Richard's Rating: 5.5
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Showing posts with label rainforest alliance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rainforest alliance. Show all posts
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Review: Hägeland Costa Rica
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Review: Escazú Guapiles, Costa Rica
Lindy's Rating: 8.0
Richard's Rating: 7.5
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Guapiles, Costa Rica contained 65% cocoa solids (cacao beans plus added cocoa butter). Sugar and vanilla bean made up the other ingredients. The beans were certified organic by Rainforest Alliance. Although all of the other ingredients were organic as well, the bar was not certified.
Escazú continues to make large 80 gram bars. Guapiles, Costa Rica came wrapped in brass-sided foil inside a paper sleeve. The batch number for this particular bar was 23080813, indicating a production date of August 8, 2013. There was no best before date.
The chocolate looked smooth and glossy. The sheen was uneven and there were bubbles in the corners of several pieces. The bar was scored into 24 pieces.
Guapiles, Costa Rica had a medium brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317) color. The snap was hard.
The aroma contained earth, roast, and fruit. The earthy scent seemed to be hay and the roast was smoky. Lindy identified the fruit scent as a mix of citrus and berry. To me, it smelled more like dried fruit and berry.
Clear flavors quickly came forth in our tastings: earth, a cocoa roast, coconut, a very sweet mix of caramel and butterscotch, and a cinnamon spice. I also tasted a coffee flavor in the roast.
Lindy described the taste as "a complex roller-coaster of flavors" and likened it to Mexican hot chocolate with cinnamon.
The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted about 35 to 40 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a medium length that was nearly long. The finish remained slightly sweet, along with just a little acidity, sourness, and tannin.
Overall, this version of Guapiles, Costa Rica was even better than the one we liked in our 2012 review, and now ranks second on our list of Costa Rica chocolate bars. Guapiles, Costa Rica won one of the 2012 Good Food Awards.
You can purchase Guapiles, Costa Rica online for $6.50 directly from Escazú.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Review: Ritual Costa Rica
Richard's Rating: 6.0
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Ritual currently makes bean to bar chocolate with Trinitario cacao from the 2009 harvest of an unnamed farm in Guapiles, Costa Rica. The farm was certified sustainable by Rainforest Alliance. Although their Costa Rica bar was not certified, it was made from organic ingredients and with cacao purchased at above fair trade prices.
The ingredients of Costa Rica were 75% cacao beans and 25% cane sugar. The two ounce bar was scored into nine pieces and came carefully hard-wrapped in thin gold-sided foil. Recycled brown paper with an informative label enclosed the wrapped bar. The label indicated batch 11 and a production date of 11 November 2011.
The chocolate had a medium brown color closest to Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431), but more brown. The surface was smooth with a glossy top. There was some unevenness in the sheen. The thickness was also slightly uneven, with one side being thicker than the other (probably due to the bars being hand-molded). The snap was hard.
Costa Rica had a coffee roast aroma, with additional scents of earth, vinegar, and blackberry. The aroma of this bar was much better than the one from batch 7, with the vinegar reduced to a pleasant level and none of the chemical scent we experienced with that chocolate.
The taste started out earthy, followed by a strong coffee roast. Cocoa joined in the mix as fruit in the form a strong blackberry flavor developed . The taste was also tannin and sweet.
This chocolate had a smooth melt. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was somewhat tannin.
You can purchase Costa Rica online for $9.00 directly from Ritual, or for $8.99 from Chocolopolis.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Review: Ritual Costa Rica
Lindy's Rating: 5.0
Richard's Rating: 5.0
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At present, Ritual makes one chocolate bar: Costa Rica. Ritual purchased the Trinitario cacao beans for this chocolate directly from a single unnamed farm in Guapiles, Costa Rica. Thus, it is not only a single origin bar from Costa Rica, but also a plantation bar. The farm where the cacao was grown was certified sustainable by the Rainforest Alliance. Renown chocolate maker Steve DeVries oversaw the fermentation and sun drying of these cacao beans from the 2009 harvest.
Costa Rica was crafted from 75% cacao beans and 25% cane sugar. Both ingredients were organic, but the chocolate was not certified. The two ounce bar was scored into nine pieces. It came enclosed in thin gold-sided foil wrapped inside recycled brown paper with a product information label sealing it closed with double-sided tape. There was no production or best before date.
The color of the chocolate was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface was smooth, but had an uneven sheen (though not as dramatic as it appears in the photo above). The thickness of the bar was uneven, with the pieces on one end being substantially thicker than those on the other.
The bar had a hard snap. The initial aroma was a disagreeable chemical and vinegar. As we smelled the chocolate, strong scents of cocoa roast and earth were present. I also noticed some fruit.
Fortunately, the taste of Costa Rica had none of that initial aroma. Instead, it tasted fruity, and more specifically of a berry that Lindy identified as blackberry. We both experienced strong tannin and floral flavors. I found earth and sweet flavors as well, while Lindy found it bitter.
The melt was smooth. The flavor lasted 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The final aftertaste was somewhat tannin.
You can purchase Costa Rica online for $9.00 directly from Ritual, or, to buy it along with other brands of chocolate, for $8.99 from Chocolopolis.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Maker Profile: Ritual Chocolate
| company name | Ritual Chocolate | |
| website | http://www.ritualchocolate.com | |
| ritualchocolate@gmail.com | ||
| chocolate makers |  | |
| factory location | Denver, CO, USA | |
| factory tours | no | |
| direct online purchase | Ritual | |
| direct stores | N/A | |
| retail store purchase | where Ritual is sold | |
| selling bars since | 2011 | |
| plantation bars | Balao Costa Rica Madagascar | |
| single origin bars | Belize | |
| blend bars | none | |
| production cycle | bean to bar | |
| added fat | none | |
| sweetener | cane sugar | |
| flavoring | none | |
| emulsifier | none | |
| organic | yes (not certified) | |
| sustainable | yes (not certified) | |
| economics | direct trade (not certified) | |
| last updated | January 28, 2012 | |
In 2008, Robbie Stout and Anna Davies met, soon fell in love, and began making chocolate together. On a 2010 trip to Costa Rica, they took a course with renown chocolate maker Steve DeVries, learned about his factory in Denver, Colorado, and arranged to use it. Although they now share the same equipment and some of the same cacao, Robbie and Anna use different techniques to craft their own unique chocolate. In July 2011, they released their first chocolate bar: Ritual Costa Rica.
They source their Trinitario cacao beans from the same farm as Steve DeVries in Costa Rica. Ritual makes their chocolate in small 80 pound batches in the factory in Denver, but does not quite follow the standard formula for making chocolate. They roast at lower than typical temperatures, use a roll mill for more consistent particle size, and age their chocolate about one month before remelting it to temper and form into bars.
Ritual uses only cacao beans and cane sugar in making their chocolate. No additional cocoa butter, emulsifier, or flavoring is added. The cane sugar is certified organic and fair trade. The farm where their cacao is grown is organic and certified sustainable by Rainforest Alliance. However, their chocolate bar does not yet have any certifications.
Robbie and Anna are also considerate of the environment in their chocolate making. The only waste product at present is cacao bean shells, and they are investigating having their wrappers made from the shells. Their current wrappers are made from foil and recycled paper. Even the local delivery of chocolate bars in Boulder, Colorado, is done by bicycle.
You can purchase Ritual chocolate online directly from them, or in person at retail locations in nine cities in the western United States and in New York.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Review: Kallari 70% Cacao
Lindy's Rating: 7.5
Richard's Rating: 7.0
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As with Kallari's other bars, 70% Cacao was made with cacao beans, cocoa butter from the same cacao beans, cane sugar, and whole vanilla bean. This chocolate had 70% cocoa solids (beans and cocoa butter). The bar was scored into 18 pieces, each imprinted with the Kallari leaf image. The bar came wrapped in silver plastic and enclosed inside the black paper box. The dates printed on the box of the bar we reviewed were a production date of July 2011 and an expiration date of January 2013.
The chocolate had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The top surface had a matte finish. The snap was medium-hard.
70% Cacao gave off a smoky roast aroma with a woody cedar scent. We also smelled sweetness and the expected floral scent. I detected some earth as well. Lindy described the aroma as "sitting next to a fire that is burning a fragrant wood (cedar)."
A sweet caramel was the strongest flavor of this chocolate. We tasted additional flavors of vanilla and coconut behind that. Roast was also present for me.
This bar had a smooth melt similar to the other Kallari chocolates. The length was again medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 20 to 25 seconds. For me, the final aftertaste was slightly tannin. Lindy described it as simply fading.
Overall, we found this bar to be much better than 85% Cacao, but not as good as 75% Cacao.
You can purchase Kallari 70% Cacao online for $5.95 from Chocosphere.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Review: Kallari 75% Cacao
Lindy's Rating: 8.5
Richard's Rating: 8.0
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As with Kallari's other bars, 75% Cacao was made with cacao beans, cocoa butter from the same cacao beans, cane sugar, and whole vanilla bean. This chocolate had 75% cocoa solids (beans and cocoa butter). The bar was scored into 18 pieces, each imprinted with the Kallari leaf image. The bar came wrapped in silver plastic and enclosed inside the black paper box. The dates printed on the box of the bar we reviewed were a production date of August 2010 and an expiration date of February 2012.
75% Cacao had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The top surface had a matte finish and there was almost no scuffing. The snap was medium-hard.
The aroma of 75% Cacao was floral, earthy, roast and sweet. Lindy identified the earth as a combination of hay and must. We both smelled cocoa and smoke in the roast, and Lindy also noticed a whisper of coffee. For me, there was also some spice.
This chocolate revealed many flavors. The first flavor was a caramel sweetness, followed by fruits that I thought were passionfruit and watermelon. There was a peanut that Lindy described as peanut butter. I tasted some roast and Lindy experienced bread and tannin.
As with 85% Cacao, the melt was smooth. With the 75% Cacao, the chocolate flavor lasted slightly less than with the 85% bar, about 20 to 25 seconds (also a medium length). The finish was somewhat tannin.
Overall, we both liked this chocolate much more than 85% Cacao and found it to be one of the best Ecuador chocolates we've tasted so far (second only to Askinosie's San Jose Del Tambo).
You can purchase Kallari 75% Cacao online for $5.95 from Chocosphere.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Review: Kallari 85% Cacao
Lindy's Rating: 5.5
Richard's Rating: 5.0
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85% Cacao was made with 85% cocoa solids (cacao beans plus added cocoa butter from the same cacao), cane sugar, and whole vanilla bean. It was scored into 18 pieces, each imprinted with the Kallari leaf image. The bar came wrapped in silver plastic and enclosed inside the black paper box. The dates stamped on the box of the bar we reviewed were a production date of August 2010 and an expiration date of February 2012.
The color of 85% Cacao was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The top of the bar had a fine matte surface and there was only some trivial scuffing. The snap was medium-hard.
85% Cacao had a nice aroma, with roast, earth, sweet, and floral. We both smelled cocoa and coffee in the roast and grass in the earth. I also noticed smoke in the roast and Lindy found must in the earth. Lindy did not notice the floral scent.
This chocolate tasted bitter and sour, with passion fruit and malt roast flavors. In addition, Lindy experienced some tannin and I tasted a little sweetness.
The melt was smooth. 85% Cacao had a medium length, with the chocolate flavor lasting 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was somewhat tannin. Lindy also tasted some sour flavor along with the tannin.
You can purchase Kallari 85% Cacao online for $5.95 from Chocosphere.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Maker Profile: Kallari
For several months now, I've been meaning to write a series of postings highlighting information about each chocolate maker, but it took meeting several of them at the Northwest Chocolate Festival to motivate me to actually start writing. Here is the first of hopefully many to come...
Kallari Chocolate is a chocolate maker from Ecuador. As a farming cooperative that produces chocolate bars, Kallari manages the entire production cycle from growing the cacao trees to packaging the final chocolate bars. They sort their beans by hand, keeping the best for themselves and selling the rest to other chocolate companies.
From the back of their chocolate bar wrappers: "We are KALLARI, a cooperative of 850 indigenous Kichwa families in the Upper Napo Region of the Ecuadorian Amazon. We plant, care for, and harvest our award-winning heirloom cacao beans to create this single-source organic chocolate. We share 100% of chocolate profits amongst our 21 rainforest communities to maintain our way of life in one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth."
The motto of Kallari Chocolate is "sustainable pleasure for palate and planet". Kallari's chocolate is certified organic by the USDA. It is also certified by the Rainforest Alliance that it was produced in a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable way.
Kallari makes both couverture and chocolate bars. They use organic cane sugar as a sweetener, add cocoa butter made from their own organic cacao beans, and include organic whole vanilla beans. Kallari does not use an emulsifier in their chocolate. Their chocolate maker is Carlos Pozo. He is also the general coordinator of the Kallari Association and still continues to grow cacao as well!
Because their factory is close to their farms, there is much less delay after the cacao beans are dry before they are processed into chocolate. Kallari currently makes three chocolate bars that vary by the amount of cocoa solids: 70%, 75%, and 85%. They are also in the process of introducing four new hand-tempered bars (which won't be available in the U.S. until later next year).
During the harvest season (January to June), Kallari encourages tours of their farms near Tena and their factory in Quito. Lin-Mar Associates in New York organizes trips that include Kallari tours. The current leased factory in Quito will be replaced next year by a new one they are building in Tena.
Kallari chocolate is available for purchase online at Chocosphere and in stores at Whole Foods Markets and many local cooperative and natural food stores, such as PCC Natural Markets in the Seattle area.
| company name | Kallari | |
| website | http://www.kallari.com | |
| info.kallari@gmail.com | ||
| chocolate maker |  | |
| factory location | Quito, Ecuador | |
| factory tours | yes | |
| direct online purchase | N/A | |
| direct stores | N/A | |
| retail online purchase | Chocosphere | |
| retail store purchase | Whole Foods Market local cooperative and natural food stores | |
| selling bars since | 2005 | |
| plantation bars | none | |
| single origin bars | 85% Cacao (Ecuador) 75% Cacao (Ecuador) 70% Cacao (Ecuador) Sinchi Supreme 85% (Ecuador) | |
| blend bars | none | |
| other bars | none | |
| production cycle | tree to bar | |
| added fat | cocoa butter from same cacao beans | |
| sweetener | cane sugar | |
| flavoring | whole vanilla bean | |
| emulsifier | none | |
| organic | all bars USDA certified | |
| sustainable | all bars Rainforest Alliance certified | |
| economics | farmer owned profit-sharing among cooperative | |
| last updated | October 27, 2011 | |
Kallari Chocolate is a chocolate maker from Ecuador. As a farming cooperative that produces chocolate bars, Kallari manages the entire production cycle from growing the cacao trees to packaging the final chocolate bars. They sort their beans by hand, keeping the best for themselves and selling the rest to other chocolate companies.
From the back of their chocolate bar wrappers: "We are KALLARI, a cooperative of 850 indigenous Kichwa families in the Upper Napo Region of the Ecuadorian Amazon. We plant, care for, and harvest our award-winning heirloom cacao beans to create this single-source organic chocolate. We share 100% of chocolate profits amongst our 21 rainforest communities to maintain our way of life in one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth."
The motto of Kallari Chocolate is "sustainable pleasure for palate and planet". Kallari's chocolate is certified organic by the USDA. It is also certified by the Rainforest Alliance that it was produced in a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable way.
Kallari makes both couverture and chocolate bars. They use organic cane sugar as a sweetener, add cocoa butter made from their own organic cacao beans, and include organic whole vanilla beans. Kallari does not use an emulsifier in their chocolate. Their chocolate maker is Carlos Pozo. He is also the general coordinator of the Kallari Association and still continues to grow cacao as well!
Because their factory is close to their farms, there is much less delay after the cacao beans are dry before they are processed into chocolate. Kallari currently makes three chocolate bars that vary by the amount of cocoa solids: 70%, 75%, and 85%. They are also in the process of introducing four new hand-tempered bars (which won't be available in the U.S. until later next year).
During the harvest season (January to June), Kallari encourages tours of their farms near Tena and their factory in Quito. Lin-Mar Associates in New York organizes trips that include Kallari tours. The current leased factory in Quito will be replaced next year by a new one they are building in Tena.
Kallari chocolate is available for purchase online at Chocosphere and in stores at Whole Foods Markets and many local cooperative and natural food stores, such as PCC Natural Markets in the Seattle area.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Thoughts on Chocolate Labeling
As with other food products, chocolate is often labeled with descriptions that may be more or less accurate, but increase the perceived value and thus the price of the product. General terms such as "organic", "fair trade", and "sustainable" come to mind. Chocolate-specific terms include "single-origin", "plantation", higher quality bean names ("Criollo", "Trinitario", or "Arriba"), and chocolate names suggestive of desirable specific provenance, such as "Chuao", "Venezuela", or "Sambirano".
For a few of these terms, there are government and third-party certifications. The downside of certifications is that they cost money, and some chocolate makers achieving the same goals may choose not to acquire certification due to the added cost.
What provoked me write about this was my recent review of Pralus Caracas, during which I discovered that the chocolate was made from a blend of both Trinitario cacao beans from Venezuela and (lower quality and lower priced) Forastero beans from Ghana. This clearly conflicted with the wrapper that indicated a single origin in Venezuela, not only with the name of the city of Caracas, but also with its latitude and longitude. The wrapper only listed Trinitario cacao beans. Pralus had more complete information on their website, and while I give them credit for providing it, it would be much more honest to disclose such information on the wrapper of the bar itself.
That experience only makes me wonder what other chocolate makers may not be telling us, whether through intentional deception or not.
Ultimately, what matters most to me is the resulting chocolate, regardless of where and how the cacao was grown, what type of beans were used, etc. However, the other information is relevant, and for some consumers even more important than the sensual properties of the chocolate. I wish we could rely on every chocolate maker to straightforwardly present full and accurate information about their chocolates, but savvy consumers should remain skeptical and place more faith in government and uninvolved third-party certifications.
Here are some of the certifications you may see, along with links to the certifying organization for additional information.
For a few of these terms, there are government and third-party certifications. The downside of certifications is that they cost money, and some chocolate makers achieving the same goals may choose not to acquire certification due to the added cost.
What provoked me write about this was my recent review of Pralus Caracas, during which I discovered that the chocolate was made from a blend of both Trinitario cacao beans from Venezuela and (lower quality and lower priced) Forastero beans from Ghana. This clearly conflicted with the wrapper that indicated a single origin in Venezuela, not only with the name of the city of Caracas, but also with its latitude and longitude. The wrapper only listed Trinitario cacao beans. Pralus had more complete information on their website, and while I give them credit for providing it, it would be much more honest to disclose such information on the wrapper of the bar itself.
That experience only makes me wonder what other chocolate makers may not be telling us, whether through intentional deception or not.
Ultimately, what matters most to me is the resulting chocolate, regardless of where and how the cacao was grown, what type of beans were used, etc. However, the other information is relevant, and for some consumers even more important than the sensual properties of the chocolate. I wish we could rely on every chocolate maker to straightforwardly present full and accurate information about their chocolates, but savvy consumers should remain skeptical and place more faith in government and uninvolved third-party certifications.
Here are some of the certifications you may see, along with links to the certifying organization for additional information.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Review: Newman's Own Super Dark
Lindy's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)
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The Super Dark bar was scored into 8 large pieces, each with an imprint of a "N" circumscribed by a circle. This chocolate had a medium-dark brown color like that of Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). Its snap was hard.
The aroma was roast and sweet. Lindy found the roast scent to be smoky. The sweet aroma reminded me of molasses. The taste also contained roast and sweet. However, rather than smoky, the roast flavor was more of a tannin. We did not identify a more specific flavor for the sweetness. There was also the flavor of fruit, a citrus that we experienced as orange or perhaps tangerine. Finally, Lindy also noticed some nuttiness.
The melt and length were great, and the finish had no bitterness. The melt was more smooth and the flavor lasted 25 to 30 seconds: a medium length. There wasn't much aftertaste, only a slight acidity.
We both rated Super Dark a high **. I purchased this bar at our local QFC grocery store for $3.59. At that price, this bar is not expensive and definitely worth trying. You can compare the relative value of this chocolate on our Best Chocolate Values page (permanent link in the right column in the pages section).
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Review: Kallari 85%
Lindy's Rating: 4.0 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 4.0 (previously **)
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From the back of the wrapper: "We are KALLARI, a cooperative of 900 indigenous Kichwa families in the Upper Napo Region of the Ecuadorian Amazon. We plant, care for, and harvest our award-winning heirloom cacao beans to create this single-source organic chocolate. We share 100% of chocolate profits amongst our 21 rainforest communities to maintain our way of life in one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth."
The motto of Kallari chocolate is "sustainable pleasure for palate and planet". Kallari 85% is certified organic by the USDA. It is also certified by the Rainforest Alliance that it was produced in a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable way. Kallari produces three chocolate bars that vary by the amount of cocoa solids: 70%, 75%, and 85%.
Kallari 85% had a medium dark brown color, most closely matching Mustang (PANTONE 19-1217). The surface of this 70 gram bar was smooth and it was scored into 18 pieces, each with an imprint of the leaf logo of Kallari.
The snap was medium hard. This chocolate's aroma was full of roast, primarily coffee and smoky, and a sweet that Lindy identified as brown sugar. I also noticed an earthy grass and occasional hints of a floral scent. Lindy found the smoky aroma very unpleasant.
Fortunately, Kallari 85% did not taste as its aroma might suggest. After an initial bitterness, the primary flavor was a fruit that Lindy thought was some type of berry and I thought might be watermelon. I also found this chocolate to be surprisingly sweet for 85% cocoa solids. There was a flavor of burnt toast.
The melt was smooth. The flavor lasted between 5 and 10 seconds after the chocolate was gone, so the length ended up on minimal side within short. The final aftertaste was slightly bitter and vaguely unpleasant.
Kallari 85% had a profile very different from the two Ecuadorian chocolates we've reviewed from Republica del Cacao. It was different, but not better, and we both rated this bar a low **. So, we'll continue to search for a chocolate bar made from Ecuadorian cacao that we both love. It's too early to know, but it may be that we just don't appreciate the chocolate grown in that region.
You can purchase Kallari chocolate bars online at Chocosphere for $5.95 each.
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