Pascha Chocolate

I keep going back to this chocolate. The first time I bought and sampled the 70 percent bar, I wasn't sure about it. It doesn't have that typical cocoa-flavor zing so many bars on the market have, but there's something about it that made me want more. I wanted to figure it out and get to know it better. Right away, I could tell that the quality of this bar is on a level unlike and far above most bars out there. It has a pure, natural taste, unadulterated by unnecessary ingredients. There are only five ingredients in this bar: organic cocoa mass, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic natural cocoa powder and organic vanilla. That's it, because that's all the bar needs. It's amazing that these five ingredients can be combined in such a way as to produce a chocolate bar that's so appetizing.

A high-quality chocolate bar by Pascha. 

What I love about the company is its exceptionally high standards. As far as I know, there are only a few chocolate companies in the world that are entirely nut free. Pascha takes it a few steps further by keeping peanuts, dairy, soy, eggs, wheat and gluten out of their products as well.

From their website:

PASCHA adopts the following principles to our chocolate-making:

1.  Use only ingredients that might be found naturally together, like cocoa and sugar cane.

2.  Use ingredients that are organic or at least grow under organic principles.

3.  Produce as close as possible to the source of these ingredients, to preserve freshness and to reduce the possibility of contamination or spoilage in any way.

4.  Produce in a bean to bar process:  in the same facility the bean goes in and chocolate comes out. So little chocolate is made this way but it is the only way to guarantee the purest possible product.

5.  While we hope to gradually increase the range of chocolate types that we produce, we will only make product that adheres to these principles.

The 70 percent bar

I wouldn't call it full bodied; it's more light and fruity. While it is somewhat complex with notes of spice, fruit and cocoa, you don't get a sense of diving into a vat of rich, dark chocolate with the first bite. The darker, richer qualities of the chocolate come out only after it has been sitting on your tongue for a while.

I will say that this one is among the more interesting and intriguing bars I have sampled. The added cocoa powder confuses me, but it seems to bring out more of the bitter qualities, which isn't at all a bad thing. I'm just not used to it. It reminds me of the difference between robusta coffee, which tends to be more on the bitter side, and the more popular, smoother and richer Colombian coffee served in most cafes in the United States. It's really a matter of personal taste which you prefer. That being said, the Pascha chocolate ended up being addicting. I had no problem sticking another bar in my shopping basket the next time I saw one. It doesn't hurt that the boxes are eye catching, elegant and cool, maybe even a little sexy looking.

There's a very nice even chocolate flavor that emerges the longer the chocolate is in your mouth. It's not unlike some wines that aren't at their best when quickly swallowed from a freshly opened bottle, though with chocolate, I'm not talking about aging or breathing. My suggestion is to either chew up a large mouthful, or allow a reasonable-sized bite to linger in your mouth until the deeper chocolate tones come out of hiding. I think pretty much everyone can appreciate the outstanding quality of this chocolate line, and I'm guessing anyone who likes dark chocolate will enjoy these bars. I bet even a few milk chocolate lovers would happily get into this chocolate too.

Pascha 70 percent dark chocolate bar is hard to resist.

Zoe's Chocolate Company

I hate giving bad reviews. Normally I would simply skip saying anything, but I kept trying to give this company a chance, mostly because the chocolate looks so good. The packages are gorgeous, even though they are merely cellophane with a natural-looking, tan paper label tied in raffia or brown string. It's the chocolate designs that are spectacular. Most of their bars have goodies decorating top, but even the ones without toppings have a lovely look about them. The espresso flavor, for example, has speckled white chocolate swirled throughout the dark chocolate, making a pretty marble pattern. Looking into the company, I discovered that Zoe's Chocolate Company aims to use locally sourced, natural ingredients, another plus. Unfortunately, I've just had very bad luck with the bars I have tried.

Zoe's chocolate bars.

The first one I tried, I can't even review. All I can say is that in all my years of chocolate sampling, I have never experienced nuts so rancid they made me spit out the product. I contacted the company, explaining that I review chocolate and had recently purchased one of their bars that ended up with rancid almonds. They seemed to think it was the fault of the market where I purchased them, even though I have been buying from this place for years without any issues. Zoe's Chocolate Company did apologize, but nothing came of it. On to the next bar.

I thought the pretzel bar would be a safe option. With no nuts, there's less chance anything would be stale. Autoxidization of lipids in oils in the nuts, usually when exposed to air or heat, can make them more susceptible to going bad. This can be a problem with anything wrapped in cellophane, which is not as sturdy and protective as other forms of packaging. The ingredients of the pretzel bar were fresh, fortunately, but, yikes, what an unbalanced bar.

One of the best chocolate and pretzel combinations ever comes from Long Grove. They make a dark chocolate covered pretzel rod that's drizzled with milk chocolate. It is phenomenal.

Long Grove Chocolate Pretzel Rods.

The Zoe's chocolate pretzel bar looks appealing. I had some minor concern, because I could see that the pretzels are chopped up and mixed into the chocolate. I tend to like contrast in my chocolate bars with each element distinguishable but also in harmony with the others. This just isn't the case with the pretzel bar. The salt flavor is so overwhelming, you can't even really taste the chocolate. I think blending the pretzel pieces into the chocolate is a mistake, because the salt gets dispersed. When the pretzels are left on top or simply covered, the salt acts as an accent. It provides a short burst of flavor and quickly recedes to the background to let the chocolate flavor emerge. With Zoe's, all you really taste is the salt. Yuck. Also, the crunch of the pretzel pieces is lackluster and soft. Though I didn't have to spit this one out or throw it away, I'm not at all motivated to eat it. I wish I would have ordered some Long Grove pretzel rods online instead.

Despite my complaints, I can tell that the chocolate itself in this bar is nice. When I was able to find and bite off a teeny, tiny little piece that wasn't assaulted with salty pretzel bits, I could actually taste the chocolate, which has a nice, deep cocoa flavor.

I had to give the company a third chance. Three's a charm, right?

Zoe's Lottie Dottie Bar.

Apparently not. Well, the chocolate candy pieces on top were good. 

Sorry, even the Lottie Dottie Bar was a disappointment. It's hard to describe exactly how it tastes off, but this milk chocolate has an odd, bitter taste. It also has a strange chalky texture and does't melt well. It's another one I can't bring myself to finish eating. I will pick off the candies on top, so at least those don't go to waste. 

Sigh, I wish I had more good things to say about this company, but the bars I sampled were among the worst I have tried. To be fair, I haven't tried their truffles, which look amazing. It's possible that I simply had bad luck, and other flavors of the bars are better. I can't be sure, but I hope so. I'm not willing to risk spending more to find out. 

Chocolate Cartel

Chocolate Cartel.

I was very excited to try Chocolate Cartel chocolate bars. In fact, I accidentally mindlessly but happily plowed my way through two bars before I realized I probably should have taken some more complete notes on the flavors. Of course, I had to go out and buy another bar, just to verify that I remembered the taste of the chocolate correctly. OK, I guess I didn't have to, but it was the perfect excuse to buy more chocolate.

The first thing I noticed about these bars is that they are pretty with the toppings visible through the cellophane wrappers. The packaging is simple. There's no need for excessive showiness on the surface when the chocolate is good. The other obvious distinguishing feature is that the bars are thin, which gives them an elegant appearance. What really sets these bars apart from others is the taste.

There was something intriguing about all the bars. They are a step above most, so much so that I felt compelled to contact the company, something I rarely do. Obviously the chocolate made an impression on me. Below are a few questions Tim, co-owner, business partner and brother of certified master chocolatier and chef de cuisine at Chocolate Cartel, Scott J. Van Rixel, was kind enough to answer, but first a little bit about the company and my reviews:

Some of you may remember a company called Xocoatl. Chocolate Cartel is actually the same company, just relocated and expanded. They are now in Albuquerque instead of Taos.

From their website: Xocoatl Chocolate, now the Chocolate Cartel began in Taos, New Mexico in 2001 by Certified Master Chocolatier and Chef de Cuisine Scott J. Van Rixel. Immediately his chocolate creations drew wild buzz from locals and visitors giving brother Tim, the opportunity to join the chocolate team soon after. Since then the Chocolate Cartel's popularity has grown beyond New Mexico and throughout the U.S. The Van Rixel brothers remain devoted to handcrafting superb chocolates using only the best, fairly traded chocolate and natural ingredients. Scott's knowledge of ingredients, knack for flavor profiles and overall science of foods has led their creations to rival the finest chocolatiers from around the globe. 

The first bar I sampled was the Hiwa Kai Black Lava Salt bar. Hiwa Kai Black Lava salt is from Hawaii. It's Pacific sea salt with added activated charcoal that gives the salt a black hue and a silky complexion.

Hiwa Kai Black Lava Salt.

If anyone wants to know how to pair salt and chocolate, this bar will demonstrate how to do so perfectly. With the first bite, the chocolate flavor is prominent, though a light taste of chicory and cinnamon lingered in the background. As you bite into the black salt that looks rather pretty on the bar, there's a beautiful crunch followed by a short but sweet burst of salt that doesn't overwhelm the chocolate; it enhances it. That's exactly how it should be! With the interesting flavors and the unique texture, the chocolate becomes even more intriguing and addicting. Since the chocolate itself is fragrant, spicy and even a little bit fruity but still full of cocoa, a dash of salt mingles well with the complex flavors. I tasted a hint of bitterness, but it was not at all unpleasant or acrid. This a lovely, well-balanced bar I could eat on a daily basis and never get bored.

Bee pollen looks cute on dark chocolate, and it's good for you too. 

The next bar I devoured was the Honey and Bee Pollen bar. Small balls of bee pollen decorate the top of the bar nicely, and while the honey flavor dominated, the pollen added to and enhanced both the texture and flavor. Specifically, it brought out the floral and earthy notes of the chocolate and added a very subtle and soft, slightly crunchy texture. Right off the bat I noticed a strong honey flavor embedded deep in the chocolate with potent vanilla notes playing second string. This is probably one of the more intriguing chocolates bars I have experienced, and while the Mawi Kai Salt bar is still calling to me, this is one I would buy again. I think it would also make a pretty gift for your favorite chocolate connoisseur.

Merlot salt is a deep purple color with a rich flavor.

The third bar I sampled was the Merlot Salt Bar, another perfectly balanced salt and chocolate combination with a salt that's slightly less potent and more crystal like than the Mawi Kai salt. It melts more quickly in your mouth. The addition of the Merlot salt on top brings out the fruit and floral notes in the chocolate. There's a more pronounced dark cherry flavor that stands out in the rich dark chocolate. The salt hits just enough to wake up your palate and then backs off to allow the chocolate flavor to shine, and there is just a hint of the Merlot wine flavor left teasing your taste buds as the chocolate melts in your mouth.

A few questions answered by the co-owner of Chocolate Cartel, Tim Van Rixel:

1. How is it running a company as brothers? Do you have specific roles in the company, or do you both share all the responsibilities? 
Tim runs day to  day operations now. Scott is in more of a consulting role.

2. How did you get interested in chocolate?

Scott always had a culinary passion.  Chocolate allowed for artistic creativity as well as still knocking peoples socks off!  Plus, it has better hours than running a restaurant!

3. How and why did you end up choosing the El Ray Venezuelan chocolate as the base for your chocolates?

We sampled a lot.  It’s clear the best cacao on the planet comes from Venezuela.  We like that rich dark flavor. It has a harder texture with Less sugar and less cacao butter, which is contrary to European style (specifically Belgian) chocolates.  

4. What are your best selling bars?

Our topped bars, especially the toffee & salt topped.  73% Dark bars with red chile and our 90% dark bar both sell well too.

5. Why did you decide to use bee pollen in your chocolate?

It has a unique flavor and an interesting look. 

6. Do you see adding other flavors of chocolates bars to your line?

Probably not. A few different organic bars would be next if we do anything.

7. With so many bars on the market, how do yours stand out?

Taste.  But hopefully we can bring our packaging a little more up to par in the next year or two.   Sadly, people often buy with their eyes.  And we know our packaging doesn't compare to ALL the other stuff.

A very big thank you to Tim who took the time to answer my questions. I am looking forward to trying more flavors, because this is one chocolate line that really stood out among the rest. 

Jade Chocolate

Jade Chocolates

If you're looking for something different, these bars are for you.

Mindy Fong, the founder of Jade Chocolates, takes great care in producing intriguing products at Jade Chocolate. Born in San Francisco, she made a big change in her life several years after graduating from UC Davis when she switched from a career in architectural design to creating a chocolate company. She drew inspiration from her family, her mixed heritage and her surroundings, but it was her love of and interest in chocolate that landed her in the position of starting a business in the chocolate world. With parents from both China and the Philippines, Mindy wanted to incorporate various teas, spices and other ingredients popular in these two areas into her chocolate line. Using interesting combinations in her chocolates has paid off well, because from 2008 to 2012, Jade Chocolates won many new product and outstanding product awards, especially for the milk chocolate bars.

Jade chocolate bars are packaged beautifully. The elegant label isn't flashy, but it's eye catching despite its simplicity. It has an organic, clean look. The outer paper, in this case brown, reminds me of the beautiful hand-made paper my sister-in-law used to make.

The look of the bar is unique in that the squares are alternately raised up or low. Pretty etchings are displayed on each square. It's as if the bar were designed, cut apart, rearranged and put back together. I'm not sure that's actually how the pattern occurred, though. However it was done, it's quite artistic looking.

Jade dark chocolate Kuro Genmai bar. 

I ended up trying the Kuro Genmai bar, because the only other option on the shelf was one that contained espresso beans. As some of you already know, I can't tolerate a lot of caffeine because of a heart valve leak, so I decided to play it safe and only get the one bar.

There's no doubt that this bar is exotic. Though the website boasts that there's an intense chocolate flavor associated with Kuro Gemani bar, the toasted rice overpowers it. There is, however, a beautiful and potent chocolate aroma that accompanies the bar. Unfortunately, the extra toasted rice flavor that's almost on the verge of being burnt is too strong for this particular chocolate, which tastes more like baker's chocolate than an artesional bar. When I did get any chocolate notes popping up through the taste of toasted rice cakes, they reminded me of quality bittersweet baking chocolate. I was searching for subtle spices and complexity in the chocolate, but my taste buds came up short.

The bar is nice but not extraordinary, and at close to $6.00 for a 2oz bar, I was expecting something outstanding. That said, there is something intriguing about the bar. I just wanted to like it more than I actually did. If you're into interesting flavors, you might love it. If you're strictly into phenomenal chocolate, you might want to try something else.

You also might want to try a different bar if you are adamant about avoiding soy and insist that your products are organic, because these are not. Nor are they kosher. All this information can be found on the Jade Chocolate website. It is honestly and openly presented in the FAQ section. The list of ingredients in the bar I purchased are straightforward and pure, though: 62% cacao (cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla) and roasted brown rice. That's it.

Finding diversity in chocolate bars is not necessarily difficult, but finding something original that also appeals to many people can be. Despite my little complaints, it was a pleasant adventure sampling a bar that maybe isn't my favorite but left me curious and wanting to try more from this company.

Cocoa Parlor Simple Pleasure

When it comes to reviews, I don't like giving bad ones. Unfortunately, because honesty is a concern of mine, rotten tomato critiques are a must sometimes. Such is the case with one of the Simple Pleasure bars by Cocoa Parlor I tried recently.

It's always a disappointment when you select a bar, pay more than $4.00 and end up not liking it. It's worse when it goes beyond merely not liking to the "this is icky" stage, complete with yuck noises and a wrinkling of the nose upon first taste. Fortunately, I bought two flavors from this company, so at least one was edible.

Milk chocolate with nibs

Without carefully reading the mostly bland looking label that has only a splash of color in the cutesy drawing of a girl on it, I picked the Crushed Velvet bar, thinking it was a dark chocolate with crushed cacao nibs. It turns out it's milk chocolate, but since I'm one of the few who likes both milk and dark chocolate I wasn't disappointed when I took a closer look. I thought the combination of milk chocolate with nibs might even be better than the typical dark with nibs bars found on so many shelves these days, a good contrast of flavors. The letdown came later when I put a square of the chocolate in my mouth.

WHAT IS THIS?!?!

The company claims:

This milk chocolate has a higher cacao content then most milk chocolates 

giving it a very rich chocolate flavor.

Well, that's not exactly true about the flavor. In fact, there's not much resembling chocolate in this bar except the color. Even the first bite had me questioning what I was putting in my mouth. There wasn't even a hint of true cocoa flavor.

More than chocolate, it tastes like poo. Well, it tastes how I imagine poo tastes. I don't actually know that particular flavor, but I know that it's rare that I want to spit out a mouthful of chocolate. Sadly, I went back to it several times thinking maybe I was too harsh in my initial analysis. Could it be that bad? Yes, it could. Each time I took a nibble, my taste buds were offended. On one occasion, I did detect a single note of chocolate somewhere in the mess of other confusing flavors, but otherwise the flavor was overwhelmingly foreign.

I can only guess, but it seems that whatever nibs were used were probably burnt. Also, the milk in the chocolate may have been sour. Whatever's going on in this chocolate, the end result is a bitter, acrid, sour and slightly sweet combination of flavors. The aftertaste is terrible and lingers painfully long. It tastes unnatural. I needed a real chocolate chaser and was glad I had some of the L'Amourette chocolate left with which to cleanse my palate. Sadly, I think I'm going to have to toss what I have left of this one.

With the toasted hazelnut and salt in dark chocolate bar, the big plus is that the hazelnuts are fresh. Yahoo! That's a very good thing. I have to drop into lecture mode, though, because following trends doesn't always pay off, and in this case, adding a generous dose of salt to the mix is unnecessary. Hazelnuts have a strong flavor, and the classic combination with chocolate doesn't need additional competing flavors. If you're going to add an ingredient, make sure that it serves a legitimate purpose. Here, all the salt does is become a distraction.

Hazelnuts and salt in dark chocolate

Even in this bar there's an occasional sour note. It makes me think something sinister is going on in the cacao bean roasting process. Either that or the beans are not being picked at the optimal time or stored properly. Whatever the case may be, the chocolate, despite the quality of its combined ingredients and the nice hazelnut flavor that occasionally shines through, comes of as average at best. The chocolate is only memorable in that it has a strange flavor, one that adding or subtracting sugar or other ingredients to probably can't fix.

Now for the good.

The good thing about chocolate is that it's a little bit like art. Maybe coffee is a better metaphor in this case. What one person loves, another might strongly dislike, and a third person might find mediocre. Just because I wasn't impressed with the flavors doesn't mean someone else won't find these bars great. I should add too that there are some very nice qualities about these bars that include the following:

1. They are soy free, gluten free, fair trade and organic.
2. The dark chocolate bars are vegan.
3. The products are GMO free.

I noticed that the company makes hand-made truffles too. Their website can be found here.

L'Amourette Chocolat

I've been having a blast selecting various chocolate bars to sample at the Boulder Book Store lately. They have an amazing selection of fine chocolates. I can't wait to try the chocolate bar I saw with the whole animal crackers on top! Those look fun.

This time, I settled on L'Amourette chocolate bars. The packages are artsy and colorful. It's hard to resist the bright pink, yellow or even the black packages with the elegantly printed labels. The heart embracing the name of the company on the package should resonate with many chocolate connoisseurs who know the undeniable connection between chocolate and love.

Holy WOW! These bars are good.

The chocolate itself tastes like a cup of very lightly sweetened gourmet hot chocolate in bar form. It's playfully bitter, more on the verge of being than actually being, and the subtlety of it makes a perfect vehicle for the outrageously fresh ingredients that flavor each bar. It's a brilliant strategy to use quality chocolate that's not overly complex to showcase the flavors of the added ingredients. I sampled two products, the dark chocolate fig bar and the dark chocolate with sour cherries and salted almond.

These are the kinds of confections that tempt you to continue eating and call to you when you let your mind wander. A nibble just isn't enough. I can often take a small bite of chocolate and be satisfied, but only a few chocolates make me want to devour the entire thing. I had a moment of panic when I was down to the last square of one of the chocolate bars I purchased. Remember the Good & Evil bar? That was one that's impossible to resist, and these are also on my "I can't resist" list. However, to me, these are more about the added ingredients than the chocolate, though the chocolate is good. Actually it's really the combination of ingredients that makes the bars so irresistible. And they are very affordable for what they are.

Dark chocolate and fig bar.

Most people who read my reviews know how fussy I am when it comes to nuts in chocolate. Rancid nuts added to any product make me cringe, and this mishap seems to happen a lot in the chocolate world. This was definitely not the case here. In addition, L'Amourette bars are a welcome counterpart to all those chocolates I complained were too sweet. The bars I sampled are 72% cacao.

My first bite of the fig bar made me swoon. I was blown away by the overall texture and the freshness of the figs. The fruity pieces enrobed in chocolate are soft, chewy and sweet, the perfect partner to the sturdy, dark chocolate. The pieces of fig are substantial too, which added to the allure. I just can't get enough.

Dark chocolate with cherries and almonds.

Let me tell you about the other flavor, another great find, but before I do, I have to say that L'Amourette produces some pretty outrageous bars like the dark chocolate with salami and bacon bar, the exotic berry bar and the candied pomelo chocolate bar. I want to sample them all.

Now to rave about the cherry and almond bar. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but it could stand to be a teeeeeennnnnny tiny bit sweeter, though it was very, very good as is. I think a touch of sweetness would enhance the cherries even more. Other than that, this item is outstanding in every way. Oh yes they did use whole salted almonds and moist dried cherries! Two thumbs up on that move there. This combination makes for an excellent party of textures with the hard crunch of the nuts, the firmness of the chocolate and the chewiness of the cherries. The cherries are very slightly sour, but with the lack of sweetness in the chocolate, the sugars in them are more pronounced.

There's just the right amount of salt on the almonds. Salt should enhance the food, not overwhelm it, and that's exactly what happens with this bar. It's so beautifully balanced.

I'm amazed at how good L'Amourette bars are. It's rare to find such quality ingredients like this without spending a fortune. Usually the nuts used in chocolates are chopped fine, so the company can get away with using fewer of them. Nuts are expensive these days. I like when a company puts it all out there in an honest way for all to see, and I am jumping for joy that, not only are there whole almonds and plenty of them in the bar I sampled, all the ingredients are FRESH, not a single rancid or stale nut to be found. I might have to lobby for a hazelnut praline bar from them. Hint, hint.

L'Amourette bars are vegan and the company is in the process of making sure their chocolates become certified organic and Kosher. They are also aiming to make their products certified fair trade. Check out the company and its products here: http://www.lamourettechocolat.com/

Cacao Sampaka

I've become a chocolate snob. Actually, I knew that, but I didn't realize how much of one I have become. Maybe I have always been one; I'm not sure. I was born into a family of chocolate aficionados after all, and my mother is French, a sure sign that we were destined to have at least one foodie in the family.

Over the past few months, I fell into a deep writer's slump. I couldn't seem to find the motivation to put any words at all into my blogs, no matter how hard I tried. The chocolate I purchased bored me, and the cheeses I found were all too similar. It's not that anything was bad, except the Zoe chocolate bar with the extra rancid almonds on it - blah; it's more that I had a touch of writer's paralysis. There were things I wanted to say, but I could't bring myself to actually say them. For example, I liked the Valrhona I purchased and halfheartedly tossed some ideas about it around in my head, but I didn't bother to write an actual review. Valrhona has long been considered the best baking chocolate in the world by chefs. There were others, too, that were sampled and forgotten. I needed something to pull me out of my apathy.

Figs in chocolate, an incredible combination.

Finally I found the Cacao Sampaka line and got excited again. Actually, I found one bar, the dark chocolate with sea salt, hiding among a large selection of other bars in the specialty chocolate aisle at Whole Foods, a whole separate area away from the regular chocolate bar section. I also found some fancy figs covered in chocolate in the specialty imported food section, another separate aisle. Damn! Those sweet little dried nuggets of fruit dipped in chocolate are AhMazIng! So a fire was lit, and I got the urge to write again once I tasted something that got my taste buds fired up.

I couldn't find a lot of information about the Cacao Sampaka company. Most of the websites with reviews of the chocolate are in Spanish, which makes sense since the company originated in Spain. From what I could gather, rare cocoa beans from Mexico were used to create both the first classic and more exotic flavors of chocolate bars, and oh how I wish I could have tried some of the exotic flavors! The company even puts out a gin and tonic bar that sounds like it could be the equivalent of an evening beach party in your mouth.

I settled for the only option on the shelf, the dark chocolate bar with sea salt. This elegant bar seemed out of place by itself among full lines of other bars on the shelves. Perhaps it was a one-time extravagance for Whole Foods, because, sadly, I haven't seen this bar or any of its cousins again anywhere in Boulder. I guess I lucked out, or, if one thinks along these kinds of lines, one could claim it was fate.

What I noticed right away is that the chocolate is of a superior quality than most bars. The perfectly balanced flavors are the result of a chocolatier who knows what he's doing. This is no ordinary chocolate, though. Unlike many American sea salt and chocolate bars that taste like someone dipped a cow's salt lick in a thin layer of mediocre chocolate, this bar showcases the chocolate and adds a notable but not overwhelming bite of salt, just enough to enhance the chocolate.

Dark chocolate with sea salt.

The texture of the chocolate is interesting. If I say that it's a little bit sandy or grainy, don't be turned off, because, like with one of the French Broad chocolate bars I mentioned earlier that had a similar consistency, the very slight grittiness does nothing but add to the complexity and allure of the bar. Plus, the sandy texture is temporary and disappears as the bar melts into a smooth, rich mass of deliciousness in your mouth.

The chocolate is dark, but it's not bitter. The sweetness is subtle, as it should be with good dark chocolate.

If you're a chocolate connoisseur and get super stoked at the thought of something different in the chocolate world, you are in luck, because this bar is unique. I have't been this excited about chocolate in a long time, probably back when I was drooling over the Good & Evil bar, so if you can find the Cacao Sampaka line on any shelf, do yourself a favor a buy a bar. You won't regret it. If you do, send the bar to me, and I will very happily and quickly dispose of it in probably just a few bites.

Ghirardelli Mint Chocolate Cookie

AAK!

Mint cookie goodness

OK, maybe it's not the most gourmet chocolate in the world, but DAMN! Ghiradelli, did you create some kind of chocolate crack here? I dare anyone to eat just one bite. No, it's not possible. You stand a better chance of eating one potato chip when craving something salty.

Maybe it's a tad too sweet, but just follow it with a dark chocolate chaser. Jeez, though, the texture is fucking amazing, the perfect balance of light crunch and smmmmooootttthhh melty chocolate. Yeah, it's good stuff. Eat some.

Soma Chocolate Review

As some of you might have noticed, I bailed on my one post per day goal. I learned a great deal in doing this, mostly that I hate deadlines. The other thing I learned is that it's probably better to put out quality over quantity. I also learned that sometimes life gets in the way, and it's important to prioritize. It turns out that health and well-being are pretty high on my priority list, so when I came down with pneumonia, I had to let some things slide.

Before I got sick, I was feeling a lot of pressure, mostly internal, and I think my blog posts suffered as a result. Oddly, at the same time, I fell into sampling both cheeses and chocolates that were all a little too similar and not all that noteworthy, or so I thought. What may have happened is more that I was losing my passion about reviewing, and it all started seeming overwhelming and overly challenging. It's true that I get into these funks from time to time where everything seems pointless, even breathing, so I knew it was time for a break.

I took some time away from writing and absorbed myself in watching Luther, Dexter and Sherlock on Netflix. I guess I'm suddenly into titles with no more than one word in them.

Now that I'm feeling better, I'm ready to get back into reviewing. 

I went to the Boulder Bookstore in February and purchased some Soma chocolate. The flavors looked promising, but the reality was that there wasn't anything outrageously memorable about what I purchased. I don't regret buying the bars; I was just expecting more. 

As you can see from the images, one of the bars I tried had dried cherries in it. The plump cherries on the thick square of dark chocolate that showed through the cellophane looked appetizing. I love the idea of a thicker bar in general, and one with cherries is exceptionally tempting. Unfortunately, the chocolate, while good, wasn't extraordinary. As a result, I felt let down. The cherries were nice and tart and chewy, and the chocolate-cherry combination is always a good one. It's just that with this bar, it seemed disjointed, like someone accidentally spilled a few dried cherries onto the chocolate bars as they were hardening. I think the biggest issues were that the chocolate was good but not great, and the cherries didn't carry enough flavor to truly enhance the bar. Still, there's something very nice about sinking your teeth into a thick bar. 

On a side note, someday, I will have to share my idea for a line of thicker chocolate bars. It's a good one, and someone should be doing it. In fact, I saw a soomewhat similar idea recently in a chocolate Easter bunny, so I'm sure it's only a matter of time before someone runs with my idea. Sigh. Any of you chocolate makers want a good idea? 

Cherry mini bar

Thick chocolate and tart dried cherries.

The other Soma bar I picked was packaged completely differently. It was sealed in a foil package, and the bar itself was very thin. The tangerine-chocolate combination was intriguing. Think of chocolate and oranges and add a splash of lemon with just a hint of bitterness. I think anyone who likes more adventurous flavors will go wild over this one. This is a bar that commands attention. With this one, you can get a better sense of the quality of the chocolate, and the tangerine and chocolate combination is certainly one that's intriguing and different. This is no orange-chocolate bar, so be prepared for something a step above that. The tangerine taste really jumps out at you, but not at the expense of the chocolate, and, unlike some citrus flavors, this one tastes natural, not like furniture polish. 

Elegant chocolate with a bold citrus flavor.

Yum!

I do need to catch up on my reviews. I have several cheese reviews on hold and a few more chocolate reviews coming soon. Keep checking back! 

Oooo A Gooey Chocolate Cookie!

Gooey Chocolate Cookie

$$

A list of the most expensive chocolate gifts in the world:

Big price tags for chocolate.

Chocolate Chip Recipes

Cheesecake chocolate chip bars

JD chocolate chip cake

Chunky monkey ice cream

Mint chocolate chip cupcakes

Bacon chocolate chip cookies

Oh my ganache cookies

French Chocolate Cake

French Yule Log

Buche de Noel

Opera Cake

Dacquoise

French Chocolate Cake

Aww

Cookie Milk Shots

Cookie milk shots

Make Your Own Chocolate

I found this article on how to make your own chocolate bars. There's a beginner and an advanced option:

Advanced chocolate bar

Beginner's chocolate bar

Chocolate Hard Candy

Dark Chocolate Candies

 Chocolate Candies

Chocolate starlight candies

Chocolate Nips

Chocolate Tea

Chocolate mint tea

Chocolate hazelnut tea

Numi tea

Assorted chocolate teas

Chocolate banana tea

Chocolate black tea

White chocolate tea