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

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 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: Potomac Upala 82%

Richard's Rating: 5.5

chocolate maker Potomac bar Upala 82% region Costa Rica plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 57g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 82% added fat (none) sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, uneven sheen, bubbles aroma earth, roast (coffee), sweet (molasses), fruit (berry), vinegar snap hard taste roast (coffee, cocoa), earth, tannin, acidic, fruit (berry), sour melt more smooth length short finish sour, somewhat tannin

U.S. bean to bar chocolate maker Potomac makes two single origin unflavored chocolate bars with cacao beans from Upala, Costa Rica: Upala 70% and Upala 82%.

Upala 82% was made with only 82% cacao beans and 18% sugar. The two ounce bar was scored into 10 pieces and came wrapped in foil-sided paper inside a paper sleeve. The sleeve was stamped with a best before date of February 2013 from batch # 12050.

The color of Upala 82% was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface of the bar was smooth with an uneven sheen and tiny bubbles. The bar was formed better than the 70% we reviewed a few days ago, without the larger bubbles and unevenness on the bottom. The bar had a hard snap.

Upala 82% had an aroma nearly identical to that of Upala 70%, with earthy, roast, sweet, and fruit scents. The roast seemed to be coffee, the sweetness molasses, and the fruit some sort of berry. The primary difference was an added vinegar scent.

The taste was less similar. It contained the coffee and cocoa roast and a strong earthiness, but the berry fruit flavor was less obvious, and there was sourness along with the tannin and acidity. I tasted none of the caramel sweetness of the 70%.

The chocolate melted more smoothly, again in a sort of "fudgy" manner. The length was short, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was sour and somewhat tannin, which I found slightly unpleasant.

You can purchase Upala 82% online for $8.00 directly from Potomac or, to combine it with other brands of chocolate, for $7.99 from Chocolopolis or World Wide Chocolate, or for $8.00 from Cocova.

Review: Potomac Upala 70%

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Potomac bar Upala 70% region Costa Rica plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 57g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, uneven sheen, uneven form, bubbles aroma earth, roast (coffee), sweet (molasses), fruit (berry) snap hard taste earth, sweet (caramel), tannin, acidic, roast (coffee, cocoa), fruit (raspberry) melt more smooth length short finish somewhat tannin

U.S. bean to bar chocolate maker Ben Rasmussen has been hand-crafting chocolate in Woodbridge, VA, since 2010 as Potomac Chocolate. He currently makes two unflavored chocolate bars with cacao beans from Upala, Costa Rica, (Upala 70% and Upala 82%) and one with cacao beans from Bahia, Brazil (Bahia 70%).

The ingredients of Upala 70% were simply 70% cacao beans and 30% sugar. The two ounce bar was scored into 10 pieces and came wrapped in foil-sided paper inside a paper sleeve. The bar reviewed here was identified as coming from batch #12055, with a best before date of February 2013.

The chocolate had a medium-dark brown color that was just a slight bit redder than Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface of the bar was smooth with an uneven sheen and tiny bubbles. The bottom surface was somewhat uneven with larger bubbles. The bar had a hard, almost very hard, snap.

Upala 70% had an earthy and coffee roast aroma. There were also scents of a molasses sweetness and a berry fruit.

The taste was earthy and sweet, with tannin and acidity. Roast and fruit flavors came forth as well. The sweetness tasted of caramel. The roast included coffee and cocoa. The fruit was raspberry.

The melt was more smooth, somewhat like that of fudge. The chocolate flavor lasted about 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a short length. The finish was somewhat tannin.

This bar reminded me of Ritual Costa Rica and Dandelion Upala, Costa Rica. All three used only cacao beans and cane sugar. Ritual had nearly the same bar mold, but was scored into 9 pieces rather than 10. Dandelion had the same Upala origin within Costa Rica. Potomac Upala 70% won one of the Silvers from the Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards.

I'm definitely going to have to do a blind origin tasting and ranking of Costa Rica chocolate after reviewing Upala 82%.

You can purchase Upala 70% online for $8.00 directly from Potomac or, to combine it with other brands of chocolate, for $7.99 from Chocolopolis or World Wide Chocolate, or for $8.00 from Cocova.

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.