Marianne's Ice Cream - Irish Coffee & Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - Sept. 8, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Marianne's Ice Cream 

Irish Coffee & Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Good ++
Weight: 1/2 cup / 1 Quart (946 mL) in total container
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 cup serving (+ nibs topping)
Cost: $ Missing information

Purchased from: Piazza's, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate & Coffee Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate & Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Irish Coffee & Chocolate Chip Ice Cream was from Marianne's Ice Cream (Santa Cruz, CA). I paired/topped this ice cream with (home-made) whiskey-soaked cacao nibs.

Aroma and flavor notes included: rich coffee, chocolate/cacao and subtle vanilla and whiskey flavoring. (The spirits were mostly from the whiskey soaked cacao bean nibs topping.)

These weren't your ordinary chocolate chips. The chocolate included fairly large, thin rectangular dark chocolate pieces--made with coconut oil and butter oil to stay relatively soft when frozen. My kind of ice cream.

Texture: creamy ice cream with thin, rectangular pieces of dark chocolate that were formulated to be just the right texture for ice cream-- not so hard that the splinters would hurt you,  

I liked the subtle, creamy coffee and that I could taste the dark chocolate--as if I was eating chocolate at room temperature. (Often chocolate chips in ice cream are cold and brittle, and too cold to taste.) These pieces were slightly chewy for a few seconds followed by a creamy chocolate melt and rich chocolate flavor release.

Very tasty overall with a satisfyingly creamy coffee ice cream base. Cool and refreshing on a warm day. And the whiskey-marinated cacao nibs added some authentic cacao and spirits oomph.

Ingredients: "milk, cream, sugar, whey, locust bean gum, guar gum, instant coffee, bourbon, chocolate chips (corn starch, coconut oil, cocoa processed with alkali, butter oil, soy lecithin, natural flavor)"

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk, Soy. " in a Facility that handles peanuts, treenuts, wheat, soy and eggs"

Hammond's - Espesso Martini Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 7, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Hammond's Candies 
Espresso Martini Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.125 oz. (32 g.) / 2.25 oz. (64 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Ace Hardware, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate & Spirits Theme Week.

Today's Espresso Martini - Espresso Flavored Dark Chocolate Infused with Coffee Caramel (bar) was from Hammond's Candies (Denver, CO).

Aroma notes for this filled bar included: very sweet chocolate, and caramel, vanilla and coffee latte flavorings.

Texture: Smooth dark chocolate filled with a coffee-flavored, flowing caramel (with crunchy ground coffee bits and possibly vanilla bean specks) filling.

Flavors: smooth, uniformly flavored dark chocolate--that encased and blended with a dark-caramel hued, thick syrup-like caramel-coffee and vanilla filling. There were more sweeteners (sugars, corn syrup) and added flavorings (see ingredients list) than expected in this bar.

I enjoyed the idea behind and blend of flavors in this bar, even if it was too sweet for me. (This was like a high-end candy bar.) 

Note: there was no alcohol in this chocolate + espresso martini inspired chocolate.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor, filling (corn syrup, cream [heavy cream, milk, contains less than 0.5% of: mono and diglycerides, polysorbate 80, carageenan], sugar, butter [cream, natural flavor], mocha espresso coffee paste [coffee, canola oil, sugar, soy lecithin], ground roasted coffee beans, vanilla paste [sugar, water, vanilla extract, vanilla bean specks, gum tragacanth], sea salt, cappuccino tiramisu extract [natural flavor, sugar, caramel color], natural flavor).

Allergen-related information: Contains Soy and Milk. May Contain Wheat, Peanuts, and Tree Nuts.

Millcreek Cacao Roasters - Espresso 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - Sept. 6, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Millcreek Cacao Roasters 
Espresso - 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate & Coffee Theme Week.

Today's Espresso - 70% Dark Chocolate Arriba Nacional Hacienda Limon Farm, Ecuador (bar) was from Millcreek Cacao Roasters (Salt Lake City, UT).

The family-owned company began their journey as "Farm to Bar Chocolate Makers" in 2011. They've focused on direct sourced heirloom cacao(s) from equatorial regions (Ecuador, Nicaragua) and "meticulous processing" of beans in their factory in Salt Lake City to create fine flavored chocolates.

The certified heirloom cacao used in today's Espresso bar was Arriba Nacional cacao from Hacienda Limon Farm in the Guayas Province of Ecuador--a region that contains views of the Pacific Ocean as well as lush forests in the interior.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate base, with a very faint (barely detectable) astringency and very tiny,  crunchy bits of espresso (finely ground coffee beans). The coffee was pleasant, not too harsh.

Aroma and flavor notes were balanced, with subtle complexity, and included: smooth, chocolate-y, dark chocolate; a very faint (agreeable) green botanical mix that included: a barely detectable, fleeting salted potato chip note at the very beginning (when bar was first unwrapped) that then shaded into delicate, authentic lush green forest; and last, but not least, smooth coffee notes. 

There were also very faint/diffuse red fruit (cherry, berry) and very faint roasted (almost nutty) notes--that could have come from the coffee or the cacao. It wasn't clear. I enjoyed them all the same.

This was a very pleasing bar. It was relatively low in acidity and had an agreeable, hearty quality to it. I loved the shy-er, almost-hidden aroma and flavor notes from start-to-finish; it was like following a rabbit through a forest.

Ingredients: "Cacao, Pure Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Roasted Coffee Beans"

Allergen-related information: "May contain traces of tree nuts and milk"

Standout Craft Chocolate - Swedish Favourites - Gesha Coffee Organic 70% Dark (bar) - Sept. 5, 2025

Chocolate of the Day 

Standout Craft Chocolate
Swedish Favourites - Gesha Coffee Organic 70% Dark (bar)
Good ++ - Good+++
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155.75 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $10.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate & Coffee Week.

Today's "Swedish Favourites - Gesha Coffee Organic 70% Dark Chocolate from Sweden" (bar) was from Standout Craft Chocolate (Goteborg, Sweden).

The cacao used to make this bar was from Oko Caribe, in the Dominican Republic. And the coffee was a "washed" Gesha* from Hugo Marino in the Cusco region in Peru. 

Aroma notes included: subtle chocolate and coffee notes; and very faint caramel and diffuse fruit.

Texture: smooth, relatively creamy texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: balanced, smooth dark chocolate and faint, diffuse and pleasing coffee. This bar had a lingering, friendly finish.

The aroma notes were relatively subtle (less aromatic than many coffee dark chocolate bars, but the overall taste was wonderful. Hats off to the maker for pairing this DR cacao with this Peruvian Gesha coffee.

I enjoyed this balanced, harmonious blend of single origin flavors; the opportunity to enjoy washed Gesha (aka Geisha) coffee, a rare high-altitude varietal known for its more delicate flavors; and the short list of four, high-quality organic ingredients.

The aroma notes were relatively subtle (less aromatic than many coffee dark chocolate bars, but the overall taste was wonderful. Hats off to the maker for pairing this DR cacao with this Peruvian Gesha coffee.

Maker's Taste Notes: "Light Roasted Coffee, Floral, Fruity"

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, Sugar*, Cacao butter*, Coffee beans* (*Organic)

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

*Gesha coffee is a rare, high-altitude varietal that is known for it's smooth, gently complex flavors. (For chocolate lovers, think of this coffee bean as being like a prized Criollo cacao varietal.) 

"Washed" Gesha coffee likely refers to a process where the coffee berry fruit/pulp is washed (removed) from the coffee beans relatively soon after harvesting.

 

Goodio - Coffee 56% Cacao (bar) - Sept. 4, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Goodio
Coffee 56% Cacao (bar)
Good + - Good ++ 
Weight: .848 oz. (24 g.) / 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 135 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $6.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order

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

Today's Coffee 56% Cacao (bar) from Goodio Craft Chocolate was manufactured by Helsinki Heaven Oy (Vantaa, Finland).

According to the Goodio website, the cacao used to make this bar was from Peru.

Aroma notes for this Finnish coffee + chocolate bar included: chocolate, nut and very faint herbal (mint family), coffee and coconut.

Texture: slightly grainy (stoneground) chocolate that broke with a relatively soft snap, but had a pleasant melt.

Flavor notes included: subtle, sweet (Criollo) chocolate; faint coffee; very faint herbal; and subtle caramelized coconut/brown sugar covered, ground nuts.

I appreciated the relatively short list of thoughtfully sourced organic ingredients and the interesting blend of flavors in this sweet chocolate.

Maker's notes: "Starring sweet, smooth and powerful organic coffee with cashew nuts for creamy taste."

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, Coconut palm sugar*, Cacao butter*, Cashew nuts*, Coconut flakes*, Coffee bean*. (*Organic).

Allergen-related Information: "Contains nuts (cashew). Dairy, gluten & soy free"

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."