Sunday, March 27, 2011

Bar of the Week: Cluizel's Maralumi Lait


Milk chocolate lovers, you've been waiting patiently, so here's a Bar of the Week for you!  From French chocolate maker Michel Cluizel, Maralumi Lait is a 47% milk chocolate made from single origin cacao grown in Papua New Guinea.  Here's what Cluizel has to say about it:

“...'Maralumi' plantation lies on a land rich in alluvial deposits. Its strongly aromatic cocoa beans blend well with milk to make a distinguished and powerful combination. In the mouth, the characteristic notes of bananas, red berries, and blueberries emanate progressively in an herbaceous harmony and then in “salty caramel.”

(If you like the sound of that but prefer dark chocolate, Maralumi also comes in a dark version...)

You can sample Maralumi Lait at our Braven store in downtown Bellevue on Wednesday, March 31st, or at our Queen Anne store on Saturday, April 2nd. 

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Bar of the Week: Pralus Tanzanie


Our bar of the week is Pralus' single-origin Tanzanie, a 75% dark chocolate that is typical of the maker in some ways and unexpected in others.  Made from Forestero cacao, Tanzanie is surprisingly light and fruity, full-bodied but with little of the bitter heavy-roasted notes that are a common theme in Pralus' chocolates.  The glossy temper and silky texture, however, are pure Pralus. 

You can try Pralus' Tanzanie at our Bravern store on Wednesday, March 24th, or at our store on upper Queen Anne on Saturday, March 26th.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Bar of the Week: Patric's Madagascar 67%


Our Bar of the Week comes from Patric, chocolate-maker Alan McClure's small-batch company based in Missouri.  Of his 67% Madagascar bar, McClure writes:  "I created this beautiful chocolate to showcase the naturally occurring notes of plum preserves that intermingle with fruits rouges and enticing hints of butter-hazelnut toffee in the amazing single-estate Madagascar cacao."

To try this distinctive dark chocolate, visit our store at the Braven in downtown Bellevue on Thursday, March 17th, or our Queen Anne store on Saturday, March 19th. 

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Bar of the Week: Grenada 71%


Our bar of the week is what might be considered a "green" chocolate, grown and processed on a lush island nation in the Caribbean.  Founded in 1999, Grenada-based Grenada Chocolate Company produces chocolate using cacao from a co-operative group of organic farmers.  The factory is located in a rain forest and operates off solar energy. 

Grenada's 71% is a dark chocolate that also includes organic vanilla from Costa Rica and organic sugar from Paraguay.  It's intense and somewhat fruity, with a notably long finish and a refined texture. 

You can sample Grenada 71% at our store in downtown Bellevue on Thursday, March 10th, or at our Queen Anne flagship on Saturday, March 12th.