Month: May 2017

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Letterpress Chocolate UCAYALI Private Reserve 70% Dark Chocolate Bar Review

I was at The Chocolate Project in Victoria, British Colombia last weekend where I picked up this Letterpress Chocolate UCAYALI Private Reserve 70% dark chocolate bar that lists batch 1 on the back.

Letterpress Chocolate is a small batch craft chocolate maker founded in 2014 that is located in Los Angeles, CA.  They also happen to be the first bean-to-bar maker established there.  (I first tried Letterpress Chocolate thanks to a chocolate bar swap with My Year in Chocolate).

This particular bar is made from Ucayali River Cacao located in Peru.

Congrats to Letterpress Chocolate for this bar winning gold for packaging design in the 2017 Academy of Chocolate Awards!

Color:  Medium/dark brown.

Nose:  A subtle, delicate nose of graham cracker, red fruit, and faint orange soda.

 

Pic of Letterpress Chocolate’s UCAUALI bar in Victoria, B.C. Continue reading “Letterpress Chocolate UCAYALI Private Reserve 70% Dark Chocolate Bar Review”

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Interview of Cynthia Leung of Soma Chocolatemaker with Victoria Cooksey

David Castellan and Cynthia Leung of Soma Chocolatemaker at Slow Move Picnic 

Soma Chocolatemaker is a craft chocolate maker located in Toronto, Canada that was founded by David Castellan and Cynthia Leung.  This interview focuses on answers given by Cynthia Leung.

I’ve had the pleasure of devouring many of Soma Chocolatemaker bars.  I first discovered Soma when Ecole Chocolat posted a picture of Soma’s Dark Side of the Mug drinking chocolate on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ecolechocolat/?hl=en) and I knew I had to have it! So I placed my first Soma order, and the rest is history.

Throughout this interview you will find pictures of just a few of the Soma bars I’ve had concluding with their Milk Old School bar which (spoiler alert) tied for first place in the 2016 Dark Matters Chocolate Awards.

Chocolate makers are extremely busy people, so a huge thank you to Cynthia for taking the time from her busy schedule to answer my questions.  I am truly grateful, and look forward to seeking out  all of Soma’s future creations!

Soma Chocolatemaker Dark Side of the Mug Drinking Chocolate

Victoria Cooksey:   What was your first experience with fine chocolate, and what made you decided to turn your passion for chocolate into a full time career?

Cynthia Leung:   We were reading Maricel’s first edition of her book, “Taste of Chocolate” at home and eating a bar of Domori’s Madagascar. In combination this was our portal into the world of cacao. Continue reading “Interview of Cynthia Leung of Soma Chocolatemaker with Victoria Cooksey”

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Soma Chocolatemaker Black Science Camino Verde 70% Nacional from Ecuador Chocolate Bar

This post appeared on my original site on Blogspot on 9-13-16

Sometimes a gal just has to finish off a chocolate bar for lunch, and that’s exactly what I did today.  I had one piece left of this Black Science Camino Verde 70% Nacional from Ecuador bar, and I followed it up with a latte chaser.  Now that’s my kind of a lunch!

Special attention is paid to the fermentation process of this Nacional bean. Continue reading “Soma Chocolatemaker Black Science Camino Verde 70% Nacional from Ecuador Chocolate Bar”

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Labooko 90% Bolivia by Zotter, & Ritual Chocolate 75% Peru Maranon Dark Chocolate Bar Reviews by Victoria Cooksey

This post appeared on my original blog site on Blogspot on 10-29-16.

Halloween 2016 is almost here.  Time for adults to indulge in the dark side, the dark chocolate bar dark side that is.   The higher the percentage, the more skill the chocolate maker needs for the bar to come out tasting right.

Be sure to click on my Halloween comedy chocolate bar review video at the end of this post which also features these two bars.   Continue reading “Labooko 90% Bolivia by Zotter, & Ritual Chocolate 75% Peru Maranon Dark Chocolate Bar Reviews by Victoria Cooksey”

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Sirene Chocolate Dark Milk 65% Guatemala Bar & 65% Madagascar Bar Review with Victoria Cooksey

This post originally appeared on my Blogspot account on 11-11-16

I’m feeling like a kid at holiday time because I know this time tomorrow I’ll be sampling so many amazing chocolates at the NW Chocolate Festival in Seattle, WA.  This Sirene Chocolate bar is about the last of my current supply of chocolate, so I will definitely be replenishing my chocolate stash big time over the next two days.  Please feel free to say “Hello” to me if you see me at the festival!

Sirene Chocolate is an artisan, bean to bar, small batch, direct trade, chocolate company located in Victoria, B.C., Canada.  Continue reading “Sirene Chocolate Dark Milk 65% Guatemala Bar & 65% Madagascar Bar Review with Victoria Cooksey”