chocolate | chrisurban.com

Lake Champlain – Traditional Hot Chocolate

January 27, 2008 / 1 comment

If you’ve red enough of these entries by now, it’s fair to say I’m a little partial to Lake Champlain chcolates, and here is another good reason: their traditional hot chocolate mix. It’s freakin’ plain and simple good. This is how you imagine you remember the first time your mom made you hot chocolate from…

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Chuao Chocolatier: Spicy Maya Hot Chocolate

January 27, 2008 / 0 comments

Another freezing weekend, another opportunity to try hot chocolate mix… When you open this can of mix, the first thing that strikes you is the consistency of the mix itself. There’s nuggets of chocolate in the mix. Once you’ve made it – the instructions note to bring water to boil, add mix, keep boiling and…

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Lake Champlain Organic Bars: Dark Spicy Aztec

January 25, 2008 / 0 comments

Let’s begin with the reviews from the harshest critics we know – first from the four-year-old: “Darker brown, kind of little bit spicy, like it a tiny bit. When I try to bite it, it’s alittle hard – can I have some water?” Two-year-old: “More, more, good!” So this bar is real reason we’re here…

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Lake Champlain Organic Bars: Milk Sea Salt & Almonds

January 25, 2008 / 0 comments

As Lake Champlain Chocolates puts it, “let chocolate change your world,” and their organic bars are an excellent starting point for your chocolate travels. With a subtle touch of crunchy almonds, the gray sea salt adds just the right amount of savoriness to a creamy smooth milk chocolate bar. The label says 38% cocoa content,…

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Vosges – Aztec Elixir Couture Cocoa

January 20, 2008 / 0 comments

Mmmm… another hot chocolate mix! These is a premeasured packet for 4 oz of hot chocolate (is this enough to satisfy most people? I need at least 8 oz to make me happy…). On first taste, what really stands out is how well-rounded it is: not overly sweet, not over doing it with too much…

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Lake Champlain – Aztec Spicy Hot Chocolate

January 12, 2008 / 0 comments

This is one of six flavors of hot chocolate mix that the Lake Champlain Chocolate folks produce, and as you may expect, this is my favorite. Other flavors include Traditional, Raspberry, Mocha, Old World, Organic and Unsweetened Cocoa. This mix produces a nice creamy chocolate, with a hint of cinnamon and ample bite from the…

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Laughing Moon – Dark chocolate with chipotle and cinnamon

January 11, 2008 / 0 comments

First, a little mystery. This chocolate bar from Laughing Moon mysteriously appeared; from where I do not know. I set it aside for several minutes, providing ample opportunity for any rightful owners to appear, but alas, they did not, and thus this particular review appears…

Vosges – Red Fire Bar

December 31, 2007 / 0 comments

Chocolate intended for Aztecs. Delicious. Dark chocolate with a slow-building ancho and chipotle chili undertone. Cinnamon nicely bridges the spice with the chocolate, and fills the gap on flavor between the burnt caramel chocolate and the crescendo of the chilies. 4 yr. old: “I don’t like it. It’s too spicy” (Note: she also feels candy…

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Vosges – Mo’s Bacon Bar

December 31, 2007 / 0 comments

One of my current all-time favorites. 4 yr. old: “I really like this one because I like bacon bacon bacon!” A balance of applewood smoked bacon and deep milk chocolate – this is a unique taste experience. Just a touch of salt that complements the dark chocolate, which is smooth, semi-sweet and does not overpower…

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Santander – Dark Chocolate, single origin Columbian

December 31, 2007 / 1 comment

Another in the trend of a single-region-focused chocolate, this particular one from Columbia has a higher cocoa content (70%) and is certified GMO-free. This definitely highlights the flavors particular to Columbian cocoa beans – darker, earthier, almost coffee like in flavor, and there’s a definite fruit highlight to it – cherry? Better mouthfeel overall. 4…

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Perugina – Premium Milk Chocolate Cappuccino

December 31, 2007 / 0 comments

This is a filling-type chocolate bar, and the cappuccino filling is definitely one of the more yummy ones. Not quite as liquid as the filling in a Lindt truffle, but for taste, it’s on par. Chocolate is smooth and sweet, no bitter aftertaste, creamy subtle coffee flavor. Found this in a local Giant supermarket. Overall:…

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E. Guittard – Sur Del Lago Bittersweet

December 31, 2007 / 0 comments

65% Cacao. Wrapper notes “subtle hints of red berry fruit.” Considering this is a chocolate focusing on a specific region of Venezuela, this reinforces my belief that a good chocolate blends a variety of beans to create a memorable chocolate. This tastes a little dry, or gritty on the finish. There is some ever-subtle note…

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