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.

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!