Good Food Awards for Chocolate 2014

The Good Food Awards published their winners for 2014. The following unflavored bars won awards in the chocolate category:

Askinosie San Jose Del Tambo (Ecuador 70%)
Blue Bandana 70% Madagascar
Dick Taylor Belize Toledo 72%
Fruition Dominican 70%
Guittard 100%
Patric Signature 70%
Rogue Balao (Ecuador 75%)
Rogue Hispaniola (Dominican Republic 70%)
Rogue Silvestre (Bolivia 75%)
Videri Ecuador Camino Verde 90%

The links above go directly to our associated detailed chocolate bar review.

International Chocolate Awards 2013 Americas Semi-Finalists

The International Chocolate Awards have national and regional semi-final competitions throughout the year, followed by a world final in October in London. The full results of the Americas semi-finals were just published, and here are the winners in the unflavored dark chocolate bar category.

AMERICAS GOLD: Pacari Raw 70%
AMERICAS SILVER: Patric Madagascar 67%
AMERICAS SILVER: Pacari Piura Quemazón 70%
AMERICAS SILVER: Pacari Guayacán 70%
AMERICAS SILVER: Patric Piura 67%
AMERICAS SILVER: Grenada 60%
ECUADOR GOLD: Pacari Raw 70%
USA GOLD: Patric Madagascar 67%
USA SILVER: Patric Piura 67%
USA SILVER: Amano Chuao 70%
USA SILVER: Askinosie Cortés, Honduras 70%
USA SILVER: Tejas Capistrano
USA SILVER: Dandelion Papua New Guinea 70%
VENEZUELA GOLD: Franceschi Canoabo 2013
NOMINATION: Amazona Peru 73%

Review: Askinosie Davao Philippines

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Askinosie bar Davao, Philippines region Philippines plantation (blend) cacao trees Trinitario year 2012 size 85g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 77% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane juice emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, character reliefs, tiny bubbles, adhered bits aroma earth, roast (malt, tobacco), fruit, sweet snap medium hard taste earth, acidic, bitter, fruit, wood, roast (smoke, cocoa), sour, caramel melt more smooth length medium finish bitter, somewhat acidic, slightly sour

In 2011 we reviewed three of Askinosie's four unflavored bean to bar dark chocolates: Cortés Honduras, San Jose Del Tambo Ecuador, and Tenende Tanzania. Today, we're finally posting a review of the fourth: Davao Philippines.

As you might recall from those prior reviews, Shawn Askinosie has developed personal relationships with the farmers who grow his cacao. He also shares the profits from his chocolate with them. The Trinitario cacao for this chocolate comes from the Davao region in the southeast Philippines. Peter Cruz is the lead farmer there, and is pictured on the wrapper.

Davao is the first single origin chocolate made by anyone from Philippine cacao. The 77% cocoa solids in this chocolate consisted of 75% cacao and 2% added cocoa butter. The remaining ingredient was organic cane juice (the other 23%). Note that the cocoa butter was actually pressed from the same Davao cacao, rather than a cheaper, lower quality cocoa butter used by most chocolate makers.

The 85 gram bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with a single letter of "Askinosie chocolate". It came wrapped in NatureFlex™ inside a waxed brown paper bag.

Askinosie uses a best before date of 1 year after the bar was produced as a "Choc-o-lot #" to identify the production run of the chocolate bar. The Choc-o-lot # is stamped on each wrapper and you can view a brief production history by entering it on their homepage. The Choc-o-lot # of the bar reviewed here was 060613, indicating it was finished on June 6, 2012.

The color of Davao was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface was smooth and the bar looked great other than some small imperfections: a few tiny bubbles in the raised lettering, some adhered bits, and a couple of places where the sheen was uneven. The bar had a medium hard snap.

Davao had an earthy aroma, with scents of roast, fruit, and sweetness. The roast contained both malt and tobacco.

The earthiness of the aroma was just as prominent in the taste. The earthy flavor was acidic and bitter, but not unpleasantly so. I tasted additional flavors of fruit, wood, roast in the form of smoke and cocoa, caramel, and some sourness.

The chocolate had a melt that was more smooth. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was bitter, somewhat acidic, and slightly sour.

You can purchase Askinosie Davao Philippines online directly from Askinosie for $8.00. To combine it with the purchase of other chocolate, you can buy Davao for $7.99 from Chocolopolis or Caputo's.

Review: Askinosie Cortés Honduras

Lindy's Rating: 8.5

Richard's Rating: 8.5

chocolate maker Askinosie bar Cortés, Honduras region Honduras plantation (blend) cacao trees Trinitario year 2011 size 85g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane juice emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture smooth, with character imprints and scoring aroma citrus, red fruit, earth (damp hay), roast snap hard taste earth, roast, fruit (citrus, lime, orange, cherry, plum, hint of lemon), sweet melt smooth length medium finish slightly tannin

Askinosie has personal relationships with the farmers who grow their cacao beans. The picture of lead farmer Fermin Arriaga graces the wrapper of this bar. As I've written before, Askinosie shares profits with his farmers, who all farm organically. However, his chocolate is not certified fair trade or organic.

Cortés Honduras was made from Trinitario cacao beans from farms near the port city of Cortés, Honduras. The 70% cocoa solids consisted of 67% beans and 3% cocoa butter made from Cortés beans (many chocolate makers use cheaper, lower quality cocoa butter). The remaining 30% was organic cane juice. Askinosie crafted this bar into its standard form: 3 ounces scored into 18 pieces, each with a letter of "Askinosie chocolate". Using environmental packaging, Cortés was wrapped in NatureFlex™ and placed inside the waxed paper bag picture above.

Askinosie still uses a date as a "Choc-o-lot #" to identify the production run of the chocolate bar, but starting with "100112" (October 1, 2012), they are converting to using a "best before date" rather than a "packaged date". You will continue to be able to view a brief production history by entering the Choc-o-lot # on their homepage. The wrapper of the bar we reviewed was stamped 030811, indicating it was packaged in March.

Cortés had a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431) color. The bar had a hard snap. The aromas of this chocolate were a strong citrus, a subtle red fruit, an earthiness reminiscent of damp hay, and some roast.

After an initial flavor of earth and roast, Cortés tasted of citrus and revealed more specific fruit flavors: lime, orange, cherry, plum, and a hint of lemon. Lindy said she loved the way the fruit flavors blended together and how there were so many of them. It also tasted sweet to me.

The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving Cortés a medium length. The final aftertaste was slightly tannin.

In the continental U.S., you can purchase Askinosie Cortés Honduras online directly from Askinosie for $8.00. To combine it with a purchase of other chocolates, you can buy Cortés online from Chocolopolis for $7.99.

Review: Askinosie Tenende Tanzania

Lindy's Rating: 7.5 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 7.5 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Askinosie bar Tenende Tanzania region Africa plantation (blend) cacao trees Trinitario year 2011 size 85g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 72% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane juice emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate texture smooth with character imprints and scoring aroma earth, fruit (fig), roast (tobacco), floral snap medium hard taste initial slight bitterness, roast, fruit (berry, citrus), tannin melt smooth length short finish somewhat acidic, somewhat tannin

Askinosie is the passionate creation of Shawn Askinosie. He established a chocolate making business based on personal relationships, beginning with the farmers who grow the cacao. Although not certified due to the added costs, Askinosie makes single origin organic chocolate using fair trade practices (including profit-sharing). Their dark chocolate bars include San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador, Cortés, Honduras, Soconusco, Mexico, Davao, Phillipines, and this bar: Tenende, Tanzania.

Tenende Tanzania came packaged environmentally, wrapped in biodegradable and compostable NatureFlex™ inside a waxed paper bag tied with string from the biodegradable sack in which the beans were shipped to their factory.

This chocolate was a single origin bar made of Trinitario cacao beans from farms of the woman-led UWATE farmer group in Tenende, Tanzania. It was developed as a project of Chocolate University, a partnership of Askinosie and Drury University to benefit the homeless children of Springfield, Missouri. Students learned about entrepreneurship and making chocolate from bean to bar, and 13 traveled to Tanzania and met the cacao farmers. The project also funded a new village well.

Rather than a best before date, Askinosie provides the date the bar was finally packaged as a "Choc-o-lot #", and using this number you can read the history of making the chocolate from beans to bar of this production run of chocolate bars. On their homepage, you enter the Choc-o-lot number (in the case of the bar we reviewed: 030911) and on the next page select the type and origin of the bar to see its history.

Tenende chocolate was made from 72% cocoa solids, with 28% organic cane juice and 3% (of the 72%) added cocoa butter made from the same cacao beans. The 85 gram bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with a single letter of "Askinosie chocolate". The color of the chocolate was a medium-dark brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317). The bar had a medium hard snap.

The aroma of Tenende was predominantly earthy, with additional scents of dried fig and something floral. We also noticed a roast that we were able to identify as tobacco after smelling a fresh break.

Lindy tasted a slight initial bitterness as the chocolate began to melt. We then experienced roast and a gradually building fruit flavor that included berry (perhaps cherry) and citrus. The flavor of tannin was present as well.

The melt was at the far end of smooth, nearly more smooth, but not quite. The flavor lasted about 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a short length. To Lindy, the final aftertaste was somewhat tannin; to me, it was somewhat acidic.

Overall, Lindy and I both rated Tenende a low ***. This chocolate won a Silver at the Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards.

You can purchase Askinosie Tenende Tanzania online in the U.S. directly from Askinosie for $8.00, or if you'd like to combine it with the purchase of other chocolate, you can buy it from Chocolopolis for $7.99.

Review: Askinosie San Jose Del Tambo

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

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

chocolate maker Askinosie bar San Jose Del Tambo region Ecuador plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 85g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane juice emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with character imprints and scoring aroma floral (jasmine), roast (tobacco), earth, hint of honey snap medium hard taste initial sweet bitter roast, then strong citrus (orange peel), floral (jasmine), nutty roast melt more smooth length medium finish tart, slightly acidic

Askinosie is an independent chocolate maker in Springfield, Missouri. Founder Shawn Askinosie personally meets all of the farmers that provide the beans for his chocolates. He believes strongly in both organic farming and fair trade practices, but chose not to have either certified due to the added costs. Askinosie created a program based on Jack Stack's A Stake in the Outcome™ of profit sharing with the farmers who sell them their beans. They also use environmental best practices in their packaging, renovating, and mulching of cacao bean shells. Askinosie wraps their bars in biodegradable and compostable NatureFlex™ and packages them inside a waxed paper bag.

Rather than a best before date, Askinosie provides the date the bar was finally packaged as a "Choc-o-lot #", and using this number you can read the history of making the chocolate from beans to bar of this production run of chocolate bars. On their homepage, you enter the Choc-o-lot number (in the case of the bar we reviewed: 030911) and on the next page select the type and origin of the bar to see its history.

Now, on with the review. San Jose Del Tambo is a single origin chocolate from Ecuador. It was made from 70% cocoa solids, with 30% organic cane juice and 2% (of the 70%) added cocoa butter made from the same cacao beans. The 85 gram bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with a single letter of "Askinosie chocolate". The color of the chocolate was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The bar had a medium hard snap.

San Jose Del Tambo had a strong floral aroma that Lindy identified as jasmine. There was also a notable roast that I thought was tobacco, as well as an earthiness. We both also detected a hint of sweetness in the form of honey.

After an initial sweet and bitter roast as the chocolate started to melt, the flavor of citrus in the form of orange peel came forth as it melted more fully. We also tasted the floral jasmine that had been so prevalent in the aroma, as well as a nutty roast flavor.

The melt was just barely beyond smooth and into more smooth. Similarly, the length averaged a few seconds beyond short and into medium. The finish was tart and slightly acidic.

Overall, Lindy and I both rated San Jose Del Tambo a high ***. Not only was it far superior to the other Ecuador chocolates we've reviewed so far, it was also good enough to break into the favorites list for each of us. This chocolate won a Gold at the Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards.

You can purchase Askinosie San Jose Del Tambo online in the U.S. directly from Askinosie for $8.00, or if you'd like to combine it with the purchase of other chocolate, you can buy it from Chocolopolis for $7.99.

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: 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.