Moonstruck: 74% Cocoa Venezuelan Dark

As sad as it was to be leaving Hawaii yesterday, it’s not like the rest of the United States is all that bad. There are some really great places all over the country. I’m not quite ready to admit that I’m going all the way back to the east coast yet, so let’s ease ourselves back into mainland mode by starting off with some chocolate made on the west coast. Moonstruck, based in Portland, Oregon, put out this 74% cocoa bar made from Venezuelan beans.

As a long-time devotee to Venezuelan chocolate, with El Rey being my first introduction to such wonderful treats, my ears always perk up when I hear it mentioned, as Venezuelan beans are regarded as some of the best in the world. I was hopeful that Moonstruck had handled the beans well, and unwrapped the bar to find a faint aroma of citrus and cherry.

The bar started off with a dry melt that developed into something grainy and never recovered. The texture was so off-putting that it was nearly impossible to appreciate the flavors, but I did not some cherry, a little bit of citrus, and a tiny bit of coffee, with some banana developing near the end. None of these flavors are strong, and the bar lacks intensity.

Disappointment all around, especially given the Venezuelan origin touted. Definitely the lowest-quality Venezuelan bar I’ve ever had.

Have you have Venezuelan-origin chocolate that was sub-par? Who made it?

Waialua Estate: 70% Single Origin Hawaiian Chocolate

As I’d mentioned in yesterday’s little recap of that wonderful open water race, we got Hawaiian chocolate by Waialua at the finish line. But I didn’t talk about how cool that chocolate was. Single origin chocolate made by Derek Lanter himself.

This guy is pretty cool. We chatted about Hawaiian cocoa, various Hawaiian-based chocolate makers, and characteristics about beans from various regions throughout the world. He knows his stuff. Really.

And how does he do making chocolate? I scored an extra bar to facilitate a thorough review of this 70% cocoa chocolate made exclusively with beans grown on the north shore of Oahu, just miles from the swim race.

The bar has aromas of cherry, banana and coffee. Complex.

The flavor develops a bit slowly, and mirrors the aroma – the banana develops first, there is then a hint of coffee-centric bitterness, and then some mild woodiness. There is a bit of sugar added, which allows the chocolate to remain somewhat assertive without being overwhelming. The melt is generally buttery, but there is a bit of grain in the middle, though it’s not severe.

Overall, a nice bar from Hawaii; the graininess is really the only drawback. It’s a nice mild chocolate that still allows complexity to shine.

If only Hawaiian chocolate were more widely available on the mainland. And if only it were handed to me each time I completed a swim workout.

Have you ever talked shop with a chocolate maker? What did you discuss?

The Best Race Ever: Cholo's Waimea Bay Swim, With Chocolate

I bet after those seven reviews of Madre’s delicious bars made in Hawaii, you got sick of reading about how much fun I was having over on Oahu.

I bet you would hate to see what the view from my hotel room balcony is like.

Too bad.

And I bet you don’t want to read about my trip anymore. Again, too bad. I still have one more day here, so let’s talk about the best race ever. Now, I originally thought that the Hot Chocolate 15k slated for December 3 was made for me. Then I found Cholo’s Waimea Bay Swim – a 1.2 mile ocean swim off the north shore of Oahu that happened to be taking place during my trip here. Incredible Marsea joined me and served as my clutch pit crew.

This involved taking pictures of my badass race number.

Now, while the 36 minutes that I spent in the Pacific just off the shore of Oahu were great, that’s not why this race was made for me.

It’s because this Waialua Estate chocolate was handed out at the end.

It tastes a lot better than salt water. A more detailed review is forthcoming from the mainland tomorrow, where I will have nothing but Hawaiian chocolate left to bring my mind back to the wonderful land of Oahu.

What's the best thing you've ever been handed at the end of a race?

Madre Chocolate: Pink Peppercorn and Smoked Salt

Today is one of my last days here in Hawaii. I’m growing sad about this, even more so as I finally realized that tomorrow is my last day here. To add to this sad state of affairs, I only have one more Madre Chocolate bar to discuss here: the Pink Peppercorn with Smoked Salt.

This bar, like the Passion Fruit bar, is an all-Hawaiian affair. Hamakua coast beans. Pink peppercorn from the big island. Even the smoked sea salt is from Hawaii.

Though the peppercorns are visually evident from the front of the bar, they are even more apparent from the back. It is therefore not too surprising that a peppery aroma emerges from the bar; some fruitiness – specifically a raisin-like aroma – comes forth as well.

The pepper taste is immediately apparent, and is nicely muted just a bit by the coolness of a minty flavor from the chocolate. The salt, which doesn’t come through until a bit later, is well-incorporated throughout the chocolate, while the peppercorn is more coarsely ground, which is a bit difficult to reconcile with the very buttery melt of the chocolate. Though the peppercorn intrudes on the texture and flavor of the chocolate a bit, there are some other chocolate flavors apparent – notably raisins and some lemon-centric citrus. I personally found the pepper to be a bit overwhelming, but the base chocolate was clearly well cared for.

Now, if you are like me and appreciate well-cared for chocolate like that made by the folks at Madre, you can check out their kickstarter campaign to support them. Neat, isn't it?

Have you had salt or pepper from Hawaii before? In chocolate? And how sad is it that I have to leave Hawaii?

Madre Chocolate: Chipotle Allspice

Oh yes, another beautiful day here in Hawaii. And another beautiful bar from Madre Chocolate to review. This time, it’s a spicy number. A Chipotle Allspice bar made with 70% cocoa Dominican chocolate.

With the signature Madre Chocolate molding, this bar offers intense chipotle and xocoxochitl, or allspice in the Aztec language of Nahuatl. It also offers a spicy aroma accented with cinnamon and a hint of ginger, along with a bit of a floral note.

The very firm chocolate has a slow, buttery melt, with a cinnamon note emerging early on and the heat from the chipotle building later. Finally, a bit of citrus flavor comes forth from the chocolate, with some coffee flavor accompanying the lasting chipotle flavor. The bar is quite spicy, though the allspice, which obviously adds complexity, cuts back on this until the very end when the chipotle flavor stands alone. The heat is a bit intense at the end for my personal liking, but I do enjoy the addition of the allspice to make this bar more than a mix of cocoa butter and pepper.

How long do you think the heat from a spicy chocolate bar should linger?

Madre Chocolate: Popped Amaranth

Hawaii is awesome. Have I mentioned this? Are you tired of me saying this? Probably. In any case, I hope you aren’t tired of reading about the bars that Madre Chocolate sent me, because I’ve got some more of these bars to discuss. Including a very intriguing Popped Amaranth Dark Chocolate bar.

This bar – it’s practically health food. The packaging notes that Amaranth, a grain I was certainly unfamiliar with, packs eight essential amino acids. Eight! Maybe I should pack some of these bars for my long cycling expeditions to assist with muscle repair.

This amaranth is visible in the back of the bar, and made me want to dig in, especially after I caught a whiff of the delightful fruity and citrus aromas.

Like the Hibiscus Dark Chocolate bar, this bar has a slower, more buttery melt, but this melt intriguingly trends a bit creamy later. The flavor is also complex, with an earthy flavor that develops into an incredible mix of rich coffee, cream, and caramel. The sesame-like flavor of the amaranth is most notable in the end, and the small bits of well-dispersed amaranth itself adds a crunchy texture to nicely contrast with the smooth chocolate.

This intense bar is very different. And very nice. Very, very nice.

Now to figure out how to incorporate amaranth into brownies.

Have you eaten amaranth before?

Madre Chocolate: Hibiscus

While I’m still in Hawaii (yep, be jealous), one of the bars that Madre Chocolate sent me reminds me of home. Of DC. But why?

Because this Hibiscus bar is made from beans from the Upala region in Costa Rica, the source for the beans that nearby Potomac Chocolate uses for their bars.

The packaging for this 70% cocoa bar discusses not only the bean origin, but hibiscus as well, noting that it is traditionally used in a Mexican drink called “Jamaica.”

The bar, unsurprisingly, has a floral aroma, and while the other Madre Bars I reviewed had creamy melts, the melt for this bar seamed to be more buttery and a bit slower.

The flavor is tangy, with a blend of floral and citrus; the chocolate also offers a hint of cherry such that the overall effect is fruity. I found it to be a bit sour, and thought that it could use a tad more sugar, but it’s not excessively sour, nor at all bitter. The overall effect is a nice blend of floral flavor with a complexly-flavored chocolate.

Have you ever eaten anything with hibiscus?