2012 Good Food Awards for Chocolate

This weekend the Good Food Awards announced their winners for 2012. The following won awards in the chocolate category:

Amano Guayas
Dandelion Costa Rica
Escazu Costa Rica
Fresco 214
Lillie Belle Farms Perfect Illusion
Patric Signature 70%
Rogue Sambirano
Theo Theo and Jane Goodall 70%

The links above go directly to our associated detailed chocolate bar review.

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!

Review: Theo Organic 74% Dark Madagascar

Lindy's Rating: 7.5 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 7.5 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Theo bar Madagascar 74% region Madagascar plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 84g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 74% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $5.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring, uneven sheen aroma citrus, earth, roast (cocoa), spice (clove) snap hard taste roast, fruit (citrus, cherry), sweet, spice (clove) melt smooth length medium finish slightly acidic

Organic 74% Dark Madagascar is one of Theo's three current single origin bars. The cacao beans used in this chocolate came from Madagascar. The chocolate was made from 74% cocoa solids, and includes sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla beans. All ingredients were certified organic by the USDA. The 3 ounce bar was scored into 6 large pieces, wrapped in silver foil, and packaged in an outer paper wrapper as shown above. The best before date was August 2012.

The color of Madagascar was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface was dull and had variations in sheen. The bar had a hard snap.

The chocolate had aromas of citrus, earth, roast in the form of cocoa, and spice that we identified as clove.

The initial taste of Madagascar was of roast that was almost burnt, but then the fruit flavors came out, including both citrus and cherry. Obvious sweetness was present, and then we could taste the clove spice we smelled in the aroma.

The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The finish was slightly acidic.

You can purchase Theo Madagascar 74% online for $5.00 directly from Theo for delivery in the U.S. Theo also delivers internationally, but requires email (info@theochocolate.com) or a phone call (206.632.5100) to do so.

Review: Theo Rich Dark 70%

Lindy's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)

Richard's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)

chocolate maker Theo bar Rich Dark 70% region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 84g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $4.00

color medium dark-brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring aroma earthy (dry must), roast (incense), sweet, astringent snap hard taste sweet (honey), fruit (citrus, berry), roast (malt, tannin) melt more smooth length short finish somewhat ashy, slightly acidic

Theo Rich Dark is another bar in this chocolate maker's Classic Collection, which also includes the Ultimate Dark 85% we reviewed earlier. Like that bar, Rich Dark is USDA certified organic and IMO Fair for Life certified fair trade and socially responsible for nearly all of its ingredients. Only the ground vanilla bean lacked a fair trade certification. The chocolate was made of 70% cocoa solids, along with sugar, added cocoa butter, and ground vanilla bean. The 3 ounce bar came wrapped in silver foil and was scored into 6 large pieces. The best before date on the Rich Dark bar we reviewed was February 2012.

While somewhat lighter than the Ultimate Dark, Rich Dark had a similar medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The snap was hard. The aroma of the chocolate was a dry musty earth smell. There was also a roast that reminded Lindy of incense, yet lacked any smokiness. We both noticed some sweetness and an astringent aroma that was vaguely suggestive of a cleaning product (yet not unpleasant).

Sweetness was the first taste we experienced, and then the strong citrus and berry fruit flavors came through. There was also a roast that Lindy identified as a combination of malt and tannin.

The melt of this chocolate was unusual. Rich Dark seemed it might have a slow start, but then it began to melt quite nicely and we decided to rate it more smooth. Yet, there was a slight graininess to the texture that had me think about it more than once. Rich Dark had a short length, with the chocolate flavor lasting 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The aftertaste wasn't bitter. Lindy found it somewhat ashy, and I experienced it as slightly acidic and slightly ashy.

Note that Theo also sells this same chocolate under the label Theo & Jane Goodall 70%. Proceeds from sales of the latter "benefit cocoa farmers, promote conservation in the tropical rainforest and directly contribute to the Jane Goodall Institute’s efforts to save chimpanzees, develop community centered conservation efforts and direct youth education programs around the world."

You can purchase both products online directly from Theo: Theo Rich Dark 70% for $4.00 and Theo & Jane Goodall 70% for $5.00.

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.

Review: Theo Ultimate Dark 85%

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

Richard's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker Theo bar Ultimate Dark 85% region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 84g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 85% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $4.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring aroma roast (smoke), earth, spice, fruit (cherry, dried apricot) snap hard taste roast (toast), fruit (citrus, cherry), somewhat bitter melt smooth length medium finish burnt, somewhat bitter

Theo Ultimate Dark is part of this chocolate maker's Classic Collection, which includes several flavored chocolate bars, a 45% milk chocolate, a 70% dark chocolate that we'll review soon, and this 85% dark chocolate. Ultimate Dark is USDA certified organic and IMO Fair for Life certified fair trade and socially responsible for nearly all of its ingredients. Only the ground vanilla bean lacked a fair trade certification. The 3 ounce bar came wrapped in silver foil and was scored into 6 large pieces.

Ultimate Dark had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and a hard snap. It gave off a strong aroma, immediately permeating the area as soon as it was unwrapped. The scents included a smoky roast, some earthiness, a little spice, and some fruits that Lindy identified as cherry and dried apricot.

The flavors of this chocolate were primarily roast and fruit. Lindy experienced the roast as toast, and we both tasted fruits as a combination of citrus and cherry. I noticed a hint of spice, and found Ultimate Dark to be slightly bitter. Lindy felt the bitterness was substantial.

This chocolate had a smooth melt. After the chocolate was gone, the flavor lasted around 20 seconds, just barely giving it a medium length. The finish was nearly identical to the bitterness we experienced in the taste: Lindy found it bitter, and I found it slightly so. There was also an unpleasant flavor in aftertaste that Lindy identified as burnt toast.

Overall, Lindy rated Ultimate Dark a low *** and I rated it a high **. For reference, the Ultimate Dark bar reviewed here had a best before date of July 2012.

You can purchase Theo Ultimate Dark 85% online for $4.00 directly from Theo.

Review: Theo Costa Rica

Lindy's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

Richard's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker Theo bar Costa Rica region Costa Rica plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 84g ~ 3oz cocoa solids 91% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $5.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1518 Puce texture smooth with scoring, shiny aroma earthy (soil), berry (cranberry, raspberry), roast (coffee) snap hard taste burnt, citrus (lime), bitter melt smooth length minimal finish bitter

Theo is a small bean to bar chocolate maker in Seattle. It is certified as both organic and fair trade, the latter of which means they follows socially responsible practices in every aspect of their business. Theo is the only organic, fair trade, bean to bar chocolate factory in the United States. In the chocolate making industry, many businesses take advantage of the lower bean prices available by buying from cacao farms using child labor and poor working conditions. Fair trade chocolate businesses pay above-market prices in order to provide additional funds for improving the the lives and sustainability of cacao and sugar farmers.

At their factory in the Fremont district of Seattle, Theo gives daily public tours that include include a good overview of chocolate production, their company philosophy, and lots of chocolate tasting. By the way, the name Theo comes from the Greek name of the tree, Theobroma Cacao, meaning food of the gods.

Theo makes several interesting fantasy infusion bars, such as Bread & Chocolate and Fig, Fennel, & Almond, more traditional infusion bars, plus two "Good For All" bars in partnership with Jane Goodall and three single origin chocolates. One of those single origin bars is the Theo Costa Rica that we tried at our recent blind chocolate tasting. The other two are from the Dominican Republic and Madagascar, and we'll review them in the future.

At the blind tasting, everyone noticed the shiny surface of the Theo Costa Rica bar. The aromas included earthy, clarified as soil by two people, berry, clarified as cranberry by two and raspberry by two others, and roast, clarified as coffee by three people. The taste was burnt with a citrus flavor that both Lindy and I identified as lime. This chocolate had the highest cocoa content of the bars in the blind tasting, and everyone found it bitter.

Unfortunately, we did not take an opportunity to photograph the opened chocolate bars at the tasting, so I only have a picture of the wrapper.

Blind Chocolate Tasting Results

Yesterday evening's blind chocolate tasting was a success. The group was made up of six first-time chocolate tasters and Lindy and me. Unfortunately, one person had an upset stomach and did not participate, so only seven of us tasted.

We reviewed seven bars from different regions around the world, with no one other than me having any information beyond that of the chocolate maker of some of the bars due to imprints.

The seven bars we tasted (in order of overal average rating):

Chocolate Bar	Region	Cocoa Solids	average rating
Michel Cluizel Maralumi	Papua New Guinea	64%	3.4
Valrhona Ampamakia	Madagascar	64%	2.9
Valrhona Gran Couva	Trinidad	64%	2.8
Valrhona Palmira	Venezuela	64%	2.6
Republica del Cacao Los Rios	Ecuador	75%	2.3
Theo Costa Rica	Costa Rica	91%	2.1
Francois Pralus Ghana	Ghana	75%	1.9

The Republica del Cacao Los Rios bar was particularly notable, generating strong reactions to its intense fig flavor. A few people thought it must be a flavored chocolate, even though it is not. Two people gave it the top rating of **** and two gave it the lowest rating of *.

The winner of the tasting, though, was clearly the Michel Cluizel Maralumi 64%. It was liked consistently by everyone. Every rating was either *** or ****, and everyone ranked it first or second among the bars we tasted.

I will add links in the above table to individual reviews as I post them over the next several days.

All in all, everyone seemed to have a good time and enjoy themselves. One person was amused that he wasn't noticing most of the specific aromas and flavors that others were, and instead focused on comparing differences in intensity of sweetness, bitterness, and richness. Many thanks to Phillip and Chris for organizing and hosting this event!

However, two improvements for any future tastings will be to review fewer chocolates, perhaps 4, and to start earlier. We started around 6:30 p.m., and because no one had eaten since lunch (to have a clean palate for the tasting), by the time we reached the 6th chocolate bar about 2 hours later, most people were ready to eat dinner. The bits of bread and water between chocolates were not substantial enough after so much time since a meal.