With the holidays upon us we wanted to try something a
little different. We will be tasting white chocolate bars from brands we know
and love and new ones we are just discovering. We’re so glad you could make it!
We know what you may be thinking: white chocolate isn’t
really chocolate! However, did you know that cocoa butter is a by-product of
the chocolate making process? So while the cacao bean or solid is not included
in the white chocolate itself, it technically
does have cacao in it. :P Here’s another fun fact: the cocoa butter is what
smells like chocolate, not the cacao beans! We hope you enjoy our little segue
from dark chocolate bars as much as we did. Our tasting method will be a bit
different for the white chocolate reviews. As we have no base bar, there will
be no comparison. Instead we will be focusing on the color, texture, flavor
profile, and aroma individually.
Finding a white chocolate in brands that we have previously
tasted has proven to be quite the undertaking! We finally settled on this bar
from a brand that we have yet to sample. We look forward to tasting their dark
chocolate offerings in the future. This particular bar is from Venezuelan cacao
and though it is not fair trade certified, their website does have this to say
about their beans:
“I think I can
confidently say that my form of direct trade goes beyond certified fair trade. Being
both a cacao farmer and a chocolate manufacturer naturally means that I put the
ethical sourcing of my beans at the heart of the way I make chocolate. I source
all my beans directly from the farmers. I visit the farms and get to know the
farmers, the challenges they face and the production methods they use. All the
farmers I source my cacao from receive incomes well above average and well
above the fair trade minimums because I use only premium beans. The world has
two types of cacao. 85% of the world’s beans are the standard beans on which
the Stock Exchange price is based – fair trade simply guarantees a fixed $
amount per tonne amount more than this price. The other 15% is made up of the
Criollo, Trinitario, and Porecelana type premium beans that I buy – these command
some 50% to 200% more than the terminal market price for standard beans.”
It’s a captivating philosophy to say the least. Let’s get to
tasting.
Tasting No. :29
Willie’s Cacao El
Blanco
Initial Impressions:
The snap of this bar
was firm, as was the bite. It was a brown-toned color, and smelled faintly like
eggnog.
Flavor Profile:
Initial – fruity
Middle – goat’s milk
After – caramel
Texture:
The texture was buttery
smooth and thick, much thicker than the Milkboy.
Overall:
Surprisingly, this bar
was not sweet, with the sweetness developing as we ate more of it. Willie’s
Cacao attributes the lack of sweetness and depth of flavor to using 20% less
sugar than other brands by incorporating natural cacao butter. With the rich,
burnt caramel notes, it evoked childhood memories of spoonfuls of cajeta (a
Mexican confection of caramelized goat’s milk – popular in parts of Texas). It was
also reminiscent of custard or eggnog. We both found this bar to be
scrumptious, thus it made it on to Gaby’s Favorites and Laura’s Favorites
lists.
Rating: 9/10
*Notes:
Purchased at Central
Market
Price range: Under $4
We will be taking a
break until mid-January so that we can enjoy the holidays with our families. We
hope that you enjoy yours and stay tuned for another post!
For now savor: “I want
to stay curled and cosied and chocolated…forever in my mother’s arms.” –
Sanober Khan, Turquoise Silence
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.
