Review: Madre Kona, Hawai'i, Likao Kula Farm

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Madre bar Kona region Hawaii plantation Likao Kula cacao trees unknown year 2013 size 43g ~ 1.5oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $11.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown appearance smooth, raised shapes, image imprints, uneven sheen aroma fruit (berry, orange), roast (cocoa, tea, tobacco), spice (vanilla), sweet (honey) snap medium hard taste fruit (mango, orange), sweet (butterscotch), earth melt more smooth length long finish acidic, slightly tart

Kona is another limited edition bar from Madre. It is a plantation bar, with the cacao coming from the Likao Kula farm on the Big Island of Hawaii. The cacao trees at Likao Kula are primarily Trinitario, but there are a few Forastero and Criollo as well.

The ingredients of this chocolate were cacao beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, and Hawaiian whole vanilla. Cocoa solids were 70%.

The bar was formed in Madre's standard mold: an unscored 1.5 ounces of chocolate, with raised shapes and Mayan glyph imprints.

It came wrapped in silver foil inside a paper sleeve. The best before date was September 17, 2014.

The color of Kona was medium-dark Dark Brown (PANTONE 19-1012). The surface of the bar had an uneven sheen, but the appearance was much better than the photo suggests. The snap was medium hard.

The chocolate had an aroma containing fruit, roast, a vanilla spice, and sweetness. The fruit scents included both berry and orange. The roast seemed to be a mix of cocoa, tea, and tobacco. The sweetness smelled of honey.

A brief initial taste of earth quickly transitioned into mixed fruit flavors and a butterscotch sweetness. Mango and orange were the strongest of the fruit flavors I noticed.

Kona had a more smooth melt. The chocolate flavor lasted 60 to 70 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a long length. The final aftertaste was acidic and slightly tart.

Limited edition Kona, Hawai'i, Likao Kula Farm was another great chocolate from Madre. You can purchase it online for $11.00 directly from Madre's Square shopping site.

Review: Madre Hawi, Hawai'i criollo

Richard's Rating: 8.0

chocolate maker Madre bar Hawi region Hawaii plantation Healani Orchards cacao trees Criollo year 2013 size 43g ~ 1.5oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $11.00

color light brown PANTONE 19-1241 Tortoise Shell appearance smooth, raised shapes, image imprints aroma fruit (tropical, date), sweet (marshmallow), roast (cocoa), nut, spice (clove) snap medium hard taste sweet, dried fruit (fig, raisin, date), roast (cocoa), spice (mint, vanilla, anise) melt more smooth to creamy length long finish somewhat acidic, slightly tannin

Madre sourced the criollo cacao for Hawi from Healani Orchards on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Hawi contained 70% cocoa solids (organic cacao beans and added organic cocoa butter). The other ingredients were organic sugar and Mexican whole vanilla.

The 1.5 ounce bar was unscored, with raised shapes and imprints of Mayan glyphs interpreted as "ka-ka-u-wa" for cacao. You can read more about these glyphs in The History of Chocolate in Our Logo section of Madre's About Us page.

The bar came wrapped in foil inside a paper sleeve. The best before date on the bar was September 14, 2014.

This chocolate had a remarkably light brown Tortoise Shell (PANTONE 19-1241) color. This is the first time I've seen this particular color of chocolate. The snap was slightly less crisp than most other bars, just into the medium hard range.

Hawi's aroma had both familiar scents of marshmallow sweetness and cocoa roast and uncommon ones of tropical fruit and dates. I also smelled nut and some spice that included clove.

The taste was much sweeter than I expected from 70% cocoa solids. The flavor categories I noticed were roast, fruit, and spice. The roast tasted primarily of cocoa. The fruit was a mix of dried fruits: mostly fig, with some raisin and date. The spices included mint, vanilla, and anise.

The melt was on the boundary between more smooth and creamy. The chocolate had incredible length, with the chocolate flavor consistently lasting more than 60 seconds after the chocolate was gone. Only five of the chocolates in my chocolate review database (of nearly 300 bars) have a length of 60 seconds or longer. The finish was somewhat acidic and slightly tannin.

Overall, this was a great chocolate, with interesting secondary flavors, excellent mouthfeel, and superb length, earning a place on our Best Chocolates Overall. UPDATE: You can again purchase Hawi online for $11.00 directly from Madre's Square shopping site.

Review: Madre Hamakua pod-to-bar

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Madre bar Hamakua pod-to-bar region Hawaii plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2013 size 43g ~ 1.5oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $10.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1314 Seal Brown appearance smooth, raised shapes, image imprints, bubbles aroma sweet (marshmallow), roast (cocoa), vanilla, fruit (coconut, apricot) snap hard taste sweet (marshmallow), roast (cocoa), tropical fruit (pineapple), floral, nut, wood, mint melt more smooth length medium finish tannin, somewhat acidic

U.S. chocolate maker Madre crafts bean to bar chocolate from the island of Oahu in Hawaii. They make both unflavored and flavored chocolate bars and some other chocolate products with cacao from Hawaii and from the Dominican Republic.

Most chocolate makers begin with cacao beans shipped to them from far away, often several months after the cacao has been fermented and dried near where it was grown. Madre is actively involved in the fermentation of the cacao they purchase from local Hawaiian farmers.

The cacao for Hamakua pod-to-bar chocolate was grown on the northeast side of the Big Island. The other ingredients were organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, and Hawaiian whole vanilla.

The unscored bar weighed 1.5 ounces. I tasted this chocolate in early January. The best before date on the bar was August 19, 2014.

Hamakua had a medium brown Seal Brown (PANTONE 19-1314) color. The bar was smooth with raised shapes and image imprints. Some fine bubbles were present. The bar had a hard snap.

The aroma was a sweet marshmallow and cocoa roast. I smelled vanilla, coconut, and apricot scents.

The chocolate tasted sweet, fruity, and roasted. The fruit flavors were tropical, with a non-citrus pineapple being the strongest one. The sweetness seemed to be marshmallow, and the roast was primarily cocoa. More subtle flavors included floral, nut, wood, and a surprising hint of mint.

The melt of Hamakua was more smooth, almost creamy. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 30 to 35 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was tannin and somewhat acidic.

Unfortunately, this limited edition chocolate is not currently available for purchase.

Review: Madre Hawaiian Dark 70%

Lindy's Rating: 7.0

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Madre bar Hawaiian region Hawaii plantation Alae Estate cacao trees Hawaiian Crown Trinitario year 2011 size 43g ~ 1.5oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate texture smooth with raised shapes, image imprints aroma tropical fruit (pineapple, coconut), roast (hint of smoke), sweet (marshmallow), vanilla snap hard taste tropical fruit (pineapple), roast, sweet, tannin, acidic melt more smooth length medium finish somewhat tannin

United States chocolate maker Madre Chocolate hand-crafts their bean to bar chocolate in Honolulu. Many of their chocolates are flavored, but they also make some unflavored chocolate, including this one. They began selling chocolate bars in February 2011.

Hawaii is the only area of the United States capable of growing cacao, and Madre's Hawaiian chocolate was made from Trinitario cacao beans grown at the Alai Estate near Papaikou on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hawaiian had 70% cocoa solids (including added cocoa butter) plus added sugar and Mexican vanilla. Although their chocolate was not certified, their cacao beans, sugar, and cocoa butter were organic and Madre paid fair trade prices.

The small 1.5 ounce bar was not scored, but had raised shapes and image imprints that visually split the bar into roughly 5 pieces. It came wrapped in silver foil inside a paper sleeve. The wrapper was stamped with cacao of Hawaiian Crown and a batch of October 17, 2012 (the best before date).

Hawaiian had a medium-dark brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317) color. The surface was smooth and looked great other than a barely noticeable uneven sheen. The bar had a hard snap.

The lovely aroma contained tropical fruits, including pineapple and coconut, roast with just a hint of smoke, a marshmallow sweetness, and some vanilla. The combination of scents was compelling.

The chocolate tasted of tropical fruit as well, with pineapple clearly present. Other flavors included roast, sweet, tannin, and acidic. The taste was good, but somewhat disappointing after that aroma.

Hawaiian had a melt that was more smooth. The flavor after the chocolate was gone lasted 20 to 25 seconds, giving a medium length. The finish was somewhat tannin.

You can purchase Hawaiian online for $8.00 directly from Madre, and they ship to over 20 countries.

In addition, if you live near Seattle, you can taste this chocolate on Thursday March 1st between 5 and 9 p.m. at Chocolopolis, where their free weekly Thursday happy hour chocolate tasting will be of Hawaiian chocolates this week.