chocolate

I like chocolate. This page has notes on chocolate I’ve tried and want to try.

Naturally, this isn’t comprehensive – I’ve tried chocolates that aren’t listed here – and it’s biased toward my taste. If I mark a chocolate bad, I may still think it’s good overall, but just doesn’t match my own personal taste, and vice versa.

Also see wine, beer, and other lists.

Historically, the best chocolate has come from overseas, and for good reason. Artisan makers like Domori, Amedei, and Pralus have all been putting out top quality chocolate for decades.

Recently, more and more solid domestic US makers have popped up, and many are even full fledged bean to bar operations. Some are established and well regarded, like Amano, Michel Cluizel, and Recchuiti, while others like Rogue, Original Beans, and Dandelion are younger but surprisingly polished.

It’s hard to call out just a few makers individually, though. There are so many great ones!

To try:

Miette (store)

Hotel Chocolat

Red Star

Friis Holm

Willie’s

Mast Brothers

Soma

Zotter Labooko: Nicaragua 60%, Peru 40%, Brazil Amazonia 70%, Brazil Medicilândia 60%

Tried:

Madre Dominican 70% bad

Moonstruck Fortunato 68% ok

Zotter Labooko: Peru 80% good, Peru 60% bad, Panama 70% good, Nicaragua 70%

Dandelion Madagascar 70% good, Costa Rica 70% good

Cocanú Fauno 69% ok

Potomac Upala 70% good

Chocolat Bonnat Puerto Cabello 75% bad, Porcelana 75% bad, Cacao real del Xoconuzco 75% good

Antica Dolceria Bonajuto Salinae 80% bad

Charles 65% bad

L.A. Burdick Bolivia 68%, Dominican 72%, Grenada 75%, Madagascar 65%, Venezuela 70%, Ecuador 73% good

Russky Shokolad Poristiy Bitter Taste 66% good, Poristiy Dark ok

Fearless Sweet And Hot bad

Kilwin’s Tanzanian 70% ok, Hispaniola 65% bad, Peruvian 80% bad

Stone Ground 70% bad, 80% bad

Andrea Stainer Ecuador 70% ok, Papua New Guinea 64% bad

TCHO Nutty 2.0 65% good, Chocolatey 70% ok

Patric Rio Del Caribe 70% good, Madagascar Sambirano 75% good

Madécasse Bold 75% ok, Smooth 67% ok

Saratoga Chocolates Chocolatier’s Blend 71% bad

Alter Eco Dark Blackout 85% bad

Snake and ButterflyDominican Republic 75% ok, Madagascar 68% ok, Venezuela 70% ok

Pralus
Republique Dominicaine Trinitario 75% ok, Equateur 75% ok, São Tomé 75% ok Chuao good, Mélissa 45% ok, Madagascar good

Askinosie Davao, Phillipines Trinitario 77%

denis daubos (no web site) guinea 70%

Amma 75% good

Pierre Marcolini Ghana 75%

Mälarchocolaterie

Christopher Elbow
No. 1 70% ok, No. 14 85% ok

Domori
Carenero Superior 70% good good, Puertofino 70% (Criollo) good good, Porcelana 70% (Criollo) good good, Apurimac 70% good, Sur Del Lago 70% good good, Puro 100% ok, Sambirano good,
Rio Caribe good

Rausch
Arriba 70%

Blanxart
Chocolate Negro 62%, Chocolate Ecologico Leche 34%

Maglio
Santo Domingo 70% Equador 70%

Pacari
Raw 70% bad, Organic 72% bad

Neuhaus
West Africa 73%

Pralus
Ghana Forastero 75%

Coppeneur
Venezuela Ocumare 72% good, Chuao 70% good

J.D. Gross
Ecuador Edelcacao 70%

Original Beans
Cru Virunga 70%, Beni Wild Harvest 68%, Piura Porcelana

Valrhona
Le Noir Amer 71%, good, Guanaja 70%, ok, Ampamakta 2005 64%, Caraibe 66%, Gran Couva 2002 64%, good, Jivara 40% good, Tanariva 33%, Abinao 85%, Alpaco 66% good

Rogue
Hispaniola 70% good, Rio Caribe 70%, good, Sambirano 70% good, Piura good

Green & Black’s
70%

Teuscher
Praline, 66%, 88%

Venchi
Cuor Di Cacao 75%, Mister O’Brown 56%

Lake Champlain
Tanzania 75%

Frango
62%

Cote D’Or
Fondant Puur 48%, Noir De Noir 54%

Claudio Corallo
75%

Bernard Castelain
Macaibo 70%, Tradition 71%

Santander
36%

Amano
Madagascar 70%, Ocumare 70%, Montanya 70%, Dos Rios 70%, Guayas 70% good, Chuao 70% good, Morobe 70% good

Xocoa Negro 90%,

Plantations
Arriba (Ecuador) 75%

Veritas
True Flats 54%

Michel Cluizel
Maralumi 47% good, Maralumi 64%, Los Ancones 67%, Concepcion 66%, Mangaro 65%, Vila Gracinda 67%, Los Ancones 67%, Tamarina 70%, Amer Brut 72%, Noir Infini 99%, Noir De Cacao 72%, Chocolat Grand Amer 85%

Dolfin
88% good good, Chocolat au Lait au Thé Vert Sencha du Japon bad

Malagasy
Sambirano 75%

Baratti & Milano
Cioccolato Extra Fondente 70%

Giandujotti
Cioccolato Fondente 60%

Droste
Barettini Extra Dark 72%

Lindt
Excellence 85%, Surfin

Galler
Noir 85% good

Moonstruck
68%

Slava
75%

A. Korkunov
50%

Konditevskaya Fabrika
Loristi 65%

Amedei
9 75%, good, 70%, good, Toscano Black 70%, good, Chuao 70%, good, Grenada 70% good, Jamaica 70% good,
Trinidad ok

El Rey
Apamate 73.5% Gran Saman 70%

Dagoba
New Moon 74%, Dark 59%

Sprungli
Lait Dunkle

Fauchon
Intense 77%

Cafe-Tasse
Extra Noir 77%

Pernigotti
Black

E. Guittard Quetalcoatl 72%

Scharffen Berger Kumasi Sambirano 68% Extra Dark 82% Finisterra 10th Anniversary 72%

Moser Roth Edel Bitter 70%

Recchuiti
Bittersweet 85% good

Chocovic
Ocumare 71% Guaranda 71%

Chocolove
Rich Dark 65% good

Mischer

Hachez
Cocoa De Maracaibo 55.5% Cocoa D’Arriba 77%

Newtree
Pleasure 73% bad

Dove
Rich Dark bad

Hershey’s
Cacao Reserve 65% Pure Dark 60%


Baratti & Milano Cioccolato Bianco

Lindt
White

El Rey Icoa

Green & Black’S Vanilla

Vintage Plantations 75%

Galler
Blanc Absolu

Moonstruck
Ivory

ile de re ok


Xocoa
Tiramisu Te Verde (Green Tea) 52%

Chuao
Chinita Nibs (With Nutmeg) 58%

Green & Black’S Maya Gold (Orange, Spices) 55%

Newtree
Renew (Blackcurrant) 73% Vigor (Coffee) 73% Tranquility (Lavender) Milk

Lake Champlain Dark Chocolate With Almonds

Calcagno Tornio Cioccolato Fondente Extra Con Peperoncino 56%

Vosges
Goji (Goji Berries, Pink Salt) 41% Barcelona (Almonds, Grey Sea Salt) 41% Gianduja (Almond And Hazelnut Praline) 41% Oaxaca (Guajillo And Pasilla Chiles) 75% Red Fire (Ancho And Chipotle Chiles, Ceylon Cinnamon) 55% Creole (Espresso, Nibs, Chicory) 70% Woolloomooloo (Macadamia Nuts, Coconut, Hemp Seeds) 41%

Zotter
Sunflower Seeds + Reishi Mushrooms 50% Kurbistruffel (Pumpkinseed Cream) 45% Graumohn-Kirsch (Poppy Seed, Cherry) 70% Cracknel-Quintet (Cracknel) 50% Candied Cranberries 70% BitterClassic (65% Filling) 70%

Dolfin
Earl Grey 52% Ceylan Cinnamon 52% Hot Masala 32%

Recchuiti
Hazelnut Praline 70%

Hershey’s
Extra Dark With Cranberries, Blueberries, And Almonds 60%

Eclipse
Lavender Grey Sea Salt And Nibs 50%

Chocolove
Cherries And Almonds 55%

Dagoba
Xocolatl (Chile, Nibs) 74% Chai (With Ginger) 37%

Fauchon
Dark With Spanish Almonds 62%

Moonstruck
Dark With Ancho Chiles 68

Neuhaus
Coffee White Chocolate

5 Comments

  1. 5/14/2006 #

    What a great page! I was looking for info on Newtree and I happened upon it. It’s such a great digest of knowledge and has opened my eyes a bit on all the different kinds of chocolate brands out there.

    - jedrek

  2. Jesse
    10/18/2006 #

    Toy Boat Dessert Cafe on Clement & 5th Ave in San Francisco
    has a wonderful selection of Chocolates as well as Ultra Chocolate Ice Cream and ab array of Chocolate Cakes..some can be warmed up to melt you heart

  3. 10/8/2008 #

    This page is wonderful. I am a recreational chocolate addict and now have some more ideas on chocolates to try. Since you mentioned them and if you didn’t know already, Scharffen Berger gives free public tours of their Berkeley factory. The factory tour itself was not especially impressive, but the history lesson was entertaining and you get free samples, which is never a bad thing.

  4. 7/9/2009 #

    Hi,
    Its very nice information about chocolates and bakery products..

    Thanks

  5. 11/6/2010 #

    you should try my favorite chocolate!!!!

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