Monsoon Chocolate - Esmeraldas Ecuador 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 16, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Moonsoon Chocolate
Esmeraldas Ecuador 75% Dark Chocolate (bar) 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.465 oz. (41.5 g.) / 2.93 oz. (83 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 227 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Esmeraldas Ecuador 75% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (Batch No. 17) (bar) was distributed by Monsoon Chocolate, LLC (Tucson, AZ).

Aroma notes for this bar included: dark chocolate, faint fruit (green fig, green apple), and spice (light saffron, floral).

Texture: This bar broke with a hard snap in a cool room, and had a smooth, uniform texture.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (brownie), faint, diffuse dried fruit, and very faint brown sugar. In the finish: chocolate with very faint, fleeting rice, light wood (oak), (cereal grass) stalks, light citrus (orange + floral/vanilla). 

This chocolate was relatively low in bitterness and acidity, and had a gentle complexity. I recommend eating this bar slowly to catch some of the faint, almost ghost-like flavors (all friendly, nothing scary) that may turn up.

Naturally sweet. Great choice to go with a slightly higher cacao percentage (75% vs. 70%). It seems 70% might have been a bit too sweet.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter* (* Certified Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles tree nuts, wheat, milk, eggs and peanuts. May not be suitable for people with allergens to these foods." 

Stone Grindz Chocolate - Ancient Ecuador 85% (bar) - Dec 15, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Stone Grindz Chocolate
Ancient Ecuador 85% (bar)

Good ++

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar

Purchased from: Stone Grindz, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Today's Ancient Ecuador 85% (bar) was made from bean to bar by Stone Grindz Chocolate (Scottsdale, AZ).

This award-winning chocolate was crafted using cacao from Hacienda Victoria (Cerecita, Ecuador). The cacao beans are "ancient heirloom varietal dating back thousands of years, making this bean very rare."

Aroma notes for this ultra-dark chocolate included: deep, dark chocolate and very subtle, smooth earth (very faint loam) and mineral (very faint chalk).

This well-tempered bar broke with a hard snap in a cool room. The texture was uniform and smooth with a very faint astringency. Stone Grindz chocolate makers selected a "light roast and a heavy conche to give it clarity of flavor unmatched at this percentage." (More gentle roasting can preserve more volatile flavor elements present in complex, heritage cacaos; and longer conche time can create a pleasant creamy texture.)

Flavor notes included: dark fudge brownie; earth (light loam); very faint (barely there) dried fruit (black fig, pomegranate) and cinnamon toast; and roasted nut/seed/malt. Not too sweet, tart or bitter, this 85% ultra-dark bar will interest dark chocolate enthusiasts. 

Eat slowly to enjoy some of the more fleeting flavor notes and to enjoy the unexpected creaminess (dark chocolate buttermilk ice cream) toward the finish, that became more obvious after the first (i.e. subsequent) bite.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Chocolate Ice Cream, Roasted Peanut"

Ingredients: (Ecuadorian) Cacao*, Cacao Butter*, Cane Sugar* (* = Organically Farmed)

Allergen-related information:  "Soy Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan"

Pump Street Chocolate - Maple Pecan 55% Milk Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 14, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Pump Street Chocolate
Maple Pecan 55% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 199.5 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa (online order)

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Ecuador Theme Week.

Today's Maple Pecan (bar) was made from bean-to-bar by Pump Street Limited (Suffolk, England). The company also produces baked goods. And, today's bar contained flakes of their pie crust.*

The cacao used to make this chocolate was from Hacienda Victoria, a single-estate farm in Guayas, near the Pacific Coast of Ecuador.

Aroma notes included: chocolate, fruit (cherry pie), pie crust, nuts (pecans), maple syrup and very faint fig.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes above, with a bit more emphasis on the smooth dark milk chocolate. The cacao's subtle, natural stone fruit notes (cherry, peach) in combination with Pump Street's authentic buttery pie crust taste made me think of fruit pie. 

This 55% bar was relatively sweet. The flavors were interesting and well balanced and seemed perfect for a cool December day, with hints of pie and maple nut.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, caramelised maple pecans (17.4%) (pecans (nuts), pure maple sugar, demerara sugar), cocoa butter, skimmed milk powder, pastry (7.4%) (wheat flour with added calcium, iron, niacin and thiamine, unsalted butter (milk), eggs, icing sugar, salt). Milk chocolate contains minimum cocoa solids (55%). 

Allergen-related information: Contains tree nut(s) (pecans), milk, wheat, eggs. May contain nuts and sesame seeds.

*The crust tasted great, but contained wheat; i.e. it was not gluten free. So I was unable to taste more than one bite. 

Dr. Bronner's - Magic Creamy Mocha Latte Oat Milk Chocolate - Dec. 13, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Dr. Bronner's
Magic Creamy Mocha Latte Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.465 oz. (41.5 g.) / 2.93 oz. (83 g.) in total bar
Calories: 234.4 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - free sample ($5.99 for 1 bar); available online
Purchased from: N/A - Sample received from Dr. Bronner's

Today's Magic Creamy Mocha Latte Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) was distributed by Dr. Bronner's (Vista, CA). This was the third of three new oat milk bars featured on Chocolate Banquet this week.

The company's first line of Magic dark chocolate bars were created in 2021. Today's mocha latte oat milk chocolate was the third of three new oat milk chocolate 45% bars from Dr. Bronner's featured this week on Chocolate Banquet.

This Organic, Fair for Life Fair Trade, Vegan Certified, and gluten free Creamy Mocha Latte Oat Milk Chocolate carried the company's message (from company founder Dr. Emanuel Bronner), "We Are All-One." A timeless reminder for us all.

The growing selection of alternative "milk" chocolate bars have become available in the past five years. It's a challenge to produce a chocolate that has the attributes of dairy milk/cream. However, Dr. Bronner's three new bars show that tasty non-dairy (and vegan) chocolates have finally arrived.

Aroma notes for this bar included: freshly roasted coffee, chocolate, and creamy mocha beverages with a trace of vanilla and nut (almond, hazelnut).

The texture and flavors were hearty but very smooth.

Flavor notes included: rich dark, smooth chocolate, coffee and mocha nut latte (made with hazelnut and almond "milks") with a hint of warm vanilla.

This 45% cacao coconut sugar sweetened chocolate was sweet. (Sugar is the #1 ingredient, and this may give you that "moreish" urge to eat more than an ultra-dark chocolate.) Fortunately, the coconut sugar seemed to slow down the sugar buzz.*

What I loved about all three Dr. Bronner's new oat milk bars: 1.) seductive aromas and authentic flavor(s); 2.) organic, fair trade and thoughtfully cultivated (regenerative) ingredients; 3.) the choice of coconut sugar vs. cane sugar; 4.) well-executed texture and flavor layering; and 5.) no obvious oat milk taste. (They could pass for dark (dairy) milk chocolate.) 

These bars come close to the chocolate "holy grail"-- offerings that both milk and dark chocolate lovers might enjoy. These 45% cacao chocolates tasted more like dark chocolate than most lower cacao percentage bars. And the flavors didn't get lost in the sugar. (Thank you!)

Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Coconut Sugar,* Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter,* Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Beans,* Organic Whole Oat Flour,  Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Hazelnuts, Fair Trade Organic Coffee, Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Organic Almonds, Fair Trade Organic Bourbon Vanilla Bean (* = Regenerative Organic Certified)

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (hazelnuts, almonds), coconut (sugar). "Made on equipment that also processes almonds, hazelnuts, coconut and soy." 

* Coconut sugar is a bit lower on the glycemic scale than more processed/white sugar(s), i.e. is less likely to spike blood sugar as much.

 

Dr. Bronner's - Magic Crunchy Hazelnut Butter Oat Milk Chocolate (bar) - Dec. 12, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Dr. Bronner's
Magic Crunchy Hazelnut Butter Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.465 oz. (41.5 g.) / 2.93 oz. (83 g.) in total bar
Calories: 249 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - free sample ($5.99 per bar); available online
Purchased from: N/A - Sample received from Dr. Bronner's

Today's Magic Crunchy Hazelnut Butter Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) was distributed by Dr. Bronner's (Vista, CA). 

The company, well-known for their soaps,* was founded in 1948. Their first line of Magic dark chocolate bars were created in 2021. Today's hazelnut oat milk chocolate was the second of three new Dr. Bronner's oat milk chocolate bars featured this week on Chocolate Banquet.

Organic, Fair for Life Fair Trade, Vegan Certified, and gluten free, today's new Crunchy Hazelnut Butter Oat Milk Chocolate offers food for thoughtful consumers. 

The growing selection of alternative "milk" chocolate bars in recent years has produced mixed results. However, this week's oat milk bars exemplify increasingly tasty variations that have become available in recent years.

Aroma notes for this aromatic bar included: roasted nuts (hazelnuts); sweet dark chocolate (that I usually associate with dark milk chocolate); and faint, freshly baked chocolate fudge brownie + shortbread hazelnut cookies with a trace of vanilla (wafting across the hall from someone's kitchen).

The texture was layered--with a slightly softer, flavorful (crunchy nut butter + chocolate blend) layer inside, surrounded by uniform, well-tempered outer chocolate coating.

Flavor notes included: Roasted nut butters (hazelnuts, almonds), and sweet, rich dark (oat) "milk" chocolate. I'm happy to admit I don't know if I could tell this was an oat milk chocolate vs. milk chocolate in a blind taste test. 

This 45% cacao coconut sugar sweetened chocolate was fairly sweet; and it may create a "moreish" desire to eat more--i.e., more than an ultra-dark chocolate would. Fortunately, the coconut sugar seemed to slow down the sugar buzz.** 

I'm a dark chocolate (and bold, natural flavors) fan. Even though this chocolate was only 45% cacao (more sugar, less cacao), it tasted like sweet, dark chocolate. The quality of the ingredients and nuts (hazelnuts and almonds), and perhaps the oat flour, helped balance out the sweetness. And I really appreciated the depth and richness of these authentic flavor(s).

Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Coconut Sugar,* Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter,* Organic Hazelnuts, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Beans,* Organic Whole Oat Flour,  Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Organic Almonds, Fair Trade Organic Bourbon Vanilla Bean (* = Regenerative Organic Certified)

Allergen-related information: Contains nuts (hazelnut, almond), coconut (sugar). "Made on equipment that also processes almonds, hazelnuts, coconut and soy." 

*Full disclosure, I was already a long-time fan of Dr. Bronner's liquid soaps before trying their chocolate. Now a B Corporation, Dr. Bronner's (now run by the descendants of the original founder (Dr. Bronner))  continues to be committed to quality ingredients and social good. That extends to working with farmers in Ghana and creating a Regenerative Organic Certified Serendipalm Project in Ghana.

** Coconut sugar is a bit lower on the glycemic scale than more processed/white sugar(s), i.e. is less likely to spike blood sugar as much.

Dr. Bronner's - Magic Golden Milk Chai Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) - Dec. 19, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Dr. Bronner's
Magic Golden Milk Chai Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) 
Good +++
Weight: 1.465 oz. (41.5 g.) / 2.93 oz. (83 g.) in total bar
Calories: 234.4 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - free sample ($5.99 for 1 bar; order online)
Purchased from: N/A - Sample received from Dr. Bronner's

Today's Magic Golden Milk Chai Oat Milk Chocolate 45% Cocoa (bar) was distributed by Dr. Bronner's (Vista, CA). 

The family-run company was founded in 1948 by Emanuel Bronner, a third-generation soapmaker. Later, as they worked with farmers in Ghana to produce regenerative, organic oil for their soap line, the company saw an opportunity to expand into cacao and chocolate as well. The first line of Magic dark chocolate bars were created in 2021. This week I'm sampling three new oat milk bars.

Organic, Fair for Life Fair Trade, Vegan Certified, and gluten free, today's new Magic Golden Milk Chai Oat Milk Chocolate ticks many boxes for thoughtful consumers. It's also one of a growing selection of alternative "milk" chocolate bars in recent years.

Some early oat milk bars I've tried have been overly sweet, bland and mealy. So, I wondered, what would this one taste like? 

Any questions I had vanished with the first look and smell. This Golden Milk bar had the appearance not of a golden-ivory (white) chocolate, but a fine dark chocolate; and it was divinely fragrant.

Aroma notes for this aromatic bar included: coconut cookie, chocolate gingerbread, chai tea, and sweet coconut rice pudding with saffron, spices and turmeric.

The well-tempered chocolate bar broke with a hard snap (in a cool room). And the texture was layered--with a slightly softer, flavorful layer on/inside a more solid, outer chocolate layer(s). There were a few bites with very fine ground oat texture toward the finish, but it was not off-putting. (More like the oat bits you might find in a moist, baked cookie.)

Flavor notes included: chocolate, golden milk chai tea with turmeric, gingerbread oatmeal cookie, and spiced coconut milk flan. (Could I taste the oats? Not really.) I loved all the authentic spices and flavors together in one chocolate.

The sweetness level (supplied by coconut sugar) was in the baked goods and desserts range, and seemed just right for this spiced chocolate. The only reminder I was eating a sweeter (45% cacao) chocolate was I was starting to eat more than I would normally. Fortunately, the coconut sugar seemed to slow down the sugar buzz.*

The chocolate (cacao) tasted quite smooth. The bit of coconut milk helped convey authentic golden milk (chai)** flavor. The cacao and spice levels were well-balanced, satisfying and had some oomph to them. This was far from instant oatmeal-bland. 

These artfully layered flavors made me feel I was enjoying the best of multiple desserts. Harmoniously integrated yet experienced individually as well. Magic indeed. 

Ingredients: Fair Trade Organic Coconut Sugar,* Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter,* Fair Trade Organic Coconut, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Beans,* Organic Whole Oat Flour, Fair Trade Organic Coconut Milk Powder, Organic Turmeric, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Organic Cardamom, Organic Ginger, Organic Black Pepper, Fair Trade Organic Bourbon Vanilla Bean (* = Regenerative Organic Certified)

Allergen-related information: Contains coconut (coconut, coconut milk, coconut sugar). "Made on equipment that also processes almonds, hazelnuts, milk, coconut and soy." 

* Coconut sugar is a bit lower on the glycemic scale than more processed/white sugar(s), i.e. is less likely to spike blood sugar as much.

** Golden milk is a traditional Ayurvedic warm beverage made with milk (often coconut milk in California) and spices, including turmeric--which gives this drink a golden color.

Marana - Chocotejas - Pecan 70% Dark Chocolate - Dec. 10, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Marana Craft Chocolate
Chocotejas - Pecan 70% Dark Chocolate
Good + - Good ++
Weight: .99 oz. (28 g.) / 17.82 oz. (504 g.) in total box of 18 pcs
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $52.00 for a box of 18 pieces (6 flavors)
Purchased from: Bar and Cocoa, online order 

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

Today's Chocotejas* - Pecan 70% Dark chocolate confections from Marana Craft Chocolate were manufactured by Cacao Valley S.A.C. (Lima, Peru).

Aroma notes these traditional Peruvian, filled chocolate confections included: well-toasted bread, caramelized nut, and faint dark chocolate.

A smooth dark chocolate shell covered the large, (oval loaf-shaped) chocolate covered confection. Flavor notes included: nutty, earthy, chocolate-y with balanced burnt caramel/dulce de leche flavored milk fondant filling with pecan pieces.

Ingredients: Manjar/milk caramel (whole milk, sugar, agar, disodium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate), 70% dark chocolate (cacao mass, sugar, and cacao butter), and pecans.

Allergen-related information: Contains milk, nuts.

Peruvian Chocotejas often contain a thick fondant (manjar blanco) similar to dulce de leche, nuts (pecans) and/or dried fruits.