Zotter Chocolate - Opus 5 - Cuvee 72% Dark Chocolate (2023 Edition) - May 8, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter Chocolate
Opus 5 - Cuvee 72% Dark Chocolate (2023 Edition) 
Good ++ 
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 210 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 package of 2 bars
Purchased from: Zotter, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Virtual Caribbean Cruise Week.

Today's Opus 5 - Cuvee 72% Dark Chocolate (2023 Edition) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter US LLC (Fort Myers, FL).

This "island hopping" bar was made using a blend of five cacaos from Madagascar, Sao Tome, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Belize. Zotter describes this cuvee as having "Caribbean flair...and a harmonious, and at the same time incredibly exciting aroma profile." 

Each cacao variety was individually roasted (with their own roast profile), and then combined together, and the chocolate was conched for 20 hours.

Aroma notes for this 72% chocolate included: bittersweet chocolate; faint, fleeting molasses; diffuse fruit (cherry, faint salted lime). 

Texture: smooth texture with a very faint, barely detectable astringency/fruit tannic acidity toward the finish.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (with very, very faint aromatic wood) and  a complex and delicious fruit blend (dark, ripe-sweet berry; sapote; dried tropical fruits; elderberry juice/sangria with a little squeeze of citrus, and warm spice).

Maker's tasting notes: "...The intense fragrance and flavor of speculoos, spices, and citrus fruit take center stage. In the nose, you'll experience especially festive accents of spiced shortbread and almond marzipan, enhanced by strong notes of orange and lime. On the palate, you'll initially perceive a mildly roasted flavor or biscuits, almonds, and cream, which eventually culminates in a spritz citrus fruit aroma (oranges, limes, and grapefruit) with herbal and mildly spicy characteristics. The finish gracefully fades into subtly roast accents and gentle notes of wood.

Ingredients: Cocoa Mass**, Cane Sugar**, Cocoa Butter** (** = Organic and Fair Trade)

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, peanuts, milk, gluten, soy and sesame."

Zotter - Labooko Dominican Republic 62% Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 7, 2024 (bonus entry)

Chocolate of the Day

Zotter
Dominican Republic 62% Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.23 oz. (35 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) in total package of 2 bars
Calories: 200 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Zotter, online order

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Virtual Caribbean Cruise Week. This bar was the second chocolate (bar) featured today--a bonus entry. 

Today's Dominican Republic 62% Dark Chocolate (bar) was made in Austria and distributed by Zotter USA LLC (Fort Myers, FL). It was created with cacao from Zorzal* in the Dominican Republic.

Aroma notes for this Fair Traded and Organic bar included: chocolate-y, faint green-white floral (orchid, lily).

The texture was smooth and creamy, almost like thick, creamy, high-end dark chocolate frosting (on a warm day).

Flavor notes included: rich chocolate-y (hot cocoa, chocolate chocolate frosting; smooth, moist, nut brownie); lots of naturally sweet and chocolate-y notes continued into the finish. The true chocolate notes were bold/flavorful enough to keep this 62% bar from tasting over-sugared.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Fragrance profile: nutty caramel; Taste profile: very mild and sweet, chocolatey, with notes of walnut, caramel and pickled cherries"

Ingredients: Cocoa Mass**, Cane Sugar**, Cocoa Butter** (** = Fair Traded and Organic) Fair Traded, Fair Trade Content in Total = 100%.

Allergen-related information: "Manufactured on equipment that processes tree nuts, peanuts, milk, sesame and soy."

*Zorzal is a private bird sanctuary and nature reserve that "extends over 412 hectares of land, and 70% of that has been designated to remain wild rainforest. The cacao is grown and harvested directly within this nature reserve. And Zorzal also cooperates with neighboring farmers who are actively included in the project and supply their own cacao....As a result, cacao is an ideal conservation tool: it thrives as a mixed crop and is traditionally well suited to wild harvesting."

White Label - Trinidad Garcia Estate 72% (bar) - May 7, 2024

 Chocolate of the Day

White Label
Trinidad Garcia Estate 72% (bar)
Good +
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 178 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: Missing information
Purchased from: White Label/Mutari - Santa Cruz

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Virtual Caribbean Cruise Theme Week.

This Trinidad Garcia Estate 72% dark chocolate (bar) was from White Label Chocolate (Santa Cruz/Watsonville, CA).

This cacao was grown on the Garcia Estate in Trinidad--sourced from producer Joseph Garcia. (The cacao was harvested in the 2019 season, fermented for six days inside wooden fermentation boxes, and dried for 8 days using raised beds.)

Aroma and flavor notes for this smooth, even-textured bar included: dark chocolate (dark ganache), herb/spice (very faint star anise), very faint botanical/floral (vanilla-tobacco).

This bar had a natural sweetness to it and an interesting, balanced and subtle complexity.

Maker's tasting notes: "Nutty, Sweet, Tabacco, Floral"

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Organic Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: (none listed)

Spinnaker Chocolate - 58% Trinidad Dark Milk (bar) - May 6, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Spinnaker Chocolate
58% Trinidad Dark Milk (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $ Missing information
Purchased from: Spinnaker Chocolate

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and Virtual Caribbean Cruise Theme Week.

Today's 58% Trinidad Dark Milk (Batch: Jun 2023/71.1 bar) was from Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA).

Aroma notes included: dark milk chocolate (cocoa, milky/buttery caramel).

Texture: creamy texture, melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: dark milk chocolate with butter, caramel; and very faint sweet fruit-floral (vanilla; flowers (very muted butterfly pea flower and almost undetectable rose); and very faint, balanced, aromatic pepper in the finish.

I loved the cream and caramel notes (and creamy texture), as well as the traces of other, almost floral-fruit nuances in this bar. It was borderline addictive. At least two people I shared this bar with were converted from dark chocolate only lovers to dark milk fans. 

Sadly this Trinidad bar is not currently available; however, other single origin dark milks are listed for sale on the Spinnaker website. Hoping today's bar will return in the future. 

Ingredients: Cacao, Organic Cane Sugar, Dried Milk, Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: Contains: Milk. 

 

Solstice - 70% Rio Claro Dark Chocolate (bar) - May 5, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Solstice Chocolate
70% Rio Claro Dark Chocolate (bar)
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Solstice Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Virtual Caribbean Cruise Theme Week.

This special, limited edition 70% Rio Claro Dark Chocolate bar (Lot 904), from Solstice Chocolate, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT) was made with cacao grown in Trinidad.

Trinidad and Tobago are known for their Trinitario variety cacao(s). Trinitario is thought to be a cross between Forastero (usually bolder, denser flavor) and Criollo (usually more delicate, nuanced, heritage flavors) variety cacaos. (The Spanish likely brought cacao to the islands in the 1500s; commercial production began in the 1670s.) 

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (dark chocolate ganache), diffuse and faint stone fruit (peach, nectarine); very faint, fleeting sweet molasses; lush green forest; and clean mineral water.

This well-tempered, smooth bar had a uniform texture with a creamy melt and mouthfeel.

Flavor notes included: dark chocolate (dark ganache); very faint diffuse fruit (berry pie); and very faint, fleeting earth/sour milk.

Maker's tasting notes: "Berries, Pie Crust, Almonds"

Ingredients: Cacao Bean, Organic Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter

Allergen-related information: Gluten, dairy and nut free. "Produced in a tree nut, peanut, gluten, dairy and soybean free facility."

Venice Organics - Cacao Bliss 70 - 70% Chocolate Bar (Dominican Republic) - May 4, 2024

Chocolate of The Day

Venice Organics
Cacao Bliss 70% Chocolate Bar 
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) in total bar
Calories: 420 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Farm Fresh, online order

Welcome to Day #2 of Chocolate and Virtual Caribbean Cruise Theme Week.

Today's "Cacao Bliss 70" - 70% Chocolate Bar was from Venice Organics (Los Angeles, CA).

This bar was made using "award winning" Dominican Republic (single origin and Organic) chocolate.

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate (bold, dark, aromatic cacao) with subtle earth, diffuse fruit (citrus, berry, date).

Texture: pleasing melt and creamy texture.

Flavor notes included: well-executed, bold and flavorful yet smooth dark chocolate; broad spectrum of flavors included rich chocolate-y, with subtle, well-balanced earth; diffuse fruit (mild, sweet citrus, berry) and fleeting sweet green and floral, and very faint tropical fruit (cacao pulp, mango).

I really enjoyed this Dominican Republic dark bar with a great texture and flavor range; and it did not taste overly sweet (thank you!).

Ingredients: "Cocoa beans, *Coconut sugar, *Cocoa butter (* = Organic)

Allergen-related information: "Processed in shared equipment with products containing nuts." (Certified Organic; no gluten or dairy ingredients)

Castronovo - Signature Collection Puerto Rico 70% (bar) - May 3, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Castronovo Chocolate
Signature Collection Puerto Rico 70% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.1 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62.2 g.) in total bar
Calories: 150 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Castronovo, online order

Welcome to Day #1 of Caribbean Chocolate Cruise Week. After a week-long virtual visit to Haiti (through the magic of chocolate), it's time to explore other Caribbean destinations (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and then back to Haiti).

Historically cacao was brought to Puerto Rico (from Central and South America) by the Spanish. However, I can't remember tasting a chocolate made entirely of cacao grown in Puerto Rico, so a big thank you to Castronovo for making this possible. See information below for more information.*

Today's Signature Collection Puerto Rico 70% (bar) was from Castronovo Chocolate (Stuart, FL). Aroma notes included: dark chocolate; faint sweet floral (vanilla) green/botanical; and (appealing) pickled peppers--that faded after the package had been opened for a bit.

Texture: smooth, even, texture and melt.

Flavor notes included: well balanced, sweet and flavorful dark chocolate with intriguing, faint, fleeting pickled pepper; and fruit (ripe berry (blackberry) and date). These notes all harmonized very well together and made for a very nice dark chocolate bar.

I really liked this well-executed dark chocolate, and found it somewhat addictive--with its, well-balanced, tasty, almost piquant flavor element(s).

Maker's tasting notes: "I love this chocolate for its nice natural flavors of date, vanilla, a sweet nuttiness like pecan and a delicious creaminess..."

Ingredients: organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter. 

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that uses milk and wheat. Contains no nuts. Made in a nut-free facility (nut-free and soy-free)."

*Castronovo has been working with a farmer named Juan in Puerto Rico since 2016, on fermentation and fundraising after a 2017 hurricane. Some background on the cacao farm from Castronovo Website is pasted below:

"...Juan discovered some very old original cacao trees, growing wild amongst a variety of fruit trees in the forest. He describes the pods as being very large with red and yellow colors. Hurricane Maria in 2017 wiped out a newly planted 60-acre farm, but the old trees grown in the agro-forest on his father's land survived. Despite the setback from Hurrican(e) Maria, they have replanted and have adopted cultivation techniques to provide more resilience from future storms. They continue learning as much as they can with a vision to develop the fine cacao industry in Puerto Rico..."

By trying this fine chocolate from the USA...you can support more chocolate from Puerto Rico in the future. "All proceeds from the cacao purchase go directly to the farm."