Saturday, October 7, 2017

Aretè Brazil Fazenda Camboa 70% cacao

Cherry and raisin flavors are prominent. The bar is balanced, with a sweetness that supports the cacao well. Smooth finish with a little bitterness. 8.2

Monday, October 2, 2017

Starchild Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% cacao

Nicely sweet dark chocolate, with a citrus edge and a berry foreground. Smooth aftertaste with low bitterness. 8.9

Ingredients: Cacao, Coconut sugar, Cacao butter (Organic)

www.starchildchocolate.com

Friday, September 22, 2017

Aretè Peru Nacional Marañon Canyon 66% cocoa

The first taste of this bar reveals low bitterness, and a blend of cherry and tobacco flavors. As the chocolate develops, the aftertaste is smooth with a rapid falloff of cocoa flavor, but persistence of the cherry. 8.8

Ingredients: cocoa (Peru Nacional), organic case sugar, cocoa butter (Peru Nacional)

aretefinechocolate.com

This is the first taste I have had of a bar from this local (SF Bay Area) chocolate maker. Nice to find them!

Friday, September 15, 2017

Marou Viet Nam Bà Ria 76% Cocoa

Like other Marou bars I've tasted, this bar has a punch. Robust cocoa flavor with coffee and earthy flavors. Overall the taste is rather bitter. This continues into the aftertaste, which drifts towards a metallic edge in the finish. 7.1

Ingredients: Cocoa & cocoa butter (76% cocoa), cane sugar (24%)

Sunday, September 10, 2017

The Smooth Chocolator Tanzania 70% cacao

I notice honey and graham cracker flavors in this well made chocolate. The aftertaste is smooth, with echoes of the cacao. 9.0

Ingredients:  Cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter

The label reports that this bar won the bronze at the 2016 International Chocolate Awards (Americas). This is an Australian chocolate company.

www.smoothchoc.com

Monday, August 28, 2017

Nói Síríus Icelandic Chocolate 45% cocoa

The flavor is underscored by the "bourbon vanilla" ingredient.

Ingredients: 45% Dark Chocolate - Sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soya lecithin), bourbon vanilla.

www.noi.is

My colleague brought this bar back with her from her recent trip to Iceland.

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Recchiiuti 63% Illanka Bar

Clean bar, with a loud vanilla flavor. Smooth taste throughout, nicely manufactured.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, soy letichin, natural vanilla extract)

This Recchiuti bar is made from the Valrhona 63% Illanka bar. Valrhona is donating some proceeds from the sale of the chocolate to its Clean Water Project.