Pages

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Review: Bonnat 100% Cacao

Lindy's Rating: 7.5 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 7.0 (previously **)

chocolate makerBonnat
bar100% Cacao
region(unknown)
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids100%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetener(none)
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A

colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1015
Bracken
texturesmooth with text imprint and scoring
aromafruit (pineapple), spice, roast, floral
snaphard
tasteroast, nutty, bitter, dairy
meltcreamy
lengthshort
finishsomewhat bitter

Bonnat 100% Cacaco is another bar made only of cacao, with extra cocoa butter for smoothness. It was presented as typical for Bonnat: a 100 gram bar formed with the "Bonnat Voiron" center imprint, scored into 32 small pieces around it, wrapped in silver foil, and packaged in a paper sleeve (that had a bold red color). The best before date was July 2012.

100% Cacao had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and a hard snap. The chocolate gave off a fruit aroma that Lindy identified as pineapple, along with scents of spice, roast, and something floral.

We both tasted flavors of roast and nut. Lindy found the taste bitter, but to me, it was only slightly so. The chocolate also had a dairy flavor for me.

After a somewhat slow start, the melt became nicely creamy. The length was short, with the chocolate flavor lasting 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was a moderate bitterness.

Bonnat 100% Cacao was fairly good other than the bitter finish, but we both prefer Pralus Le 100% for a chocolate made wholly of cacao. If you're willing to compromise to 99%, Cluizel Noir Infini is another option. Here's a link to all of the 100% bars we've reviewed.

You can purchase Bonnat 100% Cacao online in the U.S. from Chocosphere for $7.85.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Review: Chocolate Santander Colombian 70%

Lindy's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 8.5 (previously ***)

chocolate makerSantander
barColombian 70%
regionColombia
plantation(blend)
cacao treesCriollo, Trinitario
year(unknown)
size70g ~ 2.5oz
cocoa solids70%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A

colordark brown
PANTONE 19-1015
Bracken
texturesmooth with text imprints and scoring
aromacoconut, roast (smoke), sweet (caramel), marshmallow, hint of spice
snapmedium hard
tasteroast (coffee, tea), fruit (citrus), sweet, nutty
meltmore smooth
lengthmedium
finishsomewhat acidic, tannin

In a fashion similar to that of the Grenada Chocolate Company crafting chocolate locally in Grenada, Chocolate Santander makes single-origin chocolate bars locally in Colombia, producing them from beans cultivated on farms in the state of Santander. Although not organic, the chocolate is made from 70% cocoa solids, along with added cocoa butter, cane sugar, soy lecithin, and vanilla.

The 70 gram Santander Colombian 70% we reviewed came wrapped in foil and was scored into 8 pieces, each with an imprint of "Chocolate Santander" in cursive. It had a best before date of May 2012.

The color of the chocolate was a dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). It had a medium hard snap. The chocolate had a great aroma, with coconut, a somewhat smoky roast, a sweetness that smelled of caramel, as well as that of marshmallow. I also noticed a hint of spice.

The taste of Santander 70% included a coffee flavor that Lindy described as a light roast. There was also a tea in the roast, and flavors of citrus fruit, sweetness, and something nutty.

The melt was more smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, resulting in a medium length. For me, the finish somewhat acidic; Lindy experienced tannin and found it slightly ashy.

While receiving the same *** rating as the Grenada 82% we reviewed the same day, we both liked Santander 70% a little better, and Lindy rated it a high ***.

You can purchase Santander Colombian 70% online in the U.S. from Chocosphere for $2.90, which is an excellent price for a *** chocolate.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Review: Grenada Chocolate Company 82%

Lindy's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

chocolate makerGrenada
bar82%
regionGrenada
plantation(blend)
cacao treesTrinitario
year(unknown)
size85g ~ 3.0oz
cocoa solids82%
added fat(none)
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list price$4.60

colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1015
Bracken
texturesmooth with image imprint and scoring
aromafloral, earth, roast (cocoa), hints of fruit and sweet
snaphard
tastefloral, bitter, roast, earth, sweet, bread
meltmore smooth
lengthshort
finishsomewhat bitter

The bar arrived broken in two pieces.

The Grenada Chocolate Company makes single-origin chocolate bars with beans cultivated at their plantations in Grenada. They also make the chocolate bars on location in their factory, only a mile away from where they ferment the cacao beans. Their cacao is USDA and CERES certified organic, and for the 82% bar, they add organic raw sugar from Paraguay, organic soy lecithin, and organic vanilla beans from Costa Rica. The best before date on the 3 ounce bar we reviewed was March 2012.

The bar had a pretty stylized image of cacao imprinted in the center and was scored into four pieces on either side of that image. Grenada 82% had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. It had a hard snap that was somewhat brittle.

The chocolate had a strong floral scent that provided a nice background to the earth, cocoa roast, and hints of fruit and sweetness we also smelled. Lindy described 82% as having a "four star aroma".

Grenada 82% had a somewhat slow start before it released an omnipresent floral taste, as suggested by its aroma. We also experienced some bitterness, roast, earth, sweet and bread flavors. All of them seemed slightly muted. While interesting, I didn't especially like the taste of this chocolate.

The melt was more smooth, which was a bit surprising given the lack of any added cocoa butter. The length was short, with the chocolate flavor lasting roughly 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was somewhat bitter.

Overall, Lindy and I both rated this chocolate ***. At $1.53 per ounce, it is the lowest priced bar we've yet reviewed that we both rated ***. You can read more about our ratings in the context of price on our Best Chocolate Values page. Grenada 82% won a Silver at last month's Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards.

You can purchase Grenada 82% online in the U.S. from Chocosphere for $4.60, or in the U.K. from Rococo Chocolates for £4.50.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

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.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Sale: 20% off Valrhona and Guittard chocolate

World Wide Chocolate has 20% off Valrhona and Guittard chocolate this week (through April 25th). Use coupon code SPECIAL20 during checkout for this 20% discount.

Here are direct links on World Wide Chocolate to Guittard and Valrhona bars.

They are also continuing their 25% off Zotter chocolate sale (coupon code ZOTTER25). Here is the complete list of their special offers.

If you are interested in multiple chocolate brands, World Wide Chocolate has their more or less normal offers:
  • 10% off orders over $25: 1day10-25
  • 15% off orders over $40: 1day15-40
  • 20% off orders over $275: 1day20-275
  • 25% off orders over $575: 1day25-575

REMINDER: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

World Wide Chocolate only ships to United States, APO (military), and FPO (diplomatic) addresses. Shipping is free on orders over $150. Full information can be found at World Wide Chocolate shipping policies.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Review: Patric Madagascar 75%

Lindy's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 8.5 (previously ***)

chocolate makerPatric
barMadagascar 75%
regionMadagascar
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size65g ~ 2.3oz
cocoa solids75%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price$7.99

colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1431
Fudgesickle
texturematte with imprint
aromaroast (cocoa), wood (cedar), fruit (citrus), earth
snaphard
tastecitrus, berry, roast, woody, spice
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishslightly 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.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Review: Theo Rich Dark 70%

Lindy's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)

chocolate makerTheo
barRich Dark 70%
region(unknown)
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size84g ~ 3.0oz
cocoa solids70%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list price$4.00

colormedium dark-brown
PANTONE 19-1015
Bracken
texturesmooth with scoring
aromaearthy (dry must), roast (incense), sweet, astringent
snaphard
tastesweet (honey), fruit (citrus, berry), roast (malt, tannin)
meltmore smooth
lengthshort
finishsomewhat ashy, slightly acidic
Theo Rich Dark is another bar in this chocolate maker's Classic Collection, which also includes the Ultimate Dark 85% we reviewed earlier. Like that bar, Rich Dark is USDA certified organic and IMO Fair for Life certified fair trade and socially responsible for nearly all of its ingredients. Only the ground vanilla bean lacked a fair trade certification. The chocolate was made of 70% cocoa solids, along with sugar, added cocoa butter, and ground vanilla bean. The 3 ounce bar came wrapped in silver foil and was scored into 6 large pieces. The best before date on the Rich Dark bar we reviewed was February 2012.

While somewhat lighter than the Ultimate Dark, Rich Dark had a similar medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The snap was hard. The aroma of the chocolate was a dry musty earth smell. There was also a roast that reminded Lindy of incense, yet lacked any smokiness. We both noticed some sweetness and an astringent aroma that was vaguely suggestive of a cleaning product (yet not unpleasant).

Sweetness was the first taste we experienced, and then the strong citrus and berry fruit flavors came through. There was also a roast that Lindy identified as a combination of malt and tannin.

The melt of this chocolate was unusual. Rich Dark seemed it might have a slow start, but then it began to melt quite nicely and we decided to rate it more smooth. Yet, there was a slight graininess to the texture that had me think about it more than once. Rich Dark had a short length, with the chocolate flavor lasting 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The aftertaste wasn't bitter. Lindy found it somewhat ashy, and I experienced it as slightly acidic and slightly ashy.

Note that Theo also sells this same chocolate under the label Theo & Jane Goodall 70%. Proceeds from sales of the latter "benefit cocoa farmers, promote conservation in the tropical rainforest and directly contribute to the Jane Goodall Institute’s efforts to save chimpanzees, develop community centered conservation efforts and direct youth education programs around the world."

You can purchase both products online directly from Theo: Theo Rich Dark 70% for $4.00 and Theo & Jane Goodall 70% for $5.00.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Store: Kakao


Last month I ran across kakáo (pronounced kuh-key-oh) while on a walk in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle. I saw the sign in the window and felt compelled to check it out. I'm glad I did.

kakáo is a combination chocolate and coffee shop, with lots of bright, open space in which to hang out. In this converted warehouse, under 15' high wooden ceilings, they have ten tables with chairs, two loveseats, two lounge chairs, free Wi-Fi for internet access (wireless network 415: just ask them for the password), and lots of outlets around the walls and windows (to power your laptop, etc).

chocolate storekakáo
websitehttp://www.kakaoseattle.com/
address415 Westlake Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98109
United States
phone(206) 388-5467
hoursMon-Fri7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sat8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
online shoppingno
shipping areaN/A
warm weather shippingN/A
chocolate makersAmedei
Michel Cluizel
Claudio Corallo
Dagoba
Fran's
Green and Black's
Guittard
Kallari
Komforte
Lindt
Madécasse
Moonstruck
François Pralus
Republica del Cacao
Scharffen Berger
Taza
Theo
Valrhona
Vosges
special deals & eventsfree Wi-Fi
last updatedFebruary 24, 2012

With more than 50 different chocolate bars of more than a dozen different brands, kakáo has the second largest collection of quality chocolate in Seattle (including some not available at Chocolopolis).

At the espresso bar, they serve Valrhona Celaya drinking chocolate in addition to more traditional drip coffee and espresso. Their coffee is from local Seattle green coffee maker Herkimer. A small collection of pastries is also available.

The shop is officially open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but a barista let me know that they are usually open by 7:15 a.m. Their website is only a placeholder at present, but the owner, J.B., intends to add content and perhaps eventually sell chocolate online (I'll let you know if he does!)

kakáo has a side room that holds up to twenty people that is available for free, and can even be reserved. They also have a huge venue space for rent in back that has a capacity of 300 people (200 for a seated event). Call and talk to Jim if you're interested in more information about their venue space.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Review: Chapon Venezuela

Lindy's Rating: 4.0 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker(unknown)
barVenezuela
regionVenezuela
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size75g ~ 2.6oz
cocoa solids75%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price€5,00

colormedium dark-brown
PANTONE 19-1015
Bracken
texturesmooth with scoring
aromaheavy roast (coffee), sweet, hints of nut and fruit
snaphard
tastecoffee, roast, berry, hint of sweet
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishslightly bitter
Patrice Chapon is a French chocolatier who has won awards for his truffles and pralines. Chapon Chocolatier also has a line of single origin chocolate bars.

The bar was packaged inside a resealable plastic bag, along with hard paper stock coated on one side, presumably for stability. However, it still arrived broken in two pieces. The chocolate was not separately wrapped and the surface of the bar was scuffed, giving the chocolate a less appealing appearance.

Chapon Venezuela is a single origin bar made of 75% cocoa solids, along with sugar, extra cocoa butter, and soy lecithin. The 75 gram bar was scored into 10 pieces. The best before date was April 2012.

The chocolate had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and a hard snap. The aroma was a heavy roast of coffee, some sweetness, and a hint of nut. I also smelled an occasional hint of fruit.

The primary taste was a coffee that mostly overwhelmed flavors other than roast. However, we noticed berry and a suggestion of sweetness underneath the roast coffee flavor.

Venezuela had a good smooth melt. The length was short, around 10 to 15 seconds. After all the chocolate flavor was gone, the final aftertaste was slightly bitter, with a hint of coffee.

Overall, Lindy rated it a low **; I thought it was a middle **.

You can purchase Chapon Venezuela online directly from Chapon for €5,00.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Review: Bonnat Puerto Cabello Venezuela

Lindy's Rating: 7.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 7.0 (previously ***)

chocolate makerBonnat
barPuerto Cabello
regionVenezuela
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids75%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A

colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1015
Bracken
texturesmooth with text imprint and scoring
aromaroast (cocoa), berry (strawberry), earth (soil), sweet
snaphard
tastefruit (berry), roast (coffee), nut
meltmore smooth
lengthshort
finishslightly acidic
Bonnat Puerto Cabello is a single origin bar from Venezuela. The chocolate was made from 75% cocoa solids, with added cocoa butter and sugar. The 100 gram bar was formed, wrapped, and packaged as normal for Bonnat. It had a best before date of June 2012.

This bar had a hard snap. In addition to an initial cocoa roast aroma, Cabello gave off scents of berries that we identified as strawberry, an earthiness reminiscent of soil, and some sweetness.

The chocolate had a slow start, but then released flavors of fruit as berries, a roast that I experienced as coffee, and some nuttiness. Lindy also noticed a brief initial bitterness that went away.

The melt was smoother than normal, which we rated as more smooth. The length of Cabello was short, with the chocolate flavor lasting only about 10 to 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was slightly to somewhat acidic.

Overall, we both rated this chocolate as a low ***.

You can purchase Bonnat Puerto Cabello online for $7.85 from Chocosphere.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Sale: Amano Chocolate 20% off, EVERYTHING 10% off

World Wide Chocolate is having a few sales through April 11th, including 20% off Amano, Dolfin, and Green and Black's. For this discount, use coupon code TRY20 during checkout.

The 20% discount is not worthwhile for Green and Black's or Dolfin (as their regular prices are high), but it is a good price for Amano. Here's a direct link to Amano chocolates on World Wide Chocolate.

They also have Zotter on sale for 25% off (coupon code ZOTTER25). Here is the complete list of their special offers.

If you are interested in multiple chocolate brands, World Wide Chocolate is currently offering 10% off all orders (coupon code 1day10-0) -- typically this is only 5%, as well as their more or less normal offers:
  • 15% off orders over $40: 1day15-40
  • 20% off orders over $225: 1day20-225
  • 25% off orders over $550: 1day25-550

REMINDER: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

World Wide Chocolate only ships to United States, APO (military), and FPO (diplomatic) addresses. Shipping is free on orders over $150. Full information can be found at World Wide Chocolate shipping policies.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Review: Francois Pralus Madagascar

Lindy's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

chocolate makerPralus
barMadagascar
regionMadagascar
plantation(blend)
cacao treesCriollo
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids75%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price€4,00

colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1526
Dark Red Brown
texturesmooth with text imprint and scoring
aromafruit (red berry, hint of citrus), roast (cocoa), earth, spice (pepper)
snapmedium hard
tasteroast (cocoa, coffee), fruit (red berry, citrus), sweet, nut
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishslightly acidic
Pralus Madagascar is a single origin bar made from Criollo cacao beans. It was made of 75% cocoa solids, with sugar, added cocoa butter, and soy lecithin. The chocolate was certified organic by the French Agence Bio.

As usual for Pralus, the bar was packaged in a paper wrapper over gold foil-covered chocolate. The 100 gram bar we reviewed had a best before date of 27 January 2012.

The bar was scored into 24 small pieces and one large piece (that is the same size as 8 small ones) with the "Pralus" imprint. The color of the chocolate was a medium brown Dark Red Brown (PANTONE 19-1526). It had a medium hard snap.

Madagascar had a wonderful collection of aromas: fruit consisting mostly of red berry, but also a bit of citrus, roast in the form of cocoa, a spice that was primarily pepper, and some earthiness.

As Lindy put it, Madagascar "tastes like it smells", with fruit and roast flavors nearly identical to their aroma. The fruit flavor was a combination of red berry and citrus (the citrus was relatively stronger in the flavor than the aroma) and the roast flavor was predominantly cocoa (but I also noticed some coffee). The chocolate tasted sweet to both of us and we also noticed a nutty flavor.

The chocolate had a smooth melt. The length was short, with the flavor lasting 10 to 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone. There was no bitterness in the aftertaste, giving only a slight acidity for the finish.

Both of us liked Madagascar and rated it a solid ***.

You can purchase Pralus Madagascar online directly from Pralus for €4,00, or from Chocolopolis for $7.99.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Review: Francois Pralus Djakarta

Lindy's Rating: 7.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)

chocolate makerPralus
barDjakarta
regionGhana, Indonesia
plantation(blend)
cacao treesCriollo, Forastero?, Trinitario?
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids75%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price€4,00

colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1317
Bitter Chocolate
texturesmooth with text imprint and scoring
aromaearthy, roast (cocoa), sweet
snaphard
tastehint of bitter, roast (cocoa), fruit (apple, citrus), hint of dairy
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishslightly bitter
Despite its name, Pralus Djakarta is a mixed-origin bar from Ghana and Indonesia. The wrapper indicated the beans were a mixture of Trinitario and Criollo, but Pralus wrote on their website that Djakarta was made from a combination of Forastero and Criollo beans. The latter seems more likely, given Ghana as the origin of the non-Criollo beans.

Djakarta was made of 75% cocoa solids, with sugar, added cocoa butter, and soy lecithin. This bar was packaged as usual for Pralus chocolate bars: paper wrapper over gold foil-covered chocolate. The 100 gram bar we reviewed had a best before date of 3 February 2012.

The bar was scored into 24 small pieces and one large piece (that is the same size as 8 small ones) with the "Pralus" imprint. The color of the chocolate was a medium brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317). It had a hard snap.

Djakarta had aromas of roast in form of cocoa, an earthiness, and some sweetness. The initial taste gave a slight bitterness, and then revealed the cocoa roast we smelled, along with some fruit flavors. Lindy identified apple and I found some citrus. I also noticed a hint of dairy.

The chocolate had a smooth melt. The flavor only lasted 10 to 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a short length. The aftertaste was slightly bitter.

Overall, Lindy described Djakarta as enjoyable to eat, and rated it a low ***. I found it somewhat less desirable and rated it a high **.

You can purchase Pralus Djakarta online directly from Pralus for €4,00, or from Chocolopolis for $7.99.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Sale: Domori 15% off, and many other brands, too

World Wide Chocolate is having a few sales through April 4th, including 15% off Domori and some other Italian chocolates, including L'Artigiano, Cuorenero, Maglio, Slitti and Venchi. For this discount, use coupon code ITALIAN15 during checkout.

They have several other chocolate brands on sale, including Côte d'Or, Lindt, Valor, and Zotter. Some of these sale prices are good; others are not particularly interesting. Here is the complete list of their special offers.

They also have two weekend specials:
  • $10 off $40 order: WEEKEND10
  • $20 off $100 order: WEEKEND20

as well as their more or less normal offers:
  • 5% off all orders: 1day5-0
  • 10% off orders over $25: 1day10-25
  • 15% off orders over $40: 1day15-40
  • 20% off orders over $275: 1day20-275
  • 25% off orders over $750: 1day25-750

REMINDER: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

World Wide Chocolate only ships to United States, APO (military), and FPO (diplomatic) addresses. Shipping is free on orders over $150. Full information can be found at World Wide Chocolate shipping policies.