A Labor of Love

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."

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! 

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.

Tasting No.: 38
Kate Weiser Chocolate: Safari Bari, 64% Pure Madagascar Cocao

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.

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. 

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

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

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

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.

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.

Bar Rating: 10/10
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

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!

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.

Tasting No.: 36
Comptoir du Cacao Ouganda Noir 80%

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.

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.

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

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.

Tasting No. :35
Loving Earth Bean to Bar 85% Dark - 2015 Harvest

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.

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.

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.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Taza 87% Dark

Our first encounter with Taza back in June left us with wary impressions. This bar's competing flavors and jagged, gritty texture overwhelmed the entire sensory experience. However, we were forever converted when we tried a different bar in July. We even decided to sample their drinking chocolate during our November series.

This week we bring you a new Taza selection. One of our favorite aspects of Taza is their stone grinding process. Now that we are accustomed to the texture, eating their chocolate gives us a sense of chocolate in its truest form; the texture is always enticing. As always, we are pleased with the product's purity was well as the company's ethical standards. Taza's 87% Dark is from Bolivia, is direct trade, organic, gluten, soy, and dairy free.

Tasting No. :34

Taza 87% Dark

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.

Initial Impressions:

Although the Taza bar is the same shade of brown, it is slightly redder than our base bar. Its fragrance is deeply earthy and musty, strongly reminding us of wet soil, almost in a nostalgic way. This bar has a firm snap, much firmer than the base bar. One of our favorite aspects of Taza is that they keep their texture less refined, so it is visible to the naked eye. The stone ground texture brings to mind the similarity between Taza and the Dominican drinking chocolate. The scent and texture combined call forth a genuine bean to bar, minimally processed chocolate experience that really is supremely satisfying. 

Flavor Profile:

Initial – earthy

Middle – caramel, spicy

After – jasmine

Texture:
This bar's texture could only be described as odd. It was almost distracting. Because it was so dry, it crumbled very easily and did not melt in our mouth.  This was the least favorable aspect of this bar.

Overall:
The most unexpected discovery about this Taza bar is that it makes the base bar's bouquet far more interesting. After tasting it and going back to the base bar, there was definitely a more layered and complex flavor profile. It makes us curious to try other bars in conjunction with this Taza bar, hopefully ringing true for other bars as well. The stellar taste of this bar made up for the unusual crumbly texture, thus landing this bar a solid 8/10 stars.

Rating: 8 /10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range under $6

Next up is a bar made from raw ashaninka cacao (and also from a brand that's new to us). Check back next Monday to read our thoughts!

For now savor: "I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process...it may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?" - Anonymous

Chapter Thirty-Five: Leonidas 70% Dark

The bar we are reviewing this week went missing! It was mailed to us from a dear friend of ours and did not arrive for weeks. As time passed we grew a little concerned. Did the postman steal this for his own enjoyment? Did someone commit a felony and break into our mailbox to deliver this bar to their beloved? Finally, it arrived (three weeks late) and we, as always, were more than glad to tuck in. Please pardon the appearance of this bar and packaging because it was dropped a few times and did sustain some damage; but that's not why we are here! It's the taste that we are after.

Leonidas is a Belgian chocolate company with a long history that began in 1913 with Leonidas Kestekides. In 1910, he competed in the Brussels World Exhibition, submitting his chocolate and winning the bronze medal for Greece. He continued to make chocolate and formally founded Leonidas in 1913 with his nephew.  Today, they have locations worldwide that still receive their stock from the original location in Brussels.  Leonidas' fine chocolates have a large celebrity following and also boast to have a "wicked" hot chocolate that we hope to one day get our hands on!  

Tasting No. :33
Leonidas 70% Dark

Initial Impressions:

In terms of color, the Leonidas bar is lighter than the base bar, almost chalky is some areas. We found the snap to be satisfying and without much struggle; it can best be described as firm yet pliable.  The aroma is rather spicy, evoking notes of cinnamon. The bite is extremely firm, more firm than the base bar.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – chili

Middle – vanilla, caramel
After – spicy, earthy

Texture:
We did not quite care for the texture of this bar. It is dry and crumbly. Even after we worked on it for a while, it was apparent that the chocolate stays dry.

Overall:
What was most noticeable to us when tasting this bar is that we found it difficult to draw the flavors out. It felt like we needed to suck on it for quite a while before the flavor emerged. A hot drink such as tea or coffee might be a good pairing for this chocolate to help bring out the flavor notes.

Rating: 5 /10

*Notes:

Available on the Leonidas website

Price range: 12 bars for $38

Next week we will be sampling another bar from Taza. Be still, my beating heart!

For now savor: “Chocolate is medicinal. I just did another study that confirms it.” ― Michelle M. Pillow

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.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Equal Exchange Chocolate

An errand to Laura's favorite coffee supplier brought us a serendipitous find! Ten Thousand Villages is a local fair trade shop offering unique goodies and interesting wares from across the globe. We happened upon another bar from Divine (that we're saving for a future post) and this week's Equal Exchange Chocolates: Panama Extra Dark 80%. The packaging was what initially drew us because it is biodegradable and produced with sustainably harvested wood and renewable materials.  We love that!

Tasting No. :32
Equal Exchange Chocolates: Panama Extra Dark 80%

Initial Impressions:
This bar is much thicker than base bar leading to a very firm snap; it was rather difficult to break. It was lighter in color than base bar with an extremely firm bite.  We found the aroma to be mild and sweet, almost like vanilla blossom. 

Flavor Profile:

Initial – straw

Middle – raisin, vanilla, olive

After – rum, soil, walnut

Texture:
This texture was so odd to the point of being almost distracting. It was dry, and crumbly.  We would have preferred a smoother transition into melting instead of having to manipulate it so much in our mouths.

Overall:
At first, it was quite difficult to draw the flavors out. We found that we needed to work on a piece, sucking on it for a while. This is indeed the preferred way of tasting chocolate as is allows the flavor profile to develop while chewing does not. We'd like to pair this with a hot drink in the future (the package actually suggests this and specifies coffee) as it would allow the chocolate to melt. Ultimately, although this bar was work, we found it to be supremely satisfying with a well-rounded and gratifying flavor.

Rating: 9 /10

*Notes:

Purchased at Ten Thousand Villages

Price range under $4

Join us next week as we delve into the intrigue of a chocolate bar delivery gone awry!

For now savor: "Chocolate is a perfect food, as wholesome as it is delicious, a beneficent restorer of exhausted power...it is the best friend of those engaged in literary pursuits." - Justus Leibig

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.

Chapter Thirty-Three: Amedei Porcelana

This week's chocolate selection, Amedei, hails from Tuscany. This brand has extensive recognition worldwide, having even been named the world's greatest chocolate. We enjoyed researching this brand and were so inspired to learn that it was founded by a woman who has only recently begun her journey with chocolate, establishing Amedei in 1990. Through her continued diligence and dedication to excellence, Amedei has gone on to earn numerous awards from the Academy of Chocolate. The Porcelana bar alone is a six time winner of the Golden Bean award in the "Bean to Bar" category. Amedei's impressive reputation has cultivated a legion of admirers and is a favorite amongst food professionals.

This bar is quite unique in that only 20,000 bars are produced annually. Each bar's packaging even includes a serial number. Its cacao comes from a rare, translucent Venezuelan bean, lending to the name of the bar, Porcelana. We highly encourage you to look into translucent cacao. It's fascinating to see how something so pale and milky can produce such a dark chocolate color. Now, could it really be the world's best chocolate?

Tasting No. :31

Amedei Porcelana, Cioccolato Fondente Extra 70%

Initial Impressions:
The snap of this bar was very firm, rather difficult to break, which is quite similar to the base bar's snap. The base bar was a tad bit darker in color when compared and the Amedei is a little more red, which is interesting considering that the Amedei bar has a lower cacao content. The aroma was mildly spicy and earthy, almost musty.

Flavor Profile:

Initial – chili, spicy, cinnamon

Middle – caramel, truffle, soil

After – chili, tobbaco

Texture:

This bar was velvety smooth but not thick. It melted very easily but didn't linger with a coating in our mouths.

Overall:
Flavors jumped out at us as we tasted this bar. It was exceedingly complex and the many flavors were surprisingly prevalent in the tasting.  Although this bar was only 70%, the intensity of the chocolate hooked us. We found that this bar was so rich that it clearly made the base bar taste low grade in comparison. Naturally, we've both added this delectable bar to Gaby's favorites and Laura's favorites.

Rating: 10 /10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range under $19
Drink pairing suggestions: We chose to enjoy this with a glass of water to clear our palate and have all of the flavor notes come through but imagine that a full-bodied red wine would pair marvelously.

Next week, we'll be tasting a bar from Equal Exchange, a company that caught our eye with their distinct eco-friendly packaging and fair trade practices. 

For now savor: “Chocolate is cheaper than therapy and you don't need an appointment.” - Catherine Aitken

Chapter Thirty-Two: Bovetti 73%

Welcome back! After a restful break we are ready to return to our favorite pastime of eating chocolate. With a new year comes new resolutions, and we have committed to improving Chocolate Bar Hopping and making the experience of reading along easier for you, dear readers. Expect to see some exciting changes in the coming weeks. 

Our first change is the introduction of a new base bar. We quite enjoyed our Guittard base bar, but often found it to be much sweeter and less chocolate-y than we preferred.  When tasting this new base bar, we felt that it embodied what we love most about chocolate: deep chocolate flavor, complex taste profile, mild sweetness, and divine texture.  You can read more about our new base bar and how it compared to our previous base bar by reading this post.

Bovetti has always provided a decadent tasting experience and this bar was no different.  We are consistently thrilled by their delicious and satisfying chocolate bars.

Strangely, all of the bars we have tried thus far from Bovetti have been 73% cacao. 

Tasting No. :30
Bovetti Chocolatier: Dark Chocolate 73% Cocoa (we couldn't find a link to this particular bar, but this dark chocolate with hazelnuts looks divine!)

Initial Impressions:

The snap of this bar was not quite as firm as the base bar, it almost felt pliable.  The aroma was spicy like cinnamon, with notes of coconut and almond.  Gaby said it reminded her of an almond joy.  The bite was firm but melted very easily, it again brought forth a feeling of eating flourless chocolate cake. 

Flavor Profile:

Initial – almond

Middle – slight acidity, earthy

After – cherry, caramel

Texture:

The texture of this bar was thick, smooth, enveloping, and velvety.  It was much moister than the base bar which crumbles in your mouth, it felt like a chocolate ocean swirling over our tongues. 

Overall:
This bar is true to the Bovetti form; pure, simple, and quality chocolate taste.  We would gladly give this bar as a gift, or keep it for ourselves.  All it takes is a bite to be satisfied.  We both added this bar to our list of favorites.

Rating: 8/10

*Notes:

Purchased at Central Market

Price range under $6
Drink pairing suggestion: we tasted this with a strong black loose leaf tea with a dash of milk - no sweetener.

Next week we will be sampling our first Amedei chocolate; known as the best chocolate in the world. Curious about it? Join us!

For now savor: “Flowers wilt, jewelery tarnishes, and candles burn out...but chocolate doesn't hang around long enough to get old.” - Anonymous, Heavenly Humor for the Chocolate Lover's Soul