Sunday, October 14, 2018

9th & Larkin Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 72% cacao

Flavorful, with citrus and butterscotch flavors. Smooth and not bitter. Long lasting aftertaste, sweet but warm. 9.1

Ingredients: cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter

www.9thandlarkin.com

This is our first taste of another local chocolate maker. Very nice product, well made and packaged. I will look forward to tasting other bars from 9th & Larkin.

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Chocolove Organic 73% cocoa

The punch is back! I lamented about a lack of "punch" for the Chocolove Organic 61% bar, but the 73% bar does have a strong presence. It is fairly bitter, with solid cacao flavor. There is also toast and carrot flavors mixing in. The aftertaste is lengthy but not too bitter. 7.7

Also, the poem is back -- "Longing" but Matthew Arnold.

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Dandelion Columbia Tumaco 70% cacao

Nice burst of flavors on first taste. With notes of  hazelnut and toast, the main flavor is a sweet maple. 9.4


Ingredients: cocoa beans & cane sugar

Friday, September 28, 2018

Ethereal Haiti 70% cacao

Fairly bitter. Tasting notes from the label says: Vanilla, Brown Sugar & Raisins. This is a fair characterization of this bar. Pretty surprising that there is a strong vanilla flavor, but the bar's ingredients do not include vanilla. The brown sugar and raisins flavors are also apropos. 7.8

Ingrdients: Cocoa Beans*, Cane Sugar*, Cocoa Butter*
*organic ingredients

www.etherealconfections.com

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Cacao Prieto Dominan Republic 72% cacao

More sweet than bitter, though the aftertaste is persistent. Honey and molasses notes are present. 7.8

Ingredients: Dominican Criollo Cacao & Organic raw cane sugar

www.cacaoprieto.com

Friday, September 14, 2018

Castronovo Venezuela Amazonas 72% cacao

Fairly bitter for the cacao percentage. Flavors I taste are toast, rose, cherry. Aftertaste is more in line with the cacao percentage, not very bitter, with a nice trail-off. 7.9

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Jcoco (Seattle Chocolate Company) Nicaragua, Matagalpa 80% cacao

This bar has elevated bitterness due to its higher cacao content and this rolls into the long-lasting aftertaste. Faint cherry may be noticed, as well as a grapefruit element. 8.0

Ingredients: cacao nibs, cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin