Loon Chocolate - Maine Sea Salt 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) - July 16, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Loon Chocolate
Maine Sea Salt 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.05 oz. (30 g.) / 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Loon Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #11 of Chocolate & Water Theme Week.

Today's Loon Chocolate Maine Sea Salt 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) was manufactured by White Birch Living LLC (Manchester, NH). 

Aroma and flavor notes included: smooth, sweet and balanced dark chocolate (dark ganache) and salt--from very thin sea salt flakes sprinkled on one side. 

I liked the balanced chocolate flavor, and the short list of organic ingredients.

Ingredients: Organic Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Sea Salt

Allergen-related information: Produced in a Facility That Uses Almonds, Milk and Wheat

Standout Chocolate - Nordic Nature Sugar Kelp & Sea Salt 66% (bar) - July 15, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Standout Craft Chocolate
Nordic Nature Sugar Kelp & Sea Salt 66% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) in total bar 
Calories: 297.5 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $12.49 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Caputo's, online order 

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate & Water Theme Week--including a variety of items ranging from chocolates with connections to bodies of water (lakes, rivers, oceans) to more literal objects like chocolate surfboards and chocolate fish.

Today's Nordic Nature Sugar Kelp & Sea Salt 66% (bar) was from Standout Craft Chocolate (Goteborg, Sweden).

The cacao used to make this bar was from Oko Caribe (a cacao producer) in The Dominican Republic.

Aroma and flavor notes included: pleasing dark chocolate with a satisfying light floral green tea; subtle umami; light salt; and warm spice (very faint ginger graham cracker cookie).

Texture: smooth texture and mouthfeel

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Rose Hip, Green Tea, Sea Breeze"

I liked the smooth blend of balanced flavors and appreciated the short list of organic ingredients.

Ingredients: Cacao beans*, Sugar*, Cacao butter*, Sugar Kelp*, Sea Salt. 

Allergen-related information: "May Contain Traces of MILK."

Bixby & Co. - Puffin Project Dominican Republic 70% Dark Chocolate (bar) & Dark Chocolate Sardines - July 14, 2026

Chocolate(s) of the Day

Bixby & Co.

Puffin Project Dominican Republic 70% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56 g.) in total bar
Calories: 120 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bixby & Co., online order

Dark Chocolate Sardines
Good ++
Weight: 1.8 oz. (50 g.) in total tin
Calories: 279 calories (estimate) in 1 tin
Cost: $11.00 for 1 tin
Purchased from: Bixby & Co., online order

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate & Water Theme Week, featuring two items made by Maine-based Bixby & Co. (Rockland, ME).

Puffin Project Dominican Republic bar

This Organic, bean-to-bar dark chocolate bar was created in collaboration with Project Puffin Seabird Institute--an organization that works to safeguard restored colonies of puffin (birds) in the Gulf of Maine.

The cacao used to make this bar was from the Dominican Republic.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate; very faint, diffuse fruit.

Texture: relatively smooth and creamy with a barely detectable and not objectionable fruit astringency

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (ganache, torte); balanced earth; and faint medium red fruit (red berry + red dragon fruit) and light citrus.

I liked the balanced and subtle complexity in this chocolate and the very faint fruit notes. 

Ingredients: Organic Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that processes: milk, peanuts, soy, and tree nut ingredients." "Vegan, Gluten Free"

Dark Chocolate Sardines

Both coastal Maine and California in the U.S. once had robust sardine (fishing) industries in the early 1900s. Sadly, due to overfishing and changes in climate, this is no longer the case. 

Happily, there are occasionally chocolate sardines, like today's catch, if you're willing to fish around for them.

Aroma notes for today's attractively-rendered, fish-shaped chocolate sardines included: smooth dark chocolate and vanilla.

Texture: smooth dark milk like texture. (There was no milk.) 

Flavor notes included: very sweet dark chocolate and warm vanilla. (The sweetness was amplified by the healthy dose of added vanilla.) 

I enjoyed the idea of chocolate sardines even more due to their being packaged in a real metal tin with a pull top. (I wish I'd ordered a few more sets to give as gifts to friends. They are currently sold out.)

Ingredients: Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured in a facility that processes: milk, peanuts, soy, and tree nut ingredients." "Vegan, Gluten Free"

Cacao Laboratory - "Water" Ceremonial Grade Cacao (bar) - July 13, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Cacao Laboratory 
"Water" - Ceremonial Grade Cacao (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.176 oz. (33.3 g.) / 3.53 oz. (100 g.) total bar

Calories: 190 calories for 1/3 bar

Cost: $15.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Xocolatl Garden, Carmel, CA

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate & Water Theme Week--part of a larger, two-month long series of elemental themes (including chocolates inspired by (or with ingredients related to) Earth, Water and Fire).

Today's "Water" - Ceremonial Grade Cacao (bar) was manufactured by Cacao Lab Corp. (Kingston, NY).

Note: This "bar" was intended to be consumed in liquid form -- with water added. I enjoyed it as an eating chocolate.

Aroma notes included: subtle dark chocolate, with very faint spice.

Texture: thick and creamy texture, with some very tiny particles (perhaps ground coriander or maca)

Flavor notes included: ultra-dark chocolate with, balanced earth, well-managed bitterness, and light coriander (spice), and very faint carrot, sweet potato and butterscotch-vanilla notes.

I appreciated the very balanced, relatively restrained bitterness, and moderate acidic (citric) levels; the bit of authentic sweetness (and no sugar); and the maker's choice of a light roast to preserve delicate flavor(s) and "nutrient abundance."

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Roasted nuts, citrus"

Ingredients: Theobroma cacao*, coriander*, maca*, (*=organic)

Allergen-related information: Processed on equipment that also processes nuts.

Sted Foods - Lakeside Blend 71% Dark Chocolate (small bar) - July 12, 2026

Chocolate of The Day

Sted Foods
Lakeside Blend 71% Dark Chocolate (small bar)
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / This bar was part one flavor in a 3-bar pack
Calories: 78 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $10.00 for 3 mini bars (3 different flavors)
Purchased from: Sted Foods, online order

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

Today's Sted Foods Lakeside Blend 71% Dark Chocolate (small bar) was manufactured by TC Foods, LLC (Fergus Falls, MN), and was part of a three-bar, lake-themed collection.

Today's "Lakeside Blend" was part of the company's Lakeside Collection of three small bars that also included "The Bobber" (with cacao nibs) and "Coffee + Cream" chocolates.

Aroma and flavor notes for today's 71% dark chocolate included: ultra-dark chocolate with flickers of ultra-dark fudge, and faint fruit (dark red, blue/purple fruits). 

I enjoyed the balanced, earthy and deep, dark flavors of the cacao(s) (Haiti and Dominican Republic)--a boldness that still left room for complex berry and other subtle flavors.

Maker's Tasting notes: "Bright, Intense, Reflective"

Ingredients: "organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that uses sesame seeds, pecans, almonds, coconut, cashews, hazelnuts, and milk"

Choco Del Mar - Hazelnut Noir 65% Cocoa (bar) - July 11, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Choco Del Mar
Hazelnut Noir 65% Cocoa (bar) 
Good ++
Weight: 3/5 bar - 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) total bar
Calories: 168 calories in 3/5 bar
Cost: $11.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Choco Del Mar, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate & Water Theme Week.

Today's Hazelnut Noir 65% Cocoa (bar) was from Choco Del Mar (Los Altos, CA). 

Where's the "water" connection? The company's name contains a reference to the sea (del mar = of/on the sea); the company's mascot is a chocolate-loving sea otter named Cleo; and the packaging was adorned with an image of a dolphin leaping out of the water with (if I'm not mistaken) a cacao pod balanced on its nose.

Inspired by classic Italian gianduja, this 65% chocolate tasted dark--a bit darker than 65%--but smooth. The fully ground (and seamlessly incorporated) hazelnuts added a relatively subtle nutty flavor without muting the dark chocolate.

There seemed to be less sugar/less sweet hazelnut paste in this chocolate than you might find in most gianduja confections and bars. (Either that, or the single origin cacao(s) used had an inherently stronger, darker flavor; or both these comments could be true.) Either way, as a dark chocolate lover, I found that refreshing.

Texture: smooth, rich dark chocolate 

I also appreciated the short list of just three ingredients. (Thank you.)

Ingredients: Cocoa Nibs, Cane Sugar, Hazelnuts

Allergen-related information: Contains Tree Nuts (Hazelnuts) "Made in a facility that processes milk, nuts, and other common allergens."

Harbor Sweets - Sand Dollars - Caramel & Pecan in Dark Chocolate & Milk Chocolate Periwinkle - July 10, 2026

Chocolate(s) of The Day

Harbor Sweets

Sand Dollars - Caramel and Pecan in Dark Chocolate 
Good ++
Weight: .647 oz. (18.33 g.) / 3 7/8 oz. (110 g.) in total package of 6 pieces
Calories: 90 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $13.95 + shipping for 1 package of 6 pieces
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

Milk Chocolate Periwinkles 
Good ++
Weight: .45 oz. (12.78 g.) for 2 small pieces / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in total (large Nautical Assortment box)
Calories: 70 calories (estimate) in 2 periwinkles 
Cost: $50.00 + shipping for 1 large assortment box (that contained several other chocolates)
Purchased from: Harbor Sweets, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate & Water Theme Week. 

Today's two nautically-themed chocolates from Massachusetts were inspired by shells you might find on a beach walk along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline.

Today's Caramel and Pecan filled dark chocolate Sand Dollar--and the two, cute little (solid) milk chocolate periwinkles--were from Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA). Both were attractive to look at and each chocolate was swaddled in gold foil.

Both were relatively sweet, and had a relatively bright sweetness to them. (The addition of wildflower honey in many of the company's chocolate likely contributed to this pleasant fruit/floral sweetness.)

Ingredients (Sand Dollars): Dark Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Chocolate Liquor processed with Alkali, Cocoa Butter, Butterfat (Milk), Soy Lecithin, Vanilla), Pecans, Cream (Light Cream and Disodium Phosphate), Tapioca Syrup (Tapioca Starch), Evaporated Milk (Milk 0.5% or less of: Dipotassium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Vitamin D3), Sugar, Light Brown Sugar, Butter (Cream (Milk), Salt), Wildflower Honey, Vanilla, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Baking Soda.

Allergen-related information for dark chocolate Sand Dollars: Contains Milk, Soy and Pecans. "This product is prepared in a facility that handles soy, milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts and sesame." (The latter statement likely applies to the milk chocolate periwinkles as well.)

Ingredients (Periwinkles): (Not Listed individually in larger assortment box.) Contained Milk, Soy.