Review: Amedei Porcelana

Richard's Rating: 9.0

chocolate maker Amedei bar Porcelana region Venezuela plantation blend cacao trees Criollo year unknown size 50g ~ 1.8oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price €14,70

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown appearance smooth, scoring, imprints, adhered bits, scuffing aroma earth (must), floral, fruit (strawberry, raisin), roast (malt), dairy snap medium hard taste nut (almond), earth, spice, roast (cocoa, malt), fruit (strawberry, citrus, raisin), sweet (butterscotch), slightly ashy melt smooth length long finish somewhat acidic, somewhat tannin

Prior Reviews
2011 Review
2010 Review

Best Prices Online
$16.50 at World Wide Chocolate
$18.50 at Amedei Store (NYC)
$18.50 at Caputo's
$18.50 at Chocosphere
£8.00 at Chocolate Ocean
€11,25 to €11,99 on Amazon.de
€14,70 at Amedei

Sale: Free Shipping at World Wide Chocolate

World Wide Chocolate is running another one week promotion with free UPS Ground shipping on all orders with no minimum purchase requirement. They have a large selection with prices only slightly above lowest online retail. Free shipping is an excellent deal for small orders, and prices are already great on Amano, Amedei, Madécasse, and Potomac bars.

Use coupon code FREESHIPPING during checkout. This offer is valid through Monday, April 7th. It has been two months since they last ran this free shipping offer.

Sale: Free Shipping at World Wide Chocolate

World Wide Chocolate has free UPS Ground shipping available on all orders with no minimum purchase requirement. They have a big selection and even though their prices are typically a little higher than the least expensive online chocolate retailers, free shipping is a great deal for small orders.

In particular, this is an excellent opportunity to pick up some chocolate bars from Amedei, Madécasse, and Potomac. World Wide Chocolate has competitive prices for these makers even without a sale, so free shipping makes them a bargain. Amano would usually be on that list as well, but they are currently sold out.

Use coupon code FREESHIPPING during checkout. This offer is valid through Monday, February 10th. It has been roughly a month since they last ran this free shipping offer.

Sale: Free Shipping at NewLeaf with Amedei purchase

NewLeaf Chocolates is now offering free shipping on any order that includes an Amedei product. This is a surprisingly good deal, as their prices on Amedei bars are already near the low end, though the selection is somewhat limited. Here's a link to their Amedei products.

NewLeaf carries more than a dozen other chocolate makers, so check out their collection and consider picking up some other brands to include in your free shipping order.

They otherwise currently have free shipping for orders of $75 or more, and flat $7.95 shipping to the continental U.S. You can read the full details on the shipping section of their About Us page.

Use coupon code AMFREE14 during checkout. They plan to run this offer through February 9th (to get your chocolate in time for Valentine's Day :) but may discontinue it earlier.

Sale: Free Shipping at World Wide Chocolate

World Wide Chocolate has free UPS Ground shipping available on all orders with no minimum purchase requirement. They have a big selection and even though their prices are typically a little higher than the least expensive online chocolate retailers, free shipping is a great deal for small orders.

In particular, this is an excellent opportunity to pick up some chocolate bars from Amano, Amedei, Madécasse, and Potomac. World Wide Chocolate has competitive prices for these makers even without a sale, so free shipping makes them a bargain.

Use coupon code FREESHIPPING during checkout. This offer is valid through Sunday, January 12th.

Sale: Free Shipping at World Wide Chocolate

World Wide Chocolate has free UPS Ground shipping sale on all orders with no minimum purchase requirement. Even though their prices are typically a little higher than the least expensive online chocolate retailers, free shipping is a great deal for small orders.

This is also an excellent opportunity to pick up your favorite Amano, Amedei, Madécasse, Patric, and Potomac chocolate bars. World Wide Chocolate has competitive prices for these makers even without a sale, so free shipping makes them a bargain.

Use coupon code FREESHIPPING during checkout for this free shipping offer. This code is valid through Monday, October 14th has been extended through Monday, November 25th.

Academy of Chocolate 2013 Awards

The London Academy of Chocolate released their award winners for 2013.

Here are the winners in the bean to bar dark chocolate category:

GOLD:
Amedei Blanco de Criollo
Amedei Cru Madagascar
Bar au Chocolat Chiapas, Mexico 70%
Bar au Chocolat Sambirano Valley, Madagascar 70%
Original Beans Beni Wild Harvest 60%

SILVER
Akesson's Madagascar
Amano Chuao
Amedei 9
Amedei Toscano Black 63%
Hotel Chocolat Rabot Marcial 70%
Marou Tien Giang 70%
Michel Cluizel Mokaya 66%
Potomac San Martin 70%
Tabago Estate 70%

BRONZE
Marou Ben Tre 78%
Oialla Dark 72%

Here's a link to the full lists of 2013 Award Winners in all of the categories.

Sale: Free Shipping at World Wide Chocolate

World Wide Chocolate is offering free UPS Ground shipping on all orders (no minimum purchase) through Tuesday, April 30th. While their prices are typically higher than the least expensive online chocolate retailers, free shipping more than makes up for this if you have a small order.

World Wide Chocolate is a good place to buy Amano, Amedei, Madécasse, Patric, and Potomac chocolate bars, as their prices are competitive even without a sale.

Use coupon code FREESHIPPING during checkout for free shipping through Tuesday, April 30th.

Review: Amedei Toscano Black 66

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Amedei bar Toscano Black 66 region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees Criollo, Trinitario year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.8oz cocoa solids 66% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, text imprints, uneven sheen, tiny bubbles aroma roast (cocoa, tobacco, malt), earth, wood, sweet snap medium hard taste roast (burnt, coffee), sweet (honey, molasses), fruit (berry), wood, dairy (butter) melt more smooth length medium finish tannin, sour, slightly bitter, slightly acidic

This is another bar in Amedei's Toscano Black line, made using blends of Criollo and Trinitario cacao beans from plantations with which Amedei has exclusive relationships. Others in the line include Toscano Black 63 and Toscano Black 70.

Toscano Black 66 was made from cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla, with a total of 66% cocoa solids. The 50 gram bar came scored into 10 pieces, each with a text imprint and some parallel lines. It came sealed in yellow-sided silver foil inside a textured green paper envelope. The best before date was 30 December 2012.

The chocolate had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The surface was smooth, but had an uneven sheen and some tiny bubbles. The bar had a medium hard snap.

The aroma contained an interesting roast, a blend of cocoa, tobacco, and malt. Earth, wood, and sweet scents were also present.

The roast in the aroma transformed in the taste to that of burnt and coffee flavors. 66 was sweet, with both honey and molasses. There was a berry fruit I didn't identify more specifically, along with woodiness, and a dairy flavor that tasted like butter to me.

This chocolate had a melt that was more smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted about 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving 66 a medium length. The finish was tannin and sour, with slight bitterness and acidity.

Overall, Toscano Black 66 had the potential to be a very good chocolate, but with its unpleasant aftertaste, I rated this release to be a 6.5, closer to 70 than the marvelous 63 we reviewed last year.

You can purchase Amedei Toscano Black 66 online for $6.99 in the U.S. from Chocolopolis, or for £3.95 in the U.K. from Chocolate Trading Co.

Review: Amedei Chuao

Richard's Rating: 8.5

chocolate maker Amedei bar Chuao region Venezuela plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.8oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, broken, adhered bits, uneven sheen aroma earth, fruit (raisin), roast (cocoa), sweet (molasses) snap hard taste roast (cocoa, coffee), sweet (honey, molasses), earth, fruit (berry, cherry, blueberry, plum) melt smooth length medium finish coffee, bitter, acidic, tannin

Amedei Chuao is the only chocolate bar that Lindy and I have both rated 10.0. That previous review was almost two years ago, and only our fifth published review.

The cacao beans for this chocolate came from the Chuao region of Venezuela, renown for its extraordinary cacao. The other ingredients were cane sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla. Total cocoa solids made up 70% of the chocolate.

The 50 gram bar came sealed inside foil-lined yellow paper and packaged in a textured paper envelope. The bar was scored into ten pieces, each with an imprint of the Amedei name and parallel lines. Unfortunately, the bar arrived broken (as you can see in the picture above). A best before date of 28 February 2012 was stamped on the envelope, indicating the chocolate was months past its prime.

Amedei Chuao had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The surface of the bar was smooth, with some adhered bits of chocolate. The sheen was uneven. The bar had a hard snap.

The earthy aroma contained scents of fruit that smelled close to raisin, roast in the form of cocoa, and molasses sweetness.

The chocolate tasted of roast, sweetness, earth, and fruit. The roast included both cocoa and coffee flavors. The sweetness seemed to be a mix of both honey and molasses. I tasted several fruit flavors: berry, cherry, blueberry, and plum.

The melt was smooth, bordering on more smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted 35 to 40 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The finish included a lingering coffee flavor, along with bitterness, acidity, and tannin.

While still an excellent chocolate, this incarnation no longer retains its top spot on my favorites list. Some of that decline from near perfection might be attributed to the age of this particular bar, but not the disappointing aftertaste.

UPDATE: As of 16 April 2013, the best price I found for purchase online in the U.S. was $14.50 from three places: Caputo's, Chocosphere, and World Wide Chocolate. The best price I found for purchase online in the U.K. was £5.69 from Chocolate Trading Co.

Sale: 20% off Amedei at World Wide Chocolate

Sales this week at World Wide Chocolate include 20% off Amedei, Cacao Barry, and Godiva using coupon code SPECIAL20 during checkout (through March 20th).

They are also continuing several of their 15% off sales by nationality:

• Amano, Blommer, Ghirardelli, Guittard, Lake Champlain, Patric, Potomac, Scharffer Berger, Taza, and Vermont Nut Free chocolate using coupon code AMERICAN15
• Cacao Barry, Bonnat, Bernard Castelain, Michel Cluizel, Yves Thuries, Francois Pralus, and Valrhona chocolate using coupon code FRENCH15
• Divine, Hachez, and Viviani chocolate using coupon code GERMAN15
• Amedei, Domori, L'Artigiano, Maglio, Slitti, and Venchi chocolate using coupon code ITALIAN15

You can view the full list of promotions here.

REMINDER: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

In addition, the first 30 buyers to add "Free Michel Cluizel Squares" in the Comments field during checkout will receive 5 free bite-size chocolate squares of Michel Cluizel chocolate.

World Wide Chocolate only ships to United States, APO (military), and FPO (diplomatic) addresses. Full information can be found at World Wide Chocolate shipping policies.

Sale: 20% off Guittard, 15% off nearly all other chocolate brands

This week World Wide Chocolate has 20% off Guittard and Valor chocolate using coupon code SPECIAL20 during checkout (through December 19).

They have 15% off many other chocolate brands by nationality (also through December 19), including:

• Amano, Blommer, Ghirardelli, Guittard, Lake Champlain, Patric, Scharffer Berger, and Vermont Nut Free chocolate using coupon code AMERICAN15
• Becolade, Cafe-Tasse, Callebaut, Cavalier, Chocolove, Côte D'Or, Dolfin, Galer, Godiva, and Nirvana chocolate using coupon code BELGIAN15
• Cacao Barry, Bonnat, Bernard Castelain, Michel Cluizel, Yves Thuries, Francois Pralus, and Valrhona chocolate using coupon code FRENCH15
• Amedei, Domori, L'Artigiano, Maglio, Slitti, and Venchi chocolate using coupon code ITALIAN15

Finally, if you want to mix and match chocolate of multiple nationalities, you can use coupon code take5 to get $5 off a purchase of $30 or more, or coupon code take10 to get $10 off a purchase of $60 or more. These two coupon codes may end today.

As a bonus treat during checkout, the first 30 buyers to add "Free Michel Cluizel Squares" in the Comments field will receive 5 free bite-size 5 gram chocolate squares of Michel Cluizel chocolate.

World Wide Chocolate has some additional promotions available on other chocolate products.

REMINDER: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

World Wide Chocolate only ships to United States, APO (military), and FPO (diplomatic) addresses. Full information can be found at World Wide Chocolate shipping policies.

Review: Amedei Cru Venezuela

Lindy's Rating: 8.5

Richard's Rating: 8.0

chocolate maker Amedei bar Cru Venezuela region Venezuela plantation (blend) cacao trees Trinitario year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.8oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown texture smooth with text imprints and scoring, grayish tinge aroma earth, wood, citrus, red fruit, floral, sweet snap hard taste butter, nut (almond, cashew, walnut), roast (cocoa), sweet, spice, fruit (coconut) melt smooth length medium finish slightly sour

Italian chocolate maker Amedei uses cacao beans from individual plantations to make its single origin Cru chocolate bars. Venezuela was made from Trinitario cacao that is genetically more than 85% Criollo (for more information, see our posting about cacao types). The farms from which this cacao was grown are obviously in Venezuela :)

The chocolate was made from 70% cocoa solids, with ingredients of cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla. The bar was formed in typical Amedei fashion: scored into ten 5-gram pieces, each with an imprint of the Amedei name and some parallel lines. Sealed inside foil-lined yellow paper, the bar was packaged in their slightly textured paper container with coloring indicating a single origin Cru bar: half black and half yellow in front. The best before date on the chocolate we reviewed was 15 April 2012.

The color of Venezuela was a medium brown Dark Brown (PANTONE 19-1012). The surface seemed to have a slight grayish tinge, but no obvious bloom. The bar had a hard snap and revealed aromas of earth, wood, citrus, red fruit, floral, and sweetness.

Butter was the first flavor that both Lindy and I tasted. It was soon followed by nut, roast in the form of cocoa, sweetness and spice. We also both experienced coconut in the taste. The nut flavor was primarily almond, but I also noticed some cashew and walnut.

Venezuela had a smooth melt. The chocolate flavor lasted 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The finish left us with a slightly sour aftertaste.

In the U.S., you can purchase Amedei Cru Venezuela online for $7.50 from Chocosphere. In the U.K., you can buy it online for £3.95 from Chocolate Trading Co.

Review: Amedei Toscano Black 63

Lindy's Rating: 9.5 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Amedei bar Toscano Black 63 region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees Criollo, Trinitario year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.8oz cocoa solids 63% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with text imprints and scoring aroma floral, earth (moss), roast (cocoa, coffee), sweet, fruit (raspberry) snap hard taste sweet (honey), roast (hot chocolate), fruit (red berry) melt more smooth length long finish slightly sweet, very slightly acidic

Amedei makes their Toscano Black bars using blends of Criollo and Trinitario cacao beans from plantations with which Amedei has exclusive relationships. Toscano Black 63 is made from cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla, with a total of 63% cocoa solids. This 50 gram bar came in the standard Amedei shape: scored into 10 pieces, each with an "AMEDEI" text imprint and some lines. It came sealed inside yellow sided silver foil in a red textured paper container. The best before date was February 2012.

Toscano Black 63 had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and a hard snap. The chocolate had a terrific and complex aroma, with lots of scents. I first noticed something floral and some earthiness. Lindy clarified the earth as a moss. We smelled roast scents with both cocoa and coffee, though more of the former. There was also some sweetness and a red fruit aroma that Lindy identified as raspberry.

The taste immediately revealed a sweetness in the form of honey that was surprisingly nice, and not the excessive sweetness we anticipated. Following that was a roast flavor like that of a terrific hot chocolate, a great combination of cocoa and just the right amount of sugar. Finally, we noticed a red berry fruit.

This chocolate had a melt that was more smooth. The length was an impressive long, with the flavor lasting around a minute after the chocolate was gone. The finish was slightly sweet and very slightly acidic.

Overall, we both rated Toscano Black 63 a high ***. This chocolate surprised us both and made it onto our respective lists of favorites (click on the links in the top right Pages section to see them). It also won a gold at the Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards.

You can purchase Amedei Toscano Black 63 online for $6.50 in the U.S. from Chocolopolis, or for £3.95 in the U.K. from Chocolate Trading Co.

Review: Amedei Porcelana

Lindy's Rating: 10.0 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 9.5 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Amedei bar Porcelana region Venezuela plantation (unknown) cacao trees Criollo year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.8oz cocoa solids 70% fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1217 Mustang texture smooth with text imprints and scoring aroma earth (must), floral, fruit (strawberry), sweet, roast snap hard taste sweet, nut (almond), roast (malt), hints of vanilla and fruit melt more smooth length medium finish very slightly acidic, slightly ashy

MORE RECENT REVIEW: Amedei Porcelana

This is our second review of Italian chocolate maker Amedei's Porcelana bar. We reviewed this chocolate only about a month after starting this blog. Since it is our favorites lists, we felt it deserved a subsequent review now that we have more experience and perspective (if only to confirm our prior review). You can read the first review here.

Amedei Porcelana is a single origin chocolate made from Porcelana cacao beans from Venezuela. The beans from these Criollo cacao trees have a distinctive white color and were named Porcelana for this porcelain-like color.

This chocolate was made from 70% cocoa solids, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla. The 50 gram bar was scored into 10 pieces, each with a few lines above and below the "AMEDEI" imprint. The best before date on the bar we reviewed was May 2011. The color of Amedei Porcelana was a medium-dark brown Mustang (PANTONE 19-1217). The bar had a hard snap.

Just after breaking the chocolate we could smell sweetness and roast, but those soon faded and were replaced by a strong earthy must. Other evident aromas were floral and fruit, the latter of which was a strawberry and perhaps some olive.

Porcelana tasted of sweetness, almond, and malt. The nutty almond flavor seemed roasted to me; Lindy found it more like almond extract. We both noticed a hint of vanilla, and I tasted a suggestion of fruit as well.

The melt was more smooth. In the prior review, we indicated creamy because we didn't have a "more smooth" in our melt range at that time. The flavor lasted about 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, easily reaching medium length. I found the finish very slightly acidic; Lindy experienced it as slightly ashy.

Overall, we both still liked Amedei Porcelana and rated it a high *** (down from Lindy's prior **** rating). It remains a favorite of both of us. In 2009, this bar won one of the five Gold awards by the Academy of Chocolate in the bean to bar dark chocolate category.

Amedei does not publish list prices, but you can purchase Porcelana online from Chocolopolis for $15.00. It remains the most expensive chocolate we've reviewed (on a per-ounce basis. Take a look at our best chocolate values page for comparison).

Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards

The London Academy of Chocolate just published their full list of award winners for 2011.

Here are the winners in the bean to bar dark chocolate category:

GOLDEN BEAN
Duffy’s Honduras Indio Rojo 72%
Amedei 9

GOLD
Michel Cluizel Los Ancones 67%
Askinosie San Jose Del Tambo
Amedei Toscano Black 63%

SILVER
Askinosie Tenende Tanzania
Grenada 82%
Amano Dos Rios
Amano Chuao
Amedei Cru Madacascar
Soma Three Amigos 70%
Amedei Toscano Black 70%
Pralus Chuao 75%
Rózsavölgyi Trincheras 70%
Potomac Upala 70%
Olivia 76%

BRONZE
Duffy’s Corazon d’Equador 72%
Michel Cluizel 85%
Valrhona Manjari
Rózsavölgyi Porcelana 71%
Valrhona Alpaco
Valrhona Guanaja
Zokoko Tranquilidad Bolivia 72%


And in a separate category of "bean to bar" without processing the beans themselves...

GOLD
Idilio 2 Amiari Meridena
Åkesson's Brazil Fazenda Monte Alegre 75%

SILVER
Baruzzo Quinche 70%
Åkesson's Madacascar Ambolikapiky 75%
Friis Holm Nicaliso
Idilio 12 Finca Torres
Original Beans Beni Wild Harvest 66%
Demarquette Peru Pangoa 70%
Zokoko Alto Beni Bolivia 68%
Bojesen Oialla
Original Beans Cru Virunga 70%

BRONZE
Hotel Chocolat Rabot 65% (120 hour conch)
Hotel Chocolat Rabot 66%
Moonstruck Fortunato No. 4
Idilio 1 Porcelana
Konzept Barlovento

As you can see from the many names above without links, we've not yet reviewed most of the winners and look forward to doing so in the future.

Here's a link to the full lists of 2011 Award Winners in all of the categories.

Store: Kakao

Last month I ran across kakáo (pronounced kuh-key-oh) while on a walk in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle. I saw the sign in the window and felt compelled to check it out. I'm glad I did.

kakáo is a combination chocolate and coffee shop, with lots of bright, open space in which to hang out. In this converted warehouse, under 15' high wooden ceilings, they have ten tables with chairs, two loveseats, two lounge chairs, free Wi-Fi for internet access (wireless network 415: just ask them for the password), and lots of outlets around the walls and windows (to power your laptop, etc).

chocolate store	kakáo
website	http://www.kakaoseattle.com/
address	415 Westlake Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 United States
phone	(206) 388-5467
hours	Mon-Fri	7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
	Sat	8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
online shopping	no
shipping area	N/A
warm weather shipping	N/A
chocolate makers	Amedei Michel Cluizel Claudio Corallo Dagoba Fran's Green and Black's Guittard Kallari Komforte Lindt Madécasse Moonstruck François Pralus Republica del Cacao Scharffen Berger Taza Theo Valrhona Vosges
special deals & events	free Wi-Fi
last updated	February 24, 2012

With more than 50 different chocolate bars of more than a dozen different brands, kakáo has the second largest collection of quality chocolate in Seattle (including some not available at Chocolopolis).

At the espresso bar, they serve Valrhona Celaya drinking chocolate in addition to more traditional drip coffee and espresso. Their coffee is from local Seattle green coffee maker Herkimer. A small collection of pastries is also available.

The shop is officially open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but a barista let me know that they are usually open by 7:15 a.m. Their website is only a placeholder at present, but the owner, J.B., intends to add content and perhaps eventually sell chocolate online (I'll let you know if he does!)

kakáo has a side room that holds up to twenty people that is available for free, and can even be reserved. They also have a huge venue space for rent in back that has a capacity of 300 people (200 for a seated event). Call and talk to Jim if you're interested in more information about their venue space.

Store: Chocolopolis

As you've no doubt read in previous postings, Chocolopolis was the store that introduced me to artisan chocolate and inspired me to create this blog. The owner, Lauren Adler, is not only an enthusiastic and educated chocophile, but also extremely generous and interested in sharing her passion for chocolate. All of the staff that I've met at the store in Seattle have been friendly and helpful, providing information for the novice and expert alike. At the same time, when they haven't known something, they admitted it and offered to try to find out.

Chocolopolis has many events, including weekly happy hours during which you can taste chocolate for free. They also have a frequent bar club, in which you receive one bar free for every 10 different chocolate bars you buy.

chocolate store	Chocolopolis
website	http://www.chocolopolis.com
address	1527 Queen Anne Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 United States
phone	(206) 282-0776
hours	Mon-Wed	11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
	Thu-Sat	11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
	Sun	11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
online shopping	yes, click here
shipping area	continental United States click here for more information
warm weather shipping	yes, with gel packs
chocolate makers	Amano Amedei Askinosie Bonnat El Ceibo Michel Cluizel Coppeneur Claudio Corallo Dandelion Domori Escazú Fearless Fine & Raw Fresco Grenada E. Guittard Kallari Lillie Belle Farms Madécasse Chocolat Moderne Moonstruck Olive & Sinclair Original Beans Pacari Patric François Pralus Republica del Cacao El Rey Ritual Rogue Santander Snake & Butterfly Taza Theo Valrhona Venchi Waialua Estate
special deals & events	frequent bar club weekly happy hours tasting events
last updated	Febrary 24, 2012

In addition to stocking over 200 different chocolate bars, Chocolopolis carries a variety of chocolate truffles by multiple chocolatiers and several other items for chocolate lovers (drinking chocolate, books, gifts, etc.)

Chocolopolis also opened a temporary second store at the Bravern in Bellevue for the winter holidays, but it is still open.
  Address:
     700 110th Ave. NE, Suite 192,
     Bellevue, WA 98004
  Phone: (425) 453-0776
UPDATE: The last day the store at the Bravern will be open is April 30th.

Review: Amedei Toscano Black 70

Lindy's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)

Richard's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker Amedei bar Toscano Black 70 region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees Criollo, Trinitario year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.8oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with text imprints and scoring aroma spice, earthy, floral, roast (tobacco), sweet snap hard taste fruit (cherry), sweet, roast melt smooth length short finish slightly acidic

Amedei Toscano Black 70 is unsurprisingly made from 70% cocoa solids. They use only Criollo and Trinitario cacao beans from farms producing exclusively for Amedei. The bar came wrapped in yellow foil inside a folded black paper container in the standard shape for Italian chocolate maker Amedei. The 50 gram bar was scored into 10 pieces, each with an Amedei text imprint and some lines.

The color of this Toscano Black 70 bar was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). It had a hard snap. The aromas of the chocolate were spice, floral, and earth. Lindy also detected some sweetness and I smelled a tobacco roast.

Toscano Black 70 had a strong cherry flavor that was somewhat too sweet, and a roast that I thought hinted of coffee. The melt of this chocolate was smooth. After the chocolate was gone, the flavor lasted 10-15 seconds, giving it a short length. The final aftertaste was slightly acidic. Lindy was also left with just a hint of cherry that didn't seem to go away.

As you can see from the sticker on the package in the picture at top, Toscano Black 70 won one of the gold awards for best bean to bar chocolates at the 2009 Academy of Chocolate. Unfortunately, Lindy and I didn't like this bar anywhere near as much as the judges liked the bar two years ago in 2009. Lindy rated Toscano Black 70 ** and I agreed, though it was a high ** for me. Amedei does not have a list price for Toscano Black 70. However, you can purchase it online for $6.50 at Chocolopolis. At that price it is currently the most expensive ** bar on our Best Chocolate Values list.

Review: Amedei 9

Lindy's Rating: 8.5 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 8.5 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Amedei bar 9 region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.8oz cocoa solids 75% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, with text imprints and scoring aroma earthy (musty), red fruit, licorice snap hard taste roast (coffee), citrus, nutty, berry, cream, sweet (molasses) melt smooth length minimal finish faint citrus, slightly acidic

Italian chocolate maker Amedei has made some of our favorite chocolates, including their Chuao, our current absolute favorite, and the only bar both Lindy and I rated ****. The Amedei 9 bar is made from the cacao of nine of their private plantations. Although a blend of multiple cacao varieties from multiple regions, Amedei considers this bar their "family treasure".

The color of the Amedei 9 was a bit darker than most artisan chocolates, though the tempering and surface texture was similar to other Amedei bars. The two aromas Lindy and I both noticed were earthy and red fruit. We clarified the earthiness as musty, but didn't get a handle on the red fruit aroma. I also smelled a licorice scent.

9 had a slow start, taking a while before melting and releasing its many flavors. Eventually we detected roast (which I thought was coffee), citrus (which Lindy experienced as a faint lime), nutty, berry, cream, and a sweetness I noticed as molasses.

Its melt was smooth. Unfortunately, the flavor lasted only a few seconds after the chocolate was gone. Although the final aftertaste was not bitter, this chocolate left a faint citrus taste and slight acidity in the mouth that wasn't as nice as it sounds.

Amedei does not have list prices, but their chocolate bars are typically quite expensive. You can purchase Amedei 9 for $10.00 at Chocolopolis.

After reviewing Amedei 9 and writing this blog post, I looked up the sticker on the wrapper and discovered that this bar won the Academy of Chocolate's 2009 Golden Bean highest award. While this 2010 production of the 9 bar was good, we did not find it anywhere near as remarkable as the 2009 apparently was.

UPDATE: Amedei 9 also won a Gold at the Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards.