Manoa Chocolate - Ko Hana Rum Chocolate Macadamias 75% Hawaii Cacao - Jan. 11, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Ko Hana Rum Chocolate Macadamias 75% Hawaii Cacao 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 6.7 oz. (189 g.) in total bar
Calories: 190 calories in 1 serving
Cost: $22.00 for 1 container
Purchased from: Manoa website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Ko Hana Rum Chocolate Macadamias 75% Hawaii Cacao were made in Hawaii by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). This small-batch maker offers a variety of chocolate bars made in Hawaii, and a few select confections.

Aroma notes: very subtle cocoa, dark chocolate and nut.

Flavor notes: a subtle, almost velvety dark chocolate coating (dusted with cocoa powder) covered softly crunchy macadamia nuts. There was a faint oak rum/whiskey barrel note in these chocolates, but it did not have an alcohol taste. (There was no detectable alcohol, just subtle flavor from having soaked nibs in rum.). These were coated with Hawai'i-made chocolate and lightly tumbled in cocoa powder.

These mac nuts had a sophisticated rich appearance and flavor; and the faint touch of rum made them even more grown up. The 75% dark chocolate will please dark fans; the mellow flavors make them approachable to all shades of chocolate lovers.

Manoa Maker's tasting notes/description 

Manoa used directly traded cacao, teamed up with local (O'ahu) rum distiller, Ko Hana Distillers, and "source(d) 100% Hawaiian grown macadamia nuts from Hawai'i Island's Kona Coast."  

Ko Hana soaked Manoa nibs in rum for one month. "The nibs are then dried and turned into chocolate that maintains the rum flavor with no alcohol present."  

Ingredients: rum dark chocolate (cacao infused with Ko Hana Rum, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter), dry roasted Hawaiian macadamia nuts, cocoa powder

Allergen-related information: Contains macadamia nuts. "Vegan. Gluten Free. Soy Free."

  

Manoa Chocolate - O'ahu Island Mililani 70% Dark (bar) - Jan. 10, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
O'ahu Island Mililani 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++ 
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 180 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Manoa website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's O'ahu Island Mililani 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate with intriguing, balanced sweet-sour fruit, sweet green (fig, oxalis, tree/cane syrup), and pleasing fruity beer. The ferment notes diminished a bit after the sealed inner wrapper was opened for 30 minutes.

Is it possible for dark chocolate to be both smooth and flavorful? Yes, indeed it is. Think of some of the best Kona coffees--from the Big Island of Hawaii (bold, smooth, complex, and occasionally fruity).

Back to single origin cacao from O'ahu island...Today's flavorful dark chocolate was alive with fruit (bright, citrusy cacao fruit pulp); forest (sweet green, fresh botanical); and gentle earth (tropical fruit forest floor); and it also had smooth texture and attractive, complex (and overall smooth) flavor.

As I've noted before, I love chocolate transportation. And by that I mean that chocolates that transport me back to cacao growing areas (plantations, forests and fermentation facilities). Great chocolates pulsate with fine traces of their origins, due to a series of very fortunate events. Great cacaos are skillfully and carefully fermented, dried and roasted, and thoughtful chocolate making decisions are made.

Thank you to the maker for this Hawaii single origin bar - with balanced, complex flavors.

Manoa Maker's tasting notes/description 

"Mililani is located in central O'ahu. This diverse 97 acre farm hosts crops of breadfruit, banana, avocado, taro and 10 acres of cacao. Their first ever cacao harvest occurred in late 2019 as the trees turned 3 years old. The chocolate produced from this Mililani farm is some of the most bright and fruity chocolate we've ever made."

Maker-suggested beverage pairings - "Wine: Zinfandel, Beer: California IPA, Liquor: Irish Whiskey"

Ingredients: cacao, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter

Allergen-related information: Manufactured by Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). "This facility also processes: milk, wheat, peanut, walnut, cashew, pecan, coconut, macadamia, hazelnut, pistachio, almond." Single origin; Vegan chocolate.

 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Hawaiian Coffee 50% (bar) - Jan. 9, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Hawaiian Coffee 50% Dark Milk (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: Part of a $45.00 USD Island Flavors bundle (four different bars)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha; and welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Hawaiian Coffee 50% Dark Milk (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). It was cold and rainy in California; but this Hawaii island mocha blend brightened up today's January mood considerably.

Made with estate grown Hawaii cacao and Ka'u coffee--a specialty coffee grown in the Ka'u district of Hawaii's Big Island known for its smooth rich flavor, this 50% dark milk chocolate had a very pleasing aroma with freshly ground coffee, dark mocha latte, and coffee toffee notes.

The coffee in this well-tempered bar was fully ground into the chocolate, making for a smooth, uniform melt and texture, with a fleeting, very mild astringency in the finish. 

Flavor notes included: tasty and smooth, flavorful dark chocolate, dark mocha coffee and whole milk.

I would have been happy with even less sugar; but the 50% dark milk and coffee blend will please a wider audience. There was just enough milk and sugar to lower (what seemed to be already low levels of) bitterness and acidity, but not enough to overwhelm the underlying cacao and coffee flavors. 

Lonohana maker's description:

"This bar celebrates coffee grown in the rich volcanic soils of the Ka'u district on the Big Island of Hawai'i. We stone-grind coffee beans for several days into 50% dark milk chocolate to craft this delicious, rich, creamy and eye-opening bar."

"A gentle roast of the cacao beans ensures that our chocolate is a perfect accompaniment to the coffee from our favorite region in the islands..."

Ingredients: "Hawaii-grown cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic whole milk powder and Ka'u coffee"

Allergen-related information: Contains milk. "Soy and gluten free. Made in a peanut-free environment by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC...")

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Orange and Vanilla 70% (bar) - Jan. 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Orange and Vanilla dark 70% (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: Part of $45.00 USD Island Flavors bundle (set of 4 different bars)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha; and welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

This Orange and Vanilla dark 70% (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). 

Aroma notes included: smooth, rich dark chocolate; vanilla; orange; and faint butter.

This well-tempered dark bar had a smooth, creamy texture and melt. (I checked the package again to see if it contained milk. It did not. See maker's notes below.)

Flavor notes included: rich, smooth dark chocolate, authentic, sweet orange oil and warm, creamy vanilla.

I loved that the maker chose to make a 70% dark chocolate version (vs. a sweet milk chocolate) version of this flavor blend. 

Lonohana Maker's Notes                           

"This addictive 70% dark chocolate (combines) "floral island cacao and sweet orange essential oil....reminds us of good times eating a creamsicle* with friends, however there is no dairy!

The creaminess is a result of a gentle roast and careful, extended stone grinding."

Ingredients: Hawaii-grown cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, and sweet orange oil.

Allergen-related information: Vegan. 

*A frozen orange juice/drink and vanilla ice cream treat on a stick said to be invented in 1905 in the U.S. by a young (11-year old) ice cream truck driver, Frank Epperson--who called it an epsicle. Versions of this popular frozen offering were later sold as popsicles and/or creamsicles. These brands are currently owned by Unilever.

 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Big Island Dark 73% (bar) - Jan. 7, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Big Island Dark 73% (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: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

Today's Big Island Dark 73% (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI) using cacao grown on the Big Island of Hawai'i. (Cacao source: Hawaiian Crown, Hilo, Hawai'i).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark chocolate fudge brownie), faint fresh baked bread, and sweet green walnuts in honey syrup.* 

This well-tempered chocolate broke with a hard snap in a cool room. The texture was smooth with a gentle (balanced) tannic astringency.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark fudge walnut brownie), sweet green botanical and very faint red berry in the finish.

I liked the complexity and rich dark chocolate flavor(s) coaxed from just two ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes/description 

"At Lonohana we are dedicated to exploring the concept of terroir. How might different soils and climate influence the cacao and the resulting chocolate?

This 73% two-ingredient dark comes from meticulously farmed and fermented beans grown just outside of Hilo, a full three degrees from the equator than our estate (on O'ahu). The resulting chocolate has hints of brownie and raspberry, and just a touch more tannin than our estate-grown 73% dark."

Ingredients: Big Island cacao, organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: "Soy and Gluten free. Made in a peanut-free environment. Vegan."

*In Southern Europe (e.g. Greece, Turkey, Romania, Armenia, Azerbaijan) and in a few U.S. locations, you can find young/green walnut preserves, aka young walnut jam. These walnuts (picked before they are ripe) can also be "pickled" in honey, and used to make liqueurs (e.g. Nocino in Italy). The sweet young nut products are surprisingly tasty. 

 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Kanahiku 70% Dark (bar) - Jan. 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Kanahiku 70% Dark (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: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week.

This Hawaii Kanahiku 70% Dark (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). (Kanahiku, Lonohana's signature 70% bar, is the Hawaiian word for seventy.)

Balanced and complex aroma and flavor notes for this included: rich, flavorful dark chocolate, sweet green, faint molasses, dried fruits (fig, date, berry), honey, and very faint (barely detectable) slightly over-ripe pineapple.

I really liked the authentic and rich, chocolate, fruit and botanical flavors and the long, complex and almost undulating fruity and sweet "green" finish that included (but was not limited to): very faint honey-banana, green tea, honey-ed tropical berry). All this from just two ingredients: cacao and sugar.

Savor this bar slowly to appreciate the chameleon-like fruit shimmers; and enjoy a bit of virtual travel to a Hawaiian cacao orchard that was transformed from a nutrient-depleted sugar plantation to a rich productive orchard almost 15 years ago.

Maker's tasting notes/description 

"This was the first bar we ever made at Lonohana, back in 2014, and it has only become more complex with the orchard's additional years of maturity."

"Our careful roast ensures that this chocolate holds its balance of flavors, with deep cocoa undertones and bright berry fruit, and an almost everlasting finish--a trademark of our beans from our cacao farm on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii." 

Ingredients: (Lonohana) Estate cacao and organic cane sugar

Allergen-related information: (Vegan) Made with just two ingredients (cacao and organic can sugar). No other information listed on wrapper.

*Senaca Klassen, Lonohana founder and chocolate maker, planted cacao trees in what had been"nutrient-deprived" soil (previously abandoned sugar cane land). He improved this soil into using regenerative agroforestry and sustainable farming practices. 

The cacao tree planting began back in 2009. After crafting chocolate from tree to bar, it must be gratifying to taste the fruits of one's labor over the years. Thank you!

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - Lucky 7 77% Dark (bar) - Jan. 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
Lucky 7 77% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++ - Very 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: $20 (+ shipping)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

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

Today's Lucky 7 77% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI) was made in Hawaii from Hawaii-grown cacao.

Aroma notes included: aromatic dark chocolate; molasses; faint fermented cacao fruit and sugar cane (sweet beer and sweet green cane/green fig cookie notes).

This well-tempered 77% dark bar broke with a satisfying hard snap in a cool room, and had a smooth texture.

My favorite chocolates offer a form of magical transportation. They're made with just one or two ingredients, and they have well-executed and complex flavor nuances. They transport me back to cacao growing regions, where cacao is being harvested, fermented and painstakingly converted into chocolate. They, dare I say it, restoreth my soul. Today's chocolate was one of those chocolates.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate fudge brownie, sweet green, and very faint molasses and fermentated cacao fruit. These fresh and authentic flavors were well balanced, very compatible and delicious to me.

Ingredients: "Estate cacao and organic cane sugar"

Allergen-related information: "Soy and gluten free." "Made in a peanut-free environment by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC..."