Philip Marks Bolivia 68% cacao

The bar has a light touch on the bitterness scale, quite smooth. The flavor profile tends towards the nut and earthy side, but again, quite light. The finish is clean and sweet. 8.2

I tasted this same bar two and a half years ago, and it appears I have it a very similar rating: Philip Marks Bolivia 68% cacao I am not noticing the cherry and honey notes mentioned in that review, but perhaps that is due to changes in my tasting rather than the bar.

Patty Pan Cooperative Haiti - Single Origin

There is a caramel flavor dominating the initial taste. A faint smokiness can also be noticed. The bar's bitterness is moderate, with a nice aftertaste duration. 7.3

Indi Chocolate Philippines Mindanao and Haiti 72% cacao

These are the last two bars from Indi Chocolate that I purchased during my Thanksgiving trip to Seattle.

Philippines: Heavy cacao taste with earthy, molasses flavors. Bitter aftertaste. 7.1

Haiti: Medium cacao taste with mild licorice notes. Aftertaste is mild. 7.3

I was surprised to see so many single-origin bars during my visit to Indi's store in Pike's Market. I would expect a relatively new chocolate maker to develop a few products and then expand as they gain experience.

I purchased bars from eight different origins from Indi. After tasting the range, I have not found the dynamic flavors I have seen from other bars manufactured from the same origins. Some quality may have suffered from the quantity of products.

Indi is still a fairly young chocolate company, and I would expect their chocolate making to develop over time. I will revisit their products on future trips to Seattle.

Mānoa Hawaiian Island Hilo 70% cacao

Fruity burst on tasting, citrus and berries. The bar has a crisp snap, and the aroma is very pleasant. Quite low bitterness, with a gentle aftertaste. 9.4

Just as Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee, it is also the only one that farms cacao. I have tasted several Hawaiian bars, including an earlier Mānoa bar: Manoa Hawaiian Crown Estate Hamakua Hawaii 72% cocoa. Comparing notes, the taste has developed nicely in the five years since I tasted the earlier bar.

The packaging has also improved, with a nice mold for the bar and a wrapper that brings out the atmosphere of the islands.

Indi Chocolate Ecuador, Ecuador Los Rios and Ecuador Fortezza Del Valle 72% cacao

Three of the bars I purchased from Indi Chocolates were from Ecuador. The first does not specify a region of origin, but the others do. Let us compare!

Ecuador
I taste nutty and earthy flavors in this bar. It has a robust cacao flavor, with some bitterness. The aftertaste is of moderate duration and strength. 7.0

Ecuador Los Rios
There is a distinct caramel flavor from this bar. The bitterness is mild, which results in a short aftertaste. Nicely made. 7.8

Ecuador Fortezza Del Valle
This bar is similar to the Los Rios bar: caramel flavor and mild bitterness. The profile seems flatter, though. 7.6

Patty Pan Cooperative Ecuador - Single Origin

This bar has a smooth surface, but when a piece is snapped off the interior of the bar has a granular appearance. This carries through to the texture of the chocolate when tasted -- somewhat granular. This texture might have been fixed with better tempering. The taste is fairly bitter. The bar does not list the cacao percentage, but I would estimate at least 75% cacao. Side flavors are minimal. The aftertaste is persistent due to the level of bitterness. 6.7

Ingredients: Organic Fair Trade Ecuadorean cacao, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter

pattypan.coop

Though the bar lists the above website on the front, that page has no mention of the chocolate products. I received this bar as a gift from my wife's sister in Seattle where the Patty Pan Cooperative is located. There is mention of their chocolate bars on a Facebook post.

Indi Chocolate Nicaragua La Colonia 72% cacao

This bar is flavorful, with raspberry and shortbread tastes. There is a low bitterness level, but the aftertaste is moderate. 7.1