Sale: 20% off Patric, Artisan du Chocolat, Callebaut

World Wide Chocolate expanded their SPECIAL20 coupon code for the rest of the week sale period to include 20% off Patric, Artisan du Chocoloat, and Callebaut, as well as Guittard and Valor (through December 19).

Please see my previous posting for other special offers this week.

Sale: 20% off Guittard, 15% off nearly all other chocolate brands

This week World Wide Chocolate has 20% off Guittard and Valor chocolate using coupon code SPECIAL20 during checkout (through December 19).

They have 15% off many other chocolate brands by nationality (also through December 19), including:

• Amano, Blommer, Ghirardelli, Guittard, Lake Champlain, Patric, Scharffer Berger, and Vermont Nut Free chocolate using coupon code AMERICAN15
• Becolade, Cafe-Tasse, Callebaut, Cavalier, Chocolove, Côte D'Or, Dolfin, Galer, Godiva, and Nirvana chocolate using coupon code BELGIAN15
• Cacao Barry, Bonnat, Bernard Castelain, Michel Cluizel, Yves Thuries, Francois Pralus, and Valrhona chocolate using coupon code FRENCH15
• Amedei, Domori, L'Artigiano, Maglio, Slitti, and Venchi chocolate using coupon code ITALIAN15

Finally, if you want to mix and match chocolate of multiple nationalities, you can use coupon code take5 to get $5 off a purchase of $30 or more, or coupon code take10 to get $10 off a purchase of $60 or more. These two coupon codes may end today.

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

World Wide Chocolate has some additional promotions available on other chocolate products.

REMINDER: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

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.

Maker Profile: Dandelion Chocolate

company name	Dandelion Chocolate
website	http://www.dandelionchocolate.com
email	info@dandelionchocolate.com
chocolate makers	Todd Masonis, Cam Ring, Alice Nystrom, Chiann Tsui (left to right)
factory location	(coming spring 2012) 740 Valencia St San Francisco, CA 94110
factory tours	starting spring 2012
direct online purchase	Dandelion
direct stores	(coming spring 2012) 740 Valencia St San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 349-0942 Mission Community Market (Thursday evenings) Noe Valley Farmers Market (Saturday mornings)
retail store purchase	Dandelion locations
selling bars since	2010
plantation bars	Camino Verde, Ecuador 100%
single origin bars	Butuo, Liberia Colombia Elvesia, Dominican Republic Mantuano, Venezuela Maya Mountain, Belize Ocumare, Venezuela Papua New Guinea Patanemo, Venezuela Rio Caribe, Venezuela Sambirano, Madagascar Upala, Costa Rica
blend bars	none
production cycle	bean to bar
added fat	none
sweetener	sugar
flavoring	none
emulsifier	none
organic	no
sustainable	no
economics	see text
last updated	December 13, 2011

Last year Todd Masonis and Cameron Ring started Dandelion Chocolate, their bean to bar chocolate company, in California. With a garage factory in East Palo Alto and a shared commercial kitchen in San Jose, Dandelion uniquely crafts each small production run. Just this month they moved to a temporary location in the Dogpatch neighborhood in east San Francisco until their new factory and store are completed. They intend to keep their batches small even after they move to the new factory next year.

Dandelion sources high quality cacao beans and then experiments with them to adjust their process to bring out the best from each batch of beans. For example, they try a series of roastings, and then have a group tasting and decide by consensus which roasting process suits that batch.

At present, they purchase Madagascar cacao from Åkesson's, Venezuelan cacao from Cacao San José, and Costa Rica cacao from the Upala region from a broker. Eventually, they hope to establish direct relationships with specific farmers.

Dandelion makes their chocolate using only cacao beans and cane sugar, with no added cocoa butter, emulsifier, or flavoring. While many of their beans are certified organic, not all are. Dandelion has been seeking an organic sugar, but has not yet found one with a neutral taste that will not alter the flavor of the chocolate.

While not yet having any sustainability or trade practices, Dandelion wants to build direct trade relationships with farmers and become knowledgeable enough to support responsible and sustainable cacao farming and chocolate making.

Even before their factory opens next spring, you can directly buy Dandelion chocolate online. Dandelion chocolate can be purchased in person at the Mission Community Market on Thursdays and Noe Valley Farmer's Market on Saturdays, as well as at some retail stores in the San Francisco Bay area and at Chocolopolis in Seattle.

Sale: 15% off ALL CHOCOLATE this weekend

World Wide Chocolate is having a 15% off everything sale this weekend. Mix and match any of the many chocolate brands they sell. Use coupon code weekend15 during checkout for this discount. If you are spending $100 or more, use coupon code weekend20 for 20% off instead.

Note that the existing sale of 20% off Ghirardelli, Lindt, or Venchi chocolate using coupon code SPECIAL20 continues through Monday. NOTE: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

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.

Review: Kallari 70% Cacao

Lindy's Rating: 7.5

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Kallari bar 70% Cacao region Ecuador plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with leaf imprints and scoring aroma roast (smoke), sweet, wood (cedar), floral, earth snap medium hard taste sweet (caramel), vanilla, fruit (coconut), roast melt smooth length medium finish slightly tannin

Kallari is a farmer-owned cooperative that grows and makes their cacao beans into chocolate in Ecuador. Their bars are USDA certified organic and Rainforest Alliance certified sustainable (socially, economically, and environmentally).

As with Kallari's other bars, 70% Cacao was made with cacao beans, cocoa butter from the same cacao beans, cane sugar, and whole vanilla bean. This chocolate had 70% cocoa solids (beans and cocoa butter). The bar was scored into 18 pieces, each imprinted with the Kallari leaf image. The bar came wrapped in silver plastic and enclosed inside the black paper box. The dates printed on the box of the bar we reviewed were a production date of July 2011 and an expiration date of January 2013.

The chocolate had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The top surface had a matte finish. The snap was medium-hard.

70% Cacao gave off a smoky roast aroma with a woody cedar scent. We also smelled sweetness and the expected floral scent. I detected some earth as well. Lindy described the aroma as "sitting next to a fire that is burning a fragrant wood (cedar)."

A sweet caramel was the strongest flavor of this chocolate. We tasted additional flavors of vanilla and coconut behind that. Roast was also present for me.

This bar had a smooth melt similar to the other Kallari chocolates. The length was again medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 20 to 25 seconds. For me, the final aftertaste was slightly tannin. Lindy described it as simply fading.

Overall, we found this bar to be much better than 85% Cacao, but not as good as 75% Cacao.

You can purchase Kallari 70% Cacao online for $5.95 from Chocosphere.

Review: Kallari 75% Cacao

Lindy's Rating: 8.5

Richard's Rating: 8.0

chocolate maker Kallari bar 75% Cacao region Ecuador plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2010 size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 75% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with leaf imprints and scoring aroma floral, earth (hay, must), roast (cocoa, smoke, hint of coffee), sweet, spice snap medium hard taste sweet (caramel), fruit (passion fruit, watermelon), peanut, bread, tannin, roast melt smooth length medium finish somewhat tannin

Kallari is a farmer-owned cooperative that grows and makes their cacao beans into chocolate in Ecuador. Their bars are USDA certified organic and Rainforest Alliance certified sustainable (socially, economically, and environmentally).

As with Kallari's other bars, 75% Cacao was made with cacao beans, cocoa butter from the same cacao beans, cane sugar, and whole vanilla bean. This chocolate had 75% cocoa solids (beans and cocoa butter). The bar was scored into 18 pieces, each imprinted with the Kallari leaf image. The bar came wrapped in silver plastic and enclosed inside the black paper box. The dates printed on the box of the bar we reviewed were a production date of August 2010 and an expiration date of February 2012.

75% Cacao had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The top surface had a matte finish and there was almost no scuffing. The snap was medium-hard.

The aroma of 75% Cacao was floral, earthy, roast and sweet. Lindy identified the earth as a combination of hay and must. We both smelled cocoa and smoke in the roast, and Lindy also noticed a whisper of coffee. For me, there was also some spice.

This chocolate revealed many flavors. The first flavor was a caramel sweetness, followed by fruits that I thought were passionfruit and watermelon. There was a peanut that Lindy described as peanut butter. I tasted some roast and Lindy experienced bread and tannin.

As with 85% Cacao, the melt was smooth. With the 75% Cacao, the chocolate flavor lasted slightly less than with the 85% bar, about 20 to 25 seconds (also a medium length). The finish was somewhat tannin.

Overall, we both liked this chocolate much more than 85% Cacao and found it to be one of the best Ecuador chocolates we've tasted so far (second only to Askinosie's San Jose Del Tambo).

You can purchase Kallari 75% Cacao online for $5.95 from Chocosphere.

Review: Kallari 85% Cacao

Lindy's Rating: 5.5

Richard's Rating: 5.0

chocolate maker Kallari bar 85% Cacao region Ecuador plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2010 size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 85% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with leaf imprints and scoring aroma roast (coffee, cocoa, smoke), earth (grass, must), sweet, floral snap medium hard taste bitter, sour, passion fruit, roast (malt), tannin, hint of sweet melt smooth length medium finish somewhat tannin, somewhat sour

Ecuadorian chocolate maker Kallari is a farmer-owned cooperative that grows and makes their cacao beans into chocolate in Ecuador. Their bars are USDA certified organic and Rainforest Alliance certified sustainable (socially, economically, and environmentally).

85% Cacao was made with 85% cocoa solids (cacao beans plus added cocoa butter from the same cacao), cane sugar, and whole vanilla bean. It was scored into 18 pieces, each imprinted with the Kallari leaf image. The bar came wrapped in silver plastic and enclosed inside the black paper box. The dates stamped on the box of the bar we reviewed were a production date of August 2010 and an expiration date of February 2012.

The color of 85% Cacao was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The top of the bar had a fine matte surface and there was only some trivial scuffing. The snap was medium-hard.

85% Cacao had a nice aroma, with roast, earth, sweet, and floral. We both smelled cocoa and coffee in the roast and grass in the earth. I also noticed smoke in the roast and Lindy found must in the earth. Lindy did not notice the floral scent.

This chocolate tasted bitter and sour, with passion fruit and malt roast flavors. In addition, Lindy experienced some tannin and I tasted a little sweetness.

The melt was smooth. 85% Cacao had a medium length, with the chocolate flavor lasting 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was somewhat tannin. Lindy also tasted some sour flavor along with the tannin.

You can purchase Kallari 85% Cacao online for $5.95 from Chocosphere.