Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate - Dark Chocolate Maui Calamansi Lime 65% Cacao (bar) - Feb. 17, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Maui Calamansi Lime 65% Cacao (bar)

Good ++ - Good +++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate, online order

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

Today's Dark Chocolate Maui Calamansi Lime 65% Cacao (bar) was from Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate (Lahaina, Maui, HI).

 

The maker(s) used cacao from Costa Esmeraldas Ecuador. (I associate this growing locale with subtly complex fruit notes.)

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, subtle and complex fruit; and very faint, fleeting spice (floral pepper).

The texture was creamy smooth; with a whipped cream-like melt and mouthfeel. (There was no dairy in this bar.) 

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate; delicate, fruit-floral citrus (lemon-lime). 

Calamansi limes are known for their relatively tart citrus flavor. But, I found the flavor in this chocolate to be quite mild and pleasing. The Maui-grown limes that were used were from the CEO's home orchard in Kapalua.*

I really enjoyed the subtle fruit-floral complex flavors and the lovely creamy texture. The choice to pair the Ecuador cacao with the Maui calamansi lime in this well-executed chocolate worked well. Normally when I see "natural flavors" in an ingredients list, I brace myself for synthetic, overly strong, or unpleasant flavors; but not this time.

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Natural Flavors 

Allergen-related information: (No information listed on chocolate packaging)

*"...He hand-picks the fruit at full ripeness, vacuum-seals it whole, and freezes it for later processing. Thawed fruit is crushed to extract the juice and bruise the skin to release essential oil. The flavor essence of the juice is infused to complement our 65% dark chocolate."

The Chocolate Conspiracy - Coconut Lime 73% Cacao Chocolate Bar - Feb. 16, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Chocolate Conspiracy 
Coconut Lime 73% Cacao Chocolate Bar
Good + 
Weight: .625 oz. (17.5 g.) / 1.25 oz. (35 g.) total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $13.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Conspiracy, online order

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

Today's Coconut Lime 73% Cacao Chocolate Bar was from The Chocolate Conspiracy (Salt Lake City, UT).

Aroma notes for this lime oil-infused bar included: smooth dark chocolate and lime shortbread cookie.

Texture: smooth chocolate with a creamy (honey) melt occasionally punctuated with gentle, tiny shreds of coconut.

Flavor notes included: relatively smooth dark chocolate, gently sweetened with honey, and a somewhat surprising bitterness that I attributed to the lime oil. 

I like botanically bitter flavors (e.g. hops, 100% cacao), as long as they are balanced--often with salt/sugar. (Maybe more salt would have balanced the bitter? Not sure.)

The maker's additions of honey, coconut and salt would have been exactly what I would have included to balance this bitter flavor, and these counter elements almost worked. I'm looking forward to trying other flavors from this maker, to see what their chocolate tastes like with other flavor blends.

Ingredients: "Raw Organic Cacao Beans, Raw Unfiltered Honey, Raw Organic Cacao Butter, Lime Oil, Organic Coconut Shreds, Smoked Coconut Lime Sea Salt."

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, coconut, and pistachios." "Gluten Free, Soy Free, Dairy Free"

 

Chocolate Spiel - Strawberry Lime Salt (bar) - Feb. 15, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Chocolate Spiel
Strawberry Lime Salt (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (27 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) for 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Spiel, online order 

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

Today's Strawberry Lime Salt (bar) was from Chocolate Spiel (Edmonds, WA). 

Aroma notes included: lime chocolate shortbread cookie strawberry filling, limeade, and very faint spice (fleeting licorice).

Texture: creamy, uniform melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: smooth, creamy dark chocolate with fruit (red berry, strawberry) and subtle citrus (subtle, tart-sweet lime), and a satisfying, dash of salt. 

I like the balanced complexity, the sweetness level (not too much, but enough to bring joy)--and the salt.

The painted (colored white chocolate) patterns on this bar created a festive, upbeat visual appearance.

Ingredients: "cocoa, sugar, cocoa butter, strawberry, chipotle lime salt from Aroma Spice Co., lime, colored cocoa butter."

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts and gluten."

Intrigue Chocolate Co. - Chili + Lime + Salt 60% Cacao (bar) - Feb. 14, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Intrigue Chocolate Co.
Chili + Lime + Salt 60% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.)/1 oz. (28 g.) in total bar
Calories: 77.5 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Intrigue Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Lime Theme Week, and Happy Valentines Day to all who celebrate this day which is about warm hearts and passion.

What better way to celebrate than today's spicy Chili + Lime + Salt 60% Cacao (bar) from Intrigue Chocolate Co. (Seattle, WA).

Made with cacao from Uganda (Region: Rwenzururu - Semuliki Forest) Type: Mostly Trinitario and Amelonado Year: 2024), this bar was flavored with cayenne chili, lime juice, and sea salt.

Aroma notes included: smooth but rich dark chocolate, fruit (fig cookie), and faint savory spice (chili) and citrus (lime).

Texture: smooth with a very creamy melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: sweet, rich, dark chocolate; fruit (lime and diffuse red fruit (red apple, fig, imaginary mango); and--last, but not least--chili with a spicy kick (more in some bites than others). The chili heat kicked in about 2/3 way through and the sizzle lingered into the finish.

Maker's notes: "This flavor was inspired by those amazing fruit vendors around the world (eg Mexico and Thailand) who sprinkle fresh cut slices with an irresistible mixture of sour, spicy, salty goodness."

Ingredients: Roasted cacao nibs, raw cane sugar, cocoa butter, cayenne chilis, dehydrated lime juice, sea salt. 

Allergen-related information: (No allergen information on bar packaging.)

 

Zotter - Lime and Passion Fruit Dark Chocolate 70% filled sweet potato, passion fruit, polenta-lime (bar) - Feb. 13, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter Chocolate
Lime and Passion Fruit Dark Chocolate 70% filled sweet potato, passion fruit, polenta-lime ganache (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total bar
Calories: 340 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order

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

Today's Lime and Passion Fruit Dark Chocolate 70% filled sweet potato, passion fruit, polenta-lime ganache (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter Chocolates US LLC (Fort Myers, FL). 

Aroma notes for this Peruvian-inspired bar included: a sweet, tropical confection/dessert with tart lime and fruit, and subtle dark chocolate.

Texture for this "hand-scooped" (filled) bar was smooth with a few very tiny lime-flavored shreds in the filling, surrounded by a velvety, thin layer of dark chocolate.

Flavor notes included: a very sweet, smooth blend of tart fruits (citrus (limeade, lemon), passion fruit), and a cast of other well blended and complementary flavors--all covered with a thin coating of slightly earthy, silken dark chocolate. 

I could almost taste the polenta in the filling; however, the sweet potato was not detectable. (Sweet potato worked/works surprisingly well with/in chocolate items, as a stealth flavor and/or smooth texture enhancer.)

While this sweet cocktail (it did contain a bit of brandy) of a bar was a bit too sweet (for me), I appreciated the lively lime and fruit tartness, balanced a bit by the dark chocolate; the complex blend of Peruvian inspired flavors; and the sheer inventiveness of the makers at Zotter. (They've produced a staggering array of flavors over the years, and have done so using organic and fairtrade ingredients when/where possible.)

Read the ingredients (below) to appreciate what goes into a bar like this.

Ingredients: Cane Sugar+*, Cocoa Butter+*, Cocoa Mass+*, Glucose Syrup+, Verjuice+ - Juice of Green Grapes, Sweet Potatoes+, Dried Passion Fruits+, Lemon Juice+, Milk, Dry Whole Milk, Dry Skim Milk, Dry Skim Milk Yoghurt, Polenta+, Cane Sugar Brandy+, Lime Concentrate+, Caramelized Milk Powder (Dry Skim Milk, Sugar), Butter (Cream), Almonds+, Passion Fruit Concentrate+, Dry Sweet Whey, Lemon Juice Concentrate+, Dark Brown Cane Sugar+*, Lecithin (Soy)+, Salt, Vanilla Bean Powder+*, Cinnamon+*, Lemon Oil+, Chili ("Bird's Eye")+, Rose Petals+, Lemon Powder+ (Lemon Juice Concentrate+, Corn Starch+, Sugar+).  + = Organic (89% Organic); * = Fair Traded, Fair Trade Content in Total: 67%

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk, Almonds, Soy. Manufactured on Equipment That Processes Other Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Eggs and Sesame. 

Mission Chocolate - Brown Sugar & Lime 60% dark chocolate (bar) - Feb. 12, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Mission Chocolate
Brown Sugar & Lime 60% dark chocolate (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) total bar

Calories: 324 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Covered, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Lime Week, including different varieties and components of limes blended with chocolate.

Today's Brown Sugar & Lime 60% dark chocolate (bar) was from Mission Chocolate (Sao Paolo, Brazil). 

Aroma notes included: "warm", faintly fruity dark chocolate; light, almost floral citrus (lime blossom + lime juice); faint brown sugar; and (almost undetectable) refreshing, clean mineral water.

Texture: This thin bar (thank you) broke with a well-tempered snap and the texture was relatively smooth, with a tiny bit of fruit/citrus astringency.

The cacao, lime and brown sugar flavors were well-executed and balanced. It was sweet, but not overly so (thank you).

There was a very pleasant lilting quality when the flavors unfolded, then undulated a little over the course of tasting this chocolate; and the finish was long and subtle. 

This gently animated complexity (chocolate magic) was elicited from a short list of four, high-quality ingredients.

Ingredients: "cacao, organic dark brown sugar, cocoa butter, lime."

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Traces of Peanut, Coconut, Tree Nuts, And Oats Due to Shared Equipment. Does not contain lactose, gluten or soy."

Fossa Chocolate - Tokushima Collection Indigo (bar) & 73% Dark Sake Kasu (bar) - Feb. 11, 2025

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Fossa Chocolate
Tokushima Collection "Indigo" (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 144 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's Market, online order

Fossa Chocolate
73% Dark Sake Kasu (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 136 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $12.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's Market, online order

Welcome to the last day (Day #14) of Unique Chocolate Theme Week. And today features two special and unique chocolate bars.

Today's Indigo (38% white) and 73% Dark Sake Kasu bars were created by Fossa Chocolate (Singapore). The company offers thoughtfully crafted, well-executed bars, many with special teas and Asian flavor inclusions.

Indigo* (bar)

Aroma and flavor notes included: white chocolate; slightly sweet floral; milky citrus (orange blossom + lemon ice cream); and hard to pin down botanical (sweet, woodsy, tea) notes. These relatively delicate, sweetly complex and creamy notes lingered into the finish.

This truly unique ivory-colored 38% white chocolate--part of Fossa's Tokushima Collection**--was a muted darker green-teal color and had a well-executed, creamy texture with a very slightly textured mouthfeel (from the dried indigo).

I enjoyed the nuances of flavor in this sweet 38% white milk chocolate, and the opportunity to experience my first taste the unique plant behind the beautiful blue indigo color.

Maker's description: "Dried and made into a powder to be blended with 38% white chocolate, the flavor is soft and delicate, reminding us of woods and florals."

Ingredients: Cocoa butter, milk powder, cane sugar, dried indigo

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

*There are different species of plants known as "indigo"--a member of the legume/pea family--with most associated with Africa, India, South China and Japan. (Indigenous people in the Americas also used similar plants for dyeing materials.) It's also used as a medicinal plant in some cultures. 

Note: I would advise researching the plant/indigo source first, before eating it, particularly if you think you've found it growing in the wild.)

**Tokushima Prefecture is on Shikoku Island, Japan.

73% Dark Sake Kasu (bar)

Aroma notes included an aromatic orchestra of scents: chocolate, lightly sour fruit(s) candy, very slightly bitter, fermented spirits, and umami. 

This was a blend of tasty dark chocolate + slightly umami and fermented sake kasu "candy" squares. The layered, slightly sweet, sour, bitter and fermented (sake) flavors (from two types of kasu*) extended into a long, slightly fermented sweet finish. 

Texture: smooth, creamy dark chocolate interspersed with small, thin, firmly chewy squares of flavored candy.

I like umami flavors with chocolate; and this sake 73% dark bar was authentic and delightful to try. 

This Sake Kasu bar reminded me a little bit of a naturally sweeter (less hoppy) version of chocolates made with beer, malt and hops. It had the richness and depth of flavor(s) found in other bars with fermented spirits.

*Maker's notes: The white kasu comes from Akishika Shozu, a "kiian-zukuri" or "seedling to sake" brewery that makes sake using organic rice grown in-house...And the red kasu comes from the brewing of Inemankai - a one-of-a-kind sake by Mukai Shuo using a strain of red rice that grows in the master brewer's hometown of Ine in rural Kyoto.

Ingredients: Cacao, cane sugar, sake Kasu (rice, koji), dextrose

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