Tiny House - 55% Cacao Latte & Nibs Milk Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 3, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Tiny House 
55% Cacao Latte & Nibs Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .99 oz. (28 g.) / 1.97 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 200 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend (Thank you Elise!)
Purchased from: Mint Muse (store), Santa Cruz, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week. 

Today's 55% Cacao Latte & Nibs Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Tiny House Chocolate (Tiny House of Chocolate Artisans, in Santa Cruz, CA).

Aroma notes included: chocolate (relatively mild milk chocolate); caramelized chocolate cookie; and coffee toffee.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy coconut milk chocolate base with tiny crunchy cacao nibs (pleasing subtle, authentic, Criollo-like cacao with very faint (almost undetectable and not unpleasant) olive.

Flavor notes included: creamy, subtle and sweet coconut caramel; and light milk chocolate with tiny upticks of gentle true cacao nib flavor.

I appreciated the soft, sweet and subtle flavors in this bar, and the high-quality cacao nib flavors; the short list of quality and organic ingredients; and the care taken by the makers to source these ingredients to craft a gluten free and dairy free bar for almost everyone to enjoy.

Maker's Flavor Notes: "Coconut Caffe Latte"

Ingredients: Cacao*, Cane Sugar*, Coconut Milk*, Arabica Coffee* (*Organic ingredient)

Allergen-related information: Contains Milk, Coconut. Made in a Facility That Processes Milk and Nuts.

Cuna de Piedra 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco with Coffee (bar) - Sept. 2, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Cuna de Piedra 
73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco with Coffee (bar)
Good +++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

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

Today's 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco with Coffee (bar) was from Cuna de Piedra (Monterrey, N.L., Mexico).

The cacao beans used to make this bar were from: Comalcalco in the State of Tabasco, in southeastern Mexico; and the coffee was a Dalia blend from Buna. (Buna is a Mexican coffee company that works with small, family-run coffee producers/operations).

Aroma notes included: smooth, pleasing, aromatic, roasted coffee and rich, smooth dark chocolate with very faint red fruit/berry soaked in honey and brown sugar.

Texture: satisfying creamy smooth chocolate with slightly crunchy texture from small bits of ground coffee; with a very slight fruit astringency in the long, pleasing finish.

Flavor notes included: bold, beautiful, complex and balanced rich dark chocolate and coffee notes (red fruit, berry, citrus, faint caramel). Medium fruit acidity. Nicely balanced medium-level, mellowed bitterness. Note: this was slightly addicting; so don't start sampling this bar too close to bedtime if caffeine keeps you up at night.

While I was savoring this coffee + chocolate blend, I couldn't help but think about other ways to enjoy this bar. This Mexican chocolate would be a great addition to a dessert plate; a tasting flight; the basis for a small cup of mocha drinking chocolate; or incorporated into another dessert item.

Chock full of authentic, layered, chocolate and coffee flavors, this well-balanced and well-executed chocolate delivered so much, with only three ingredients. 

Ingredients: "Cacao beans, Cane sugar, Coffee beans."

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a Facility that processes wheat, milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs."

Mitica - Coffee Pesetas - Chocolate-Covered Fruit & Nut Cake with Coffee - Sept. 1, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Mitica
Coffee Pesetas - Chocolate-Covered Fruit & Nut Cake with Coffee
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.235 oz. (35 g.) / 4.94 oz. (140 g.) in total package
Calories: 140 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $10.99 for 1 package of 8 pieces
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, Los Altos, CA

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Mitica Pesetas Coffee Chocolate-Covered Fruit & Nut Cake with Coffee (discs) were produced by Paiarrop S.L. (Valencia, Spain), and imported into the U.S. by Forever Cheese LLC (New York, NY).

Aroma notes included: dried fruits (date, fig); smooth dark chocolate; with faint, mild nut (almond); and faint, rich coffee. 

Texture: a blend of dried fruit (figs, dates) and finely chopped nuts (almonds) pressed into a disc form, and covered by smooth dark chocolate.

Flavor notes were similar to the aroma notes (mentioned above), but with deeper/richer smooth dark chocolate, dried fruit and salt notes. 

I liked the subtle coffee, almonds and especially the sprinkling of salt. All three of these flavors balanced out the natural, concentrated sweetness in the (preservative-free) dates and figs.

Company tasting/pairing notes: "...smooth on the outside, inside they are soft and tender with a mix of dates, figs, coffee, and buttery almonds. Pair with cheese and charcuterie..."

Ingredients: Pitted Dates, Dark Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, reduced fat cocoa powder, SOY lecithin, natural vanilla extract), Dried Figs, Dark Chocolate Chips (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, natural vanilla flavor), ALMONDS, Soluble Coffee, Roasted Cocoa Nibs, Salt. 

Allergen-related information: Contains: Soy (lecithin), Tree Nuts (almonds)

The Chocolate Conspiracy - Coffee Cream Ale 75% Cacao Chocolate Bar - Aug. 31, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Chocolate Conspiracy
Coffee Cream Ale - 75% Cacao Chocolate Bar 
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate, Beer and Hops Theme Week; and Day #1 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Coffee Cream Ale 75% Cacao Chocolate Bar was made by The Chocolate Conspiracy (Salt Lake City, UT). (This bar followed a Black Lager bar from The Chocolate Conspiracy featured yesterday.)

This cacao + ale bar was crafted with "organic, unroasted, single-origin cacao beans from the Ucayali region of Peru." And cacao nibs were infused with Coffee Cream Ale from Kiitos Brewing (Salt Lake City, UT).

Beer makes up a large category of fermented beverages made with water, (malted) grains and hops. Lagers use a bottom-fermenting yeast and a cold fermentation. Yesterday's dark-hued "black" lager had a very roast-y, almost smokey aroma, but a crisp, clean, more friendly, less hop-py flavor than expected.

Ales, on the other hand, are made with a top-fermenting yeast and a warmer fermentation process and can have more complex, hoppy flavors. Today's bar was a blend of Peru cacao, coffee and a light cream ale. Buckle up! I thought.

Aroma notes for today's 75% cacao ale and coffee blend included: rich, dark chocolate (chocolate-y, with diffuse red fruit); an array of what I'd call pleasant, sweet green botanical (green fig jam, green walnuts in syrup); and roasted coffee.

Despite the blend of relatively bold flavors, I could taste much more of the chocolate in today's 75% (Peru) cacao bar (than in yesterday's Black Lager 75% (Peru) cacao bar. 

Texture: smooth, almost silky with a rapid, even (and very slightly waxy) melt--a texture I associated with honey-sweetened chocolate bars. It's a unique and relatively pleasant texture, that may, in some cases, enable a more interesting/longer finish.

Flavor notes for this bar included: dark chocolate; roasted/robust coffee; and faint hop and ale. It was also a bit lower in bitter and hop flavors than expected.

This bar was full of harmonious, roast-y and bittersweet flavors. The un-roasted (raw) Peruvian cacao delivered a rich, dark chocolate experience (with faint, diffuse red fruit, berry notes) that was accentuated by roasted coffee (that may have also had berry notes).

The ale was harder to detect until the finish. It may have just harmonized very well with the cacao and coffee. Just as the cacao was less detectable in yesterday's Black Lager bar yesterday, the Ale was in the background today. Either way, the result was a tasty chocolate; and the flavors were balanced, authentic and satisfying.

Last but not least, the raw, unfiltered wildflower honey helped balance the bitter and roasted flavors and added a very subtle, layered sweetness.

I appreciated the chance to try this flavorful blend, and the maker's choices to use a short list of high-quality and organic ingredients. 

Ingredients: "Raw Organic Cacao Beans, Raw Organic Cacao Butter, Raw Unfiltered Honey, Kiitos Coffee Cream Ale"

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

 

The Chocolate Conspiracy - Black Lager 75% Cacao Chocolate Bar - Aug. 30, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

The Chocolate Conspiracy
Black Lager 75% Cacao Chocolate Bar 
Good ++
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.) in total bar
Calories: 220 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $14.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate, Beer and Hops Theme Week.

Today's Black Lager 75% Cacao Chocolate Bar was made by The Chocolate Conspiracy (Salt Lake City, UT).

This cacao + lager bar was crafted with "organic, unroasted, single-origin cacao beans from the Ucayali region of Peru." And cacao nibs were infused with Baba Black Lager from Uinta Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, UT).

Beer is a general term. What makes a lager a lager? Lagers use a bottom-fermenting yeast and a cold fermentation; whereas ales use a top-fermenting yeast and a warmer fermentation process. Dark-hued "black" lagers are known for their roasted malt flavors and relatively clean, crisp flavors. 

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate, dark roasted malt (dark lager) and roasted coffee.

Texture: smooth, almost silky with a rapid, even (and very slightly waxy) melt--a texture I associated with chocolate bars sweetened with honey. It's an interesting and relatively pleasant texture, albeit a bit unique and may, in some cases, enable a longer finish.

The flavor profile for this bar was deep, dark and impressively layered. It was also relatively lower in bitter and hop flavors than what I was expecting. 

This bar was full of mostly harmonious, deep roast-y and slightly bitter flavors--achieved by several steps, most notably soaking cocoa nibs in black lager. It tasted like the cocoa nibs might have been heavily roasted, but this was not the case. The unroasted (raw) Peruvian cacao likely gave it flavor a sweet chocolate roundness, richness and depth.

The raw, unfiltered wildflower honey helped balance the bitter and roasted flavors and added a very subtle, layered sweetness with its own.

Maker's comments: "Infusing cacao nibs with an organic black lager creates flavors of coffee, fruit, and subtle smoke..."

This tasting experience started with a potentially bitter, heavily roasted aroma (that was complex but much more friendly in the taste, and ended with a sweeter, honey-like chocolate/mocha flavor. I appreciated the chance to try this flavorful blend, and the relatively short list of high-quality and organic ingredients. 

Ingredients: "Raw Organic Cacao Beans, Raw Organic Cacao Butter, Raw Unfiltered Honey, Uinta Baba Black Lager"

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

Qantu - IPA Style 60% Hops Infused Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) - Aug. 29, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Qantu
IPA Style 60% Hops Infused Dark Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 144 calories in 1/2 bar 
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Dispensary, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate, Beer & Hops Week.

Today's IPA Style 60% Hops Infused Dark Milk Chocolate (bar) was from Qantu Cacao et Chocolat Inc. (Montreal, Canada).

The cacao beans used to make this bar were from Morropon, Piura, Peru. The IPA-style hop taste was supplied by Avant-Garde (artisan brewers in Montreal).

Aroma and flavor notes included: chocolate (smooth, flavorful, with creamy caramel) and authentic, slightly bitter IPA-style, hop-py beer (that mellowed a bit within minutes after the inner wrapper was opened). (Full disclosure: I love chocolate and I love hops, so I was very happy to taste this bar.)

Texture: creamy, smooth dark milk chocolate 

I enjoyed the rich, hop-py taste; the well-executed and complementary cacao and beer flavors; and the satisfying and authentic complexity (sweet cream, caramel, fruit, rich cacao and slightly bitter brew)--all achieved with very a short list of ingredients.

Maker's tasting notes: "Caramel, orange, mangue (mango)"..."...evokes the pleasure of an IPA-style beer infused with the fruity aromas of Sabbro hops."

Ingredients: "cacao beans, cane sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter"

Allergen-related information: "Contains Milk. May contain traces of nuts."

Cuna de Piedra - 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco, Tabasco with La Lupulosa beer (bar) - Aug. 28, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Cuna de Piedra
73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco, Tabasco with La Lupulosa beer* (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1/2 bar (per label)
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Village Market, SF Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Beer & Hops Week.

Today's 73% Mexican Cacao from Comalcalco, Tabasco with La Lupulosa beer* (bar) was from Cuna de Piedra (Monterrey, NL, Mexico).

The cacao beans used to create this chocolate were from Comalcalco, Tabasco, in southeastern Mexico. And the beer in this bar was from Cerveceria Insurgente (founded in Tijuana, Mexico in 2010).

Aroma and flavor notes for this cacao + brew collaboration bar included: chocolate, lightly roasted malt, complex hops/beer (stout)--and barely detectable, fleeting floral notes. All these flavors carried over into a pleasing finish.

Texture: This well-tempered bar broke with a snap; and had a smooth, even texture.

Balanced, delicious complexity. One of the best beer bar blends I've tasted so far. The chocolate and the beer aromas and flavors harmonized very nicely.

Ingredients: "Cacao beans, Cane sugar, Beer."

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes wheat, milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs. Non-alcoholic product."

*La Lupulosa beer is a West Coast IPA-style beer from a pioneering artisanal beer making duo (that began in a back yard) in northern Mexico, not far from the U.S. border. It's known for its complex and tasty hop notes.