Sale: 20% off at Madécasse

Madécasse is having an Earth Day sale with 20% off with no minimum purchase. The sale lasts through Wednesday, April 30th.

Use coupon code EARTH20 during checkout.

Sale: Free Shipping at World Wide Chocolate

World Wide Chocolate is running another one week promotion with free UPS Ground shipping on all orders with no minimum purchase requirement. They have a large selection with prices only slightly above lowest online retail. Free shipping is an excellent deal for small orders, and prices are already great on Amano, Amedei, Madécasse, and Potomac bars.

Use coupon code FREESHIPPING during checkout. This offer is valid through Monday, April 7th. It has been two months since they last ran this free shipping offer.

Sale: Free Shipping at World Wide Chocolate

World Wide Chocolate has free UPS Ground shipping available on all orders with no minimum purchase requirement. They have a big selection and even though their prices are typically a little higher than the least expensive online chocolate retailers, free shipping is a great deal for small orders.

In particular, this is an excellent opportunity to pick up some chocolate bars from Amedei, Madécasse, and Potomac. World Wide Chocolate has competitive prices for these makers even without a sale, so free shipping makes them a bargain. Amano would usually be on that list as well, but they are currently sold out.

Use coupon code FREESHIPPING during checkout. This offer is valid through Monday, February 10th. It has been roughly a month since they last ran this free shipping offer.

Sale: Free Shipping at World Wide Chocolate

World Wide Chocolate has free UPS Ground shipping available on all orders with no minimum purchase requirement. They have a big selection and even though their prices are typically a little higher than the least expensive online chocolate retailers, free shipping is a great deal for small orders.

In particular, this is an excellent opportunity to pick up some chocolate bars from Amano, Amedei, Madécasse, and Potomac. World Wide Chocolate has competitive prices for these makers even without a sale, so free shipping makes them a bargain.

Use coupon code FREESHIPPING during checkout. This offer is valid through Sunday, January 12th.

Sale: Free Shipping at World Wide Chocolate

World Wide Chocolate has free UPS Ground shipping sale on all orders with no minimum purchase requirement. Even though their prices are typically a little higher than the least expensive online chocolate retailers, free shipping is a great deal for small orders.

This is also an excellent opportunity to pick up your favorite Amano, Amedei, Madécasse, Patric, and Potomac chocolate bars. World Wide Chocolate has competitive prices for these makers even without a sale, so free shipping makes them a bargain.

Use coupon code FREESHIPPING during checkout for this free shipping offer. This code is valid through Monday, October 14th has been extended through Monday, November 25th.

Sale: Free Shipping at World Wide Chocolate

World Wide Chocolate is offering free UPS Ground shipping on all orders (no minimum purchase) through Tuesday, April 30th. While their prices are typically higher than the least expensive online chocolate retailers, free shipping more than makes up for this if you have a small order.

World Wide Chocolate is a good place to buy Amano, Amedei, Madécasse, Patric, and Potomac chocolate bars, as their prices are competitive even without a sale.

Use coupon code FREESHIPPING during checkout for free shipping through Tuesday, April 30th.

Sale: 15% off Madécasse

Madécasse is having a Valentine's sale for 15% off their chocolate in the U.S. with a minimum purchase of $17.

Use coupon code 13vday15 during checkout.

Review: Madécasse 80%

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker Madécasse bar 80% region Madagascar plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 75g ~ 2.6oz cocoa solids 80% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $5.99

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with stylized cacao bean imprints, scoring, bubbles aroma floral, roast (burnt, smoky), acidic snap medium hard taste roast (burnt), earth (soil), fruit (citrus, berry, apricot, lime), nut melt smooth length short finish roast (burnt), slightly acidic

Madécasse makes single origin Madagascar chocolate locally in Madagascar. They work closely with the nearby Ezaka Cooperative of cacao farmers from whom they purchase beans at well above fair trade prices.

Unlike the 70% and 75% bars, Madécasse 80% had neither soy lecithin nor vanilla among its ingredients. It was made from only cacao beans, sugar, and cocoa butter.

The 80% bar used the same molds: 75 grams 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 was January 2012, so I reviewed this chocolate more than a month past its best.

The color of this chocolate was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface of the bar was smooth, with several bubbles (many more than 70% or 75%). The snap was medium hard.

80% had an aroma similar to the other bars: an initial floral, then a burnt and smoky roast, and some acidity. I didn't notice the expected fruit scent.

The chocolate tasted of burnt roast, but it wasn't smoky as with 70% and 75%. I experienced an earthy soil flavor before the fruits came out: citrus, berry, apricot, and lime. There was some nuttiness as well.

The melt was slower than 70% and 75%, but still smooth. The length was short, with flavor after the chocolate was gone lasting 15 to 20 seconds. The final aftertaste was a slightly acidic burnt roast.

You can purchase 80% online for $5.99 directly from Madécasse. At the time of this posting, Chocosphere has a clearance sale on 80% bars with a best before date of January 2012 at half off: 2 for $5.95.

Review: Madécasse 75%

Richard's Rating: 6.0

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

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture smooth with stylized cacao bean imprints, scoring, bubbles aroma floral, roast (burnt, smoky), fruit, acidic, spice snap medium hard taste fruit (citrus, berry, cherry), roast (burnt), earth, sweet, tannin melt smooth length short finish slightly acidic, slightly tannin

Madécasse makes single origin Madagascar chocolate locally in Madagascar! They work closely with the nearby Ezaka Cooperative of cacao farmers from whom they purchase beans at well above fair trade prices.

As with their 70% bar, Madécasse 75% 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, too, was not at its best for the review.

The chocolate had a medium brown color close to Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431). The surface of the bar was smooth, with a few small bubbles. Signs of a flaw can be seen in the bottom right of the photo above. Some air remained in the chocolate as it cooled, and that left minor gaps in two of the pieces and some bubbles throughout. The snap was medium hard.

The aroma of 75% was similar to that of 70%. The acidity seemed a bit stronger and the spice weaker. Otherwise it smelled much the same: initial floral, a burnt and smoky roast, with fruit, acidity, and spice.

Flavors included fruits in the form of citrus, berry and cherry, a burnt roast, earth, sweetness and tannin. Compared with the 70%, the citrus was stronger and the burnt roast more in the background. It was less sweet and had tannin that I didn't notice in the 70%

75% had a smooth melt. The length was short, with flavor after the chocolate was gone lasting about 15 seconds. The finish was slightly acidic and slightly tannin.

Overall, while quite similar to the 70%, I preferred the flavor and aftertaste of 75%.

You can purchase 75% online for $5.99 directly from Madécasse. As with the 70% bar, Chocosphere is currently running a sale on 75% bars with a best before date of June 2012 for only $4.15 (30% off).

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).

Event: Northwest Chocolate Festival October 22-23 in Seattle

The Northwest Chocolate Festival (NWCF) will be held in Seattle next month, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day during the weekend of October 22nd and 23rd. Nearly all of the festival will take place in the Northwest Rooms of Seattle Center (305 Harrison St., Seattle, WA 98109). The theme of the weekend is Taste, Learn, and Celebrate.

Tasting includes not only an amazing selection of chocolate (from at least 17 chocolate makers, including: Amano, Chocolate Conspiracy, Divine, Escazú, Fresco, Indahphoria, Kallari, Lillie Belle Farms, Madécasse, Madre, Mindo, Olive & Sinclair, Rogue, Snake & Butterfly, Stirs the Soul, Taza, and Theo), but also chocolate desserts and even drink pairings.

Learning includes a huge variety of more than 70 classes about farming cacao, trade equity, crafting chocolate from the bean, single origin chocolate, tempering chocolate, pairing chocolate, health benefits, etc. For an additional $8 [$10 at the door] and attending 5 classes, NWCF is offering their Chocolate Academy "Masters in Chocolate Level 1" certificate, which also includes Chocolate Academy membership. Membership benefits include a quarterly newsletter, discounts on tickets to future festivals, and invitations to special chocolate events at partner businesses.

Celebrating is highlighted by Saturday night's Chocolate Masquerade Ball at Sole Repair (1001 E. Pike St., Seattle WA 98122). This special event has separate admission. It starts at 8 p.m. with a Chocolate Dessert Showcase and Competition, with awards for the best desserts. At 10 p.m., there will be a Best Costume contest. Attire is black tie and/or masquerade.

You can read more about the entire weekend on their website: http://www.nwchocolate.com/.

In addition to these activities open to everyone, 100 VIP tickets are being sold that include full weekend passes, an exclusive "Meet the Maker" opening night reception of wine and chocolate, a VIP-only chocolate and pairing event, a complimentary drink flight in the Beer, Cider, Spirit and Wine Garden during the festival, the Chocolate Academy certificate described above, and a chance to win two tickets on Alaska Airlines.

You can purchase any of the following tickets in advance and pick up your non-transferable ticket at Will Call with photo identification:

• $37.50 full weekend pass [$40 at the door]
• $22.00 one day pass (age 13+) [$25 at the door]
• $6.50 one day youth pass (age 5 to 12)
• $89.00 VIP full weekend pass and more
• $42.50 chocolate masquerade ball [$50 at the door]

With so many bean-to-bar chocolate makers and great classes, the third annual Northwest Chocolate Festival might be the best chocolate event in the U.S. this year. If you will be in the Seattle area, you do not want to miss it. Lindy and I are attending, and we hope you'll be able to get there, too!

Store: Kakao

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

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

chocolate store	kakáo
website	http://www.kakaoseattle.com/
address	415 Westlake Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 United States
phone	(206) 388-5467
hours	Mon-Fri	7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
	Sat	8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
online shopping	no
shipping area	N/A
warm weather shipping	N/A
chocolate makers	Amedei Michel Cluizel Claudio Corallo Dagoba Fran's Green and Black's Guittard Kallari Komforte Lindt Madécasse Moonstruck François Pralus Republica del Cacao Scharffen Berger Taza Theo Valrhona Vosges
special deals & events	free Wi-Fi
last updated	February 24, 2012

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

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

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

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

Store: Chocolopolis

As you've no doubt read in previous postings, Chocolopolis was the store that introduced me to artisan chocolate and inspired me to create this blog. The owner, Lauren Adler, is not only an enthusiastic and educated chocophile, but also extremely generous and interested in sharing her passion for chocolate. All of the staff that I've met at the store in Seattle have been friendly and helpful, providing information for the novice and expert alike. At the same time, when they haven't known something, they admitted it and offered to try to find out.

Chocolopolis has many events, including weekly happy hours during which you can taste chocolate for free. They also have a frequent bar club, in which you receive one bar free for every 10 different chocolate bars you buy.

chocolate store	Chocolopolis
website	http://www.chocolopolis.com
address	1527 Queen Anne Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 United States
phone	(206) 282-0776
hours	Mon-Wed	11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
	Thu-Sat	11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
	Sun	11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
online shopping	yes, click here
shipping area	continental United States click here for more information
warm weather shipping	yes, with gel packs
chocolate makers	Amano Amedei Askinosie Bonnat El Ceibo Michel Cluizel Coppeneur Claudio Corallo Dandelion Domori Escazú Fearless Fine & Raw Fresco Grenada E. Guittard Kallari Lillie Belle Farms Madécasse Chocolat Moderne Moonstruck Olive & Sinclair Original Beans Pacari Patric François Pralus Republica del Cacao El Rey Ritual Rogue Santander Snake & Butterfly Taza Theo Valrhona Venchi Waialua Estate
special deals & events	frequent bar club weekly happy hours tasting events
last updated	Febrary 24, 2012

In addition to stocking over 200 different chocolate bars, Chocolopolis carries a variety of chocolate truffles by multiple chocolatiers and several other items for chocolate lovers (drinking chocolate, books, gifts, etc.)

Chocolopolis also opened a temporary second store at the Bravern in Bellevue for the winter holidays, but it is still open.
  Address:
     700 110th Ave. NE, Suite 192,
     Bellevue, WA 98004
  Phone: (425) 453-0776
UPDATE: The last day the store at the Bravern will be open is April 30th.

Review: Madécasse 80%

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

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

chocolate maker Madécasse bar 80% region Madagascar plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 75g ~ 2.6oz cocoa solids 80% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $5.99

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with stylized cacao bean imprints and scoring aroma floral, melon, roast (burnt, smoky) snap medium hard taste roast (burnt toast, nut), earthy (soil), fruit (apricot, berry, lime), sweet melt smooth length short finish slightly acidic, burnt or roast nut

The bar above appears uneven because it arrived broken, mostly along the score marks.

MORE RECENT REVIEW: Madécasse 80%

Note: updated February 11th, after tasting again with Lindy.

Madécasse came to be as a result of some Peace Corps volunteers who believed that making fine chocolate locally would help the farmers more than selling their cacao beans at fair trade prices. With cacao beans from the local Ezaka Cooperative, Madécasse makes their chocolate in Madagascar. Their product line includes 7 bars with cocoa content ranging from a 44% milk chocolate that won an award at the 2011 Good Food Awards to the 80% dark chocolate reviewed here.

The Madécasse 80% was made from only cacao beans, sugar, and cacao butter. The best before date was December 2011. The medium-dark brown color of the bar was closest to Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). It was scored into 24 pieces, each with an imprint of what appears to be a stylized cacao bean. The snap of this chocolate was medium hard.

The aroma of this Madagascar chocolate was contained three primary scents: something floral, a fruit aroma like that of melon, and a roast that smelled almost burnt and a little smoky.

Initially, the flavor was similarly a roast, that I thought was like burnt toast, but Lindy experienced as a roasted nut. We also noticed multiple fruit flavors, including apricot and lime; Lindy also found berry. I experienced some sweetness, and occasionally an unpleasant earthy taste that reminded me of soil.

The melt was smooth, and the flavor after the chocolate was gone lasted into the short range, at around 10 to 15 seconds. The final aftertaste was a slight acidity with a hint of the burnt / roasted nut flavor that never went away.