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%

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 World Final Results

The International Chocolate Awards have national and regional semi-final competitions throughout the year, followed by a world final in October in London. Below are the World Final winners in the unflavored dark chocolate bar category. You can also read results in all categories.

WORLD GOLD: Pacari Piura Quemazón 70%
WORLD SILVER: Patric Piura 67%
WORLD SILVER: Pacari Raw 70%
WORLD SILVER: Patric Madagascar 67%
WORLD SILVER: Bonnat Juliana
WORLD SILVER: Friis-Holm Nicaliso 70%

Pacari Piura Quemazón 70% was also recognized with special awards of Gold Chocolate Maker, Gold Growing Country, Gold Directly Traded, and Gold Organic.

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.

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%

Northwest Chocolate Festival Awards

Tonight the awards were announced for the Northwest Chocolate Festival. There were two judged categories (Bean to Bar and Inclusions) and one non-judged category.

In the judged Bean to Bar category, the winners were:

• GOLD: Rogue Balao
• GOLD: Rogue Silvestre
• SILVER: Patric 67% Madagascar
• BRONZE: Dick Taylor Belize

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

• GOLD: Patric 74% In-NIB-itable
• SILVER: Madre Triple Cacao
• BRONZE: Grenada Nib-A-Licious

They also gave out non-judged awards, including:

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Bill Fredricks of Chocolate Man
• "Mott Green" Sustainability: Fran Bigelow of Fran's Chocolates
• Artisan of the Year: Karen Neugenbauer of Forte Chocolates

You can still buy tickets at the door for this weekend ($40 for a day pass or $65 for both days) at the Conference Center of the Washington State Convention Center.

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.

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: Patric Madagascar 67%

Richard's Rating: 7.5

chocolate maker Patric bar Madagascar 67% region Madagascar plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 65g ~ 2.3oz cocoa solids 67% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $7.99

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture matte, smooth, imprint aroma roast (cocoa), earth, fruit (raisin, berry), dairy, vinegar snap hard taste sweet (molasses), roast (cocoa), dairy, fruit (plum, berry, citrus, raisin) melt smooth length medium finish somewhat acidic, slightly tannin

U.S. chocolate maker Patric currently hand-crafts nine bean to bar chocolate bars. Three of them are unflavored single origin bars: Rio Caribe Superior 70%, Madagascar 75%, and Madagascar 67%.

Maker and owner Alan McClure sourced the cacao beans for this bar from the Sambirano Valley of Madagascar. The other ingredients were cane sugar and cocoa butter. The chocolate contained 67% cocoa solids. The unscored 65 gram bar came in sealed plastic inside a paper envelope. The best before date was 15 December 2012.

The chocolate had a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431) color. The surface of the bar was matte, with just a few flecks of adhered chocolate and a minimal amount of scuffing. The sheen on the bottom revealed swirls from the pour. The bar had a hard snap.

Madagascar 67% gave off an aroma that included roast, earth, fruit, dairy, and vinegar. The roast was mostly cocoa, and the fruit contained raisin and berry scents.

The taste was unsurprisingly sweet, with a molasses flavor. The cocoa roast and dairy from the aroma were also present. Fruit came out in flavors of plum, berry, citrus, and raisin.

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

You can purchase Madagascar 67% online for $7.99 directly from Patric or, to combine it with other brands of chocolate, for $7.95 from Chocosphere or for $7.99 from Chocolopolis or World Wide Chocolate.

Sale: 20% off Patric and Guittard chocolate

World Wide Chocolate's sales this week include 20% off Artisan du Chocolat, Côte D'Or, Guittard and Patric chocolate using coupon code SPECIAL20 during checkout (through January 23).

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

• 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

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 5 gram 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.

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.

Sale: 15% off all chocolate again this weekend

World Wide Chocolate is having a 15% off everything sale again this weekend. Mix and match any of the many chocolate brands they sell. Use coupon code weekend15 during checkout for this discount. If you are spending $100 or more, use coupon code weekend20 for 20% off instead.

Note that the existing sale of 20% off Patric, Guittard, Artisan du Chocolat, Valor, Godiva, and Callebaut chocolate with no minimum purchase using coupon code SPECIAL20 continues through Monday. NOTE: 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.

Sale: 20% off Patric, Artisan du Chocolat, Callebaut

World Wide Chocolate expanded their SPECIAL20 coupon code for the rest of the week sale period to include 20% off Patric, Artisan du Chocoloat, and Callebaut, as well as Guittard and Valor (through December 19).

Please see my previous posting for other special offers this week.

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: Patric Madagascar 75%

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

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

chocolate maker Patric bar Madagascar 75% region Madagascar plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 65g ~ 2.3oz cocoa solids 75% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $7.99

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture matte with imprint aroma roast (cocoa), wood (cedar), fruit (citrus), earth snap hard taste citrus, berry, roast, woody, spice melt smooth length short finish slightly acidic

Patric makes two single-origin chocolate bars from beans from the famous Sambirano valley of Madagascar. One is made with 67% cocoa solids and the other is this one, made with 75% cocoa solids. Alan McClure makes his handcrafted chocolate with only cacao beans, cane sugar, and added cocoa butter.

Like his other chocolate bars, the 65 gram Madagascar 75% was enclosed in clear plastic inside a paper wrapper. The bar was a single slab with a matte finish and a large cursive "Patric" imprinted across it. The best before date was February 2012.

The color of Madagascar 75% was a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431). It had a hard snap. The chocolate gave off a cocoa roast aroma that reminded Lindy of hot chocolate. There was also a woody scent that Lindy identified as cedar. I also smelled citrus, and we both noticed some earth. The combination was lovely, or as Lindy exclaimed, "it smells amazing."

Madagascar 75% tasted fruity, with strong citrus and berry flavors. Lindy also experienced an initial slight bitterness that soon faded away. We both noticed a subtle roast that I thought might be coffee. I also tasted woody and spice flavors, though they were definitely secondary to the citrus and berry.

The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted approximately 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a short length. The finish was acidic. To me, the acidity was only slight; Lindy found the aftertaste stronger and described it as somewhat acidic.

Overall, we were once again impressed with Patric. I rated Madagascar 75% a solid ***; Lindy rated it a high ***, describing it as nudging her top 10, but not quite breaking through.

You can purchase Patric Madagascar 75% online directly from Patric for $7.99 or save a dollar and get it from Chocolopolis for $6.99. Note that the online description at Chocolopolis is of the previous 50 gram bar, but it is the 65 gram bar we reviewed here.

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: Patric Rio Caribe Superior 70%

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

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

chocolate maker Patric bar Rio Caribe Superior region Venezuela plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 65g ~ 2.3oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $7.99

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture matte with imprint aroma roast (coffee, cocoa), floral, spice, earth, hint of sweet snap hard taste sweet, tart, fruit (berry, apricot, citrus), roast, hint of walnut melt more smooth length medium finish slightly sour, very slightly acidic

The bar arrived broken :(

Patric is the creation of independent American craft chocolate maker Alan McClure. In addition to his work making great bean to bar chocolate at his factory in Columbia, MO, he is also one of the founders and current Chair of the Craft Chocolate Makers of America.

Patric Rio Caribe Superior is a single-origin bar made of 70% cacao from the Paria peninsula of Venezuela. The only additions to the cacao beans were cane sugar and cocoa butter. Inside the paper wrapper, the 65 gram Rio Caribe bar was enclosed in clear plastic. As I've mentioned before, I prefer foil to plastic, so that you can easily reuse it if you don't eat the entire bar in one sitting. The best before date was November, 2011.

The chocolate bar was a single slab with a matte finish and a large cursive "Patric" imprinted across it. The bar we reviewed had unfortunately been broken at some point. In any case, it had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and a hard snap.

Lindy soon mentioned that the chocolate had a pleasant aroma. The scents we noticed were roast (as coffee to me; cocoa to Lindy), floral, spice, earth, and a hint of sweet.

Rio Caribe had a taste that was both sweet and tart, with fruit flavors of berry, apricot, and something citrus. I also experienced some roast, and Lindy detected a hint of walnut.

The melt was smoother than average, definitely in the more smooth category. The flavor lasted 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone, placing it on the near end of a medium length. The final aftertaste was slightly sour, and I also noticed a very slight acidity.

Overall, the Patric Rio Caribe Superior had many great qualities, and although it did not break into either of our favorites lists, we both thought well of this chocolate. Lindy described her rating as a high ***. This was our first review of a Patric chocolate bar, but it won't be the last. We look forward to trying others.

You can purchase Rio Caribe Superior online for $7.99, either directly from Patric or, if you want to bundle it with some bars from other chocolate makers, from Chocolopolis.