Hello Dear Readers!
Life, obligations, and new ventures have caused more time constraints in our personal lives and thus, we have chosen to post reviews more sparingly. The last thing we want is our labor of love to turn into a burden!
Be sure to follow us on Instagram @chocolatebarhopping to keep up with our upcoming reviews!
For now savor a fitting quote(and pun): "Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet."
Monday, April 3, 2017
Monday, March 27, 2017
Break it Down
We're taking a break this week to work on a few things and catch up on our to-do lists. See you back here next week!
Monday, March 20, 2017
Chapter Forty: Kate Weiser Chocolate: Safari Bari
Today's tasting is a Kate Weiser Chocolate bar from Gaby's Dallas trip: the Safari Bari, 64% Pure Madagascar Chocolate bar. We are tasting another bar from this chocolatier next week and can't wait to compare the two. For this tasting, we will be using our typical tasting methods and comparing with the base bar.
Initial Impressions:
This bar is lighter in color and redder than base bar. The snap is firm but softer than base bar. The bar itself appears so smooth that it is almost like a plastic toy. There is a faint blueberry aroma and the bite is firm.
Flavor Profile:
Initial – blueberry
Middle – acidic, balsamic vinegar
After – light, mild malted milk
Texture:
The texture of this bar is silky smooth, it melts easily upon our tongues and is gone almost too soon.
Texture:
The texture of this bar is silky smooth, it melts easily upon our tongues and is gone almost too soon.
Overall:
This bar is sweeter than we normally like, but that is probably due to the fact that we typically taste darker bars. Gaby was quite tickled that her taste for dark chocolate has come so far in the past few years. The complex flavor profile surprised and delighted both of us, it was not what we expected at all from this bar. We found it interesting that the ending is so mild and light.
This bar is sweeter than we normally like, but that is probably due to the fact that we typically taste darker bars. Gaby was quite tickled that her taste for dark chocolate has come so far in the past few years. The complex flavor profile surprised and delighted both of us, it was not what we expected at all from this bar. We found it interesting that the ending is so mild and light.
Rating: 7/10
*Notes:
Purchased at Kate Weiser Chocolate
Price range: under $9
Next week we'll be tasting a 72% bar from Kate Weiser Chocolate. Join us!
For now savor: "If I had to eat one kind of chocolate for the rest of my life, it would be this. The natural acidity and citrus notes have always drawn me to dark Madagascar chocolates. I find this chocolate so perfectly balanced and bold that it stands alone. Enjoy." - Kate Weiser
Monday, March 13, 2017
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Dude, Sweet Chocolate
It's good to be back! We needed a bit of a breather since Laura has just come back from China and Gaby's been keeping busy in Texas. For the month of March we will feature bars that Gaby bought while visiting Dallas, Texas. These are local, artisanal chocolatiers with a cult following. We're excited to share what she has found with you!
For our first post back, we will be tasting two chocolate offerings from Dude, Sweet Chocolate, one of which is a toffee fudge concoction. Dude, Sweet got its start in a dive bar in South Dallas in 2008. Since then, Chef Katherine Clapner ran with the idea and established Dude, Sweet as a leader in the Texas chocolate market. With a focus on the taste of the chocolate and a decision to keep bells and whistles minimal, Chef Clapner has excelled in creating unique sweet and savory offerings, as we will explore below.
Tasting No.: 37Dude, Sweet Chocolate: Holiday in Cambodia Chocolate BarDude, Sweet Chocolate: Fungus Amongus Soft Butter Toffee
For our first post back, we will be tasting two chocolate offerings from Dude, Sweet Chocolate, one of which is a toffee fudge concoction. Dude, Sweet got its start in a dive bar in South Dallas in 2008. Since then, Chef Katherine Clapner ran with the idea and established Dude, Sweet as a leader in the Texas chocolate market. With a focus on the taste of the chocolate and a decision to keep bells and whistles minimal, Chef Clapner has excelled in creating unique sweet and savory offerings, as we will explore below.
Tasting No.: 37Dude, Sweet Chocolate: Holiday in Cambodia Chocolate BarDude, Sweet Chocolate: Fungus Amongus Soft Butter Toffee
Initial Impressions:
The Holiday in Cambodia chocolate bar is a beautiful bar to look at; smooth and dark brown with a soft snap, which reveals the inner texture of whole black sesame seeds. The aroma is sweetly acidic and earthy, reminiscent of chocolate covered cherries. The bite is firm, leading into a surprisingly savory and delicious complexity.
The toffee fudge is soft and its appearance has many evident chunks of pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and porcini mushroom chunks. Its main chocolate ingredient is Valrhona cocoa. The aroma is rich, and almost like a gamey meat, with notes of soil and musk. There is no snap, we cut it and the outside was firm while the inside sliced easily. It melts easily once it hits the tongue.
Chocolate Bar Chocolate Toffee
The toffee fudge is soft and its appearance has many evident chunks of pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and porcini mushroom chunks. Its main chocolate ingredient is Valrhona cocoa. The aroma is rich, and almost like a gamey meat, with notes of soil and musk. There is no snap, we cut it and the outside was firm while the inside sliced easily. It melts easily once it hits the tongue.
Chocolate Bar Chocolate Toffee
Flavor Profile: Flavor Profile:
Initial – soil, smoke Initial – sweet, maple
Middle – nutty, slight sweetness Middle – toffee
After – earthy, sesame After – earthy
Texture:
The bar melts easily but is still chewy with crunchy bits of black sesame seeds rounding out the tasting, a fascinating texture that kept us wanting more.
Of course, the fudge smooth, with a pepita every once in a while that adds a surprise crunch.
Texture:
The bar melts easily but is still chewy with crunchy bits of black sesame seeds rounding out the tasting, a fascinating texture that kept us wanting more.
Of course, the fudge smooth, with a pepita every once in a while that adds a surprise crunch.
 |
| Here you can see the delicious texture of the chocolate bar |
Overall:
The chocolate bar was most definitely a savory bar with only a slight sweetness. It was incredibly satiating and Laura and Gaby have both added it to their list of favorites.
The toffee fudge was cloyingly sweet, but it is a toffee fudge! We would have enjoyed it more with a strong espresso while tasting only the smallest piece. Because we don't normally try toffee fudge, we did not feel that we should rate this chocolate.
The chocolate bar was most definitely a savory bar with only a slight sweetness. It was incredibly satiating and Laura and Gaby have both added it to their list of favorites.
The toffee fudge was cloyingly sweet, but it is a toffee fudge! We would have enjoyed it more with a strong espresso while tasting only the smallest piece. Because we don't normally try toffee fudge, we did not feel that we should rate this chocolate.
Bar Rating: 10/10
Toffee Rating: N/A
Toffee Rating: N/A
*Notes:
Purchased at Dude, Sweet Chocolate
Price range: Under $7
Next week, we'll introduce you to another Dallas local chocolatier from Gaby's trip. Join us!
For now savor: "The greatest tragedies were written by the Greeks and Shakespeare...neither knew chocolate." - Sandra Boynton
Monday, March 6, 2017
We're On A Break...
We're taking a break this week to catch our breath and sort through our HUGE pile of chocolate. This is just a small sampling of what we've bought over the past month.
See you next week!
See you next week!
Monday, February 27, 2017
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Comptoir du Cacao Ouganda Noir 80%
The Comptoir du Cacao Ouganda Noir 80% caught our eye during our recent splurge at Central Market. This family owned and operated chocolate maker is located just outside of Paris. They specialize in an artisanal production process and offer a variety of single origin chocolates. This week we are reviewing their selection from Uganda, and we are eager to try more of their offerings in the future.
Initial Impressions:
The color of this bar was darker than our base bar. The snap and bite were both firm, introducing a fragrant floral and rose aroma.
Flavor Profile:
Initial – rose
Middle – soil, cinnamon
After – honey
Texture:
The texture of this was initially dry, but we found that it smoothed out relatively quickly, making the honey note hit our palate beautifully.
The texture of this was initially dry, but we found that it smoothed out relatively quickly, making the honey note hit our palate beautifully.
Overall:
This bar was rather rich but refreshingly light at the same time. We found it to satiate us quite quickly, noting that one bar could last quite a while. Because the flavor profile is bitter and complex, this would pair better with a sweeter wine like port or a zinfandel.
This bar was rather rich but refreshingly light at the same time. We found it to satiate us quite quickly, noting that one bar could last quite a while. Because the flavor profile is bitter and complex, this would pair better with a sweeter wine like port or a zinfandel.
Rating: 8/10
*Notes:
Purchased at Central Market
Price range: Under $6
One last Trader Joe's bar is up for review next week, so don't forget to stop on by!
For now savor: "Chocolate: the poor mans' champagne." - Daniel Worona
For now savor: "Chocolate: the poor mans' champagne." - Daniel Worona
Monday, February 20, 2017
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Loving Earth Bean to Bar 85% Dark
Gaby happened upon this week's bar while rummaging through the food items at Home Goods. Have you ever checked out their food selection? You're likely to happen upon a find fit for a foodie! Given that this bar was over 70% cacao with minimal ingredients, while also being organic and single origin, it fit our chocolate preferences nicely.
The Loving Earth Bean to Bar 85% Dark is dressed to impress with a box made from 97% post consumer recycled fiber and a wrapper that is completely compostable made from renewable plant sources. The cacao beans are a wild variety from the 2016 harvest of the Kemito Ene Cooperative, located in the Amazon. There are only 3 ingredients in this bar: raw cacao beans, coconut sugar, and virgin cacao butter. Naturally, less is more when it comes to ingredients and we appreciate the simplicity of this bar's makeup.
The Loving Earth Bean to Bar 85% Dark is dressed to impress with a box made from 97% post consumer recycled fiber and a wrapper that is completely compostable made from renewable plant sources. The cacao beans are a wild variety from the 2016 harvest of the Kemito Ene Cooperative, located in the Amazon. There are only 3 ingredients in this bar: raw cacao beans, coconut sugar, and virgin cacao butter. Naturally, less is more when it comes to ingredients and we appreciate the simplicity of this bar's makeup.
Initial Impressions:
The color of this bar was similar to the base bar, however the base bar is a bit darker. The snap of this bar was unique - it very much reminded us of snapping raw green beans. We quite enjoyed the aroma; it was pungent and sweet, smelling like honey and spice. The bite was firmer than the base bar.
Flavor Profile:
Initial – vanilla, hazelnut
Middle – honey
After – anise, faintly earthy
Texture:
The texture was superbly smooth, like velvet. It immediately began to melt upon impact in our mouths.
The texture was superbly smooth, like velvet. It immediately began to melt upon impact in our mouths.
Overall:
We found the texture was so smooth that it was almost distracting. It melted instantaneously like butter in a hot pan. We highly recommend this bar and think it would be a good choice for someone beginning to explore dark chocolate. It was easy to recognize that this bar was too good. It wouldn't take much to devour the entire bar before realizing what we've done! Gaby has added it to her list of favorites.
We found the texture was so smooth that it was almost distracting. It melted instantaneously like butter in a hot pan. We highly recommend this bar and think it would be a good choice for someone beginning to explore dark chocolate. It was easy to recognize that this bar was too good. It wouldn't take much to devour the entire bar before realizing what we've done! Gaby has added it to her list of favorites.
Rating: 8 /10
*Notes:
Purchased at Home Goods
Price range: Under $6
Up next we'll be tasting our first bar from Uganda. Don't forget to take a peek!
For now savor: "Hot fudge fills deep needs." - Susan Isaacs
Remember, fairly traded chocolate is a responsible way to support farmers by ensuring that the chocolate that you consume has been bought for a fair price. By choosing to purchase fair trade chocolate, you can honor the cocoa tree growers and support their way of life which in turn leads to better chocolate.
Remember, fairly traded chocolate is a responsible way to support farmers by ensuring that the chocolate that you consume has been bought for a fair price. By choosing to purchase fair trade chocolate, you can honor the cocoa tree growers and support their way of life which in turn leads to better chocolate.
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