Lake Champlain has a line of four organic bars that they sent me to taste -- Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Sea Salt and Almonds and Dark Spicy Aztec. The bars are 1.25oz. each -- a really nice size and break into 6 little rectangles. All bars were nicely tempered and broke with a lovely snap.
I have to say that I really enjoyed these bars! All were rich and creamy, melting wonderfully on the tongue. Here's a bit of what I thought about each one:
Milk Chocolate -- At 34% cacao, this was a very sweet bar -- creamy and smooth. There was a lovely caramelized flavor to the chocolate that won me over. I tasted a hint of salt and a rich baked chocolate flavor like a decadent brownie.
Milk Chocolate with Sea Salt and Almonds -- My absolute favorite of the bunch! I love chocolate and salt and this was a perfect combination of the two -- the caramel flavor in the chocolate and the salt played perfectly with one another and the almonds added a bit of texture and a fresh crunch. I could eat one of these bars every day!
Dark Chocolate -- Much like the milk chocolate, but with a deeper flavor. Another winner.
Dark Spicy Aztec -- With 55% cacao, this still had enough sugar to help offset the heat from the cayenne pepper. There was a bit more graininess here, most likely from the addition of the spices, but it was still quite smooth and rich. I'm not a fan of cayenne in my chocolate, but I liked the cinnamon and really enjoyed the crunchy little pumpkin seeds that were added. If you like spice in your chocolate, this is the bar for you!
As I said, I really enjoyed these bars and if I'm in the mood for milk chocolate, this is they company I would look to in the future. You can find out more and order chocolate through their website.
I just wrote about the fact that the Spaniards thought chocolate had to be spicy. I was going to make a spicy recipe. It is good to see that some companies already make this type: Dark Spicy Aztec.
Posted by: chocoholic | May 09, 2008 at 06:07 PM
Me and my fellow Chocolate Cake Church brethren enjoy this chocolate, too. We are sure the Chocolatey Mistress endorses spicey chocolates as well.
Posted by: Theo Broma | June 12, 2008 at 04:52 PM
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Thanks!
Abbas
Posted by: Abbas Shareef | June 26, 2008 at 03:19 PM
As a chocolatier I spend time on the internet to see what's new and exciting. First of all, let me say thank you to all you wonderful folks that have a passion for chocolate and share your insights. I personally love creamy chocolates and because of your comments will give this one a try!www.maximillianchocolat.com
Posted by: lauren@maximillianchocolat.com | November 16, 2008 at 12:22 PM