Review: Dandelion Butuo, Liberia

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Butuo, Liberia region Liberia plantation blend cacao trees unknown year 2014 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $10.00

color medium-dark brown appearance smooth, scoring, imprints aroma earth, roast, spice snap hard taste earth, roast (smoke, cocoa), fruit (fig), spice (cinnamon), sweet (caramel), bitter melt smooth length short finish bitter, somewhat acidic, slightly ashy

Best Prices Online
$10.00 directly from Dandelion (sold out)
$13.00 from The Meadow

Review: Dandelion Maya Mountain, Belize

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Maya Mountain region Belize plantation blend cacao trees unknown year 2014 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown appearance smooth, imprints, scoring, scuffing aroma earth (must), floral, roast (cocoa), sweet (honey), nut snap hard taste earth (straw), fruit (pineapple), sweet (honey), spice (cinnamon), roast (cocoa), acidic melt smooth length long finish somewhat acidic

Best Prices Online
$8.00 directly from Dandelion (sold out)
$9.00 from The Meadow

Good Food Awards for Chocolate 2015

The Good Food Awards published their winners for 2015. The following unflavored bars won awards in the chocolate category:

Acalli Chocolate El Platanal, Chulucanas, Peru 70%
Dandelion Butuo, Liberia 70%
Escazú Tumbes, Peru 70%
French Broad Matagalpa, Nicaragua 68%
Nathan Miller Ghana 70%
Patric Madagascar 67%

Review: Dandelion Camino Verde, Ecuador 100%

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Camino Verde 100% region Ecuador plantation Camino Verde cacao trees unknown year 2014 size 56g ~ 2oz cocoa solids 100% added fat (none) sweetener (none) emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $12.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown appearance smooth, imprints, scoring aroma roast (cocoa, coffee), earth (must), nut, dried fruit (raisin) snap medium hard taste earth, roast (cocoa, tea, malt), nut, dairy, tannin, sour, chalky melt more smooth, fudgy length medium finish tannin, somewhat acidic, slight sour

In 2014, Dandelion released two chocolates made with cacao from a 2014 harvest at Vicente Norero's Camino Verde farm in Balao, Ecuador. In addition to a bar with 85% cocoa solids, they released this bar as their first 100% chocolate.

That Camino Verde cacao was the one and only ingredient in this chocolate. There was no added cocoa butter. This chocolate was made at Dandelion's nut-free facility in San Francisco.

Enclosed inside thick craft paper sealed with a sticker, the two ounce bar came wrapped in heavy gold-sided foil. The bar reviewed here was from batch 1, with a best before date of September 2015.

The bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with imprints of 5 parallel squiggles. The surface looked superb. The chocolate had a medium-dark brown Dark Brown (PANTONE 19-1012) color.

Camino Verde 100% had a medium hard snap. The aroma was primarily a cocoa and coffee roast combined with a musty earth scent. I also smelled nut and dried fruit close to raisin.

The taste began with earth and roast. The roast included cocoa, tea, and a hint of malt. Nuttiness and some dairy joined the roast flavors. The taste was also tannin, sour, and chalky.

This chocolate had a melt that was more smooth and fudgy. The length was medium, with the flavor lasting about 30-35 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was tannin, somewhat acidic, and slightly sour.

Overall, Camino Verde 100% was a great addition to the growing number of artisan 100% chocolates.

You can purchase Camino Verde 100% online for $12.00 directly from Dandelion.

International Chocolate Awards 2014 Americas Semi-Final Winners

Last night the International Chocolate Awards published the 2014 winners of the Americas semi-finals. Here are the unflavored dark chocolate bar winners. There were many winners "due to the exceptionally high number of entries and overall standard". National awards were given "where there were a significant number of entries from one country within the category".

Americas
GOLD: Pacari Tangara 70%
SILVER: Pacari Piura 70%
SILVER: Pacari Raw 70%
SILVER: SOMA Peru Nacional
SILVER: Franceschi Rio Caribe 60% 2014 crop
SILVER: Cacaosuyo Lakuna
SILVER: It's Chocolate Venezuelan Chuao 70%
SILVER: Franceschi Ocumare 70% 2014 crop
SILVER: Pacari Lacumbia 70%
SILVER: Pacari Montubia 70%
SILVER: Madre Healani Orchards, Hawi, Hawaii, Criollo
SILVER: Pacari Nube 70%
BRONZE: Franceschi Sur Del Lago 60% 2014 crop
BRONZE: Amano Chuao
BRONZE: Hummingbird Hispaniola
BRONZE: Pacari Garua 70%
BRONZE: Chocolat Madagascar Fine Dark 65%
BRONZE: Amano Montanya
BRONZE: Potomac Upala, Costa Rica 70%

High Percentage
GOLD: Marou Tan Phu Dong 85% La Grande Epicerie de Paris
SILVER: Pacari Raw 85%
SILVER: Chocolat Madagascar Fine Dark 85%
BRONZE: Pacari Raw 100%
BRONZE: Cicada 99% Madagascan

Rough Ground
GOLD: Taza Cacao Puro
SILVER: SOMA Old School

National
CANADA GOLD: SOMA Peru Nacional
UNITED STATES GOLD: It's Chocolate Venezuelan Chuao 70%
VENEZUELA GOLD: Franceschi Rio Caribe 60% 2014 crop
UNITED STATES SILVER: Madre Healani Orchards, Hawi, Hawaii, Criollo
UNITED STATES SILVER: Amano Chuao
UNITED STATES SILVER: Amano Montanya
UNITED STATES SILVER: Potomac Upala, Costa Rica 70%
UNITED STATES SILVER: Dandelion Ambanja, Madagascar 70%

National Rough Ground
UNITED STATES GOLD: Taza Cacao Puro

Northwest Chocolate Festival Awards

The awards were announced Friday night for the 2014 Northwest Chocolate Festival. There were three judged categories (Single Origin, Milk Chocolate and Inclusions) and three non-judged awards.

In the judged Single Origin category, the winners were:

• BEST OVERALL: Marou Lam Dong 74% (Vietnam)
• BEST OVERALL: Marou Treasure Island 3/4 Cacao (Vietnam)
• GOLD: French Broad Nicaragua 68%
• SILVER: Dandelion Butuo, Liberia 70%
• BRONZE: Lillie Belle Farms Perfect Illusion 65% (Peru)

In the judged Milk Chocolate category, the winner was:

• GOLD: Fruition Marañón 68%

In the judged Inclusions (flavored chocolate) category, the winners were:

• GOLD: Madre Coconut Milk and Carmelized Ginger 55%
• SILVER: Manoa Breakfast Bar 60%
• BRONZE: Chocolate Naive Tahini and Sesame

They also gave out non-judged awards:

• Lifetime Achievement: Chloe Doutre-Roussel of Chloe Chocolat
• Mott Green Sustainability: Gillian Goddard of Sun Eaters Organics
• Innovation in Flavor: Chocolate Naive for their Dark Chocolate with Forest Honey

You can still buy tickets at the door for this weekend ($30 for a day pass) at Pier 66 (the Bell Harbor Center) in Seattle.

Review: Dandelion Papua New Guinea

Lindy's Rating: 7.5

Richard's Rating: 7.5

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Papua New Guinea region Papua New Guinea plantation blend cacao trees unknown year 2013 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $12.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle appearance smooth, scoring, imprints aroma earth, roast (cocoa, smoke), spice (cinnamon), fruit (blackberry) snap hard taste sweet (brown sugar), wine, fruit (blackberry, cranberry), roast (smoke), earth, tart melt smooth length medium finish somewhat sweet, somewhat acidic

The cacao beans for Dandelion's Papua New Guinea bar were fire-dried after fermentation, as it typical for that region. The beans for this chocolate came from a 2011 harvest.

Dandelion never adds cocoa butter, lecithin, or vanilla. They crafted Papua New Guinea in their nut-free facility from only two ingredients: 70% cacao beans and 30% cane sugar.

The two ounce bar came wrapped in heavy gold-sided foil inside an outer wrapper of beautiful craft paper. The bar reviewed here was from batch 1, with a best before date of September, 2014.

Papua New Guinea looked great, with a smooth surface. The bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with imprints of 5 parallel squiggles.

The chocolate had a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431) color. Though the snap seemed medium hard on the thin scoring lines, breaking one of the pieces revealed a nice, hard snap.

The aroma contained scents of earth, a smoky and cocoa roast, a cinnamon spice, and blackberry fruit.

The taste of Papua New Guinea began with a sweet brown sugar flavor over a background of earth and smoky roast. Red wine and fruit flavors -- blackberry with some cranberry -- came next. Lindy described it as jammy and tasting of preserves. The taste grew tart and the earth and smoke flavors increased towards the end.

The label described the taste as "a bold Southeastern-style barbecue tang. Its fruity notes give way to an earthy, leathery finish."

The chocolate had a smooth melt. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 35 to 40 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was somewhat acidic and surprisingly somewhat sweet.

In 2012, Fresco raised expectations for chocolates made of Papua New Guinea cacao, and this is another great chocolate from that region.

You can purchase Papua New Guinea online in the U.S. for $12.00 directly from Dandelion and in the U.K. for £5.95 from Bean to Bar Chocolate.

Review: Dandelion Mantuano, Venezuela 70%

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Mantuano region Venezuela plantation blend cacao trees unknown year 2013 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown appearance smooth, scoring, imprints aroma roast (smoke), earth (mold), dairy snap hard taste roast (malt, smoke, coffee), earth, spice (cinnamon), fruit melt more smooth length medium finish tannin, somewhat acidic, slightly sour

Dandelion sourced the cacao beans for Mantuano "from a female-run co-op nestled in the tropical hills of the Caribbean coast of Venezuela." This particular bar was made from batch 1 of the beans from the 2012 harvest.

The ingredients of this chocolate were only 70% cacao beans and 30% organic cane sugar. The bar was not certified organic.

This particular batch was roasted using higher temperature for a shorter time. Mantuano was made in their nut-free facility.

Inside the outer lovely craft paper wrapper, the two ounce bar was enclosed in heavy gold-sided foil. The best before date was August, 2014.

The bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with imprints of 5 parallel squiggles. Its appearance was excellent, with a clean, smooth surface.

Mantuano had a medium brown Dark Brown (PANTONE 19-1012) color. The snap was hard. The aroma contained smoky roast, moldy earth, and dairy scents.

The taste contained roast, earth, cinnamon spice, and fruit flavors. After the initial earth, spice, and fruit flavors, the roast quickly developed. I tasted smoke and coffee before malt completely dominated the remaining time.

I found the malt flavor overwhelming and not enjoyable. However, if you love that flavor, you might find this bar especially appealing.

On the label, the taste of this chocolate was described as "notes of fudge brownie and espresso with a lovely cinnamon finish."

The melt crossed the boundary into more smooth. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was tannin, somewhat acidic, and slightly sour.

You can purchase Dandelion Mantuano, Venezuela online in the U.S. for $8.95 from The Meadow or for $8.99 from Chocolopolis, and in the U.K. for £5.50 from Bean to Bar Chocolate. It is not currently available directly for $8.00 from Dandelion.

Review: Dandelion Patanemo, Venezuela

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Patanemo region Venezuela plantation blend cacao trees unknown year 2013 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken appearance smooth, scoring, imprints aroma roast (malt), earth, spice (nutmeg), dairy snap medium hard taste roast (malt), spice (cinnamon), fruit (cherry), nut, earth, sweet melt smooth length short finish tannin, slightly tart

Patanemo is a less well-known cacao growing region of Venezuela. This bar came from the fourth batch of chocolate made by Dandelion from cacao beans of the 2012 harvest.

As with all of their chocolate, Dandelion crafted Patanemo in their nut-free facility with only two ingredients: 70% cacao beans and 30% cane sugar.

The bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with an imprint of five parallel squiggles. Inside thick cream-colored craft paper, the two ounce bar came wrapped in heavy gold foil. The best before date was August 2014.

Patanemo had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and a great overall appearance. The snap on the scoring was medium hard, but nicely hard in breaking an individual piece.

The aroma contained scents of malt roast, earth, and nutmeg spice. I also noticed a hint of dairy.

The taste began with malt roast and some underlying earthiness. A cinnamon spice quickly developed, along with flavors of cherry, nuttiness, and sweetness.

Dandelion described the taste on the wrapper: "This rich chocolate bar has a roasty flavor reminiscent of peanuts."

The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted about 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a short length. The final aftertaste was tannin and slightly tart.

I've only reviewed one other chocolate made from Patanemo cacao, Mast Brothers Grand Cru. I'd like to compare the two, but unfortunately, that review was biased as the chocolate had partially bloomed.

Dandelion Patanemo, Venezuela, is not currently available for purchase online directly from Dandelion or from The Meadow.

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%

2013 Good Food Awards for Chocolate

The Good Food Awards published their winners for 2013. The following unflavored bars won awards in the chocolate category:

Amano Chuao
Dandelion Sambirano, Madagascar
Fresco Papua New Guinea 220
Patric Madagascar 67%
Patric Madagascar 75%
Ritual Costa Rica
Ritual Madagascar
Rogue Hispaniola
Rogue Rio Caribe
Rogue Sambirano

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

Review: Dandelion Elvesia, Dominican Republic

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Elvesia region Dominican Republic plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2012 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown texture smooth, glossy, scoring, imprints, adhered bits aroma earth, roast (smoke, tobacco), fruit (prune) snap hard taste earth, roast (tea), fruit (plum, cherry), sweet, tannin, hint of sour melt more smooth length medium finish tannin

Elvesia is Dandelion's single origin bean to bar chocolate made with cacao from Jo Locandro's "Swiss Farm" in the Dominican Republic. Dandelion crafts all of their chocolate using 70% cacao beans and 30% cane sugar in a nut-free facility.

This chocolate was formed into the standard Dandelion shape: a bar scored into 18 pieces, each with an imprint of five parallel squiggles. It came wrapped in nice, heavy gold-sided foil inside craft paper. A sticker on the back indicated that the batch (the first of Elvesia) was made by CR (Cam Ring). There was no production or best before date, but the beans were from 2011 harvest and the bar was made in 2012.

Elvesia had a medium brown Dark Brown (PANTONE 19-1012) color. The top surface was smooth and glossy, with a few adhered bits. The snap was hard.

The chocolate had an aroma of earth, roast and fruit. The roast contained both smoke and tobacco scents. The fruit scent seemed closest to prune.

The taste began with earthy and roast flavors. The roast came in the form of black tea. Fruit soon developed, a powerful plum flavor with some cherry in the background. Sweetness grew, with tannin and a hint of sourness.

The melt was more smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted about 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a medium length. Afterwards, I was left with a tannin finish.

You can usually purchase Dandelion Elvesia, Dominican Republic online for $8.00 directly from Dandelion, but they are currently sold out. You can also buy it for $8.99 from Chocolopolis.

Review: Dandelion Rio Caribe Venezuela

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Rio Caribe region Venezuela plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2012 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, glossy, scoring, imprints, adhered bits aroma roast (cocoa), floral, earth, spice snap medium hard taste roast (cocoa, malt), sweet, nut, fruit (orange) melt more smooth length medium finish tannin, slightly sour

Dandelion typically has three single origin chocolate bars available at a time. Their current Venezuelan bar is a 2012 harvest of cacao from Rio Caribe. The prior two were Mantuano and Ocumare.

The two ounce bar came wrapped in heavy gold-sided foil inside a craft paper wrapper. The bar was scored into 18 pieces, each imprinted with five parallel squiggles. As with all of their chocolate, Rio Caribe had only two ingredients: 70% cacao beans and 30% cane sugar. The chocolate was made in their nut-free facility.

The wrapper was sealed closed with an initialed sticker on the back, indicating that the batch was made by CL and the bar was packaged by MG. This bar of Rio Caribe was identified as coming from batch 1. There was no production date or best before date.

The color of Rio Caribe was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface was smooth and glossy, as is the norm for Dandelion bars. There were a few adhered chocolate bits, but the top of the bar looked great. It had a medium snap.

Rio Caribe had a mild aroma, with primarily cocoa roast and floral scents, along more subdued earth and spice scents.

The taste of this chocolate was mostly a roast that included both cocoa and malt (less malty than their Ocumare bar). I also experienced sweetness, nut, and an non-citrus orange fruit flavor.

The melt was smoother than average. The length made it to medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was tannin and slightly sour.

You can purchase Dandelion Rio Caribe, Venezuela online for $8.00 directly from Dandelion, or to combine it with other brands, for $8.99 from Chocolopolis.

Review: Dandelion Ocumare Venezuela

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Ocumare region Venezuela plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2012 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, glossy, scoring, imprints, adhered bits aroma roast (malt), earth, fruit (berry), spice snap hard taste roast (malt), earth, sweet, nut, tannin, spice (cinnamon), fruit melt smooth length medium finish tannin, somewhat sour

U.S. chocolate maker Dandelion released their Ocumare, Venezuela bar earlier this spring. All Dandelion chocolate is made with only two ingredients: cacao beans and cane sugar, and is produced in a nut-free facility.

Ocumare contained 70% cacao beans and 30% cane sugar. The two ounce bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with five parallel squiggles. It came wrapped in heavy gold-sided foil inside a pretty craft paper outer wrapper. I am always impressed by both the wrappers and heavy foil used by Dandelion. The wrapper was sealed closed with a sticker on the back, initialed by the person who made the batch (Todd Masonis) and the person who packaged the bar (MG). There was no production or best before date, but the batch was identified as 3.

The chocolate had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The surface was smooth and glossy. There were some adhered chocolate bits and a tiny bit of scuffing, but the bar looked great as usual. The snap was hard, almost brittle.

The aroma of Ocumare was a malt roast. I also smelled scents of earth, fruit, and spice. The fruit seemed to include some berry.

Ocumare tasted of the malt from the aroma. Along with that malt roast were flavors of earth, sweetness, nut, and a cinnamon spice. I experienced tannin as well.

The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted more than 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The final aftertaste was tannin and somewhat sour.

Ocumare was another delicious chocolate from Dandelion, even if it didn't quite reach the heights of Amano Ocumare.

Unfortunately, Dandelion Ocumare, Venezuela is no longer available for purchase online.

Northwest Chocolate Festival Awards

This evening I attended the opening event for the Northwest Chocolate Festival, which officially begins tomorrow. I met with several of the chocolate makers and chocolatiers, mingled with others of the chocolate world, saw a preview of some of the classes, and tasted a few samples.

Prior to NWCF, six judges did a blind tasting of many bars that were sent in advance for judging. Judged awards were given in two categories: Single Origin and Inclusions.

In the judged Single Origin category, the winners were:

• GOLD: Fresco 214 Madagascar
• GOLD: Fresco 219 Papua New Guinea
• SILVER: Pacari Manabi (Ecuador)
• BRONZE: Dandelion Rio Caribe (Venezuela)

In the judged Inclusions (flavored chocolate) category, the winners were:

• GOLD: Lillie Belle Farms The Most Awesome Chocolate Bar Ever
• SILVER: Madre Triple Cacao
• BRONZE: Madécasse Arabica Coffee

They also gave out non-judged Founder's Choice awards, including:

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Fran Bigelow of Fran's Chocolates
• Most Outstanding Fine Chocolate Retailer: Lauren Adler's Chocolopolis
• Best Flavor Innovation: Aaron Barthel of Intrigue Chocolates
• Best New Dessert Shop: Autumn Martin's Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery

You can still buy tickets at the door for this weekend ($30 per day) on the third floor of the Conference Center at the Washington State Convention Center.

Review: Dandelion Colombia

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Colombia region Colombia plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, imprints, adhered bits aroma dried fruit (apricot), roast (cocoa), earth snap medium hard taste sweet, roast (cocoa, coffee), fruit, spice, acidic, nut melt more smooth length medium finish somewhat acidic, slightly sour

As you can see from the label above, I was fortunate enough to get a bar from the first batch that Dandelion released made with single origin cacao beans from the 2011 harvest in the Santander region of Colombia. The back sticker was initialed by Cameron Ring for the batch and Chiann Tsui for the packaging.

As with all chocolate made by this San Francisco chocolate maker, Colombia was made with 70% cacao beans and 30% cane sugar, and nothing else. The two ounce bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with five parallel squiggles. It came wrapped in heavy gold-sided foil inside patterned outer craft paper sealed closed with the back sticker. There was no production date or best before date, but the bar was made in 2011.

The chocolate had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. In spite of the bar arriving broken (along the 2nd from the left vertical scoring line), the surface was smooth and was not noticeably scuffed. There were some chocolate bits adhered to it and a few minuscule bubbles, but overall the bar looked great. The snap was medium hard.

Colombia gave off an aroma of fruit, roast, and earth. The fruit smelled of apricot and a melange of other dried fruit. The roast had a cocoa scent.

The taste was sweet, with a cocoa and coffee roast. Other flavors included fruit, spice, and nut. The taste of this chocolate was noticeably acidic.

The melt was more smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted between 20 and 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The finish remained somewhat acidic, with a slight sourness.

Overall, while not as remarkable as its Upala Costa Rica or Sambirano Madagascar bars, Colombia was another good chocolate from Dandelion.

You can purchase Colombia online directly from Dandelion for $8.00, or if you would like to combine the purchase with other brands, from Chocolopolis for $8.99.

2012 Good Food Awards for Chocolate

This weekend the Good Food Awards announced their winners for 2012. The following won awards in the chocolate category:

Amano Guayas
Dandelion Costa Rica
Escazu Costa Rica
Fresco 214
Lillie Belle Farms Perfect Illusion
Patric Signature 70%
Rogue Sambirano
Theo Theo and Jane Goodall 70%

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

Review: Dandelion Sambirano Madagascar

Lindy's Rating: 8.0

Richard's Rating: 7.5

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Sambirano Madagascar region Madagascar plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1526 Dark Red Brown texture smooth with scoring aroma earth, spice, woody, fruit (berry), floral, butter snap hard taste fruit (berry, citrus, raspberry, plum), sweet, roast, earth melt smooth length short finish slightly tangy, slightly tannin

Dandelion was on batch number 3 for their single origin Madagascar chocolate made with organic cacao beans from Åkesson's in the Sambirano Valley of Madagascar. The sticker on the wrapper was titled Sambirano, Venezuela and indicated that the beans were from the June 2011 harvest. The back sticker was initialed twice by Alice Nystrom, indicating that she was primarily responsible for both the batch and the packaging.

Sambirano, Madagascar was made with 70% cacao beans and 30% cane sugar. There was no any added cocoa butter, emulsifier, or flavoring, and no contamination with dairy, gluten, nuts, or soy. The two ounce bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with 5 parallel squiggles, and came wrapped with heavy gold-sided foil and packaged inside a pretty paper cover. There was no production date or best before date on the wrapper, but the bar was made in 2011.

The chocolate had a medium brown Dark Red Brown (PANTONE 19-1526) color. The top surface looked nicely smooth like Dandelion's other bars whose temper Lindy liked so much. It had a hard snap.

Madagascar gave off an aroma that included earth, spice, wood, and a berry fruit. Lindy also smelled some floral, and I noticed the scent of butter.

The taste of Madagascar was fruity -- berry, citrus, raspberry, plum, and likely some other fruits we didn't identify. Berry was the strongest of the fruit flavors, but the others were clearly present. Non-fruit flavors included sweetness and roast. I also experienced some earthiness.

The melt was smooth. The flavor lasted about 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a short length. The finish was slightly tangy, and, for me, slightly tannin as well.

Overall, we both liked this chocolate quite a lot, about as much as Dandelion's Costa Rica bar. Lindy found the more interesting fruit flavors compensated for the melt and length. I concluded that they didn't quite make up for Costa Rica's better melt and length. You can find both of them on our list of Best Chocolates Overall.

You can purchase Dandelion Madagascar online directly from Dandelion for $8.00, or, if you would like to combine the purchase with other brands, from Chocolopolis for $8.99.

Review: Dandelion Mantuano Venezuela

Lindy's Rating: 6.0

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Mantuano Venezuela region Venezuela plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring aroma roast (smoke), earth (must), hint of spice snap hard taste roast (smoke, cocoa), nut, sweet (marshmallow) melt more smooth length short finish slightly smoky

MORE RECENT REVIEW: Dandelion Mantuano, Venezuela

Dandelion was also on batch number 2 for their single origin Venezuela chocolate made with cacao beans from the Barlovento coast of Venezuela. The sticker on the wrapper was titled Mantuano, Venezuela and indicated that the beans were from the 2010 harvest. The back sticker was initialed that Todd Masonis was primarily responsible for the batch and Chiann Tsui for the packaging.

As with all Dandelion chocolate, Venezuela was made with 70% cacao beans and 30% cane sugar. There was no any added cocoa butter, emulsifier, or flavoring, and no contamination with dairy, gluten, nuts, or soy. The two ounce bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with 5 parallel squiggles, and came wrapped with heavy gold-sided foil and packaged inside a pretty paper cover. There was no production date or best before date on the wrapper, but the bar was made in 2011.

Mantuano, Venezuela had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The top surface looked nicely smooth, nearly as great as their Costa Rica bar. It had a hard snap.

A strong smoky roast dominated the aroma of this chocolate. There was a dry musty earth scent, but it was secondary to the roast. I also smelled a hint of spice.

Venezuela had a roast flavor, too -- smoky and cocoa. We also tasted nutty, and a sweetness that included marshmallow. The label described the flavor of Venezuela as "almost hot cocoa in bar form" and that was how it tasted, though the roast was too strong for me. Lindy was surprised by the lack of any fruit flavors in the taste.

The chocolate had a more smooth melt. The flavor lasted about 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a short length. We were left with a slightly smoky finish.

You can purchase Dandelion Venezuela online directly from Dandelion for $8.00, or, if you would like to combine the purchase with other brands, from Chocolopolis for $8.99.

Review: Dandelion Upala Costa Rica

Lindy's Rating: 8.0

Richard's Rating: 8.0

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Upala Costa Rica region Costa Rica plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring aroma earth, roast, floral (rose), spice, sweet, hint of fruit snap hard taste floral, roast (cocoa, coffee), sweet, vanilla, nut, tannin, hint of fruit melt more smooth length medium finish somewhat tannin

Dandelion is a tiny independent chocolate maker in San Francisco. You can read more about them in our maker profile. The single origin Costa Rica chocolate bar we reviewed was labeled batch number 2 and was made using their second bag of cacao beans from the Upala region of Costa Rica. There was no production date or best before date on the wrapper, but the bar was made in 2011.

All of Dandelion's chocolate bars are presently made with 70% cacao beans and 30% cane sugar. Costa Rica was no exception, and was made without any added cocoa butter, emulsifier, or flavoring. The two ounce bar was scored into 18 pieces and came wrapped with heavy gold-sided foil and packaged inside a pretty paper cover. A large sticker on the outer paper wrapper indicated the cacao beans were from the 2010 harvest and that this was the second batch of Costa Rica chocolate. A smaller sticker holding the cover closed indicated who was primarily responsible for making that batch and packaging the chocolate, and was initialed by Cam Ring and Todd Masonis, respectively.

The color of Costa Rica was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The top surface of the bar had an incredibly smooth temper that Lindy described as "almost lacquered". The snap was hard.

Costa Rica gave off an aroma that included earth, roast, flowers, spice, sweetness. We agreed that the floral scent was rose. Lindy also detected a hint of fruit.

The taste of this chocolate was somewhat similar to its aroma, giving flavors of floral, roast, sweetness, and vanilla (note that there were no vanilla ingredients). The roast tasted like coffee to me and like cocoa to Lindy. I also experienced a nut flavor and Lindy noticed tannin and the faint fruit flavor she found in the aroma.

Costa Rica had a more smooth melt. The length was medium, with the flavor lasting 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was somewhat tannin.

Overall, we were both impressed with this bar. It was much better than the previously opened sample I tried in July (that may have suffered during its lifetime).

You can purchase Dandelion Costa Rica online directly from Dandelion for $8.00, or if you would like to combine the purchase with other brands, from Chocolopolis for $8.99.