Review: TCHO Nutty 2.0

Lindy's Rating: 6.5

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker TCHO bar Nutty 2.0 region Ecuador plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 58g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 65% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $5.48

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, curving lines aroma roast (smoke, malt), earth, fruit (berry) snap hard taste roast (coffee), sweet, fruit (coconut), nut melt smooth length medium finish somewhat sweet

San Francisco bean to bar chocolate maker TCHO prides themselves on innovation and leveraging technology to make their chocolate better, and works closely with their cacao farmers to improve fermentation and drying practices. Their dark chocolate bars are all single origin, yet TCHO is focused on making chocolate with specific flavors rather than from specific origins. Nutty 2.0 is a major revision of this chocolate. The original Nutty was made with cacao from Peru. Nutty 2.0 was made with cacao from Ecuador.

The chocolate was made from cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and vanilla beans. It contained 65% cocoa solids, and was certified organic and fair trade. The two ounce bar was scored in 9 pieces and came wrapped in gold-sided wax paper and packaged inside a paper box. There was no production or best before date for the bar we reviewed, but the box did have a sticker with the number 2691.

Nutty 2.0 had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and a generally smooth surface that was imprinted with TCHO's intricate wavy lines. There was just a trivial bit of surface scuffing. The bottom surface revealed an apparently typical pattern from filling the mold and some indentations. The bar had a hard snap.

The aroma of Nutty 2.0 was a strong smoky roast with malt, and also had scents of earth and a berry fruit. Lindy remarked on her surprise at the lack of any of the typical floral scent of an Ecuador chocolate.

The roast, while present in the taste, lacked the smoke and malt of the aroma. Instead, it tasted more like a coffee roast to me. Nutty 2.0 was quite sweet, and had fruit in the form of coconut and some nut. It didn't taste as nutty as I expected, certainly nothing like the wonderful nutty flavor of Valrhona Gran Couva.

Nutty 2.0 had a smooth melt. The chocolate flavor lasted 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The finish was somewhat sweet without any of the bitterness sweetness is often used to hide.

Overall, we both concluded this was a good chocolate, but we found it too sweet and the flavor didn't live up to its nutty name.

You can purchase TCHO Nutty 2.0 online directly from TCHO for $10.95 for two bars.

Review: TCHO Citrus

Lindy's Rating: 8.0

Richard's Rating: 7.5

chocolate maker TCHO bar Citrus region Madagascar plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 58g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 67% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $5.48

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, curving lines, superficial ring aroma roast (cocoa, smoke), fruit (citrus, berry, hint of banana), sweet snap hard taste roast, fruit (citrus, lime, berry, orange, cherry, hint of banana), sweet melt smooth to more smooth length medium finish slightly acidic

TCHO makes chocolate with the goal of producing a flavor from their wheel of six primary chocolate flavors. TCHO is a U.S. bean to bar chocolate maker in San Francisco. They pride themselves on innovation and leveraging technology to make their chocolate better, and work closely with their cacao farmers to improve fermentation and drying practices.

Citrus was made with cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and vanilla beans. It was made with cacao from the Sambirano Valley of Madagascar. The chocolate contained 67% cocoa solids, and was certified organic by the USDA. The two ounce bar was scored in 9 pieces and came wrapped in gold-sided wax paper and packaged inside a bright yellow paper box. There was no production or best before date for the bar we reviewed, but the box did have a sticker with the number 2561.

The chocolate had a medium brown color close to Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) and a generally smooth surface that was imprinted with TCHO's intricate wavy lines. There was a superficial ring visible on the top surface, but that came off with gentle rubbing. The bottom surface revealed an apparently typical pattern from filling the mold. The bar had a hard snap.

Citrus had a nice fruity and roast aroma. The fruit was primarily citrus, with some berry and a hint of banana. The roast was cocoa and smoke. I also smelled sweetness.

After an initial roast taste, Citrus revealed many fruit flavors, including general citrus, lime, berry, orange, cherry, and just a suggestion of banana. It also tasted sweet. Lindy liked the fruit flavors, but found the taste of this chocolate "not as citrusy as [she] expected."

We didn't quite agree about the melt. Lindy found it just shy of more smooth and rated it smooth. To me, it was just beyond that threshold and felt more smooth. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was slightly acidic.

You can purchase TCHO Citrus online directly from TCHO for $10.95 for two bars.

Ranking: best Peru single-origin chocolate

In a head to head comparison, I retasted the three single origin chocolate bars made from Peru cacao that we reviewed during this past year that made it onto our Best Chocolates Overall list. All three received equivalent 8.0 average ratings in our detailed reviews this past year, so I expected ranking these great chocolates to be particularly interesting.

These were excellent chocolates, and ranking them was more difficult than I anticipated. Each was nicely tempered. For aroma, I think Original Beans Piura Porcelana edged out the others. All three had good complex flavors, but the sweetness of TCHO Fruity 2.0 was a bit too strong for me. The melt of Fruity 2.0 was smooth, but not as nice as the other two. Piura Porcelana had a short length, in contrast with the flavor lasting far into medium length for the other two. The final aftertaste of Piura Porcelana was slightly bitter; the other two had slightly tannin aftertastes. I'd rank them:

• Moonstruck Fortunato No. 4
• Original Beans Piura Porcelana
• TCHO Fruity 2.0

Although I did come up with the above order, you might rank them in a different order, depending on your chocolate preferences (which is probably why they ended up with similar overall ratings). Adding the other two Peru single origin bars we've reviewed, I'd rank Peru bars as follows (though the first four are all great):

1. Rogue Piura
2. Moonstruck Fortunato No. 4
3. Original Beans Piura Porcelana
4. TCHO Fruity 2.0
5. Bonnat Cacao Cusco

Notes
Clicking on a name above will take you to the detailed review of that chocolate bar.
To see updated information and other rankings, go to our Chocolate Rankings page.

Review: TCHO Fruity 2.0

Lindy's Rating: 8.0

Richard's Rating: 8.0

chocolate maker TCHO bar Fruity 2.0 region Peru plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 58g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 68% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $5.48

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, curving lines aroma earth, roast (cocoa), fruit (berry, citrus) snap hard taste sweet (caramel), roast (cocoa), fruit (berry, raspberry, cherry, citrus, lime, nectarine) melt smooth length medium finish slightly tannin

San Francisco bean to bar chocolate maker TCHO has a flavor wheel of six primary chocolate flavors. They currently make chocolate bars for four of those flavors, one of which is the Fruity reviewed here. TCHO prides themselves on innovation and leveraging technology to make their chocolate better. They work closely with their cacao farmers to improve fermentation and drying practices.

After improved fermentation from the use of solar-powered sensory arrays at the cacao cooperative in Peru, TCHO released Fruity 2.0 as a major reformulation of their fruity flavor. It was a single origin chocolate from Peru made with cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and vanilla beans. The chocolate contained 68% cocoa solids, and was certified organic and fair trade.

The two ounce bar was scored in 9 pieces and came wrapped in gold-sided wax paper and packaged inside a paper box. There was not a production or best before date for the bar we reviewed, but the box did have a sticker with the number 0321.

Fruity 2.0 had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The top surface had a smooth finish and was imprinted with an intricate pattern. The bottom surface revealed a pattern from filling the mold. The bar had a nice temper and a hard snap.

This chocolate gave off a strong earthy and cocoa roast aroma. We also smelled fruit flavors of berry and citrus.

Beyond the initial sweet caramel and cocoa roast came an abundance of fruit flavors. We tasted berry in general, as well as raspberry and cherry in particular, citrus that Lindy identified as lime, and even nectarine. Lindy described the taste as "caramel fruity," and we agreed that this chocolate was definitely deserving of its Fruity name.

The melt was smooth. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was slightly tannin.

You can purchase TCHO Fruity online directly from TCHO for $10.95 for two bars.

Review: TCHO Chocolatey

Lindy's Rating: 6.0

Richard's Rating: 5.5

chocolate maker TCHO bar Chocolatey region Ghana plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 58g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $5.48

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, curving lines aroma roast (cocoa, hint of smoke), earth (soil), fruit, hint of spice snap hard taste initial sour, roast (cocoa, malt), sweet (caramel), hint of vanilla melt more smooth length short finish slightly acidic, slightly tannin

TCHO is a U.S. bean to bar chocolate maker based in San Francisco that crafts chocolate based on flavors rather than origins. The TCHO flavor wheel has six flavors: Chocolatey, Citrus, Earthy, Floral, Fruity, and Nutty. At present, they do not make Earthy or Floral chocolate. TCHO prides themselves on innovation and leveraging technology to make their chocolate better. They work closely with their cacao farmers to improve fermentation and drying practices.

Chocolatey is a single origin chocolate from Ghana that was made with cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and vanilla beans. The chocolate contained 70% cocoa solids. The two ounce bar was scored in 9 pieces and came wrapped in gold-sided wax paper inside a paper box. There was not a production or best before date for the bar we reviewed, but the box did have a sticker with the number 2021.

The color of Chocolatey was a medium-dark brown close to Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface had a smooth finish and was imprinted with an intricate pattern. Depending on the lighting angle, we observed many small lighter squiggles (that appear darker in the photo -- more easily seen if you enlarge the photo and look near the center of the top), as well as a pattern on the back from filling the mold. These are minor, though, and overall the bar had a nice temper.

This chocolate gave off a cocoa roast aroma, with a bit of smoke. A hard snap revealed a strong earth that Lindy identified as damp soil. We also smelled a little fruit, and I detected a hint of spice.

Chocolatey had a brief initial sour flavor that quickly faded below a cocoa roast and caramel sweetness. The roast also included some malt, and I tasted a hint of vanilla.

This bar had a nice more smooth melt. The chocolate flavor lasted 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, not quite reaching a medium length. Chocolately had a slightly acidic and slightly tannin finish.

Overall, we found this to be a good basic chocolate bar. As Lindy described it, "nothing detracts, but nothing exceptional."

You can purchase TCHO Chocolately online directly from TCHO for $10.95 for two bars.

Review: Mindo 67%

Lindy's Rating: 6.5

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker Mindo bar 67% region Ecuador plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 67% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane juice emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $7.25

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring, bubbles aroma spice (anise, clove), earth (hay, grass) snap medium hard taste sweet, earth (hay), spice (anise), fruit (raisin, prune, plum) melt smooth length medium finish tannin

Mindo is one of those very rare chocolate makers that starts with wet cacao and does their own fermenting and drying. Most bean to bar chocolate makers buy already dried cacao beans and at best have some indirect input on the fermenting and drying processes. Barbara Wilson and Joe Meza have developed a personal relationship with a small cooperative of cacao farmers in Ecuador, from whom they directly purchase their cacao.

Mindo's 67% bar was made with organic cacao beans, certified organic evaporated cane juice, and a small amount of added cocoa butter from the same cacao beans. They have not yet received organic certification for their chocolate. The big 100 gram bar was scored into 24 pieces and came wrapped in silver-sided wax paper inside a white paper sleeve. The best before date on the bar we reviewed was October 2012.

The medium-dark brown color of 67% was a bit lighter than that of the 77%, but still close to Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The top surface had a smooth flat finish, with a little scuffing and bubbles in the corners of some pieces. The snap was medium-hard.

This chocolate had a spice aroma of anise combined with an earthiness like that of hay. I also smelled clove, and Lindy found grass in the earthiness.

67% tasted sweet, with flavors suggested by the aroma: an earthy hay and anise. We also tasted dried fruit. Lindy experienced a raisin flavor; for me it was prune and plum. Lindy tasted tannin.

The melt was better than smooth, but not quite the more smooth of 77%. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting 30 to 35 seconds after the chocolate was gone. 67% had a tannin finish like that of 77%.

You can purchase Mindo 67% online for $7.25 directly from Mindo.

Sale: 20% off all chocolate

World Wide Chocolate is having an unadvertised special sale for 20% off everything, with no minimum order. Mix and match any of the many chocolate brands they sell. Use coupon code GIFT20 during checkout for this discount. Note that this sale is NOT listed on their website.

As a bonus treat this week, the first 30 buyers to add "Free Valrhona Squares" in the Comments field will receive 5 free bite-size chocolate squares of Valrhona chocolate.

World Wide Chocolate ships only to United States, APO (military), and FPO (diplomatic) addresses. Full information can be found at World Wide Chocolate shipping policies.

Review: Mindo 77%

Lindy's Rating: 6.5

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker Mindo bar 77% region Ecuador plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 77% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane juice emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $7.25

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring, bubbles aroma roast, fruit (cherry), earth, floral snap medium hard taste roast (coffee), tannin, woody, fruit, nut, hint of sweet melt more smooth length medium finish tannin

Mindo is one of those very rare chocolate makers that starts with wet cacao and does their own fermenting and drying. Most bean to bar chocolate makers buy already dried cacao beans and at best have some indirect input on the fermenting and drying processes. Barbara Wilson and Joe Meza have developed a personal relationship with a small cooperative of cacao farmers in Ecuador, from whom they directly purchase their cacao.

The 77% bar was made with organic cacao beans, certified organic evaporated cane juice, and a small amount of added cocoa butter from the same cacao beans. This chocolate, however, was not yet certified organic. The big 100 gram bar was scored into 24 pieces and came wrapped in gold-sided wax paper inside a white paper sleeve. There was no date on the bar we reviewed.

The color of 77% was a medium-dark brown close to Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The top surface had a smooth flat finish, with some scuffing and bubbles in the corners of some pieces. The snap was medium-hard.

This chocolate had a somewhat muted aroma, with a fruit scent that Lindy identified as cherry, some roast, and the floral typical of Ecuador origins. I also smelled some earthiness, and Lindy noticed something she described as dusty.

77% tasted of a coffee roast, with strong tannin, and revealed flavors of wood and fruit. We also both experienced a hint of sweetness, and I tasted an additional nut flavor.

The melt was smoother than average. The chocolate flavor lasted about 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, just barely breaking into a medium length. The aftertaste was tannin.

Mindo 77% was a finalist at the 2010 Good Food Awards. You can purchase this chocolate online for $7.25 directly from Mindo.

Sale: 15% off all chocolate again this weekend

World Wide Chocolate is having a 15% off everything sale again this weekend. Mix and match any of the many chocolate brands they sell. Use coupon code weekend15 during checkout for this discount. If you are spending $100 or more, use coupon code weekend20 for 20% off instead.

Note that the existing sale of 20% off Patric, Guittard, Artisan du Chocolat, Valor, Godiva, and Callebaut chocolate with no minimum purchase using coupon code SPECIAL20 continues through Monday. NOTE: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

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.

Maker Profile: Mindo Chocolate

company name	Mindo Chocolate
website	http://www.mindochocolate.com/
email	info@mindochocolate.com
chocolate makers	Joe Meza and Barbara Wilson
factory location	11061 Trinkle Road Dexter, MI 48130 (734) 660-5635
factory tours	by appointment
direct online purchase	Mindo
direct stores	N/A
retail store purchase	where Mindo is sold
selling bars since	2009
plantation bars	none
single origin bars	100% (Ecuador) 77% (Ecuador) 67% (Ecuador)
blend bars	none
production cycle	bean to bar
added fat	cocoa butter
sweetener	cane juice
flavoring	none
emulsifier	none
organic	yes (not yet certified)
sustainable	recycling, composting
economics	direct trade (not certified)
last updated	December 15, 2011

In 2008, Barbara Wilson and Joe Meza built a winter home for themselves in Mindo, Ecuador. Over the following year, that home transformed into El Quetzal de Mindo, a restaurant and hostel. In 2009, Barbara and Joe established a cacao processing station to do their own fermenting, drying, roasting, and winnowing of cacao. They ship their cacao nibs (by air) back to their place in Dexter, Michigan, to press cocoa butter and make chocolate. (Note: In the past, Mindo sometimes shipped beans to Dexter and roasted them there). Factory tours may be arranged by appointment. They began selling their single origin Ecuador chocolate in 2009.

Most chocolate makers purchase dried cacao beans and have little control over the fermenting and drying processes. Mindo, however, buys fresh wet organic cacao beans from a small cooperative in Ecuador, and does their own fermenting and drying locally. In making their chocolate, Mindo adds only organic evaporated cane juice and, when necessary for viscosity, cocoa butter made from the same cacao. No emulsifier or flavoring is added (except in their flavored chocolate, of course :-)

Mindo chocolate bars are made from organic ingredients (both the cacao beans and cane juice are certified organic), but the bars themselves have not yet been certified. Barbara and Joe established direct trade with the farmers of the cooperative, but have gone beyond a financial relationship (including teaching the cacao farmers the process of making chocolate). They also use only recyclable or compostable packaging.

You can buy Mindo chocolate online directly from them. Mindo chocolate can also be purchased at retail locations throughout Michigan and some other locations around the United States, as well as at El Quetzal de Mindo in Ecuador (as listed on their website).

Sale: 20% off Patric, Artisan du Chocolat, Callebaut

World Wide Chocolate expanded their SPECIAL20 coupon code for the rest of the week sale period to include 20% off Patric, Artisan du Chocoloat, and Callebaut, as well as Guittard and Valor (through December 19).

Please see my previous posting for other special offers this week.

Sale: 20% off Guittard, 15% off nearly all other chocolate brands

This week World Wide Chocolate has 20% off Guittard and Valor chocolate using coupon code SPECIAL20 during checkout (through December 19).

They have 15% off many other chocolate brands by nationality (also through December 19), including:

• Amano, Blommer, Ghirardelli, Guittard, Lake Champlain, Patric, Scharffer Berger, and Vermont Nut Free chocolate using coupon code AMERICAN15
• Becolade, Cafe-Tasse, Callebaut, Cavalier, Chocolove, Côte D'Or, Dolfin, Galer, Godiva, and Nirvana chocolate using coupon code BELGIAN15
• Cacao Barry, Bonnat, Bernard Castelain, Michel Cluizel, Yves Thuries, Francois Pralus, and Valrhona chocolate using coupon code FRENCH15
• Amedei, Domori, L'Artigiano, Maglio, Slitti, and Venchi chocolate using coupon code ITALIAN15

Finally, if you want to mix and match chocolate of multiple nationalities, you can use coupon code take5 to get $5 off a purchase of $30 or more, or coupon code take10 to get $10 off a purchase of $60 or more. These two coupon codes may end today.

As a bonus treat during checkout, the first 30 buyers to add "Free Michel Cluizel Squares" in the Comments field will receive 5 free bite-size 5 gram chocolate squares of Michel Cluizel chocolate.

World Wide Chocolate has some additional promotions available on other chocolate products.

REMINDER: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

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.

Maker Profile: Dandelion Chocolate

company name	Dandelion Chocolate
website	http://www.dandelionchocolate.com
email	info@dandelionchocolate.com
chocolate makers	Todd Masonis, Cam Ring, Alice Nystrom, Chiann Tsui (left to right)
factory location	(coming spring 2012) 740 Valencia St San Francisco, CA 94110
factory tours	starting spring 2012
direct online purchase	Dandelion
direct stores	(coming spring 2012) 740 Valencia St San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 349-0942 Mission Community Market (Thursday evenings) Noe Valley Farmers Market (Saturday mornings)
retail store purchase	Dandelion locations
selling bars since	2010
plantation bars	Camino Verde, Ecuador 100%
single origin bars	Butuo, Liberia Colombia Elvesia, Dominican Republic Mantuano, Venezuela Maya Mountain, Belize Ocumare, Venezuela Papua New Guinea Patanemo, Venezuela Rio Caribe, Venezuela Sambirano, Madagascar Upala, Costa Rica
blend bars	none
production cycle	bean to bar
added fat	none
sweetener	sugar
flavoring	none
emulsifier	none
organic	no
sustainable	no
economics	see text
last updated	December 13, 2011

Last year Todd Masonis and Cameron Ring started Dandelion Chocolate, their bean to bar chocolate company, in California. With a garage factory in East Palo Alto and a shared commercial kitchen in San Jose, Dandelion uniquely crafts each small production run. Just this month they moved to a temporary location in the Dogpatch neighborhood in east San Francisco until their new factory and store are completed. They intend to keep their batches small even after they move to the new factory next year.

Dandelion sources high quality cacao beans and then experiments with them to adjust their process to bring out the best from each batch of beans. For example, they try a series of roastings, and then have a group tasting and decide by consensus which roasting process suits that batch.

At present, they purchase Madagascar cacao from Åkesson's, Venezuelan cacao from Cacao San José, and Costa Rica cacao from the Upala region from a broker. Eventually, they hope to establish direct relationships with specific farmers.

Dandelion makes their chocolate using only cacao beans and cane sugar, with no added cocoa butter, emulsifier, or flavoring. While many of their beans are certified organic, not all are. Dandelion has been seeking an organic sugar, but has not yet found one with a neutral taste that will not alter the flavor of the chocolate.

While not yet having any sustainability or trade practices, Dandelion wants to build direct trade relationships with farmers and become knowledgeable enough to support responsible and sustainable cacao farming and chocolate making.

Even before their factory opens next spring, you can directly buy Dandelion chocolate online. Dandelion chocolate can be purchased in person at the Mission Community Market on Thursdays and Noe Valley Farmer's Market on Saturdays, as well as at some retail stores in the San Francisco Bay area and at Chocolopolis in Seattle.

Sale: 15% off ALL CHOCOLATE this weekend

World Wide Chocolate is having a 15% off everything sale this weekend. Mix and match any of the many chocolate brands they sell. Use coupon code weekend15 during checkout for this discount. If you are spending $100 or more, use coupon code weekend20 for 20% off instead.

Note that the existing sale of 20% off Ghirardelli, Lindt, or Venchi chocolate using coupon code SPECIAL20 continues through Monday. NOTE: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

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.

Review: Kallari 70% Cacao

Lindy's Rating: 7.5

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Kallari bar 70% Cacao region Ecuador plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with leaf imprints and scoring aroma roast (smoke), sweet, wood (cedar), floral, earth snap medium hard taste sweet (caramel), vanilla, fruit (coconut), roast melt smooth length medium finish slightly tannin

Kallari is a farmer-owned cooperative that grows and makes their cacao beans into chocolate in Ecuador. Their bars are USDA certified organic and Rainforest Alliance certified sustainable (socially, economically, and environmentally).

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.

Review: Kallari 75% Cacao

Lindy's Rating: 8.5

Richard's Rating: 8.0

chocolate maker Kallari bar 75% Cacao region Ecuador plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2010 size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 75% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with leaf imprints and scoring aroma floral, earth (hay, must), roast (cocoa, smoke, hint of coffee), sweet, spice snap medium hard taste sweet (caramel), fruit (passion fruit, watermelon), peanut, bread, tannin, roast melt smooth length medium finish somewhat tannin

Kallari is a farmer-owned cooperative that grows and makes their cacao beans into chocolate in Ecuador. Their bars are USDA certified organic and Rainforest Alliance certified sustainable (socially, economically, and environmentally).

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.

Review: Kallari 85% Cacao

Lindy's Rating: 5.5

Richard's Rating: 5.0

chocolate maker Kallari bar 85% Cacao region Ecuador plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2010 size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 85% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with leaf imprints and scoring aroma roast (coffee, cocoa, smoke), earth (grass, must), sweet, floral snap medium hard taste bitter, sour, passion fruit, roast (malt), tannin, hint of sweet melt smooth length medium finish somewhat tannin, somewhat sour

Ecuadorian chocolate maker Kallari is a farmer-owned cooperative that grows and makes their cacao beans into chocolate in Ecuador. Their bars are USDA certified organic and Rainforest Alliance certified sustainable (socially, economically, and environmentally).

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.

Sale: 15% off Bonnat, Cluizel, Pralus, Valrhona, and more!

World Wide Chocolate has 15% off French chocolate, including Cacao Barry, Bonnat, Bernard Castelain, Michel Cluizel, Francois Pralus, Yves Thuries, and Valrhona chocolate this week (through December 12th). Use coupon code FRENCH15 during checkout for this discount.

Other promotions include:

• 20% off Ghirardelli and Lindt using coupon code SPECIAL20
• 15% off Becolade, Cafe-Tasse, Callebaut, Cavalier, Chocolove, Côte d'Or, Dolfin, Galler, Godiva and Nirvana using coupon code BELGIAN15 (only valid through tomorrow)
• additional promotions can be found here
  

REMINDER: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

In addition, the first 100 buyers to add "Free T-Shirt" in the Comments field will receive a large size WWC t-shirt.

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: 10% off all chocolate at World Wide Chocolate

World Wide Chocolate is having a cyber Monday sale today for 10% off all orders. Use coupon code 1day10-0 during checkout. This is a good deal for purchases under $25, as they usually require a purchase of at least $25 for 10% off.

Alternative offers include 20% off any combination of chocolate from Callebaut, Côte d'Or, and Guittard. For this discount, use coupon code SPECIAL20.

If you are interested in spending more on multiple chocolate brands, World Wide Chocolate also has other offers:

• $10 off orders $60 or more: special10
• 15% off orders $75 or more: 1day15-75
• 20% off orders $250 or more: 1day20-250
• 25% off orders $600 or more: 1day25-600

REMINDER: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

Finally, there may still be a chance to get 5 free Valrhona chocolate squares with your order. Add "Free Valrhona Chocolate Squares" in the Comments field during checkout.

World Wide Chocolate only ships to United States, APO (military), and FPO (diplomatic) addresses. They do not seem to be offering free shipping today (typically available for orders of $150 or more). Shipping information can be found at World Wide Chocolate shipping policies.

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.

Ranking: best Colombia single origin chocolate

In a head to head comparison, I retasted the five single origin chocolate bars made from Colombia cacao that were on our Best Chocolates Overall list (i.e., those with average ratings of 7.0 or higher).

Although I personally preferred the flavor of Santander Colombian 70% to that of Santander Colombian 65%, I felt the latter had a slightly more interesting taste and less tannin in the finish, so I ranked it higher. Similarly, Guittard Chucuri was too sweet for me and I personally would buy Pralus Colombie before it, but I found Chucuri's aroma and flavor to be a bit more complex than that of Colombie. In any case, my final ranking was:

Domori Teyuna Santander Colombian 65% Santander Colombian 70% E. Guittard Chucuri Francois Pralus Colombie

Notes
Clicking on a name above will take you to the detailed review of that chocolate bar.
To see updated information and other rankings, go to our Chocolate Rankings page.

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.