Review: Madécasse 70%

Richard's Rating: 5.5

chocolate maker Madécasse bar 70% region Madagascar plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 75g ~ 2.6oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $5.99

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with stylized cacao bean imprints, scoring, bubble aroma floral, roast (burnt, smoky), spice, fruit, acidic snap medium hard taste fruit (berry, citrus, cherry), roast (burnt), sweet, earth melt smooth length short finish roast (burnt), slightly bitter

Madécasse makes single origin Madagascar chocolate in Madagascar! Working locally, they are frequently able to start production within a month of the cacao beans being dried. Madécasse works closely with the local Ezaka Cooperative of cacao farmers from whom they purchase beans at well above fair trade prices.

Madécasse 70% was made from cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and vanilla. The 75 gram bar was scored into 24 pieces, each with a stylized cacao imprint. It was wrapped in gold-sided foil and put inside a paper envelope. The best before date on the wrapper of the bar was December 2011, so this chocolate was not at its best for this review.

The chocolate had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The surface of the bar was smooth, with only a single bubble and some discoloration in the scoring. The snap was medium hard.

The aroma began with floral and roast, the latter of which smelled burnt and smoky. I detected scents of spice, fruit and acidity.

70% tasted of fruit, including berry, citrus, and cherry. The burnt roast from the aroma was clearly present. I also tasted sweetness and an earth flavor.

The chocolate had a smooth melt. The flavor after the chocolate was gone lasted only about 10 seconds, given a short length. The aftertaste was a burnt roast with a slight bitterness that lingered.

Madécasse 70% won Best in Show at the 2009 New York Chocolate Show. My experience of this chocolate was good, but not great. The roast seemed too strong, impacting the other aromas and flavors, and the length and finish weren't great. However, note that this review is for a chocolate past its best before date.

You can purchase 70% online for $5.99 directly from Madécasse. Better yet, Chocosphere is currently running a sale on 70% bars with a best before date of June 2012 for only $4.15 (30% off).

Review: E. Guittard Tsaratana

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Guittard bar Tsaratana region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 57g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 61% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $2.89

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with signature imprints, scoring, bubbles, scuffing aroma roast (cocoa), vanilla, fruit (coconut), sweet (hint of caramel), nut snap hard taste floral, roast (cocoa), sweet, vanilla melt more smooth length medium finish slightly acidic, very slightly bitter

E. Guittard makes three dark chocolate bars with blends of cacao beans: Nocturne with 91% cocoa solids, Quetzalcoatl with 72% cocoa solids, and this bar: Tsaratana with 61% cocoa solids.

The ingredients of Tsaratana were cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and vanilla beans. The two ounce bar was scored into 12 pieces, each with the E. Guittard signature imprint. It came enclosed in brass foil inside a paper outer wrapper. The best before date on the bar I reviewed was July 2013.

The color of the chocolate was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface was smooth, but there was a bit of scuffing and a few bubbles. The bar had a hard snap.

Tsaratana had an aroma that reminded me of an Almond Joy® bar from my childhood: a cocoa roast with sweet coconut, vanilla and nut. I also smelled a hint of caramel in the sweetness.

The taste was floral with cocoa roast and vanilla flavors. It wasn't especially sweet at the beginning, but grew to be very sweet by the end.

The chocolate had a more smooth melt. The length was medium, with the flavor after the chocolate was gone lasting 25 to 30 seconds. The finish was slightly acidic and very slightly bitter.

Tsaratana surprised me with a nice aroma, a pleasant simple flavor, great melt and solid length. If you like chocolate this sweet, this is one you should try, and it's a bargain for the price.

You can purchase Tsaratana online for $2.89 directly from Guittard, or for $2.50 from Chocosphere.

Lindy taking a break

Lindy recently started a new job and no longer has time to meet regularly to review chocolate, so she'll be taking a break from One Golden Ticket for a while. I will miss her perspective and company, as well as her photography skills, and I'm confident readers will miss her as well. In the meantime, I'll be doing solo reviews, and including Lindy when she has time.

Review: Madre Hawaiian Dark 70%

Lindy's Rating: 7.0

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Madre bar Hawaiian region Hawaii plantation Alae Estate cacao trees Hawaiian Crown Trinitario year 2011 size 43g ~ 1.5oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate texture smooth with raised shapes, image imprints aroma tropical fruit (pineapple, coconut), roast (hint of smoke), sweet (marshmallow), vanilla snap hard taste tropical fruit (pineapple), roast, sweet, tannin, acidic melt more smooth length medium finish somewhat tannin

United States chocolate maker Madre Chocolate hand-crafts their bean to bar chocolate in Honolulu. Many of their chocolates are flavored, but they also make some unflavored chocolate, including this one. They began selling chocolate bars in February 2011.

Hawaii is the only area of the United States capable of growing cacao, and Madre's Hawaiian chocolate was made from Trinitario cacao beans grown at the Alai Estate near Papaikou on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hawaiian had 70% cocoa solids (including added cocoa butter) plus added sugar and Mexican vanilla. Although their chocolate was not certified, their cacao beans, sugar, and cocoa butter were organic and Madre paid fair trade prices.

The small 1.5 ounce bar was not scored, but had raised shapes and image imprints that visually split the bar into roughly 5 pieces. It came wrapped in silver foil inside a paper sleeve. The wrapper was stamped with cacao of Hawaiian Crown and a batch of October 17, 2012 (the best before date).

Hawaiian had a medium-dark brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317) color. The surface was smooth and looked great other than a barely noticeable uneven sheen. The bar had a hard snap.

The lovely aroma contained tropical fruits, including pineapple and coconut, roast with just a hint of smoke, a marshmallow sweetness, and some vanilla. The combination of scents was compelling.

The chocolate tasted of tropical fruit as well, with pineapple clearly present. Other flavors included roast, sweet, tannin, and acidic. The taste was good, but somewhat disappointing after that aroma.

Hawaiian had a melt that was more smooth. The flavor after the chocolate was gone lasted 20 to 25 seconds, giving a medium length. The finish was somewhat tannin.

You can purchase Hawaiian online for $8.00 directly from Madre, and they ship to over 20 countries.

In addition, if you live near Seattle, you can taste this chocolate on Thursday March 1st between 5 and 9 p.m. at Chocolopolis, where their free weekly Thursday happy hour chocolate tasting will be of Hawaiian chocolates this week.

Store: Seattle chocolate store updates

Chocolopolis now carries Ritual Costa Rica, and I've updated their detailed original store posting accordingly.

kakáo is now open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, but no longer open on Sundays. They've added a few bars by Michel Cluizel. I've similarly updated the kakáo store posting.

Review: Snake & Butterfly Benjamin's 62% Blend

Lindy's Rating: 7.5

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Snake & Butterfly bar Benjamin's 62% Blend region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.75oz cocoa solids 62% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane juice emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $5.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture smooth with text and image imprints, scoring, bubbles, uneven sheen aroma earth, roast (smoke), fruit snap medium hard taste fruit (dried fruit, raisin, berry, yellow), sweet (butterscotch), roast, tannin melt smooth length medium finish slightly tannin, very slightly acidic

Snake & Butterfly makes primarily flavored chocolate now, but they still make unflavored two bars, Benjamin's 76% Blend reviewed earlier and this one, Benjamin's 62% Blend. Although their bars are not certified, they use fair trade cacao beans and organic ingredients.

Just like 76%, Benjamin's 62% was made from cacao beans, evaporated cane juice, and cocoa butter, with no added emulsifier or flavoring. The 1.75 ounce bar was scored into four large pieces, with alternating imprints of the company name and a stylized branch with a cacao pod.

The bar came wrapped in black-sided foil inside a paper sleeve. There was neither a production date nor a best before date for the chocolate we reviewed.

The color of this chocolate was a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431). The surface was smooth with some bubbles, and the sheen was uneven. The bar had a medium hard snap.

Benjamin's 62% had a strong earth aroma. Secondary scents included a smoky roast and fruit. Lindy found the strong earthiness unusually pleasant.

At the start, the chocolate tasted of a dried fruit that was clearly raisin. Then we tasted sweetness and roast as other fruit flavors developed, including berry and a yellow fruit. The sweetness reminded me of butterscotch. Lindy also tasted a slight tannin flavor.

This chocolate had a smooth melt. The length was medium, with the flavor lasting about 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was slightly tannin and very slightly acidic.

Although sweeter than most chocolate I like, we both slightly preferred 62% to 76% due primarily to the interesting fruit flavors and the reduced tannin aftertaste.

You can purchase Benjamin's 62% Blend online for $5.00 directly from Snake & Butterfly for delivery to the continental U.S. or Canada.

Review: Snake & Butterfly Benjamin's 76% Blend

Lindy's Rating: 7.0

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Snake & Butterfly bar Benjamin's 76% Blend region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.75oz cocoa solids 76% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane juice emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $5.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture smooth with text and image imprints, scoring, bubbles, uneven sheen aroma roast (smoke), fruit (red berry), sweet (molasses), wine snap medium hard taste roast (smoke), wood, tannin, fruit (berry, citrus), sweet melt smooth length medium finish tannin

California chocolate maker Snake & Butterfly began making bean to bar chocolate in 2007. Although their bars are not certified, they use fair trade cacao beans and organic ingredients. Due to customer demand, they currently focus on flavored chocolate and no longer make single origin chocolate. However, they still hand craft two blend bars, one of which is Benjamin's 76% Blend.

Benjamin's 76% Blend was made from cacao beans, evaporated cane juice, and cocoa butter, with no added emulsifier or flavoring. The 1.75 ounce bar was scored into four large pieces, with alternating imprints of the company name and a stylized branch with a cacao pod.

Inside a paper sleeve, the bar came wrapped in black-sided foil. There was neither a production date nor a best before date for the chocolate we reviewed.

The chocolate had a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431) color. The surface was smooth with some bubbles, and the sheen was uneven. The bar had a medium hard snap.

The aroma included a smoky roast, a red berry fruit, and a molasses sweetness. Lindy also described one scent as that of a fruity red wine.

The taste of Benjamin's 76% Blend contained the smoky roast from the aroma. Other flavors we tasted were wood, fruit in the form of berry and a hint of citrus, and sweetness. A tannin flavor also grew from slight to strong.

This chocolate had a smooth melt. The flavor lasted 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The finish was strongly tannin.

You can purchase Benjamin's 76% Blend online for $5.00 directly from Snake & Butterfly for delivery to the continental U.S. or Canada.

Review: Amano Morobe

Lindy's Rating: 7.5

Richard's Rating: 7.5

chocolate maker Amano bar Morobe region Papua New Guinea plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $6.95

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with text imprints, scoring, bubbles, curved bottom aroma roast, floral, earth, fruit (citrus), hint of dairy snap medium hard taste earth, fruit (citrus, grapefruit, lime, blackberry), roast (smoke), sweet melt smooth length medium finish slightly acidic, hint of smoke

Art Pollard found the cacao beans for this chocolate in the southernmost part of Papua New Guinea, and tried many variations of roasting temperatures and times, and conching temperatures and times, to discover how best to release the flavors of these beans.

Amano Morobe contains 70% cocoa solids (cacao beans and added cocoa butter from the same beans) plus cane sugar and whole vanilla beans. The two ounce bar was scored into 15 pieces, each with an imprint of the company emblem and name.

The bar came wrapped in gold-sided foil in a glossy paper container. A small sticker was printed with lot 3/4/92B and a best before date of May 2013.

Morobe had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The surface was smooth, with some tiny bubbles on the top. The shape of the bar, however, was uneven, with the bottom surface curved so that the middle part was thinker than the edges. Perhaps due to insufficient time before cooling? The bar had a medium hard snap.

The aromas of Morobe included roast, floral, earth, and a citrus fruit. I also smelled a hint of dairy.

The chocolate first tasted of earth and then fruit, primarily citrus, but also berry. We identified the citrus as grapefruit and lime and the berry as blackberry. The other prevalent flavor was a smoky roast. I experienced sweetness as well.

Morobe had a smooth melt. Its length was medium, with the flavor after the chocolate was gone lasting 20 to 30 seconds. The final aftertaste was slightly acidic with a hint of the smoky roast.

You can purchase Morobe online for $6.95 directly from Amano for delivery to the U.S. or Canada. If you want to combine it with the purchase of another brand of chocolate, you can buy it for $6.95 from NewLeaf Chocolates or for $7.00 from The Meadow.

Review: Fresco 216 Madagascar

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Fresco bar 216 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 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture lined with scoring, bubbles aroma earth, fruit, spice, roast snap hard taste earth, roast, nut, fruit (berry, citrus, lime) melt smooth length medium finish very slightly tannin, very slightly sour

Fresco made 216 with the same batch of cacao beans from Madagascar that it used for its 214 and 215 chocolate bars. Fresco altered its recipe for each of these chocolates, but used identical ingredients. All three were made with 74% cocoa solids (including cocoa butter made from the same cacao beans) and 26% cane sugar. 216 had a medium roast and long conche.

The small 40 gram bar was scored into 10 pieces and wrapped in gold foil-sided wax paper. The outer paper package was stamped with a production date of March 18, 2011, and a best before date of April 2013.

216 had a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431) color. (It appears lighter brown in the photo because I used a flash on this overcast rainy morning in Seattle). The surface was smooth, and each piece was lined either horizontally or vertically. There were bubbles in the top corners of several pieces. The bar had a hard snap.

The chocolate revealed aromas of earth, fruit, spice, and roast. As it was in the 215, the earth scent was strongest. However, the fruit scent was stronger in this chocolate than in the 215.

The taste of 216 had early flavors of earth, roast, and nut. When the fruit emerged, I first tasted berry, then general citrus, and finally a non-acidic lime flavor for the last of the chocolate.

This chocolate melted smoothly. The length just made it to medium, with the flavor after the chocolate was gone lasting about 20 seconds. The finish was very slightly tannin and very slightly sour.

All three are good chocolates, but I prefer the lighter roast and tart flavor of 214 to that of 215 and 216.

You can purchase Fresco 216 online for $6.95 from The Meadow.

Review: Fresco 215 Madagascar

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Fresco bar 215 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 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture lined with scoring, bubbles aroma earth, spice, roast, fruit snap hard taste earth, roast, fruit (berry, citrus, grapefruit, raspberry, lemon), nut, sweet melt smooth length short finish slightly tannin

Fresco 215 was a single origin bean to bar chocolate made with cacao beans from Madagascar. The chocolate was crafted using a medium roast and a medium conche. 215 was made with 74% cocoa solids (including cocoa butter made from the same cacao beans) and 26% cane sugar.

The small 40 gram bar was scored into 10 pieces and wrapped in gold foil-sided wax paper. The outer paper package was stamped with a production date of March 4, 2011, and a best before date of April 2013.

The color of 215 was a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431). The surface was smooth, and each piece was nicely lined, but with bubbles in several top corners. The bar had a hard snap.

215 gave off aromas of earth, spice, roast, and, more subtly, fruit. The earth scent was strongest.

This chocolate tasted earthy, too, but soon revealed roast and fruit flavors of berry and citrus. I tasted the berry as raspberry and the citrus as grapefruit and lemon. In addition, there was some nuttiness and sweetness.

215 had a smooth melt. The flavor after the chocolate was gone lasted 15 to 20 seconds, giving it a short length. The final aftertaste was slightly tannin.

You can purchase Fresco 215 online for $6.95 from The Meadow.

Maker Profile: Indahphoria Chocolatier

company name	Indahphoria Chocolatier
website	http://www.indahphoria.com
email	indahphoria@gmai​l.com
chocolate maker	Aaron Koch
factory location	Bend, OR, USA
factory tours	no
direct online purchase	Indahphoria
direct stores	N/A
retail store purchase	several stores in western U.S.
selling bars since	2010
plantation bars	none
single origin bars	Dominican Republic Papua New Guinea
blend bars	none
production cycle	bean to bar
added fat	cocoa butter
sweetener	coconut sugar
flavoring	none
emulsifier	none
organic	yes (not certified)
sustainable	no
economics	fair trade (not certified)
last updated	February 16, 2012

The name Indahphoria means Carry the Beauty. U.S. chocolate maker Aaron Koch founded Indahphoria Chocolatier in 2010 to hand-craft bean to bar organic chocolate infused with medicinal herbs. He also makes unflavored single origin chocolate from the Dominican Republic and Papua New Guinea. During a recent trip to Bali, he investigated sourcing cacao from Indonesia as well.

Indahphoria purchases cacao beans from a broker. The beans for its Dominican Republic bar originate from La Red cooperative.

Sharing a roaster in Eugene, OR, with John Nancy of Chocolate Alchemy, Aaron roasts his cacao beans at low temperatures to release flavors with minimal loss to the flavonoids and antioxidants.

He sweetens his unflavored chocolate using coconut sugar rather than cane sugar. The lower glycemic level of coconut sugar makes his chocolate accessible for diabetic consumers. The other ingredients he uses are cacao beans and cocoa butter made from those same beans. There are no added emulsifiers or flavorings. Although Indahphoria's chocolate is not certified, all of the ingredients are organic, and the cacao is purchased at fair trade prices.

You can buy Indahphoria chocolate online directly from Indahphoria.

Review: E. Guittard Quevedo

Lindy's Rating: 6.5

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Guittard bar Quevedo region Ecuador plantation (blend) cacao trees Forastero year (unknown) size 57g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 65% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $3.89

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with signature imprints, scoring, scuffing, bubbles aroma floral, roast (cocoa), sweet, fruit (banana) snap hard taste floral, roast (tea), sweet, nut melt smooth length medium finish slightly acidic

Quevedo was a single origin chocolate bar made with Nacional cacao from Ecuador by E. Guittard. This bean to bar chocolate contained 65% cocoa solids (beans and added cocoa butter). Other ingredients were cane sugar, soy lecithin, and vanilla beans.

The two ounce bar was scored into twelve pieces, each with the E. Guittard signature imprint. It came enclosed in brass colored foil inside a paper wrapper. The best before date on the bar we reviewed was February 2013.

The chocolate had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The surface was smooth, but had scuffing and some tiny bubbles. The bar had a hard snap.

The aroma consisted of floral, roast, sweetness and fruit. We experienced the roast as cocoa and the fruit as banana.

Quevedo tasted floral, with a roast in the form of tea, and sweet. The tea flavor lacked the usual associated tannin. The sweetness was nicely less strong than we expected from a chocolate with 65% cocoa solids. I also noticed some nuttiness. Lindy described the flavors as muted, but I found them mild rather than muted.

The melt was smooth. This chocolate had a medium length, with the flavor lasting 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was slightly acidic.

You can purchase Quevedo online for $3.89 directly from Guittard, or for $3.25 from Chocosphere.

Sale: 20% off Bonnat, Guittard, Lake Champlain chocolate

Sales this week at World Wide Chocolate include 20% off Bonnat, Guittard and Lake Champlain chocolate using coupon code SPECIAL20 during checkout (through February 21).

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

• Amano, Blommer, Ghirardelli, Guittard, Lake Champlain, Patric, Potomac, Scharffer Berger, Taza, and Vermont Nut Free chocolate using coupon code AMERICAN15
• Cacao Barry, Bonnat, Bernard Castelain, Michel Cluizel, Yves Thuries, Francois Pralus, and Valrhona chocolate using coupon code FRENCH15
• Divine, Hachez, and Viviani chocolate using coupon code GERMAN15
• Amedei, Domori, L'Artigiano, Maglio, Slitti, and Venchi chocolate using coupon code ITALIAN15

You can view the full list of promotions here.

REMINDER: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

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

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

Ranking: best Dominican Republic single origin chocolate

Here are the ranking results from three rounds of tasting the Dominican Republic single origin chocolate bars we have reviewed.

Amano Dos Rios Rogue Hispaniola Taza Stone Ground 70% Fresco 213 Mast Brothers Dominican Republic Valrhona Grand Cru Taїnori Taza Stone Ground 60% Moonstruck Dominican Republic Taza Cacao Puro 70% Indahphoria Dominican Republic Taza Stone Ground 80% Godiva 85% Extra Dark Santo Domingo

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.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today, I'm doing a second tasting of the dozen Dominican Republic single origin chocolate bars we've reviewed in order to rank them. I'll make a third pass tomorrow or Thursday and post the results.

In the meantime, treat yourself and your loved ones to great chocolate today (and every day!)

Review: Ritual Costa Rica

Lindy's Rating: 5.0

Richard's Rating: 5.0

chocolate maker Ritual bar Costa Rica region Costa Rica plantation (unnamed) cacao trees Trinitario year 2011 size 57g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 75% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $9.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring, uneven sheen, uneven thickness aroma chemical, vinegar, roast (cocoa), earth, fruit snap hard taste fruit (berry, blackberry), tannin, bitter, earth, floral, sweet melt smooth length medium finish somewhat tannin

MORE RECENT REVIEW: Ritual Costa Rica

At present, Ritual makes one chocolate bar: Costa Rica. Ritual purchased the Trinitario cacao beans for this chocolate directly from a single unnamed farm in Guapiles, Costa Rica. Thus, it is not only a single origin bar from Costa Rica, but also a plantation bar. The farm where the cacao was grown was certified sustainable by the Rainforest Alliance. Renown chocolate maker Steve DeVries oversaw the fermentation and sun drying of these cacao beans from the 2009 harvest.

Costa Rica was crafted from 75% cacao beans and 25% cane sugar. Both ingredients were organic, but the chocolate was not certified. The two ounce bar was scored into nine pieces. It came enclosed in thin gold-sided foil wrapped inside recycled brown paper with a product information label sealing it closed with double-sided tape. There was no production or best before date.

The color of the chocolate was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface was smooth, but had an uneven sheen (though not as dramatic as it appears in the photo above). The thickness of the bar was uneven, with the pieces on one end being substantially thicker than those on the other.

The bar had a hard snap. The initial aroma was a disagreeable chemical and vinegar. As we smelled the chocolate, strong scents of cocoa roast and earth were present. I also noticed some fruit.

Fortunately, the taste of Costa Rica had none of that initial aroma. Instead, it tasted fruity, and more specifically of a berry that Lindy identified as blackberry. We both experienced strong tannin and floral flavors. I found earth and sweet flavors as well, while Lindy found it bitter.

The melt was smooth. The flavor lasted 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The final aftertaste was somewhat tannin.

You can purchase Costa Rica online for $9.00 directly from Ritual, or, to buy it along with other brands of chocolate, for $8.99 from Chocolopolis.

Maker Profile: Ritual Chocolate

company name	Ritual Chocolate
website	http://www.ritualchocolate.com
email	ritualchocolate@gmai​l.com
chocolate makers	Robbie Stout and Anna Davies
factory location	Denver, CO, USA
factory tours	no
direct online purchase	Ritual
direct stores	N/A
retail store purchase	where Ritual is sold
selling bars since	2011
plantation bars	Balao Costa Rica Madagascar
single origin bars	Belize
blend bars	none
production cycle	bean to bar
added fat	none
sweetener	cane sugar
flavoring	none
emulsifier	none
organic	yes (not certified)
sustainable	yes (not certified)
economics	direct trade (not certified)
last updated	January 28, 2012

In 2008, Robbie Stout and Anna Davies met, soon fell in love, and began making chocolate together. On a 2010 trip to Costa Rica, they took a course with renown chocolate maker Steve DeVries, learned about his factory in Denver, Colorado, and arranged to use it. Although they now share the same equipment and some of the same cacao, Robbie and Anna use different techniques to craft their own unique chocolate. In July 2011, they released their first chocolate bar: Ritual Costa Rica.

They source their Trinitario cacao beans from the same farm as Steve DeVries in Costa Rica. Ritual makes their chocolate in small 80 pound batches in the factory in Denver, but does not quite follow the standard formula for making chocolate. They roast at lower than typical temperatures, use a roll mill for more consistent particle size, and age their chocolate about one month before remelting it to temper and form into bars.

Ritual uses only cacao beans and cane sugar in making their chocolate. No additional cocoa butter, emulsifier, or flavoring is added. The cane sugar is certified organic and fair trade. The farm where their cacao is grown is organic and certified sustainable by Rainforest Alliance. However, their chocolate bar does not yet have any certifications.

Robbie and Anna are also considerate of the environment in their chocolate making. The only waste product at present is cacao bean shells, and they are investigating having their wrappers made from the shells. Their current wrappers are made from foil and recycled paper. Even the local delivery of chocolate bars in Boulder, Colorado, is done by bicycle.

You can purchase Ritual chocolate online directly from them, or in person at retail locations in nine cities in the western United States and in New York.

Review: Indahphoria Dominican Republic

Lindy's Rating: 6.5

Richard's Rating: 5.5

chocolate maker Indahphoria bar Dominican Republic region Dominican Republic plantation (blend) cacao trees Trinitario year (unknown) size 35g ~ 1.2oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener coconut sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $3.99

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with imprints, scoring, uneven sheen aroma earth (hay), roast (smoke), spice snap medium hard taste bitter, nut, fruit (citrus, grapefruit), roast, sweet melt less smooth length short finish tannin, slightly bitter

Aaron Koch founded Indahphoria Chocolatier in 2010 to hand-craft bean to bar organic chocolate infused with medicinal herbs. He made up the name Indahphoria as a cross between Indonesian and Latin to mean Carry the Beauty. Among his products are two unflavored single origin organic chocolate bars, one of which is Dominican Republic.

Indahphoria sourced the Trinitario cacao beans from La Red cooperative in the Dominican Republic. The chocolate was made with 70% cocoa solids (included added cocoa butter from the same cacao beans) and 30% coconut sugar. Although not certified, the Dominican Republic chocolate bar was made with all organic ingredients. Coconut sugar was used as a sweetener for a low glycemic level to be diabetic friendly.

The bar was quite small, coming in at only 35 grams (1.2 ounces), but it was scored into 3 substantial pieces. The bar was imprinted with a cacao pod design and came wrapped in blue foil-sided wax paper enclosed in a paper envelope. There was no production or best before date.

The chocolate had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The surface was smooth, and looked good other than an uneven sheen. The bar had a medium hard snap.

Dominican Republic had three prominent aromas: an earthy scent like that of hay, a smoky roast, and spice. Lindy was surprised by how much she enjoyed the aroma, given the substantial smokiness.

The taste gave an initial bitterness, and then revealed strong nutty flavor combined with a fruit quickly clarified as citrus, and more specifically, grapefruit. I also tasted roast and sweetness.

The melt of this chocolate was less smooth. The flavor lasted about 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a short length. The finish was tannin and slightly bitter.

You can purchase Dominican Republic online for $3.99 directly from Indahphoria.