Bar of the Week: Cluizel Los Ancones

Region: Dominican Republic

Cocoa Content: 67%

Michel Cluizel describes this bar as having notes of red berries and green olives with a lingering flavor of currants and apricots. We describe it as being delicious.

Rediscover Caribbean cacao this Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm.

Back in Stock...

Our shelves are well-stocked this week with new shipments from Amedei, Askinosie and Dolfin.

As our featured maker of the month it's only fitting that we brought back two of the bars that make Amedei one of the finest chocolate makers in the world, the Chuao from Venezuela and the "9" bar whose name is taken from it's blend of nine beans from around the world. Also on hand is the Bianco Con Pistacchi, a delicious white chocolate blend studded with Bronte pistachios.

Another option on the white chocolate front is Askinosie's single-origin San Jose Del Tambo white bar, made with the unique addition of goat's milk powder. This isn't your traditional white chocolate bar and we have plenty of samples for anyone who would like a taste. For those that like a little crunch in their chocolate we have Askinosie's white bar with salted pistachios and one with cacao nibs.

Our inclusion section is bursting with bars blended with everything from passion fruit to pink peppercorns, and Dolfin brings two flavored milk chocolate bars to the mix. The first is a blend of 32% milk chocolate and sencha green tea from Japan, while the Hot Masala bar is spiced with ginger, black pepper, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.

In the truffle case we've brought back the pineapple and coconut confections by Norman Love as well as one new treat, a peanut butter ganache blended with Swiss milk chocolate.

With all of the options available in our store we know that one bar is never enough, and that's why we're developing a frequent customer card to reward you for your business. The actual card is still in the works but we'll let you know as soon as it's available.

Bar of the Week: Pralus Papouasie

Region: Southeast Asia

Bean Type: Trinitario

Cocoa Content: 75%

This photo was taken prior to Pralus' recent packaging overhaul. The Papaousie is not quite the POW of hot pink it once was. It's now a more subdued, natural, eco-friendly brown with a stripe of the old pink. But, packaging aside, the quality and flavor of the bar haven't changed a bit!

The Papouasie is crafted from cacao beans grown in Papua New Guinea. It's flavor offers just a hint of the smokiness that characterizes southeast asian cacao. Due to the moist climate, cacao growers often use wood fires (rather than sunshine) to dry their beans. As a result, a delightful smokey flavor comes through in the finished product.

As always, we'll be sampling it out next Saturday from 10:00 to 5:00!

Saturday Sample: AMEDEI CHUAO!

Mark your calendars, chocolate fans, because this coming Saturday, June 6th, you are in for a rare treat. It's June, and this month we've chosen to feature Amedei--that infamous, Tuscan, brother-sister team. In tribute, we'll be sampling out Amedei's prized 70% Chuao chocolate from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm!

If you're unfamiliar with Amedei, let us tell you a little bit about why we love them. Amedei is widely considered to be the finest bean-to-bar chocolate maker in the world. In fact, Amedei bars have been the recipients of The Academy of Chocolate's coveted "Golden Bean" Award all four years that the award has been in existence, the Chuao alone winning 2 of the 4. See the list of winners for 2009.

Stop in and see our display, complete with Amedei's list of awards, as well as suggested wine pairings for each of the Amedei bars in stock. And please, don't hesitate to ask our staff what makes the Chuao so special!

*One more, thing: Amedei has recently and dramatically reduced their prices. Chocolate excellence, my friends, is finally within your grasp. See you Saturday!

Bar of the Week: Byrne & Carlson Violet Bar

Region: Inclusion

Cocoa Content: 54%

This week we are featuring another elegant selection by New Hampshire chocolatiers, Byrne & Carlson. The Violet Bar is a stunning work of art inspired by Art Nouveau botanical motifs and replicated in semisweet Belgium chocolate studded with candied violets and mint leaves. Some might say this bar is too beautiful to eat, but we disagree. Enjoy with your eyes and then with your mouth!

New - Madécasse Chocolate Bars

We use the term "new" loosely since these bars have been in our shop for a couple of weeks now, but in case you didn't notice them tucked away in our Madagascar section they are the newest addition to our collection. Madécasse, pronounced mah - DAY - cas, is the brainchild of two former Peace Corp volunteers who took on the challenge of producing chocolate at the source from tree to bean to bar.

The pods are grown and harvested in the Sambirano Valley of Madagascar, a region known for its fine cacao. The ripest pods are selected and split open, and the beans and pulp are fermented for 4-6 days and then laid out to dry in the sun. The beans are then sent to the highlands of Madagascar for the remainder of the chocolate-making process to produce the three bars available in our store, 63%, 70% and 75%.

"Why Madagascar?", you may wonder. The entire island is organic and much of the cacao is grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides. The cultivation and harvesting is done by hand, on a small scale. Processing the chocolate close to the source means that the beans don't sit around as long and the people of Madgascar profit more from their natural resources and receive four times more revenue than if they chose to go the Fair Trade route. Skills, market knowledge, profit and ownership are shared with the people of Madagascar, encouraging them to continue to produce some of the best cacao in the world.

Bar of the Week: Domori Carupano

Region: Venezuela

Bean Type: Trinitario

Cocoa Content: 70%

Our May feature of Domori ends with the delicious Carupano, named for the historic cacao grown in the eastern region of Venezuela. Notes of nuts, black pepper, woods, and vanilla permeate each bite, lifting this dark chocolate to the top of our list of bars to try. Another reason to get your hands on a bar now is that they are no longer being produced due to a corporate decision to cut back on Domori's product line. You may have noticed the change in packaging recently for the new Domori bars, but one thing we hope will remain the same is the taste.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend and we'll see you this Saturday!