I’d never indulged in chocolate from Charm School Chocolates. I’d also never tasted cocoa sourced from Belize. So this 70% dark chocolate treat was a 100% new for me when I happened upon it at the Northwest Chocolate Festival.
I really adore how small batch chocolatiers are starting to stamp and mould their bars.
The tasting notes on the back of the wrapper read: reminiscent of plump raisins and chocolate sandwich cookies. I definitely get the raisin flavour right off the top. But I’m not certain what they mean by ‘chocolate sandwich cookies.’ Oreos? If so, I’m not really picking that up. [Note: Michael says he tastes ‘more Fudgee-o’s than Oreos’.]
The chocolate is smooth and creamy with a lingering finish that is not unpleasant or dry.
I’ve decided that living in a single room with approx 620 square feet of space makes it perfectly acceptable to eat chocolate in bed.
While working, of course. 😉
And especially when I’m savouring this tasty, tasty bar from Fruition Chocolate. I grabbed this limited edition 68% along with their Maranon 76% at the Northwest Chocolate Festival. I can taste why they’ve won so many awards. Both bars are/were amazing – smooth, dark deliciousness.
I’d never heard of today’s chocolate indulgence, Dandelion Chocolates, before happening on their booth at the Northwest Chocolate Festival. I went straight for their Ambanja, Madagascar (of course and always). The chocolate was exceedingly smooth and bursting with fruit notes; the raspberry almost overwhelming. Though perhaps I shouldn’t have eaten so many pieces in such a short period of time [aka a matter of minutes].
The tasting notes they’ve printed on the bar (see picture) were exceedingly accurate.
Today’s chocolate indulgence is brought to me by TCHO via the Northwest Chocolate Festival.
I was lucky enough to attend the Northwest Chocolate Festival this year [Saturday, October 3, 2015]. The event was overwhelming but completely fun. Chocolatiers from all over the world had tasting booths spread over two floors of the convention centre.
Today’s chocolate indulgence – TCHO – was on the top floor. And, even though I was in the first wave of eager tasters chocoholics, there was already a line at their booth when we approached it during our first pass. So I skipped. I hadn’t heard of them before. I didn’t know why they had so much hype [turns out they’ve won a bunch of awards]. And I’m not one for standing in lines when there is so much other chocolate to be discovered.
Michael and I – rather overwhelmed halfway through the second floor – took a break for a late lunch and a walk around sunny lovely Seattle. We went back to the festival for another hour in the late afternoon. There was still a line at TCHO’s booth. So now I had to wait because what could be SO amazing, right?
Well, probably needless to say, this is some excellent chocolate. The booth had sold out of the bars I wanted, of course. So I bought the taste teasers pictured above.
The Madagascar (yellow wrapping) is right in my wheelhouse at 67% Cacao. It is lovely. Dark, yet sweet. Smooth and filled with bright citrus notes.
The Peruvian was the surprise (for me at least) (orange wrapping). 68% Cacao. Smooth, creamy, yet dark and really fruity. But without any annoying perfume. Lovely, lovely chocolate.
I would not be surprised to see these bars pop up in a Dowser novel. They get a definite recommend from me!
