Soma Porcelana & CSB Chama

SOMA 2015 Golds. The Porcelana and the CSB Chama. The bars were bought in Soma's Distillery District, Toronto factory in the summer of 2016.

The packaging is cool on the eye. Somewhat flawed, or genius, in that it cannot be resealed

Porcelana 70% had an aroma of mulberries, chocolate, molasses. The taste was too mulberries, a stout like Guinness, cream crackers, fresh churned butter, the texture was very creamy. The finish was "chocolate" 

CSB Chama 70% is a Porcelana-Ocumare hybrid. The Ocumare is another Venezuelan cacao. The aroma was sweet and sour - punchier! Mulberries, fig tart, shortbread, very pretty. The taste started herby and creamy, then flowed in spices like aniseed and vanilla, then it became quite juicy. Fig biscuits. It subtly finished with prunes and chocolate, with the odd orange marmalade here and there 

Tadzio Vietnam, Venezuela, Brazil, Philippines

Tadzio, a one-bean; two-ingredient chocolate-making operation, taking inspiration from Japanese minimalism in his presentation, has a growing collection of cocoa beans. When life hands you cocoa beans, you make chocolate, when life hands you chocolate, you relish and write ...

Bén Tre, Vietnam 71%
From 2 batches, the second bettered the first. It was smoky, spiced, Bourbon, pecan nut, honey, maple, later came an occasional sharp acidity, but prior to that, it was fantastic with its flavours

Puerto Cabello, Venezuela 71%
A taste of cocoa husk, real-rustic chocolate, spice and marjoram, green notes and rocks. It had a smooth melt. The aroma hadn't been as inviting, but nothing from the aroma gets picked up in flavour. This one is rather chocolate-y! 

Bahia, Brazil
Rainbow Dust yields to roasted coffee. It melts so cleanly, quickly gone. I go back to this one a week later, it's still that lime and Rainbow Dust sherbet, but now it's followed with hazelnut, then raisin, meanders to Cadbury's Brazilian Darkness. Great flavours, and just really quite interesting. I am very familiar with these Brazilian cocoa beans, but not with this flavour profile. This chocolate had the smoothest, coolest and softest melt of Tadzio's collection

South Cotabato, Philippines 73%
Sweet and warming on the nose. Straight away it's toasty, a high roast - these Philippine beans are very small, so "easy to do" says Tadzio in revealing a possible over-roast. With the roasted profile is rich, dark chocolate. And then slowly develops a curry-like aura with fragrant spices. A really lovely chocolate

Tadzio Chocolate and Yuzu Truffles

Tadzio is a London craft chocolate maker, making chocolate in micro nano pico femto atto zepto yocto batches. He's new and there is no finalised packaging or branding YET, but the chocolate quality is sensational. I couldn't not write about it

Ara Chocolat Agua Fria 70%

A cool thing about the French chocolate-maker Ara is that they work in incredibly small batches, meaning that they can afford to have such a diverse range. When meeting Ara (they are a team of two), Sabrina gave me a little tasting of their chocolate range. I most favoured the Nicaragua, of which is only available in their 'limited edition' pack and within that pack comes other bars like India and Colombia

Interested in cacao? If so: Another cool thing is that Ara offer a Criollo Guasare and a Trinitario Guasare, of which had great distinction between them: the Criollo was more complex. Then in addition to this Criollo type of the Guasare, they offer an experience that gives you a 48 hour fermentation and a 72 hour fermentation. The 48h had more of an alcohol and metallic profile, but the 72h was just wonderful

OK. I digress, back to this Venezuelan Agua Fria. I bought this bar because Ara Chocolat are the only makers using these beans outside of Venezuela

The aroma was cherry swirled vanilla ice cream, slightly metallic and coffee

The taste was blackcurrant, toasted, hazelnut, very sautéed-mushroom, acidity came up quickly and then red fruits brightened up the overall flavour. Quite impressively, this flavour journey was consistent with every bite. The finish was tannic and with an astringent drying in the mouth. The melt of this chocolate was noticeably smoother than their other chocolates - I questioned Sabrina about this, however the grind time of this was similar to that of the others

Admittedly, when I bought this chocolate, compared to the others I had tried, it wasn't my favourite; it was bought more for the fact that nobody else makes chocolate with these beans as a single origin. However, Ara Chocolat is a wonderful chocolate maker - and I highly recommend their Nicaragua and Criollos (the Guasare and the Porcelana)

Doble & Bignall Coffee Infusion

This is a quick review. Read more about the wonderful Doble & Bignall on my first post and you can even meet them at this year's Chocolate Show (October 16-18th) in London!

I first tasted this bar with Damson chocolate/Chocablog. I expressed as a coffee chocolate it was impressive, so I got to take it home with me!

The aroma was the Puerto Cabello Venezuela cacao for sure, but the rich coffee dominated. I liked it like this, as there were some unpleasant notes in the Venezuelan chocolate alone (you can see in my first post) ... But overall the profile was coffee, chocolate and spice

The taste was lovely, the perfect morning antidote for my awful night sleep. The coffee had acidity and overall this 72% dark chocolate tasted so rich and refreshing

The Arabica coffee within comes from Kilimanjaro and is infused into the cocoa butter, something unique in coffee chocolate making I'd say. This Coffee Infusion was delightful

Bettina & Niccolò Corallo

Bettina & Niccolò is a coffee shop located uptown Lisbon. The picture above isn't the best, but it was from the angle I arrived at. So believe me when I say that the interior was fantastic! It was simplistic: wood decor, a glass window below the counter showing thin slabs of chocolate piled on top of each other - all different types. Behind the counter was a lime green La Marzocco making espressos and coffee bean bags hanging on the wall

Rózsavölgyi Carenero 73%

The best about Budapest (and Hungary) is Rózsavölgyi. My sin, my soul. 

The aroma wow oh wow. Wheaty, salty, soda bread, rosemary. The taste didn't wow-oh-wow quite like the aroma, but it still was ever so nice. It was wheaty, very chocolate-smooth, rosemary and red peppercorns (that distinct spice to it). In my first tasting I had icing sugar (which is a defect to me), in later tastings I got sweet orange zest (not sharp) and once slightly burning car tyre, this smokiness was mesmerising

Carenero, a Venezuela strain of cacao, named after the port from where it once shipped from, is known as a "tropical fruit basket" with spice and earth grounding it. However, Rózsavölgyi are fond of the 'green' and more subtle earthy notes in chocolate, so they work hard with their cocoa beans to achieve this; their effort shows

I love Rózsavölgyi, that is all

Doble & Bignall

The craft chocolate revolution is pretty much alive in the UK. It has excited and entertained myself and many others; it has inspired myself and few others - to do it themselves, from the bean! Doble & Bignall rode the wave (think: 'new wave chocolate' #boom) in the summer of 2013, after listening to a Radio 4 programme on making chocolate from the bean

Doble & Bignall craft their chocolate in micro-batches in Gloucestershire, mixing their beans with cane sugar and cocoa butter

Raven Johe, Nicaragua 72%

This cocoa had grown in the Jinotega region in the northern mountains of Nicaragua. The colour was a brighter, more chocolate brown than the Venezuela. Trying to get the aroma of this chocolate felt like I was behind double-glazed windows. It was always 'chocolate', but I occasionally captured  smoke, spice, leather, nutty, malted milk (Horlicks®); it was sweet and all delicate

Straight on the tongue there was ash and a super juicy acidity (mineral acidity - Jinotega has very rich soils!). There was a berry buzz - so fresh and tangy, greenery and a taste of burnt/blackened toast. This Raven was all 'silent but deadly': quiet aroma, loud taste!

Raven Puerto Cabello, 72% Venezuela

Made from Cabello cocoa beans from the Mantuano region of Venezuela. The aroma was piss, spice, excrement, floral - it actually smelt of a Mr Bean™ rub-and-sniff sticker collection I had years ago

The taste was coffee, coconut water, heavy roast, something fruity and then the bitter coffee finished. My third and final attempt at this chocolate was actually very pleasant (it wasn't distinctly coffee nor coconut like before), though I still wasn't hot on the roast 

Tawny Owl Tierra Oscura, 50% Panama (milk)

An aroma so buttered fruit scone (made with 50/50 flour), quite creamy/milky. The taste was a less satisfying wheat taste, and a sudden tight bitterness (very astringent) but then after awhile dried fruits, some lactic acidity and pure butter came out

Tawny Owl Puerto Cabello, 50% Venezuela (milk)
Made from the same beans as the Venezuelan Raven. The aroma was very creamy, quite like a white chocolate. The taste was delicate, there was a flicker of liquorice and toasted oats and vanilla cheesecake. A very easy to eat chocolate, quite delicious!

Smelling its wrapper after the chocolate had gone, it was so cheesy and kinda like puke, but 12 hours later it was caramelised white chocolate

Out of these 4 chocolates Doble & Bignall craft, my favourites were the Venezuelan milk Puerto Cabello and the Nicaragua 72! This Nicaraguan Raven had that kind of kickin' acidity that I just LOVE in chocolate

Hotel Chocolat Rabot 1745 Venezuela Chuao 70%

The eponymous cacao of Chuao is amongst the rare. Defined by its geographical location, around 20 tonnes of pure Chuao is annually cropped by the village's cooperative farmers. The beans are then fermented and dried in front of the village church. "Chuao" isn't so much the in-thing like it once was, but it still is one of the purer cocoas you will find

The aroma was quite muffled. There was chilli spice, bark, something sour and acidic (which was gherkin), tobacco and almond. It was like a hybrid between Hotel Chocolat's Java milk and Madécasse's 80%

The taste was savoury-sour, really unusual. It was heavy gherkin then with a sweet juniper (gin). It had an incredibly strong roast, and also malt vinegar with a malted finish

This Chuao was all fermentation and roast, but I was not impressed. When compared to all the raving reviews of Chuao chocolate, I just didn't think Hotel Chocolat had done this Venezuelan cacao justice. However, when I had expressed this opinion, in agreement, I was told that Chuao for a few years now has been "bland" and "uninteresting"

Willie's Cacao Venezuelan Gold Las Trincheras 72

Willie's Cacao has two Venezuelan chocolates. They're both at 72%, but the beans are sourced from separate estates - roughly 750km away. I have had the Rio Caribe, now it is time for a taste of Las Trincheras! 

The aroma was chocolate, leather, chili pepper, peanuts, ... piss (a characteristic I think of as being quite Peruvian), honey and coffee

The flavour started with cocoa, then opened up to chilli, roasted peanuts, with a honey and yellow raisin sweetness. The taste of cocoa was throughout, with there also being wood, bitterness and tea (once it was like I had just sucked a tea bag)

Occasionally it had a real sour twang, which was very nice. Overall a nice, but not stunning, chocolate

Willie's Cacao Venezuelan Gold Rio Caribe 72

Willie's Cacao truley is my favourite brand. To justify: it runs on a passion, it promises and delivers an experience, the design is aesthetically captivating, the product is sensational. My list could go on, but what's most interesting is that I perceive the identity behind the name *Willie's Cacao*, and this, to me, is what makes it a brand. Willie Harcourt-Cooze is fantastic, not that I know him personally but from Twitter, his documentary, and with some communication with him, it's crystal clear how passionate he is

In terms of chocolate, the Venezuelan Rio Caribe is the subject of discussion. I noticed right away the darker shade of brown it was. The aroma was earthy, coffee, very malty with a little mango, prune and coconut sweetness, and tomato (which I'm questioning, but I did definitely get tomato)

Like in aroma, the flavour too had a heavy roast. There was a distinct bitterness and rich cocoa. I didn't get the "complex nut" but I did get the coffee notes suggested by Willie. There was a sweetness and a berry fruitiness that would sieve its way through the strong cocoa taste. Overall it tasted like a red wine with a cocoa finish. The high cocoa quotient, along with the deep roast, brought real darkness to the chocolate. There was a feel of tannin on the tongue and I was hit with whiskey which, exploiting the surprise, was quite nice...

*Update 17.5.15- moments prior to the finish is a really lovely flavour amongst what has been said above* 

OK, so this Rio Caribe didn't enthuse me like Willie's Cacao has done in the past. It was enjoyable, but the shortfall in acidity (though a noticeable acidity), the mighty deep roast and predominant cocoa flavour, however, just did not tantalise my taste-buds

Idilio Origins Carenero Urratia Superior

Idilio Origins, a Swiss company, stand for "harmony with nature" and seeking out the rare cocoas to produce their premium chocolate (manufactured by Felchin). This 70% Venezuelan chocolate was of Carenero beans (named after the port they were once shipped from, otherwise a Trinitario), cane sugar, cocoa butter and studded with cacao nibs

The aroma was reminiscent of Porcelana, though more intense. It was leather, vanilla, creamy, exotic fruits, raspberry, spice and raisin. There was a sweetness like honey caramel. Sometimes when the nibs were exposed they'd subtly emit their usual scent - one that I'm not too keen on: earthy, alcoholic and almost chemically

This Swiss chocolate's melt was the creamiest, silkiest, smoothest I've yet experienced, naturally. The flavour was again similar to the Porcelana but stronger. The raspberry was significant and overlaid a chocolate body. There was a roasted element and with slight acidity. During my second tasting, I experienced a mild metallic/antiseptic/unripe banana/savoury note too (couldn't pinpoint precisely). The cacao nibs were not distinct in taste but they hinted a nuttiness and added to the acidity. When chewing, that nuttiness materialised and felt like praline: a rich chocolate and crushed hazelnut concoction. Surprisingly, I loved the texture of this chocolate. That was unusual because nibs in chocolate tend to ruin it for me, but I absolutely loved the crunches this bar offered

Fruity, sweet and chocolatey, this Carenero Urriata Superior was an extremely impressive chocolate and one that I really did love. It showed no signs of bitterness and was executed superbly. This was another great bar from Chocablog

Willie's Cacao El Blanco White Chocolate

White chocolate is notorious for its possession of heavy sugars, powerful vanilla and sickly taste: making one feel very guilty. But what about a white chocolate that ditches the vanilla and places sugar last on its ingredients list? Well, Willie's Cacao El Blanco white chocolate features only 3 ingredients: Venezuelan cacao butter, British milk and Guadeloupean raw cane sugar; "all in perfect harmony" says Willie

First thing that is noticed is the colour: the darker shade of cream and then the absence of vanilla in aroma! Usually white chocolate to the nose screams an excess of sugar and vanilla, but with Willie's it was different. It was a very soft, light, mellow aroma. But dig a little deeper and there was little nutty notes

*I tried this chocolate a second time round (almost a year later), and the aroma was of stale cigarette smoke and light vanilla*

The snap was hard. The chocolate had a light flavour, evident of there being no vanilla and definitely little sugar, but despite this there were subtle smoked tones which could be found in the aroma too. I found the predominant taste to be floral. The texture was extremely light on the tongue with an impressive long smooth melt leading to a little fragrant aftertaste

*However, my second bar's flavour was predominantly smoke and rubber but then once I got into it it became more delicate and very creamy, more like a white chocolate. This bar didn't specify the sugar's origin, unlike my first bar which was Guadeloupe*

With this white chocolate, because the cocoa butter is NONdeodorised, you discover what the Venezuelan Trinitario cacao butter really tastes like; it was an experience quite mesmerising. If you are a white chocolate fiend, I hate to say it but this chocolate make take some time getting used to... However, do try it!

One small detail that I was perplexed by was that at times the taste almost resembled a flavour similar to melted ice cream ... odd

Willie's Cacao Milk Of The Gods

Rio Caribe 44% - Trinitario cocoa beans

This single estate 25% cacao mass, from Hacienda San Agustin (near Rio Caribe) in Venezuela, is mixed with 19% cocoa butter from Barlovento, raw cane sugar from Guadeloupe and 21% British milk

It smelt quite dark and intense with a depth of earth and fruitiness, reminiscent of dark chocolate, yet it was very creamy and with custard. My second bar (17/03/15) had distinct tobacco smoke and malt

I loved the hard, rigid snap and bite and it being a single slab made it more personal. The flavour was seriously roasted, with a cocoa depth and slight bitterness. There was little acidity, light chilli spices were vocalising, and the raw cane sugar did not overpower the cacao; thus creating a rich chocolate flavour. The milk created a very creamy, cheese-like taste and I also thought of coconut macaroons/biscuits, nuts and wheat

The texture was slightly coarse in melt with a cooling feel. The toasted lingering taste made for a long, soft, warm finish

For a milk chocolate, this Milk Of The Gods is very expressive. Upon the chocolate, the calligraphic typeface of 'Fruitful' is consistent with Willie's Cacao's distinct branding. And now with more and more of us making more conscious decisions when it comes to our chocolate (percentage and now origin), I'm certain in the very near future Willie's will become a household name. Not that being so would lose credibility for the prestigious Willie's Cacao... think of it more as an enlightenment of the British public