Amano Artisan Chocolate - Japanese Sea Salt & Cocoa Nibs Milk Chocolate (bar) - July 1, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Amano Artisan Chocolate
Japanese Sea Salt & Cocoa Nibs Milk Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 207 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week.

Today's Japanese Sea Salt and Cocoa Nibs Milk Chocolate (bar) was handcrafted by Amano Chocolate Company (Orem, UT).

Amano chief chocolate maker, Art Pollard, consulted with salt expert and author, Mark Bitterman, at Bitterman Salt Co. (Portland, OR) when creating today's chocolate. The resulting choice was a nuanced and tasty Japanese Sea Salt.

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate (chocolate malt), and faint salt, savory (umami).

This bar had thick, creamy chocolate-y texture interspersed with tiny bits of crunchy cocoa nibs. (The milk chocolate was made with cacao from Ocumare, Venezuela; and the cocoa nibs were from Ecuador.)

Flavor notes included a somewhat addictive rich, creamy "malted" dark milk chocolate. Imagine an old fashion malt with 2 scoops of dark chocolate and half a scoop of vanilla, blended together, with a small shake of sea salt. 

The sea salt contributed an authentic, very faint umami note (and even fainter nori--that complemented and helped balance the sweetness). The finish was pleasant dark milk chocolate and very faint caramel and vanilla bean, with a fleeting whisper of earth (buckwheat pancake). (Very faint fruit and "clean" nut/mineral notes showed up in a re-tasting.) 

I enjoyed the balanced, very subtle complexity in this fine sea salt and chocolate blend.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, pure cane sugar, whole milk, cocoa butter, whole vanilla beans, Japanese sea salt.

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

Valrhona - Araguani Pur Venezuela 100% Cacao (bar) - June 30, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Valrhona
Araguani Pur Venezuela 100% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.46 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 211.7 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Araguani Pur Venezuela 100% Cacao (bar) was from Valrhona (Tain l'Hermitage, France).

Aroma notes for this ultra-dark bar included: an aromatic, attractive dark chocolate with a small bouquet of subtle fruits (including sweet berries), nut (almond butter) and barely detectable spice (aromatic, floral ground pepper, warm spices), sweet green, and very faint, freshly sawed wood.

The texture was thick and buttery smooth.

The strong 100% cacao chocolate had a balanced bitterness (porter, ale) throughout. It also had mellow faint wood and almond butter notes; faint acidic dried fruit notes, followed by a very faint refreshing, clean mineral water taste in the finish.

If you're not put off by bitter, deep flavors (or the 100% absence of added sugar), then this pure Venezuelan cacao would be a good ultra-dark bar to try, by itself or as part of a 100%er flight. The aroma was rich and pleasing, the texture was buttery smooth, and while it did stray into unsweetened baking chocolate territory*, the taste of this un-sugared chocolate wasn't too far off the rails. 

Note: what you eat (before or during this tasting) may also make a difference in what you're tasting with this bar more than others. Eating lightly toasted fresh bread with grated melted cheese; roasted savory almonds; baked, stuffed potatoes; or a cheese plate may create interesting pairings. (Think of foods you might pair with a bitter ale.)

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Chocolatey (chocolatee) woody (boisees), full-bodied (corsees)

Ingredients: Cocoa beans from Venezuela. "Milk (Made in a facility that uses milk)."

Allergen-related information: Made in a facility that uses milk. This product may contain: gluten, nuts, soya.

*For chocolate lovers who, as children, opened a bar of baking chocolate found in a kitchen cupboard, and expected a sweet treat--and were shocked to find otherwise--you'll know what I mean here.

20/20 Chocolates - Chuao 70% Cacao (bar) - June 29, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

20/20 Chocolates
Chuao 70% Cacao (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.09 oz. (31 g.) / 2.19 oz. (62 g.) in total bar
Calories: 169 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Bienvenidos (welcome) to Day #8 of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week.

Today's 20/20 Chocolates Chuao 70% Cacao (bar) was made, tree-to-bar, from cacao grown at "Hacienda Luna Clara C.A," (Chuao, Aragua) in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Aroma notes for this single origin/estate Venezuelan chocolate included: dark chocolate, fruit (subtle red berry, plum and ripe sweet blackberry) and faint warm spice (similar to a steamed Boston molasses brown bread with raisins + cinnamon), and barely detectable clean mineral water used to make a refreshing oolong tea.

The texture and melt were very smooth (silky and creamy).

The flavor notes included fainter versions of the aroma notes above. The taste was, as it usually is, more chocolate forward (true chocolate, sweet cocoa, smooth dark ganache with faint diffuse berry/fruit and barely detectable earth). There was a, fleeting, barely detectable (oolong tea-like) astringency toward the finish, but it was very mild and well-balanced.

I recommend you savor this chocolate slowly. Take some time to smell first, then taste. The "nose" was delightful--a soft blend of complex fruit and very light mineral, spice and tea--in addition to chocolate. The texture and flavor were silky smooth and sophisticated. (I'm guessing the cacao used was a fine Criollo* variety (gently complex and flavorful), possibly with a few Nacional or Trinitario cacao varietal traits--which can include slightly bolder, more acidic fruit (light citrus, berry) notes.

A wonderful single origin bar like this starts with a very fine cacao, which is then very skillfully executed into a very fine chocolate. (Thank you!) This chocolate showed why people have extolled the virtues of Venezuelan cacao for a very long time.

Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar

Allergen-related information: (None listed on packaging that I could find.)

*Criollo cacao pods are often smaller and more delicate (and sometimes more disease prone). But their lighter hued beans are highly prized for their delicate and complex "heritage" aroma and flavor notes that can include stone fruits, delicate berries, and cream. 

K+M Chocolate - Milk Chocolate Truffle Fries 55% Bean to Bar - June 28, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

K+M Chocolate
Milk Chocolate Truffle Fries 55% (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .95 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.9 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 148 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sweet Shop, Los Altos, CA 

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

Today's Milk Chocolate Truffle Fries 55% Bean to Bar (bar) was from K+M Chocolate (Napa, CA). The company was formed by Chef Thomas Keller and Armando Manni.

This Truffle Fries bar was inspired by the namesake side (dish) at Chef Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bistro (Yountville, Napa County, CA).

My two favorite foods, potatoes and chocolate, both originated in South America. Today's chocolate was made with cacao grown in Ecuador and Venezuela, and contained bits of potato ("truffle fries") (terroir not known).

Full disclosure: I really enjoy trying chocolates with savory/umami flavor inclusions. Today's bar included flavors that were not only an homage to a chef's signature dish, but were also flavor notes naturally found in cacao (slight vegetable/potato and earth).

Aroma notes for this 55% dark milk included: dark milk chocolate; subtle, savory potato dish; and very faint truffle. 

The melt and mouthfeel were creamy; and the tiny pieces of shoestring potato added a lightly salted, crunchy textural element.

Flavor notes included rich and satisfying dark milk chocolate malt with faint potato and even fainter slightly loamy earth (similar to some cacaos and black or white truffles).

I'd hoped for a fun and delicious tribute to two of my favorite foods. And this well-executed, balanced blend in a chocolate bar delivered.

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar, RBST-free whole milk powder (milk), organic cocoa butter, truffle oil (pure olive oil, white truffle aroma), shoestring potato (potato, cottonseed oil, salt), organic sunflower lecithin, sea salt.

Allergen-related information: (Contains milk.)

 

K+M Chocolate - Supplant - Orange Dark Chocolate 70% Venezuela (bar) - June 27, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

K+M Chocolate + Supplant
Orange Dark Chocolate 70% Venezuela (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Orange Dark Chocolate 70% Venezuela (bar) was made by Keller + Manni Chocolate (Napa, CA), with Supplant*, a sweetener (from Supplant, Inc.) described as sugars from upcycled plant fibers in a process that "uses more of the harvest").

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, sweet orange extract (orange soda), faint saline (although there was no salt), and very faint roasted coffee + cacao.

Made with Venezuelan cacao, this 70% dark chocolate had a creamy initial melt and texture.

It had approachable flavors; it was not too bitter or acidic. The smooth dark chocolate texture and flavor were uniform and balanced. 

There was very faint (barely detectable) chalkiness/dryness toward the finish, but it was buffered by cocoa butter and other ingredients and not objectionable. 

And, last but not least, this bar was not too sweet (thank you).

Ingredients: Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Sugars from Fiber (Oligosaccharides, Cellulose), Coconut Sugar, Sunflower Lecithin, Orange Extract. 

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, milk, and soy."

*This bar was made in Napa at K+M Chocolate for Supplant Inc., Irvine, CA. Supplant is hoping their offering is better for people (fewer calories, prebiotic, fiber, lower glycemic response) and the planet (made from upcycled plant fiber, prevents waste).

K+M Chocolate + Supplant - Dark Chocolate 70% Venezuela (bar) - June 26, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

K+M Chocolate - Supplant
Dark Chocolate 70% Venezuela (bar)
Good +  
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

Today's Dark Chocolate 70% Venezuela (bar) was made by Keller + Manni Chocolate in Napa, CA for Supplant (Irvine, CA)*.

Supplant is a sweetener made of sugars from "upcycled plant fiber" (that) "uses more of the harvest".

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, faint, well-integrated, sweet, dried fruit, and very faint (barely detectable) mild vegetable (baked potato, sweet greens, avocado).

The melt and texture were relatively smooth and creamy.

Flavor notes included: smooth, uniform dark chocolate followed by earthy cacao notes. 

I really enjoyed that this 70% cacao dark chocolate wasn't overly sweet. The very slightly bitter earth notes (likely from the cacao itself), seemed well-managed/constrained by the maker, but were a bit too much. (It was not strong enough to call this a "dirt bar" but it was detectable. Some people will be fine with this flavor, others not so much.)

Ingredients: Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Sugars from Fiber (Oligosaccharides, Cellulose), Coconut Sugar, Sunflower Lecithin. 

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, milk, and soy."

*This bar was a collaboration, made in Napa at K+M for Supplant Inc., Irvine, CA.

 

Thomas Keller - K + M Dark Chocolate Carenero Venezuela 68% Cacao (bar) - June 25 , 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Thomas Keller
K+M Dark Chocolate Carenero Venezuela 68% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .95 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.9 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 147 calories (estimate) for 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sweet Shop, Los Altos, CA

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

Today's K+M Dark Chocolate Carenero Venezuela 68% Cacao (bar) was from Keller Manni Chocolate (made in Napa, CA).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, roasted coffee/latte, wood, faint diffuse red fruit (cherry, berry), and very faint, fleeting sweet green (dried banana), sweet orange, and warm spice.

The texture was creamy smooth with a very slight fruit astringency in the finish.

And flavor notes included: chocolatey (drinking chocolate, cocoa), faint wood and diffuse fruit(s), similar to the aroma notes above.

Because I enjoy less sugar, I sometimes ask myself: Would a higher percentage (e.g. 72% vs. 68% cacao) version of this chocolate have tasted better? Often the answer is maybe, but other elements might become less balanced or too dominant. Maybe that very subtle astringency would have been too high; or, maybe the chocolatey/hot cocoa notes were actually more fun with a bit more sugar. I respect the complex decisions chocolate makers and chocolatiers make. 

This bar highlighted attractively complex aroma and flavor elements from Venezuelan cacao. The aroma and flavor had some mellow (wood) barrel-aged notes in it. Traces of an aromatic, aged whisky cocktail (Manhattan with a cherry and small orange peel--but without the alcohol and more complexity) mixed with sweet, smooth drinking chocolate with warm spice. Not a bad combination.

Maker's notes: "Crafted with sun-dried Carenero cacao from Venezuela's Barlovento region, this delightfully dark bean-to-bar chocolate has an intense cocoa flavor with notes of dried cherry, tobacco, cinnamon and spice."

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic cane sugar, Organic cocoa butter, Organic sunflower lecithin

Allergen-related information: (None found on label.)