Mutari White Label Chocolate - Honduras La Masica 74% - Mar. , 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Mutari - White Label Chocolate 
Honduras La Masica 74% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Mutari Chocolate, Santa Cruz, CA

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

Today's White Label Chocolate Honduras La Masica 74% (bar) was made and hand-wrapped in Santa Cruz, CA. (The company has since moved its manufacturing space down to Watsonville, CA.)

The cacao (2015 Harvest, La Masica, Honduras) used to make this bar was thoughtfully sourced from producer FHIA by White Label's chief chocolate maker, who "is honored to (support/be able to work with) small family farmers" and co-ops in equatorial regions.

Fundacion Hondurena de Investagacion Agricola (FHIA) is a non-profit that works to support sustainable agriculture and cacao in Honduras.

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient chocolate included: a very gentle, complex and appealing bouquet of fruit (peach, plum, fig jam, very faint cherry), very faint and diffuse molasses and warm spice, very faint and diffuse floral (apricot blossom, orchid, honey).

Flavor notes included: true chocolate (brownie, dark chocolate ganache, cookie), cream**, diffuse fruit (stone fruit), very faint warm spice, and faint (balanced) earth.

Ingredients: Cacao beans, Organic sugar

Allergen-related information: (No allergens listed in ingredients; no additional facility/allergen-related information listed on packaging.)

**There was no cream or dairy ingredients in this chocolate.

Palato Chocolate - Almendras Cubiertos de Chocolate Oscuro - Mar. 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Chocolate

Almendras Cubiertos de Chocolate Oscuro

(Almonds Covered in Dark Chocolate) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total bar
Calories: 310 calories (estimate) in 2 oz. (57 g.) serving
Cost: $15.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Missing information

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate, Almonds Covered in Dark Chocolate were manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Aroma notes for these dark chocolate covered almonds included: subtle fudge brownie batter. (Most glazed chocolate confections have very little aroma that comes through before you bite into them.)

The dark chocolate and almond flavors were rich and satisfying. Authentic tasting cacao flavor included dark chocolate with fruit (soft, tart sweet cherry) and very faint balanced earth notes. The inside was bursting with fresh-tasting, crunchy roasted whole almond flavor.

These dark chocolate covered almonds were much better than most you'll find. They had nuanced and very complementary chocolate and nut flavors. (The almonds almost stole the show.) These were just plain good, and not too sweet. (Thank you!)

Ingredients: Almonds, dark chocolate, sugar and gum arabic (agente de glaseado). Producto 100% artesanal elaborado en Honduras.

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts and could contain traces of milk.

 

 

Palato Chocolate - 80% Cacao Dark Chocolate (Honduras) (bar) - Mar. 18, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate
80% Cacao Dark Chocolate, Honduras (bar) 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week.

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 80% Cacao Dark Chocolate, Honduras (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient chocolate included: subtle but flavorful dark chocolate; diffuse fruit (dried pear, white wine grape, golden raisin, almost undetectable sweet pineapple and mango); and very faint savory earth and fermentation notes (when the sealed, inner package was first opened).

This 80% chocolate broke with a snap, initially had a smooth melt and texture, and then there was an uptick in fruit astringency. This granular dryness was enough to tickle the throat, although it diminished in the finish.

The relatively fruity ultra-dark chocolate had a very slight, fleeting fermentation funk (wine, cheese)--that dissipated (along with some of the fruit notes) after leaving the freshly opened chocolate on a plate to breathe for a few hours. In its wake a tamer, very faint dark chocolate coconut cookie note joined the fruit notes that remained.

The flavors described above were balanced, and fairly mild for an 80% dark chocolate. Low in bitterness, this bar was generous in its subtle, complex fruit notes, but not too sweet. 

This two-ingredient bar would be interesting to try for dark chocolate fans, and one to include on a dessert (fruit and cheese) plate.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs and sugar

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts.

Palato Chocolate - 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Bhutlah Pepper, Honduras (bar) - Mar. 17, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate

65% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Bhutlah Pepper, Honduras (bar) 
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate w/ Bhutlah Pepper, Honduras (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Aroma notes for this two-ingredient chocolate included: sweet, relatively subtle dark chocolate with slight fermentation and faint vegetable (lightly smoked chili pepper) notes.

Flavor notes included: warm chocolate, lightly sweetened iced tea, and hot pepper. About halfway through tasting a piece, there was an uptick in heat (from the spicy Bhutlah pepper).

This chocolate had interesting, subtle complexity, and the balanced spiciness added interest. The hot pepper flavor was rich and nicely balanced; it tickled the throat but didn't overwhelm the other, more subtle, flavors.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar, cacao fat and dehydrated bhutlah pepper

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts

 

Palato Chocolate - White Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar) - Mar. 16, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Chocolate
White Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate White Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Founded in 2017 by Chef Monica Pedemonte, Palato Chocolate creates high-end cuisine, baked goods and bean-to-bar chocolate. The Honduran cacao used to make their chocolates comes from several regions, including some very remote locations.

The initial aroma notes (immediately after opening the sealed inner packaging) included: fruit (melon candy, red grape), very faint salad with white cheese (goat roquefort), and barely detectable cacao nibs. 

After being opened for 12 hours, the fermentation (cheese)* notes had all but disappeared; the ripe fruit notes had receded; and sweet, Boston brown bread and honey notes revealed themselves.

Flavor notes for this white chocolate with cocoa nibs bar echoed the (initial and subsequent) aroma notes described above, first with a bit of cheese salad, subtle sweet fruit (melon, pear, peach) and faint caramel; and occasional crunchy cacao nibs. The crunchy dark nibs and the savory notes helped balance out the sweetness of the white chocolate.

The finish was mellow, almost mild: soft and sweet (more like wine grapes than cheese salad).

*I thought if I re-tasted this chocolate later, the fermentation notes might dissipate. They did. These notes did fade, but some of the unique fruit fermentation fun may have also diminished a bit.

I appreciated the daring complexity of this chocolate. (Full disclosure: I love complex umami flavors.) It was difficult to know how to "rate" this chocolate. Not everyone will appreciate it's uniqueness. I recommend inhaling the aroma when you open this chocolate, but then let it sit open for a few hours before eating it.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar and cacao fat

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts.  

Palato Chocolate - 60% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate (Honduras) (bar) - Mar. 15, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate
60% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 60% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

The company was established by (Chef) Monica Pedemonte in 2007. She specializes in Honduran cacao, and the cacao beans/nibs used to make their chocolates come from several areas of the country.

Subtle, complex aroma notes for today's bar included: dark milk chocolate, muted fruit, very faint vegetable (potato, sweet chili), faint molasses and date, and faint caramel.

The texture of this well-tempered bar was relatively creamy and smooth with a rapidly dissolving melt. 

Given the complex aroma (above), this dark milk chocolate had more muted flavors than expected. Flavor notes included some initial cocoa (with very faint molasses and diffuse fruit), milk (an actual glass of milk), and a milky chocolate (ganache -- only with less sugar). 

The chocolate was not too sweet (thank you!). Too much sugar can overwhelm flavors. Although, the milk (while authentic and wonderful) seemed to dilute what may have been a subtle, more nuanced cacao.

Those wanting a milder, yet sophisticated (less strong, less sugary) milk chocolate will like this subtle bar. It had an interesting aroma and was low in acidity and very low in bitterness.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar, milk powder and cacao fat

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts. 

Palato Chocolate - 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate (Honduras) (bar) - Mar. 14, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Palato Chocolate
65% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Honduras Theme Week. Happily, I found enough chocolates from Honduras (or made with cacao from Honduras) for a complete week.

The history of cacao cultivation in Central America is long. Archeological evidence points to humans enjoying cacao 1,000s of years ago (2,000 BCE) in Honduras. However, it has been challenging to find bars made with Honduran cacao in the U.S.  

Today's Palato Hand Crafted Chocolate 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate (bar) was manufactured and distributed by Palato S. de R.L. (Tegucigalpa, M.DC., Honduras).

Palato Chocolate is a high-end cuisine/baked goods (and subsequently bean-to-bar chocolate) brand established by (Chef) Monica Pedemonte in 2007. The Honduran cacao used to make their chocolates comes from several regions, including remote locations such as Wampusurpi, Gracias a Dios.

Aroma notes included: hearty, nuanced and fruity dark chocolate with faint fruit (soft, sweet white wine grape), green floral, earthy (slightly savory, clay) brownie.

This dark chocolate had skillfully balanced, true cacao (dark chocolate torte) flavor with a very faint dried golden fruit (dried pear, white grape, very faint, fleeting pomegranate) note. It had a balanced fruit (and very faint roasted coffee) acidity and was not too sweet. 

The finish was also chocolate-y with very faint fruit (sweet white grape) and fleeting sweet warm spice (cinnamon) notes. These was a faint, fleeting fruit astringency (very slight dryness, graininess), but only in one bite; otherwise both texture and taste were quite smooth.

Ingredients: Cacao nibs, sugar and cacao fat

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts.