Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates - Cocoa Nib Brittle - Sea Salt (bar) - Jan. 29, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates
Cocoa Nib Brittle - Sea Salt (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.6 oz. (75 g.) (per label) in total bar
Calories: 403 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: FarmFresh, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Cacao Nibs Theme Week. 

Today's Cocoa Nib Brittle (with) Sea Salt (bar) was from Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, Inc. (Sacramento, CA).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (ultra-dark/roasted brownie) with faint, fleeting black pepper and very faint roasted mocha brownie notes.

Texture: well-tempered chocolate with a well-executed satisfying crunch (well-distributed pieces of nib brittle surrounded by smooth dark chocolate. (Both nibs and dark couverture chocolate were from Valrhona.)

This 69% bar tasted more like a 75% dark chocolate (in part due to the inclusion of the cocoa nibs). This will really please dark fans. The dark chocolate flavors were very appealing, and well integrated. The nib brittle and overall balance were excellent.  

What I liked about this bar: 1.) satisfying, well-executed dark chocolate with nib brittle that wasn't too sweet; 2.) rich, authentic cacao flavor(s) with great texture, accented with just the right amount of brittle (light toffee) and sea salt--making it slightly addicting; 3.) a talented chocolatier who created a great product using high-quality chocolate and nibs.

Ingredients: Bittersweet Chocolate (Cocoa Beans from Madagascar, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soya Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Extract), Cocoa Paste (100% Cocoa Beans from Madagascar), Cane Sugar, Glucose, Roasted Cocoa Beans, Butter, Fleur de Sel Salt, Baking Soda, Vanilla Extract.

Allergen-related information: This product contains milk and soybeans. This product may contain traces of wheat, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts.

Gnosis Chocolate - "Eighty Nibs" Limited Edition 80% Dark Raw Chocolate w/ Raw Cacao Nibs (bar) - Jan. 28, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Gnosis Chocolate
"Eighty Nibs" 80% Dark Raw Chocolate w/ Raw Cacao Nibs (Madagascar) (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) / 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 139 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Gnosis Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #4 of Cacao Nibs Theme Week. 

Today's "Eighty Nibs" Limited Edition 80% Dark Raw Chocolate with Raw Cacao Nibs (Madagascar) bar was from Gnosis Chocolate (NYC, NY). The company worked with Francois Pralus (chocolaterie in France) to obtain the only raw cacao nibs available from Madagascar.

Aroma notes included: dark smooth chocolate with very faint dried fruit, light brown sugar, and fleeting smooth aromatic tobacco and sweet green.

Texture: a pleasing blend of creamy and crunchy 

Flavor notes included: smooth dark chocolate (chocolate-y, ultra dark fudge brownie) that was relatively mellow (low in acidity and bitterness) for an 80% dark chocolate + cacao nibs--with some of the same nuanced notes as the aroma notes mentioned above. 

Raw chocolate can taste more mellow (less roasted) and less processed--because it is. Some more volatile notes (e.g. easily lost with heat) and some nutrients may be better preserved using raw cacao. 

That said, raw chocolate is the exception in chocolate sales. Some prefer roasting and roasted flavors. Roasting and processing times can vary tremendously in chocolate making; and a maker's choices will depend on a number of factors, including the cacao source, variety, fermentation results, flavors (present and potential/possible), etc. 

What I liked about this bar: 1.) smooth, ultra-dark rich flavor; 2.) thoughtfully made raw chocolate; and 3.) well-balanced blend of cacao flavors and textures.

Ingredients: "80% raw chocolate* (raw cacao beans*, coconut sugar*), raw cacao nibs, Love. *organic"

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

Manoa Chocolate - Cacao Nibs - Jan. 27, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Manoa Chocolate
Cacao Nibs
Good ++
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) / 8 oz. (226.8 g.) in total package
Calories: 63.3 calories in 1 TB (10 g.) serving
Cost: $9.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Aloha. Welcome to the last day (#27) of Chocolate and Hawaii Week, and Day #1 of Cacao Nibs Theme Week.

This package of roasted cacao nibs ("Direct Trade; Grade A Cacao") were from Manoa Chocolate (Kailua, HI). Manoa, a bean-to-bar maker, created these nibs from cacao beans grown in Ecuador. 

Cacao nibs represent an important step in chocolate making. Cacao beans become cacao nibs and, after many more steps, nibs become chocolate. 

However, nibs are also tasty by themselves; baked into brownies; ground into milkshakes and smoothies; soaked in whiskey (or spirit of your choice); and/or folded into ice cream or cookies for a decadent dessert option. (Manoa also suggests including these nibs in oatmeal, yogurt, salads, cereals, pastas and baked goods.)

Aroma notes for today's nibs included: cacao (dark chocolate with slightly acidic earth (forest loam),woody and woodsy, chocolate-y, and a trace of brownie at the end.

These roasted cacao nibs had a pleasing, uniform roast and crunchy texture. There were no "off" notes.

Flavor notes included: deep dark chocolate-y flavor with no sweeteners and plenty of cacao flavors including the slightly woodsy notes mentioned above, and faint sweet, green nut (young walnuts).

Ingredients: Cacao Nibs (Ecuador) 

Allergen-related information: "Our facility processes milk and nuts." 

Lonohana Estate Chocolate - 67% Dark with Nibs and Sea Salt (bar) - Jan. 26, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Lonohana Estate Chocolate
67% Dark with Nibs & Sea Salt (bar)
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: Part of a $45.00 USD Island Flavors bundle (four different bars)
Purchased from: Lonohana website, online order

Aloha; and welcome to Day #26 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s).

Today's 67% Dark with Nibs & Sea Salt (bar) was made by Lonohana Estate Chocolate, LLC (Honolulu, HI). 

Aroma notes included: rich, dark and seductive single origin chocolate (ultra dark chocolate brownie cookie and sweet green botanical aspects (cane syrup, green fig, rainforest with a waterfall, sweet green nut)), and very faint fleeting mocha.

Texture: This was a very well-executed blend of opposites: smooth and crunchy, sweet and salty, and smooth yet divinely intense.

The cacao nibs on the back side were uniform, and relatively small in size ensuring a pleasurable and delicious crunchy chocolate experience (with zero "off" flavors or funky nibs). The salt was also perfectly deployed, allowing for small, very gentle waves of sea salt. (It brought back memories of an ocean swim in Hawaii.)

The base chocolate had a smooth, uniform melt and texture, with a fleeting, very mild, very well balanced cacao bean/nib flavor (very delicate cacao bitter/nutty astringency) in the finish. 

Flavor notes included: delicious, well-executed, full cacao (nibs and chocolate) tasting experience in one bar, with some green, botanical notes (mentioned in aroma notes, above). High-quality, perfectly balanced flavors, in harmonious gentle flux.

Lonohana maker's description:

"From the fertile soils of the Big Island, the cacao for this bar grows a full three degrees further south towards the equator than our estate on Oahu. The soil and weather differences between the two islands give each their own unique characteristics. We sprinkle Alaea sea salt from Moloka'i and gently roasted chopped cacao nibs on the back of our 67% dark chocolate. It is a crunchy, salty, creamy and perfectly instense chocolate bar."

What I loved about this bar: 1.) rich dark chocolate and cocoa nib flavors and maker's roast (gently roasted nibs) and other choices; 2.) well executed crunchy nib size, taste and texture; 3.) perfect amount of sea salt that harmonized perfectly with the chocolate and make this bar slightly addicting; and 4.) the overwhelming joy and "transportation" (to an island rainforest/cacao plantation) that only a few of the very best (single origin) chocolates provide.

Ingredients: "Big Island cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, Moloka'i Alaea sea salt (and) roasted cocoa nibs"

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

Puna Chocolate Company - Kona Coffee and Puna Nibs 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 25, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Puna Chocolate Company
Kona Coffee and Puna Nibs 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 1.23 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 137 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.95 total bar + shipping
Purchased from: Puna Chocolate, online order

Aloha! Welcome to Day #25 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s), and Day #1 of Chocolate and Cocoa Nibs Theme Week.

Today's Kona Coffee and Puna Nibs 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made by Puna Chocolate Company (Kailua-Kona, Big Island, HI). The company incorporates Hawaii-grown coffee and cacao into their bars and beverages. 

Aroma notes included: rich dark chocolate and roasted coffee. 

Texture: smooth chocolate and crunchy nibs texture. 

Flavor notes included: rich, hearty dark chocolate and cocoa nibs with medium (tropical fruit) acidity; and smooth Kona coffee; roasted almost nutty flavors (from nibs, and possibly coffee). 

Cacao and coffee make for a bold, often delicious partnership. 

Often the coffee is more acidic and overwhelms what are more muted cacao flavor notes. Today's chosen blend of relatively balanced bold and complex chocolate (with medium fruit acidity) and relatively smooth Kona coffee, was enjoyable, and teetered on the reverse effect, i.e. the bolder/more acidic cacao interacted with/seemed to dominate the smoother coffee.

What I liked about this bar: 1.) the thoughtful blend of Hawaii chocolate (and 100% Puna nibs) and Kona coffee; 2.) interesting, complex flavors present (that come with fresh, local and/or less processed ingredients; and 3.) the active balance achieved between two very flavor-full ingredients.

Ingredients: Hawaiian Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Hawaiian Cacao Nibs, Kona Coffee

Allergen-related information:  Manufactured in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts

Puna Chocolate Company - Hamakua 70% Dark Chocolate, Single District (bar) - Jan. 24, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Puna Chocolate Company
Hamakua 70% Dark Chocolate, Single District (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.50 total bar + shipping
Purchased from: Puna Chocolate, online order

Aloha, and welcome to Day #24 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s).

Today's Hamakua Kona Regional 70% Kona Chocolate (bar) was crafted by the makers at Puna Chocolate Company (Kailua-Kona, HI).

Aroma notes included: balanced, complex, rich dark chocolate with brownie, faint fruit (diffuse tropical - sweet tangerine, pineapple, cacao fruit) and and very faint, fleeting vegetable (sweet potato).

The melt was uniform and smooth with a slightly creamy finish. There were no flavor inclusions in this two-ingredient, single region (Hamakua, Big Island, HI) dark chocolate bar to add texture(s).

Flavor notes included: rich dark chocolate (hearty dark chocolate ganache, brownie; faint, balanced, fleeting earth; medium, balanced acidity (diffuse fruit (sweet tangerine, pineapple, cacao fruit; fruit punch); and very faint vegetable (candied yam, sweet potato).

What I liked about this bar: 1.) balanced, hearty dark chocolate flavors including possible traces of tropical/cacao fruit*; and 2.) tasting dark chocolate from different cacao growing districts/regions on the Big Island of Hawaii from this maker. (Seeing online that a visit Puna Chocolate (store, tour) might be possible in the future.)

Ingredients: Hawaiian Cacao, Organic Sugar 

Allergen-related information: Prepared in a facility that handles milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat

Puna Chocolate Company - Captain Cook Kona Regional 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Jan. 23, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Puna Chocolate Company
Captain Cook Kona Regional 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.50 total bar + shipping
Purchased from: Puna Chocolate, online order

Aloha. Welcome to Day #23 of Chocolate and Hawaii Theme Week(s).

Today's Captain Cook Kona Regional 70% Kona Chocolate (bar) was crafted by the makers at Puna Chocolate Company (Kailua-Kona, HI).

Complex and somehow uniquely Hawaiian, the aroma notes for this single district, Big Island 70% bar included: rich, chocolate-y dark chocolate (dark chocolate brownie/torte with very faint, balanced earth, faint fruit (pineapple), very faint sweet botanical (sweet green (sweet tea, banana), very faint floral), and very faint brown sugar and coffee. 

Texture: enjoyable smooth, creamy, fudgey melt and texture with a few almost undetectable, very tiny (presumably cacao or sugar) particles toward the finish of one bite.

What I liked about this bar:  1.) complex, transporting Big Island aroma notes; 2.) dark brownie chocolate-y cacao aroma, texture and flavor carried through to the finished chocolate; 3.) 

Flavor notes included: rich, dark chocolate brownie, and very faint fruit (sweet citrus, pineapple) 

What I liked about this bar:  1.) complex, transporting Big Island aroma notes; 2.) dark brownie chocolate-y cacao aroma, texture and flavor from start-to-finish; 3.) maker choices made for this bar; 4.) Hawaiian Regional Chocolate map printed on the packaging (back side).

Ingredients: Hawaiian Cacao, Organic Sugar

Allergen-related information: Prepared in a facility that handles milk, soy, peanuts