pink and turquoise) domed chocolate combined two Miami flavors: cafe con leche (coffee with milk) and dulce de leche (caramelized/cooked milk)

Aroma flavor notes for this smooth, flavorful and sweet Miami-infused confection included chocolate with a hint of coffee caramel.

Ingredients: (Not listed on box)

Allergen-related information: (Not listed on box)