Review: Ritual Madagascar

Richard's Rating: 7.5

chocolate maker Ritual bar Madagascar region Madagascar plantation Somia cacao trees unknown year unknown size 43g ~ 1.5oz cocoa solids 75% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $6.75

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle appearance smooth, scoring, somewhat glossy aroma fruit (citrus, berry), earth snap hard taste earth, fruit (citrus, grapefruit), nut (walnut), roast (tea), sweet (brown sugar), acidic melt more smooth length medium finish somewhat acidic, slightly tannin

Best Prices Online
$6.49 from Caputo's
$6.75 directly from Ritual
$7.00 from Chocolopolis
$7.00 from The Meadow

Review: Bar au Chocolat Duarte Province, Dominican Republic

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Bar au Chocolat bar Duarte Province, Dominican Republic region Dominican Republic plantation blend cacao trees Trinitario year unknown size 65g ~ 2.3oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $12.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown appearance smooth, scoring, uneven sheen, adhered bits, bubbles aroma roast (cocoa), fruit (berry, prune, orange), spice, earth (hay) snap medium hard taste earth, roast (tea), fruit (blackberry, orange, prune, date), sweet, tannin, acidic, sour melt smooth length medium finish tannin, somewhat acidic

Best Prices Online
$12.00 directly from Bar au Chocolat

International Chocolate Awards 2015

Today the International Chocolate Awards announced the 2015 world winners.

WORLD WINNERS

Best In Competition
Rogue Porcelana

Dark
GOLD: Rogue Porcelana
GOLD: SOMA Porcelana
SILVER: Bonnat Vale do Juliana
SILVER: Friis-Holm (Bonnat) Chuno 70% Double Turned
SILVER: Friis-Holm (Bonnat) Chuno 70% Triple Turned
SILVER: Marou Tien Giang 70%
SILVER: Pacari Lacumbia 70%
SILVER: Pacari Montubia 70%
SILVER: Pacari Raw 70%
SILVER: SOMA CSB Chama
BRONZE: Amano Chuao
BRONZE: Bonnat Haiti
BRONZE: Dick Taylor Madagascar Sambirano

High Percentage
GOLD: Friis-Holm (Bonnat) La Dalia 85%
SILVER: Friis-Holm (Bonnat) La Dalia 100%

Micro-batch Dark
GOLD: Cacao Hunters Arhuaco 72%
SILVER: Cacao Hunters Arauca 70%
SILVER: Duffy's Honduras Indio Rojo
SILVER: Hummingbird Hispaniola 70%
SILVER: Omnom Madgascar 66%
SILVER: Pump Street Bakery Grenada 70%
BRONZE: Pump Street Bakery Madagascar Criollo 74%

Alternative Sweetener Dark
BRONZE: Starchild Wild & Raw

Americas Finalists

Dark
Amano Chuao
Amano Dos Rios 70%
Amano Porcelana 70%
AMAZ Amazonas 67%
Cacaosuyo Piura Select
ChocXO Camino Verde Ecuador 72%
ChocXO Tres Rios Peru 68%
ChocXO Yaguachi 70%
Dick Taylor Dominican Finca Elvesia
Dick Taylor Madagascar Sambirano
Franceschi Canoabo 70% 2015
Franceschi Choroni 70% 2015
Franceschi Ocumare 70% 2015
Franceschi Rio Caribe 60% 2015
Franceschi Sur del Lago 60% 2015
Marou Lam Dong 74%
Marou Tien Giang 70%
Marou Treasure Island 75%
Pacari Esmeraldas 60%
Pacari Lacumbia 70%
Pacari Manabi 65%
Pacari Montubia 70%
Pacari Raw 70%
Pacari Tangara 70%
Ritual Mid Mountain Blend
Rogue Jamaica
Rogue Porcelana
Rogue Tranquilidad
SOMA Porcelana
SOMA CSB Chama
SPAGnVOLA Dominican Republic 70% Single Estate
SPAGnVOLA Dominican Republic 75% Single Estate
SPAGnVOLA Dominican Republic 80% Single Estate
TCHO Bright

High Percentage
Marou Tan Phu Dong 85% (Heart of Darkness)
Palette de Bine Camino Verde Ecuador 85%
Ritual Ecuador 85%

Micro-batch Dark
Brasstown Ecuador 75%
Cacao Hunters Arauca 70%
Cacao Hunters Arhuaco 72%
Cacao Hunters Sierra Nevada 64%
Cacao Hunters Tumaco 70%
Dandelion Oko-Caribe, Dominican Republic
Fresco 224 Dominican Republic 72%
Hummingbird Hispaniola 70%
Hummingbird Reserva Zorzal 70%
Madre Likao Kula Farm, Kona HI
Millcreek Cacao Roasters 70% Pure Dark
Palette de Bine Lam Dong Vietnam 72%
Sirene Guatemala 73%

Rough/Textured Dark
Cacaosuyo Batanero

Alternative Sweetener Dark
Palette de Bine ”Bines à l’érable” San Juan Estate Trinidad 70%
Starchild Wild & Raw

European Finalists

Dark
Åkesson’s 75% Criollo Madagascar Ambolikapiky 75%
Bodrato Ecuador 75%
Bonnat Cacao Real del Xoconuzco
Bonnat Cuba
Bonnat Dark Organic
Bonnat Haiti
Bonnat Maragnan
Bonnat Vale do Juliana
Friis-Holm Barba 70%
Friis-Holm Chuno 70% Double Turned
Friis-Holm Chuno 70% Triple Turned
Friis-Holm Johe 70%
Friis-Holm La Dalia 60%
Friis-Holm La Dalia 70%
Friis-Holm Medagla 70%
Friis-Holm Nicaliso 70%
Friis-Holm Rugoso 70%
Morin Nicaragua Chuno 70%

High Percentage
Åkesson’s 100% Criollo Madagascar Ambolikapiky
Friis-Holm La Dalia 85%
Friis-Holm La Dalia 100%
Hotel Chocolat Honduras, Mayan Red 100%
Naive Madagascar Extra Dark
Rózsavölgyi Trincheras 95
Timo A. Meyer 95% Venezuela

Micro-batch Dark
Ara Chocolat Porcelana 70%
Chocolate Tree Peru Marañón 69%
Duffy’s Honduras Indio Rojo
Duffy’s Nicaragua Chuno
Duffy’s Nicaragua Nicaliso
Guido Castagna Raw Venezuela
Guido Castagna Raw Madagascar
Omnom Madagascar 66%
Pump Street Bakery Grenada 70%
Pump Street Bakery Madagascar Criollo 74%
Rózsavölgyi Porcelana

Rough/Textured Dark
Donna Elvira Modicana 70% Madagascar
Donna Elvira Modicana 70% Peru Piura

Review: Bar au Chocolat Chiapas Mexico

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Bar au Chocolat bar Chiapas, Mexico region Mexico plantation blend cacao trees Criollo year unknown size 65g ~ 2.3oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $12.00

color medium-light brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle appearance smooth, scoring, uneven sheen, bubbles, adhered bits aroma roast (coffee, cocoa), earth, spice snap medium hard taste roast (cocoa, coffee), earth, fruit (berry, citrus), nut, spice, acidic, sour melt smooth length long finish acidic, tannin

Best Prices Online
$12.00 directly from Bar au Chocolat

Ranking: best Mexico single origin chocolate

Here are my personal ranking results from two rounds of tasting four single origin bars made from Mexico cacao. You can see all of our current ranking results on the Chocolate Rankings page.

All four of these chocolates were very good. Note that the qualities of each chocolate differ, and you may prefer the flavor, aroma, or texture of a lower ranked chocolate to that of one ranked higher. Click on a name to see a detailed review of that chocolate bar.

Cacao Sampaka La Joya Michel Cluizel Mokaya Cacao Sampaka Xoconusco Bar au Chocolat Chiapas, Mexico

Review: Michel Cluizel Mokaya

Richard's Rating: 8.0

chocolate maker Michel Cluizel bar Mokaya region Mexico plantation Mokaya cacao trees unknown year unknown size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 66% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring bourbon vanilla other ingredients (none) list price €4,15

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle appearance smooth, scoring, imprints, uneven sheen, scuffing aroma roast (cocoa, malt, coffee, tobacco), fruit (berry), earth (grass), spice snap hard taste roast (cocoa, malt), fruit (blackberry, nectarine, citrus), spice (vanilla, pepper), earth, sweet (honey), acidic melt more smooth length long finish acidic, slightly tannin, slightly sour

Best Prices Online
€4,15 directly from Michel Cluizel
$6.70 at Chocosphere
$6.99 at Caputo's
$6.99 at World Wide Chocolate
£3.95 at Chocolate Trading Co

Review: Amano Dos Rios

Richard's Rating: 9.0

chocolate maker Amano bar Dos Rios region Dominican Republic 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-dark brown PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate appearance smooth, imprints, scoring, scuffing, uneven sheen aroma fruit (bergamot, orange), earl grey, floral (jasmine), roast, dairy snap hard taste earl grey, fruit (tangerine, orange), floral (jasmine), tannin, spice, sweet, nut, roast melt smooth length medium finish somewhat tannin, slightly acidic

Prior Reviews
2012 Review

Best Prices Online
$4.95 on sale directly from Amano
$6.99 at Caputo's
$6.99 at Chocolopolis

Northwest Chocolate Festival Awards

The awards were announced tonight for the 2015 Northwest Chocolate Festival. There were three judged categories (Single Origin, Milk Chocolate and Inclusions) and three non-judged awards.

In the judged Single Origin category, the winners were:

• 1st: Fruition Hispaniola 68% (Dominican Republic)
• 2nd: Dick Taylor Bolivia Alto Beni 70%
• 3rd: Amano Guayas 70% (Ecuador)

In the judged Milk Chocolate category, the winner was:

• Sirene Guatemala

In the judged Inclusions (flavored chocolate) category, the winners were:

• 1st: Fruition Bourbon Aged Dark Milk 61%
• 2nd: Amano Red Raspberry
• 3rd: Fruition Brown Butter Milk 43%

They also gave out non-judged awards:

• Lifetime Achievement: Bill Fredericks, the Chocolate Man
• Mott Green Sustainability: Emily Stone of Maya Mountain Cacao, Cacao Verapaz, and Uncommon Cocoa Group
• Founder's Choice: Dick Taylor Bolivia Alto Beni 70%

You can still buy tickets for this weekend online ($30 for full day) or at the door ($20 for afternoon starting at 12:30 p.m.) at Pier 66 (the Bell Harbor Center) in Seattle.