Chocolate Blog

Lake Champlain Organic Bars

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.

E. Guittard Ambanja Bittersweet 65% Cacao

Here is an example of how different two chocolates can be, even when made from beans from the same region.  Recently I tried Patric Chocolate's 70% Madagascar Sambrino Valley bar which I found to be strongly citrus.  Here I am trying E. Guittard's Ambanja Bittersweet 65% Cacao bar which is also made with beans that come from Madagascar's Sambrino Valley, however Guittard states that the beans used in their bar are mostly Criollo (which some say are the finest cocoa beans). 

The Ambanja bar was much more delicate in it's flavor -- slightly spicy with a hint of pepper and citrusy with only a hint of lemon.  It is subtly complex with touches of dried fruit (raisin perhaps?)  The bar is sweet and melts smoothly and thickly on the tongue leaving little aftertaste.

(The bar did show some bloom, but that was really my fault since I've had it for a while and hadn't gotten around to reviewing it until past its "best by" date.)

I purchased my bar through Chocosphere, but you can also purchase them through the Guittard website.

Sucre

I've been on a bit of a filled chocolate kick lately, so it was a happy coincidence that I was recently contacted by Sucre -- a chocolate shop in New Orleans.  They wanted to know if I would like to try a selection of their New Orleans themed confections. 

The chocolates were all quite tasty, but I have a few favorites that I'd like to mention:

• Sicilian Pistachio -- Nutty with a little cinnamon kick.  This was very tasty!
• Torrone -- Sweet, crunchy and nutty with a hint of salt.  Reminded me a bit of a upscale Kit Kat.
• Avery -- Great saltiness combined with a hint of burnt sugar.
• Magnolia -- Pecan all the way. 

I liked that there was some regional flair to this assortment.  Everything tasted of fresh cream and high quality chocolate and I would highly recommend Sucre if you are in New Orleans, but you can also shop online.  And I have to say, I love their green & brown boxes too -- cute packaging is always a plus!

Patric Chocolate -- Madagascar Sambrino Valley

Patric Chocolate focuses in micro-batch chocolate bars -- going bean to bar.  And as I continue to find, the whole "bean to bar" process results in the truly unique chocolate experiences.  Patric Chocolate's 70% Madagascar Sambrino Valley bar is no exception.  It is almost completely different from other Madagascar chocolate I have had previously. 

Out of the package, the bar showed just a bit of bloom, but was otherwise lovely and had a nice snap.  As I broke off a piece of the aromatic chocolate and placed it on my tongue, citrus flavor literally burst in my mouth.  So much so, that I puckered up a bit.  I had to flip over the packaging to see if there was anything citrus added to the bar.  No -- just cocoa beans and sugar -- very purist.   It was really unlike anything I have ever tasted.  The first flavor was overwhelmingly of tart grapefruit, followed by notes reminiscent of red wine.  The chocolate melted smoothly and was a touch dry in the mouth.  The lingering flavors are quite acidic with a hint of tea leaves.

If you want to try a unique chocolate bar, give Patric Chocolate a try.  I received mine as a sample, but you can purchase them at the Patric Chocolate website.

Dagoba Chai

The Dagoba Chai bar is 37% cacao milk chocolate with crystallized ginger and spices.  Nice and warm on a cold winter day.  I've tried several Dagoba bars before -- my favorite being the Dagoba Seeds bar -- and I was pleased with this one too.

The chocolate here is quite brittle -- shattering when bitten into.  I prefer to hold the chocolate on my tongue until it melts.  The chocolate is background for the ginger and spices.  It's sweet and creamy and offsets the mildly spicy ginger nicely.  The "spices" noted in the description of the bar are added through the use of essential oils, rather than ground spices, giving the bar an overall smoothness which you don't often get with this type of confection.  The overwhelming flavor is cardamom, with a bit of cinnamon, pepper and anise -- the Dagoba website notes that they also use ginger oil and clove oil. 

If you are a fan of chai tea, give this bar a try -- I think you'll really enjoy its understated spiciness.  Pete purchased this bar for me at Hannah's Bretzel in Chicago, but you can purchase it at the Dagoba website or Chocosphere.

Phinney 3400 Coffee -- Theo Chocolate

I have a great love for Theo Chocolate and have tried all of their bars -- except the Phinney 3400 Coffee bar.  I don't know how I avoided this one for so long since I love Theo Chocolate and I love coffee.

This is a dark bar (65% cacao) and include fair trade coffee beans.  The beans are very finely ground, so you don't get any rough, sharp bits (that always makes me crazy) -- but you do get a bit of texture, which I found appealing.

The chocolate is dark, rich, dry and intense -- just perfect with the coffee.  The bar is well balanced too.  I don't feel like the coffee overpowers the chocolate or vice versa. 

This bar is definitely not a disappointment -- just what I would expect from Theo.  I'm very much looking forward to the cool weather so I can order some of Theo's confections -- the 12 piece collection, the nib brittle and the sipping chocolate all sound excellent -- heck all their stuff sounds excellent!

Café-Tasse Pistaches Simplement Enrobées

I'm venturing away from bars for a moment to talk about the Café-Tasse Pistaches Simplement Enrobées -- Chocolate Covered Pistachios. What is more snackable than chocolate covered nuts, I ask you? These little bits of loveliness are shiney and covered in a smooth, sweet dark chocolate. The roasted pistachios taste fresh and very flavorful.

I love pistachios, I love Café-Tasse chocolate, so these were a winner for me. If you want to try them too, you can find them at Chocosphere which is where I purchased mine.

Scharffen Berger Nibby Bar

Scharffen Berger has gotten a lot of press the last few years and as my husband was quick to point out these have become quite common.  You can buy Scharffen Berger at many grocery stores today -- but that doesn't mean it isn't good chocolate.

I've had several different Scharffen Berger products and I have a love-like relationship.  The chocolate cocoa nibs -- incredible! -- fruity and crunchy and bitter.  You get quite a bit of that in this little bar too, however the chocolate takes more of a starring role.  The chocolate is smooth and if you take your time and hold it in your mouth as it melts, the flavors really develop.  There is bitterness and a bit of tobacco followed by an intense fruitiness and finally a nice clear chocolate note.  It's really complex -- which is nice -- but that intense fruitiness isn't my favorite.  Thus love-like. 

Recently I tried the Scharffen Berger Milk bar and I wrote down these notes -- very creamy, great mouthfeel.  Earthy and spicey -- taste a bit of pepper.  Not too sweet and a bit dry on the tongue at the finish.

I also tried the Scharffenberger Semisweet bar -- also creamy with a bit of tanginess and fruit.  Maybe a little floral?

And finally the Bittersweet bar (70% cacao) -- Mild bitterness -- not nearly as intense or complex as I wanted.  Nice chocolate kick at the finish, but left my mouth feeling dry.

All in all the Nibby Bar was my favorite of the 4, although I think I'd take the chocolate covered cacao nibs over the bar.  I also have to mention that I *love* the Scharffenberger cocoa powder for making my cafe mocha.  There is something about the fuitiness and intensity that matches well with the coffee. 

I purchased my Scharffen Berger bars at Chocosphere, but you can get them all over the place.  Read more about Scharffen Berger at their website.

Café-Tasse Noir Café

I am a huge fan of Café-Tasse -- I love to have their dark chocolate with my coffee --  I loved the Blanc Citron Bar -- I don't think anything I've ever had from them that has been a disappointment.  The Café-Tasse Noir Café bar is no exception. 

This is one of their filled bars.  As you can see the outside is a dark glossy chocolate and the inside is a light creamy brown color.  The chocolate is not at all bitter -- coming in at 54% cocoa mass -- and it pairs wonderfully with the dense coffee flavored filling.  The filling has a hint of crunch to it, which I'm guessing is bits of coffee bean.  The flavor here is subtle and a bit nutty -- no overwhelmingly bitter coffee flavor.

I could seriously sit down and eat this entire bar right now -- it's so good!  If you want to learn more about Café-Tasse, you can check out their website.  I purchased my Café-Tasse Noir Café bar at Chocosphere.

El Rey ICOA White Chocolate

Now this is really something -- a single origin white chocolate bar.  It's the El Rey ICOA White Chocolate  Venezuelan Single Bean Origin Carenero Superior bar (isn't that a mouthful?)  and it's incredible!

I had heard about this bar somewhere but didn't have much luck locating it until recently.  I'm always on the lookout for a good white chocolate and this one tops the list, ousting Green & Blacks from it's spot at the top.  The overwhelming flavor of this bar is chocolate -- not sugar or milk or vanilla like most white chocolate.  (I love the G&B's because of the great vanilla flavor.)  In fact, if you blindfolded me and gave me a square of this I might mistake it for milk chocolate, only better. 

The bar is a lovely creamy yellow and smells like the finest cocoa butter -- very chocolatey.  As it melts on the tongue, it is quite creamy and gives off a faint coconut flavor.  The vanilla notes complement the chocolate and the aftertaste has a subtle banana flavor.

If you want to try some fine white chocolate, pick up one of these bars.  I don't think you'll be disappointed!

I purchased mine from Chocosphere, but you can also buy chocolate directly from the El Rey website.

Dolfin Chocolat Noir aux Amandes Grillees

Dolfin bars come in a fancy little package -- sort of like a laminated envelope that you can reseal.  Fun!  But the chocolate isn't all fun -- it's quite sophisticated and full flavored.  The bar I have pictured there is the Chocolat Noir aux Amandes Grillees, or Dark Chocolate with Grilled Almonds.  Now I've been looking for a dark chocolate / almond bar for a while and this one really hit the spot!

The chocolate is quite complex with smokey, spicey flavors.  In fact, I've also had the Chocolat Noir Au Poivre Rose (Dark chocolate with Pink Peppercorns) and I thought all the spice in that bar was from the pepper -- not so.  The chocolate definitely has some spice to it. 

I was surprised by the list of ingredients, which didn't include salt, because there was difinitely a nice subtle carmelized flavor to the bar that registered as slightly salty with me.  It could have been the grilled almonds which were wonderfully flavorful.

This bar was definitley a winner -- it reminded me of a subtler more complex version of the Vosges Barcelona Bar which I am always raving about.  It won't knock the Vosges bar out of it's top slot, but it's right up there.

Dolfin has a website where you can find info on all their products.  I purchased my bar at Chocosphere.

Hershey's Cacao Reserve

Okay, I'm shocking myself here by giving my highest rating to date to a bar from Hershey's, of all brands!  I have to tell you that I actually picked up this bar only because it was on sale at Target and I had a $1 off coupon.  I figured at that price, even if it was terrible I had little to lose.  How foolish I was!

The bar I chose was the Extra Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs.  Now at 65% cacao, I didn't really think of it is "Extra Dark" -- think semisweet, like a high quality chocolate chip.  Upon opening the package the chocolate appeared shiny and quite pretty and it snapped beautifully.  Could this be true?  I was thinking at this point.  Only a taste would reveal the truth.

As I bit into the bar, I noticed that it was the perfect thickness (not unlike the Theo or Phinney 3400 bars that I love so much).  As I held it in my mouth for a few seconds, it started to melt beautifully -- very smooth and creamy.  I took a bite then and I got the crunch from the nibs -- great texture. 

The chocolate has a bit of a sour note which was quite pleasing and it finished with a bitter coffee flavor. 

I'm really excited that I enjoyed this bar so much -- it's widely available and reasonably priced for good quality chocolate.  I would definitely buy it again.