Sale: 20% off Taza

Taza is having a 20% off sale on all of their origin bars (Belize 77%, Bolivia 87%, Dominican Republic 80%, Dominican Republic 70%, Dominican Republic 60%, and Haiti 84%) through May 6th at 3 p.m. ET. Free shipping is also available in April for orders of $75 or more.

Sale: 20% off Taza

Taza is running their annual Cyber Monday sale with 20% off everything in their online store today and tomorrow.

Enter CYBER20 in the "Gift card or discount code" field during checkout and click the Apply button to apply the 20% discount.

Now is the time to take advantage of Taza's best deal of the year. The sale ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, November 30th.

Unfortunately, Taza no longer ships outside the United States. Additional shipping information can be found here.

Review: Taza Wicked Dark

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Taza bar Wicked Dark region Dominican Republic plantation blend cacao trees unknown year unknown size 85g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 95% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $6.50

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown appearance smooth, scoring, text imprints, adhered bits aroma earth (burlap), roast (smoke, malt), fruit (berry) snap medium hard taste earth, nut, roast (smoke, cocoa, malt), fruit (blackberry, prune), acidic, bitter, sour melt grainy length medium finish acidic, slightly sour

You can purchase a slightly smaller version (71 grams or 2.5 ounces) of Wicked Dark online directly from Taza for $5.00, from Chocosphere for $4.95, and from NewLeaf for $5.00.

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: Taza 20% off sale

Taza is running their annual Cyber Monday sale today and tomorrow for 20% off everything at their online store.

Enter CYBER20 in the "Coupon or Promotional Code:" field during checkout and click the associated Apply button to receive the 20% discount.

This is the largest discount offered by Taza, so now is the time to take advantage of their best prices of the year. The sale ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, December 2nd.

Taza ships to the United States and Canada. Additional shipping information can be found here.

Sale: 20% off Taza Chocolate

Just like last year, Taza is running a Cyber Monday sale today and tomorrow for 20% off everything at their online store.

Enter CYBER20 in the "Coupon or Promotional Code:" field during checkout and click the triangle to the right of it to apply the 20% discount.

This is the best deal I've seen from Taza, so now is the time to take advantage of the best prices of the year. The sale ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, November 26th.

Taza ships to the United States, Canada, and Europe. Additional shipping information can be found here.

Sale: 20% off Michel Cluizel, Taza, Venchi

This week World Wide Chocolate has 20% off Michel Cluizel, Taza, and Venchi chocolate using coupon code SPECIAL20 during checkout (through June 5th). While their non-sale prices aren't the lowest, with the 20% off, it's a great deal.

They are still continuing several of their 15% off sales by nationality:

• Amano, Blommer, Ghirardelli, Guittard, Lake Champlain, Patric, Potomac, Scharffer Berger, Taza, and Vermont Nut Free chocolate using coupon code AMERICAN15
• Cacao Barry, Bonnat, Bernard Castelain, Michel Cluizel, Yves Thuries, Francois Pralus, and Valrhona chocolate using coupon code FRENCH15
• Divine, Hachez, and Viviani chocolate using coupon code GERMAN15
• 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.

It's nearly summer, so consider adding cold packs (currently $3.99 warm weather packaging; normally $6.99, but sometimes free) and using quicker shipping methods so that your chocolate isn't harmed during shipment.

In addition, the first 30 buyers to add "Free Cafe-Tasse Squares" in the Comments field during checkout will receive 5 free bite-size chocolate squares of Café-Tasse 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.

Sale: 15% off Taza chocolate through Monday

Taza is running a sale today through Monday for 15% off everything at their online store.

On the Shopping Cart page, simply enter 15March in the "Enter coupon or promotional code here:" field and press the SUBMIT button to apply the 15% discount (you will see the discount applied before you continue).

Although Taza occasionally has 20% off sales, the last time they did so was in November. The 15% off sale ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, March 26th.

Taza ships to the United States, Canada, and Europe. Additional shipping information can be found here.

Sale: 20% off Taza chocolate through Monday

Taza is running a sale today and tomorrow for 20% off everything at their online store.

On the Shopping Cart page, simply enter Take20M in the "Enter coupon or promotional code here:" field and press the SUBMIT button to apply the 20% discount.

This is the best deal I've seen from Taza, so now is the time to take advantage of the best prices of the year. The sale ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, November 28th.

Taza ships to the United States, Canada, and Europe. Additional shipping information can be found here.

Review: Taza Cacao Puro 70% Chocolate Mexicano

Lindy's Rating: 6.0

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker Taza bar Cacao Puro 70% region Dominican Republic plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 77g ~ 2.7oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $4.50

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring and letter imprints aroma earth, fruit (berry, citrus, lime), wine, spice, roast snap hard taste sweet, fruit (berry), earth melt grainy length medium finish slightly sweet

Taza crafted its Chocolate Mexicano line with cacao beans and cane sugar. Cacao Puro had no other ingredients. (The other nine chocolates in this line were flavored, mostly with spices). Cacao Puro was a single origin chocolate from the Dominican Republic.

The chocolate was made with 70% cocoa beans and 30% cane sugar. Cacao Puro was USDA certified organic. Taza had a direct trade arrangement with La Red in the Dominican Republic where they sourced the beans. The cacao beans were stone ground once by themselves and then a second time with the sugar.

The bars of Taza's Chocolate Mexicano line were formed into round discs (as pictured above), and two were included in the package. Each disc was scored into 8 pieces and each piece had an imprint of one letter of the Taza name. The bar came wrapped only in wax paper that was held closed with an informational sticker (ingredients, bar code, etc.). In addition to being an eating chocolate, Chocolate Mexicano can also be made into drinking chocolate by whisking it into hot liquid. There was neither a production date nor a best before date on the wrapper or sticker.

Cacao Puro had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. Its surface was smooth (and had no bubbles, unlike the Stone Ground line). The disc had a hard snap.

The chocolate had aromas of earth, fruit, and spice. We experienced the fruit as berry and citrus, and Lindy was able to clarify the citrus scent as lime. She also smelled some wine. A roast aroma was also present for me.

The taste of Cacao Puro was relatively simple: sweet and berry fruit. I also tasted some earth, but it was secondary to the pleasant sweet berry flavor.

The melt was grainy, as expected from a stone grind. The chocolate had a medium length, with the flavor lasting between 20 and 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was slightly sweet.

You can purchase Taza Cacao Puro 70% online for $4.50 directly from Taza.

Review: Taza Stone Ground 60%

Lindy's Rating: 6.5

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Taza bar Stone Ground 60% region Dominican Republic plantation (blend) cacao trees Trinitario, Criollo year 2011 size 85g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 60% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $6.50

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring and lines, surface bubbles aroma earth (must), fruit (berry, tropical fruit), roast (cocoa, hint of coffee), sweet snap medium hard taste sweet (caramel), fruit (tropical fruit, berry), roast melt grainy length medium finish slightly sweet

Stone Ground 60% is another single origin bar from the Dominican Republic made by Taza. The cacao beans, from La Red cooperative, were a mix of Trinitario and Criollo.

The chocolate was made with 60% cocoa solids (cacao beans plus some cocoa butter made from the same beans), Wholesome Sweeteners cane sugar from Sertãozinho, Brazil, and Villa Vanilla Spice Plantation vanilla beans from Villanueva, Costa Rica. Taza ground the beans using granite stone mills and did not conch the chocolate. The bar was certified organic by the USDA. Taza has a direct trade relationship with La Red.

The three ounce bar was scored into 16 pieces, each imprinted with three parallel lines, in the same form as the rest of Taza's Stone Ground line. It came wrapped in silver foil-sided paper inside a textured paper sleeve. The sleeve of the bar we reviewed had a large orange sticker labeled with batch number 475. There was no best before date, but by entering batch number 475 on their home page, you can see information about how that batch of chocolate was made. For example, the beans were roasted within two months after they were received, for a total of 46 minutes at a maximum temperature of 239°F. The bars of this batch of chocolate were wrapped on 30 August 2011.

The color of Stone Ground 60% was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). Its surface was mostly smooth, with several bubbles. The bar had a medium hard snap.

Stone Ground 60% had aromas of a dry earthy must, fruit in the forms of berry and tropical fruit, and a cocoa roast. I also smelled a bit of coffee in the roast.

In addition to the obvious sweet flavor that Lindy identified as caramel, we tasted strong tropical fruit and berry flavors. I also experienced some roast.

The melt was grainy, as you would expect from a stone grind. The flavor lasted between 20 and 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The final aftertaste was slightly sweet.

You can purchase Taza Stone Ground 60% online for $6.50 directly from Taza.

Review: Taza Stone Ground 70%

Lindy's Rating: 8.5

Richard's Rating: 8.0

chocolate maker Taza bar Stone Ground 70% region Dominican Republic plantation (blend) cacao trees Trinitario, Criollo year 2011 size 85g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $6.50

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring and lines, surface bubbles aroma earth, fruit (orange, berry), bubblegum, roast, sweet, floral snap medium hard taste sweet, bubblegum, wine, fruit, floral melt grainy length medium finish very slightly sweet

Taza made their single origin Stone Ground 70% with a mix of Trinitario and Criollo cacao beans from La Red de Comercializacion Loma Guacanejo cooperative of the Dominican Republic.

The chocolate was made with 70% cocoa solids (cacao beans plus some cocoa butter made from the same beans), Zucc cane sugar from Sertãozinho, Brazil, and vanilla beans from Villa Vanilla Spice Plantation in Villanueva, Costa Rica. Taza ground the beans using granite stone mills and did not conch the chocolate. The bar was certified organic by the USDA. Taza has a direct trade relationship with La Red.

The three ounce bar was scored into 16 pieces, each imprinted with three parallel lines, in the same form as the rest of Taza's Stone Ground line. It came wrapped in silver foil-sided paper inside a textured paper sleeve. The sleeve of the bar we reviewed had a large orange sticker labeled with batch number 484. There was no best before date, but by entering batch number 484 on their home page, you can see information about how that batch of chocolate was made. For example, the beans were roasted within three months after they were received, for a total of 47 minutes at a maximum temperature of 238°F. The bars of this batch of chocolate were wrapped on 23 September 2011.

Stone Ground 70% had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. Its surface was mostly smooth, with several bubbles. The bar had a medium hard snap.

The aroma of this chocolate was interesting, with scents of earth, an orange fruit with berry or cherry, bubblegum -- yes, bubblegum, roast, and sweet. Lindy also noticed a floral scent.

We tasted the same sweet bubblegum that we experienced in the aroma. Other flavors included wine and fruit, or as Lindy described it: a flavor midway between the two. She also tasted something floral.

The melt was grainy, as you would expect from a stone grind. The flavor lasted between 20 and 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The final aftertaste was very slightly sweet, almost minimal.

You can purchase Taza Stone Ground 70% online for $6.50 directly from Taza.

Review: Taza Stone Ground 80%

Lindy's Rating: 6.0

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker Taza bar Stone Ground 80% region Dominican Republic plantation (blend) cacao trees Trinitario, Criollo year 2011 size 85g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 80% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $6.50

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring and lines, surface bubbles aroma sour, roast (cocoa), earth, fruit (citrus, berry, blueberry), sweet, spice snap medium hard taste fruit (berry), sweet, wine, port, sour melt grainy length short finish slightly sour, very slightly acidic

Stone Ground 80% is a single origin bar made with a combination of primarily Trinitario cacao beans and some Criollo cacao beans, all sourced with direct trade from La Red de Comercializacion Loma Guacanejo cooperative in the Dominican Republic. The chocolate was made with 80% cocoa solids (cacao beans plus some cocoa butter made from the same beans), cane sugar from Sertãozinho, Brazil, and vanilla beans from Villa Vanilla Spice Plantation in Villanueva, Costa Rica. Taza ground the beans using granite stone mills and did not conch the chocolate. The bar was certified organic by the USDA.

As with all of the bars in their Stone Ground line, this three ounce bar was scored into 16 pieces, each imprinted with three parallel lines. Stone Ground 80% came wrapped in silver foil-sided paper inside a textured paper sleeve. The sleeve of the bar we reviewed had a large orange sticker labeled with batch number 487. There was no best before date, but by entering batch number 487 on their home page, you can see information about how that batch of chocolate was made. For example, the beans were roasted within three months after they were received, for a total of 48 minutes at 237°F. The bars of this batch of chocolate were wrapped on 28 September 2011.

Stone Ground 80% had a medium-dark brown Bracken color (PANTONE 19-1015). Its surface was mostly smooth, with slight scuffing and several bubbles (much less substantial than on Stone Ground 87%). The bar had a medium hard snap.

Initially after breaking the chocolate, we received a sour aroma, quickly followed by scents of roast, earth, and fruit. The roast was cocoa and the fruit was a combination of citrus and berry. Lindy identified some blueberry in addition to the generic berry scent. We also smelled sweet and spice.

The taste of Stone ground 80% was sweet with a berry fruit flavor. I tasted a red wine flavor and Lindy tasted port. We also both experienced some sourness, which was a good contrast to the sweetness.

This chocolate had the expected grainy melt from a stone grind. The flavor lasted about 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a short length. The final aftertaste was slightly sour and very slightly acidic.

You can purchase Taza Stone Ground 80% online for $6.50 directly from Taza.

Review: Taza Stone Ground 87%

Lindy's Rating: 5.5

Richard's Rating: 5.0

chocolate maker Taza bar Stone Ground 87% region Bolivia plantation (blend) cacao trees Criollo, Forastero year 2011 size 85g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 87% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $6.50

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring and lines, surface bubbles aroma roast (cocoa), earth, spice, sweet, hint of floral snap medium hard taste roast (cocoa), sour, bitter, nut, hint of butter, hint of sweet melt grainy length short finish slightly sour

Taza introduced their Stone Ground 87% chocolate bar this year. It is a single origin bar with a combination of Criollo and Forastero cacao from Bolivia. The chocolate was made with 87% cacao beans, cane sugar from Sertãozinho, Brazil, and vanilla beans from Villa Vanilla Spice Plantation in Villanueva, Costa Rica. No cocoa butter was added. Taza ground the beans using granite stone mills and did not conch the chocolate.

As they have done with all of their suppliers, Taza established a direct trade relationship with Central Integral Agroecologica de Alto Beni cooperative in Bolivia, from whom they sourced the cacao beans for this chocolate. The bar was USDA certified organic.

The three ounce bar was scored into 16 pieces, each topped with three imprinted parallel lines. Stone Ground 87% came wrapped in silver foil-sided paper inside a textured paper sleeve. The wrapper was stamped with batch code 473 and a best before date of 22 August 2012.

By entering the batch number on their home page, you can see information about how that particular chocolate was made. For example, the beans for the bar we reviewed were roasted within two months after they were received, for 45 minutes at 276°F. The bars of this batch of chocolate were wrapped on 23 August 2011 (revealing that Taza recommends eating their chocolate within one year after production).

The color of the chocolate was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface was mostly smooth, but had several bubbles, including a few substantial ones. The bar had a medium hard snap.

Stone Ground 87% had an aroma that included a rich cocoa roast, with earth, spice and sweetness. I also smelled a suggestion of something floral.

The taste of this chocolate was primarily that of a sour roast. Both of us found it slightly bitter. I tasted additional flavors of nut as well as a hints of butter and sweetness.

As desired for a stone ground chocolate, Stone Ground 87% had a grainy melt. The length was short, with the flavor lasting 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was slightly to somewhat sour.

You can purchase Taza Stone Ground 87% online for $6.50 directly from Taza.

Maker Profile: Taza Chocolate

company name	Taza Chocolate
website	http://www.tazachocolate.com/
email	info@tazachocolate.com
chocolate makers	Alex Whitmore Mike Schechter
factory location	561 Windsor St, Somerville, MA 02143
factory tours	$5 per person click here for more information
direct online purchase	Taza
direct stores	Taza Factory Store 561 Windsor St, Somerville, MA 02143 (617) 284-2232
retail store purchase	Taza retail store finder
selling bars since	2006
plantation bars	none
single origin bars	Cacao Puro Mexicano 70% (Dominican Republic) Stone Ground 87% (Bolivia) Stone Ground 80% (Dominican Republic) Stone Ground 70% (Dominican Republic) Stone Ground 60% (Dominican Republic) Wicked Dark (Dominican Republic)
blend bars	none
other bars	nine single origin flavored Chocolate Mexicano bars
production cycle	bean to bar
added fat	cocoa butter from same cacao beans
sweetener	cane sugar
flavoring	vanilla bean
emulsifier	none
organic	all bars USDA certified
sustainable	zero percent waste, local bike delivery, carbon neutral shipping, etc.
economics	direct trade
last updated	November 15, 2011

From their website: "Taza Chocolate was born out of a desire to combine the Mesoamerican tradition of chocolate with a modern, high-quality product manufactured in a socially responsible way."

Taza makes chocolate using granite millstones to stone grind their cacao beans and they do not conch their chocolate, resulting in a grainy texture and unrefined flavors. The cocoa butter they use is from the same cacao beans. Taza does not use an emulsifier in their chocolate. All of their ingredients are certified USDA organic and grown using sustainable agricultural practices.

They have built direct trade agreements with the suppliers of their cacao beans. Their primarily suppliers are the La Red Guacanejo cooperative and Finca El Vesia in the Dominican Republic. This year, Taza also sourced cacao from the Central Integral Agroecologica de Alto Beni cooperative in Bolivia and they are in the process of expanding and diversifying their cacao suppliers.

Taza pays at least $500 per metric ton above market price in exchange for quality cacao beans with at least 95% fermentation and a maximum of 7% moisture. They are quite open about the details of their direct trade practices and document them on their website. Taza published an Annual Cacao Sourcing Transparency Report in September.

In addition to disclosing information about their suppliers, Taza generously shares information about how each batch of chocolate was made. On their home page, you can type in the batch number from the back of the wrapper and Taza displays where the cacao beans and other ingredients came from, when the beans arrived, roasting details including temperature and time, grinding date, etc.

The company was founded by Alex Whitmore (pictured above), Larry Slotnick, and Kathleen Fulton. Mike Schechter joined Taza in 2007 and took over for Alex as head chocolate maker. You can read more about the people of Taza in the About Us section of their website.

Taza has its factory and store in Somerville, Massachusetts, just northwest of Boston. They give public factory tours (with sample chocolate) nearly every day for $5, and you can purchase chocolate at the factory store. You can buy directly from Taza online, and Taza chocolates are found in many retail stores.

Event: Northwest Chocolate Festival October 22-23 in Seattle

The Northwest Chocolate Festival (NWCF) will be held in Seattle next month, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day during the weekend of October 22nd and 23rd. Nearly all of the festival will take place in the Northwest Rooms of Seattle Center (305 Harrison St., Seattle, WA 98109). The theme of the weekend is Taste, Learn, and Celebrate.

Tasting includes not only an amazing selection of chocolate (from at least 17 chocolate makers, including: Amano, Chocolate Conspiracy, Divine, Escazú, Fresco, Indahphoria, Kallari, Lillie Belle Farms, Madécasse, Madre, Mindo, Olive & Sinclair, Rogue, Snake & Butterfly, Stirs the Soul, Taza, and Theo), but also chocolate desserts and even drink pairings.

Learning includes a huge variety of more than 70 classes about farming cacao, trade equity, crafting chocolate from the bean, single origin chocolate, tempering chocolate, pairing chocolate, health benefits, etc. For an additional $8 [$10 at the door] and attending 5 classes, NWCF is offering their Chocolate Academy "Masters in Chocolate Level 1" certificate, which also includes Chocolate Academy membership. Membership benefits include a quarterly newsletter, discounts on tickets to future festivals, and invitations to special chocolate events at partner businesses.

Celebrating is highlighted by Saturday night's Chocolate Masquerade Ball at Sole Repair (1001 E. Pike St., Seattle WA 98122). This special event has separate admission. It starts at 8 p.m. with a Chocolate Dessert Showcase and Competition, with awards for the best desserts. At 10 p.m., there will be a Best Costume contest. Attire is black tie and/or masquerade.

You can read more about the entire weekend on their website: http://www.nwchocolate.com/.

In addition to these activities open to everyone, 100 VIP tickets are being sold that include full weekend passes, an exclusive "Meet the Maker" opening night reception of wine and chocolate, a VIP-only chocolate and pairing event, a complimentary drink flight in the Beer, Cider, Spirit and Wine Garden during the festival, the Chocolate Academy certificate described above, and a chance to win two tickets on Alaska Airlines.

You can purchase any of the following tickets in advance and pick up your non-transferable ticket at Will Call with photo identification:

• $37.50 full weekend pass [$40 at the door]
• $22.00 one day pass (age 13+) [$25 at the door]
• $6.50 one day youth pass (age 5 to 12)
• $89.00 VIP full weekend pass and more
• $42.50 chocolate masquerade ball [$50 at the door]

With so many bean-to-bar chocolate makers and great classes, the third annual Northwest Chocolate Festival might be the best chocolate event in the U.S. this year. If you will be in the Seattle area, you do not want to miss it. Lindy and I are attending, and we hope you'll be able to get there, too!