Review: Coppeneur Hacienda Iara 100%

Lindy's Rating: 4.5 (previously *)

Richard's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker Coppeneur bar Hacienda Iara 100% region Ecuador plantation Iara cacao trees Forastero year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.8oz cocoa solids 100% added fat (none) sweetener (none) emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price CA$5.95

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1518 Puce texture smooth with picture relief and text imprint aroma roast (cocoa), floral (jasmine) snap medium hard taste bitter, roast, earth, nut melt creamy length medium finish somewhat bitter

German chocolate maker Coppeneur has a relationship with the Iara plantation in Ecuador run by Gonzalo Martinetti. There, they grow organic Nacional Arriba cacao (which is biologically Forastero), which was the source of the cacao beans for this bar.

Hacienda Iara 100% was made from 100% cocoa solids, without even added cocoa butter. The 50 gram bar was certified organic in Germany. It was wrapped in plastic and packaged along with a 40-page Coppeneur booklet in a black hard paper box that was sealed with fake silver wax stamped with the Coppeneur logo. Coppeneur bars unscored, with a large relief of half a cacao pod surrounded by a circular design and the imprint of "Coppeneur" and its logo in the upper left. The best before date was August 2012.

The color of this chocolate was a medium-dark brown Puce (PANTONE 19-1518). The bar had a medium hard snap. Hacienda Iara 100% had two primary aromas: a cocoa roast and floral scent that Lindy identified as jasmine.

The chocolate had a bitter taste. The other dominant flavor was roast. I also tasted some earth and nut flavors. The melt was creamy, and the flavor lasted 30 to 35 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The final aftertaste seemed somewhat bitter to me. Lindy found it more so.

Overall, Lindy described Hacienda Iara 100% as "a bitter experience all around", and rated it *. I felt it deserved **, although this plantation bar was not as good as either Pralus Le 100% or Bonnat 100% Cacao.

You can purchase Coppeneur Hacienda Iara 100% online for CA$5.95 in Canada and the U.S. directly from Coppeneur.

Review: Michel Cluizel Los Anconès

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

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

chocolate maker Cluizel bar Los Anconès region Santo Domingo plantation Los Anconès cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 67% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring bourbon vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with text and image imprints and scoring aroma roast (tobacco), fruit(red, olive), hints of citrus, earth and sweet snap medium taste sweet (honey), fruit (cherry, date, prune, raisin), hint of citrus melt creamy length medium finish very slightly acidic, slightly tannin

Michel Cluizel made Los Anconès with cacao beans from the plantation of the same name in Santo Domingo. Cluizel mentioned Santo Domingo as an island in the Caribbean. I couldn't find it, though. Perhaps they meant the Dominican Republic capital?

In any case, Los Anconès was made with 67% cocoa solids, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and bourbon vanilla pod. This chocolate was certified organic by the French Agence Bio. The 70 gram bar was wrapped in gold foil and packaged in a paper sleeve. It was scored in 15 pieces, each with either part of the Michel Cluizel name or a stylized cacao pod. The best before date on the bar we reviewed was April 2012.

Los Anconès had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The bar had a medium snap. The chocolate gave off a roast aroma of tobacco, as well as clear scents of red fruit and olive. Lindy experienced a hint of citrus, and I smelled suggestions of earth and sweetness.

In tasting this chocolate, we first noticed a honey sweetness, and then found fruit flavors, including cherry and dried fruit. Lindy identified the dried fruits as date, prune, and raisin. I also tasted a hint of citrus.

We decided the melt was creamy (it was right on the border with more smooth for me). The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting 20 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was a very slight acidic aftertaste to me; Lindy found it slightly tannin.

We both liked Los Anconès and rated it ***. This chocolate won gold at the European Semi-Final of the 2012 International Chocolate Awards, a gold at the Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards, and the "Cakes, Biscuits, Confectionery, Dessert" category of the Soil Association's 2010 Organic Food Awards.

You can purchase Michel Cluizel Los Anconès online for $5.95 in the U.S. from Chocosphere, or for £3.95 in the U.K. from Chocolate Trading Co..

Sale: Lindt chocolate bars only $1

At Walgreens stores, Lindt chocolate bars are on sale through Saturday, May 28th at the price of 2 for $3. There is also a $1 off 2 "instant value coupon" available in stores, resulting in the lowest price I've ever seen for this chocolate: only $1 per bar.

At this price, it is only $0.28 cents per ounce, making these bars a superb value, as you can see on our best chocolate values page. Our postings about Lindt chocolate bars can be found by clicking any Lindt label, or you can go directly to our reviews of the Lindt Excellence 85% and 70% bars.

This offer does not appear to be available online, so you'll have to check at a Walgreens near you. Here is their store locator. This offer seems to be available everywhere in the U.S., but I've only confirmed it locally in Seattle. Please add a comment if you find it is not available in your area.

Review: Bonnat Porcelana

Lindy's Rating: 9.5 (previously ***)

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

chocolate maker Bonnat bar Porcelana region Venezuela plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 100% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with text imprint and scoring aroma earth (grass), fruit (berry), spice, hint of sweet snap hard taste fruit (citrus, berry, raisin), roast (malt, toast), dairy (butter), sweet melt more smooth length medium finish slightly acidic, slightly bitter

Bonnat Porcelana is another bar from the French chocolate maker with 75% cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sugar. It was made with Porcelana cacao beans from Venezuela. Wrapped in silver foil and package in a paper sleeve, this 100 gram bar was formed as normal for Bonnat bar, with a "Bonnat Voiron" center imprint and scored into 32 small pieces around it. The best before date was September 2011.

This is our second review of Bonnat's Porcelana bar. You can read the first review here.

The color of Porcelana was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The bar had a hard snap. The chocolate gave off a strong earthy aroma of grass. We also smelled a berry fruit and some spice. Lindy also detected a hint of sweetness. It was a nice aroma.

Porcelana tasted primarily of complex fruit (citrus, berry, and raisin), and roast (malt and toast) flavors. I also experienced something dairy that reminded me of butter, as well as some sweetness.

The melt was more smooth. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting roughly 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was both slightly acidic and slightly bitter.

Overall, Porcelana was very good. We both rated it ***, and it remained on Lindy's list of favorite chocolate bars. It didn't quite break onto mine. This chocolate won a silver at the European Semi-Final of the 2012 International Chocolate Awards.

The price of this already expensive bar has increased about 10% in the past year. You can purchase Bonnat Porcelana online in the U.S. from Chocolopolis for $21.95.

Review: Askinosie Tenende Tanzania

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

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

chocolate maker Askinosie bar Tenende Tanzania region Africa plantation (blend) cacao trees Trinitario year 2011 size 85g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 72% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane juice emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate texture smooth with character imprints and scoring aroma earth, fruit (fig), roast (tobacco), floral snap medium hard taste initial slight bitterness, roast, fruit (berry, citrus), tannin melt smooth length short finish somewhat acidic, somewhat tannin

Askinosie is the passionate creation of Shawn Askinosie. He established a chocolate making business based on personal relationships, beginning with the farmers who grow the cacao. Although not certified due to the added costs, Askinosie makes single origin organic chocolate using fair trade practices (including profit-sharing). Their dark chocolate bars include San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador, Cortés, Honduras, Soconusco, Mexico, Davao, Phillipines, and this bar: Tenende, Tanzania.

Tenende Tanzania came packaged environmentally, wrapped in biodegradable and compostable NatureFlex™ inside a waxed paper bag tied with string from the biodegradable sack in which the beans were shipped to their factory.

This chocolate was a single origin bar made of Trinitario cacao beans from farms of the woman-led UWATE farmer group in Tenende, Tanzania. It was developed as a project of Chocolate University, a partnership of Askinosie and Drury University to benefit the homeless children of Springfield, Missouri. Students learned about entrepreneurship and making chocolate from bean to bar, and 13 traveled to Tanzania and met the cacao farmers. The project also funded a new village well.

Rather than a best before date, Askinosie provides the date the bar was finally packaged as a "Choc-o-lot #", and using this number you can read the history of making the chocolate from beans to bar of this production run of chocolate bars. On their homepage, you enter the Choc-o-lot number (in the case of the bar we reviewed: 030911) and on the next page select the type and origin of the bar to see its history.

Tenende chocolate was made from 72% cocoa solids, with 28% organic cane juice and 3% (of the 72%) added cocoa butter made from the same cacao beans. The 85 gram bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with a single letter of "Askinosie chocolate". The color of the chocolate was a medium-dark brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317). The bar had a medium hard snap.

The aroma of Tenende was predominantly earthy, with additional scents of dried fig and something floral. We also noticed a roast that we were able to identify as tobacco after smelling a fresh break.

Lindy tasted a slight initial bitterness as the chocolate began to melt. We then experienced roast and a gradually building fruit flavor that included berry (perhaps cherry) and citrus. The flavor of tannin was present as well.

The melt was at the far end of smooth, nearly more smooth, but not quite. The flavor lasted about 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a short length. To Lindy, the final aftertaste was somewhat tannin; to me, it was somewhat acidic.

Overall, Lindy and I both rated Tenende a low ***. This chocolate won a Silver at the Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards.

You can purchase Askinosie Tenende Tanzania online in the U.S. directly from Askinosie for $8.00, or if you'd like to combine it with the purchase of other chocolate, you can buy it from Chocolopolis for $7.99.

Sale: 20% off Michel Cluizel and Guittard

This week World Wide Chocolate has 20% off Michel Cluizel, Guittard, and Vintage Plantations chocolate (through May 16th). Use coupon code SPECIAL20 during checkout for this 20% discount.

They also have 15% off Belgian chocolate. Coupon code BELGIAN15.

Here is the complete list of their special offers.

If you are interested in buying multiple chocolate brands, World Wide Chocolate has their more or less normal offers:

• 5% off orders over $15: 1day5-15
• 15% off orders over $60: 1day15-60
• 20% off orders over $250: 1day20-250
• 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.

Review: Amedei Porcelana

Lindy's Rating: 10.0 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 9.5 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Amedei bar Porcelana region Venezuela plantation (unknown) cacao trees Criollo year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.8oz cocoa solids 70% fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1217 Mustang texture smooth with text imprints and scoring aroma earth (must), floral, fruit (strawberry), sweet, roast snap hard taste sweet, nut (almond), roast (malt), hints of vanilla and fruit melt more smooth length medium finish very slightly acidic, slightly ashy

MORE RECENT REVIEW: Amedei Porcelana

This is our second review of Italian chocolate maker Amedei's Porcelana bar. We reviewed this chocolate only about a month after starting this blog. Since it is our favorites lists, we felt it deserved a subsequent review now that we have more experience and perspective (if only to confirm our prior review). You can read the first review here.

Amedei Porcelana is a single origin chocolate made from Porcelana cacao beans from Venezuela. The beans from these Criollo cacao trees have a distinctive white color and were named Porcelana for this porcelain-like color.

This chocolate was made from 70% cocoa solids, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla. The 50 gram bar was scored into 10 pieces, each with a few lines above and below the "AMEDEI" imprint. The best before date on the bar we reviewed was May 2011. The color of Amedei Porcelana was a medium-dark brown Mustang (PANTONE 19-1217). The bar had a hard snap.

Just after breaking the chocolate we could smell sweetness and roast, but those soon faded and were replaced by a strong earthy must. Other evident aromas were floral and fruit, the latter of which was a strawberry and perhaps some olive.

Porcelana tasted of sweetness, almond, and malt. The nutty almond flavor seemed roasted to me; Lindy found it more like almond extract. We both noticed a hint of vanilla, and I tasted a suggestion of fruit as well.

The melt was more smooth. In the prior review, we indicated creamy because we didn't have a "more smooth" in our melt range at that time. The flavor lasted about 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, easily reaching medium length. I found the finish very slightly acidic; Lindy experienced it as slightly ashy.

Overall, we both still liked Amedei Porcelana and rated it a high *** (down from Lindy's prior **** rating). It remains a favorite of both of us. In 2009, this bar won one of the five Gold awards by the Academy of Chocolate in the bean to bar dark chocolate category.

Amedei does not publish list prices, but you can purchase Porcelana online from Chocolopolis for $15.00. It remains the most expensive chocolate we've reviewed (on a per-ounce basis. Take a look at our best chocolate values page for comparison).

Review: Askinosie San Jose Del Tambo

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

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

chocolate maker Askinosie bar San Jose Del Tambo region Ecuador plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 85g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane juice emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with character imprints and scoring aroma floral (jasmine), roast (tobacco), earth, hint of honey snap medium hard taste initial sweet bitter roast, then strong citrus (orange peel), floral (jasmine), nutty roast melt more smooth length medium finish tart, slightly acidic

Askinosie is an independent chocolate maker in Springfield, Missouri. Founder Shawn Askinosie personally meets all of the farmers that provide the beans for his chocolates. He believes strongly in both organic farming and fair trade practices, but chose not to have either certified due to the added costs. Askinosie created a program based on Jack Stack's A Stake in the Outcome™ of profit sharing with the farmers who sell them their beans. They also use environmental best practices in their packaging, renovating, and mulching of cacao bean shells. Askinosie wraps their bars in biodegradable and compostable NatureFlex™ and packages them inside a waxed paper bag.

Rather than a best before date, Askinosie provides the date the bar was finally packaged as a "Choc-o-lot #", and using this number you can read the history of making the chocolate from beans to bar of this production run of chocolate bars. On their homepage, you enter the Choc-o-lot number (in the case of the bar we reviewed: 030911) and on the next page select the type and origin of the bar to see its history.

Now, on with the review. San Jose Del Tambo is a single origin chocolate from Ecuador. It was made from 70% cocoa solids, with 30% organic cane juice and 2% (of the 70%) added cocoa butter made from the same cacao beans. The 85 gram bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with a single letter of "Askinosie chocolate". The color of the chocolate was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The bar had a medium hard snap.

San Jose Del Tambo had a strong floral aroma that Lindy identified as jasmine. There was also a notable roast that I thought was tobacco, as well as an earthiness. We both also detected a hint of sweetness in the form of honey.

After an initial sweet and bitter roast as the chocolate started to melt, the flavor of citrus in the form of orange peel came forth as it melted more fully. We also tasted the floral jasmine that had been so prevalent in the aroma, as well as a nutty roast flavor.

The melt was just barely beyond smooth and into more smooth. Similarly, the length averaged a few seconds beyond short and into medium. The finish was tart and slightly acidic.

Overall, Lindy and I both rated San Jose Del Tambo a high ***. Not only was it far superior to the other Ecuador chocolates we've reviewed so far, it was also good enough to break into the favorites list for each of us. This chocolate won a Gold at the Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards.

You can purchase Askinosie San Jose Del Tambo online in the U.S. directly from Askinosie for $8.00, or if you'd like to combine it with the purchase of other chocolate, you can buy it from Chocolopolis for $7.99.

Sale: 20% off Domori, 15% off Amano and Guittard

World Wide Chocolate has 20% off Domori, Cacao Barry, and Côte d'Or chocolate this week (through May 9th). Use coupon code SPECIAL20 during checkout for this 20% discount.

They also have 15% off American chocolate, including Amano, Blommer, Dagoba, Ghirardelli, Guittard, Lake Champlain, Scharffen Berger, and Vermont Nut Free. Coupon code AMERICAN15. Check the price before you buy, as you can find lower prices elsewhere for some of them (such as Ghirardelli).

They are still continuing their 25% off Zotter chocolate sale (coupon code ZOTTER25).

Here is the complete list of their special offers.

If you are interested in buying multiple chocolate brands, World Wide Chocolate has their more or less normal offers:

• 5% off orders over $15: 1day5-15
• 15% off orders over $60: 1day15-60
• 20% off orders over $250: 1day20-250
• 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.

Review: Fresco 214

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

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

chocolate maker Fresco bar 214 region Madagascar plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 40g ~ 1.4oz cocoa solids 74% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1228 Root Beer texture lined with scoring aroma floral, spice, earth, roast, fruit snap medium taste tart, sweet, fruit (citrus, grapefruit, plum, berry), nut melt smooth length short finish somewhat acidic, slightly tannin

Independent chocolate maker Fresco makes small batches of chocolate bars. Their production runs each use a difference recipe of of three simple ingredients: beans, cane sugar, and cocoa butter. The recipe is based on the origin of the cacao beans, the percentage of cocoa solids, how the beans are roasted, and how the ingredients are conched (i.e., ground down and refined into smooth chocolate) before tempering. Fresco generously shares much of this information with their customers by identifying each bar not only by recipe, batch numbers, and production date, but also with explicit documentation of the levels of roasting (light, medium, or dark) and conching (none, subtle, medium, long). Of course, they also include the traditional bean origin and percentage of cocoa solids. Fresco has an informative web page outlining their chocolate making process.

214 was made from cacao beans from Madagascar, with 74% cocoa solids, using a light roast and medium conching. The bar we reviewed was made in February 2011 and had a best before date of March 2013. The small 40 gram bar was wrapped in silver foil and packaged in paper.

Fresco bars are scored into 10 square pieces, with each square lined in alternating vertical and horizontal directions (please see picture above). The color of 214 was a medium brown Root Beer (PANTONE 19-1228). The bar had a medium hard snap.

Aromas from this chocolate included floral, spice, earth, and roast. I also detected some fruit. Lindy found something about the roast smell vaguely unpleasant.

214 tasted strongly of an interesting combination of both tartness and sweetness. Then fruit flavors came through: citrus, grapefruit, plum, and berry. I also tasted some nut.

The melt was only smooth. The chocolate flavor quickly disappeared after only 5 to 10 seconds, barely gaining a short length. We were left with some acidity and a slightly tannin aftertaste.

We were both a bit disappointed with the 214 and suspect increasing the roast would improve the flavor, and thus look forward to trying the 215 (which has a medium roast). Overall, we both rated Fresco 214 ***.

Fresco does not publish a list price for their chocolate bars, but you can now buy the new 214 bar at Chocolopolis for $7.00.