Entries in the 2024 Chocolate Bar Awards sponsored by TasteTV ran the gamut from amazing to awful. Thankfully there were plenty on the better side for me to tell you about.
SFBA
I always start with our local competitors. This time a local chocolate maker had a couple of winners.
Rainy Day Chocolate
Sonoma County chocolate maker Rainy Day Chocolate submitted their single origin bars which I tried at this year’s Chocolate Salon.
69% Guatemalan
The 69% Guatemalan used a new bean that Rainy Day owners Chris Sund and Jennifer Daly went to the source for themselves. It’s a slightly raisiny but mostly nutty/savory chocolate that’s not bitter but is a little drying. I liked its chocolatey aftertaste and rated it a 4.
In the competition, Rainy Day Chocolate’s 69% Guatemalan was rated 3.5 stars.
72% Tanzanian
The 72% Tanzanian is a fruity chocolate with a smoother texture. It also wasn’t bitter but it had a tart cherry flavor. I rated it a 5.
In the competition, Rainy Day Chocolate’s 72% Tanzanian won Silver for Best Dark Chocolate Bar and Best Chocolate Bar; and received Honorable Mentions for Best Taste and Best Texture. It was rated 4 stars.
Rainy Day Chocolate is available online, at special events, and soon in their own place up in Sonoma County.
Recommended
These are bars I thought were exceptional and rated 4 or 5 stars.
Amano Artisan Chocolate
Amano Artisan Chocolate, Orem, UT, continues to do amazing things with single origins — and their tasting notes are the most accurate I’ve seen from a chocolate maker. They submitted 3 bars to this competition, one of which they also submitted to this year’s Best Vegan Chocolate Awards competition.
Dos Rios, Dominican Republic
The Dos Rios single origin bar is the one they submitted to both comps and I reviewed in the vegan chocolate awards article. It’s an excellent example of what can be done with single origins — very distinct flavors of blueberry and bergamot that were coaxed from the beans —there are no added flavors in this bar. I loved this bar (5 stars!) and recommend it if you want to try single origins done right.
In the competition, Amano Artisan Chocolate’s Dos Rios, Dominican Republic won Gold for Best Texture and Best Dark Chocolate Bar; and Silver for Best Taste and Best Chocolate Bar. It was rated 4 stars.
The other 2 Amano bars came in simple wrappers, not the usual pretty boxes so I swiped images from their website of what you would normally receive if you buy these bars. Plus without their protective boxes they both broke in transit beyond my Photoshop skills to repair for a pic of the bars.
Cuyagua
The Cuyagua was a single origin 70% cacao bar made with beans from Venezuela. It had a hard snap and was a savory nutty dark chocolate with fruit notes described as melon — which I think is accurate — and a little spiciness — which I think is so amazing: Cacao can have all these complex flavors in itself, no infusions/inclusions needed. I also loved the bar’s creamy texture. This is one of the more expensive bars on the Amano site currently but it’s worth it. I rated it 5 stars.
In the competition, Amano Artisan Chocolate’s Cuyagua won Gold for Best Texture and Best Dark Chocolate Bar; Silver for Best Chocolate Bar; and received Honorable Mentions for Best Taste and Best Flavored Chocolate Bar. It was rated 4.5 stars, the highest rating.
Raspberry Rose
Amano also submitted a flavored bar, their popular Raspberry Rose. It had a good snap and smelled like raspberries. It had an immediate raspberry flavor and raspberry dominated — the rose was very subtle so I didn’t mind it here. And it had fun crunchy sugar crystals in the smooth dark chocolate which just makes it extra special. I rated it 4 stars.
In the competition, Amano Artisan Chocolate’s Raspberry Rose won Gold for Best Flavored Chocolate Bar and Best Chocolate Bar; Silver for Best Dark Chocolate Bar; and Bronze for Best Ingredient Combinations, Best Taste, and Best Texture. It was rated 4.5 stars.
Amano is a bean-to-bar maker that makes single origin and flavored bars. You can buy their bars online (they have a couple of sampler packs that are good deals), at special events (like the SF International Chocolate Salons) and at some stores around the country (like Chocolate Covered). On their website they announced they will be raising prices soon due to the jump in cacao prices worldwide so if you are interested you might want to act now to save yourself some $$.
Chocopunto by Mabel
Veteran competitor, Chocopunto by Mabel, Dominican Republic, makes bars using local cacao. Over the course of their participation in these competitions they have improved so much that I look forward to their entries with confidence I will like/love them. Of the 3 bars they submitted this time I loved 2 and liked the 3rd.
70% with Walnuts
I was intrigued to see Chocopunto’s 70% with Walnuts because it’s a less used nut for chocolate bars although I don’t know why. I think walnut is a nice flavor and makes a good partner to chocolate. Maybe there are technical issues that make it tricky to work with. The entry did have some bloom — maybe walnuts are oiler than other nuts and cause more bloom.
The bar had a medium hard snap and the bloom didn’t affect the taste as far as I could tell. It was a slightly bitter, savory, and raisiny chocolate with lots of chopped walnuts throughout.
This was my favorite bar of the competition and I rated it 5 stars.
In the competition, Chocopunto’s 70% with Walnuts received Honorable Mentions for Best Dark Chocolate Bar and Best Chocolate Bar. It was rated 4 stars.
78% Dark Chocolate
Chocopunto’s other winning entry for me was their single origin 78% Dark Chocolate. It smelled like hay or grass and had a medium snap and a slow melt.
It had a smooth creamy texture and wasn’t bitter. Instead it was savory, earthy, a little tart, and slightly nutty with a little drying sensation toward the end. I rated it 5 stars.
In the competition, Chocopunto’s 78% Dark Chocolate won Gold for Best Dark Chocolate Bar; Bronze for Best Chocolate Bar; and received an Honorable Mention for Best Texture. It was rated 4 stars.
Chocopunto’s website is currently under construction and I am not aware of any US distributors of their bars.
Panache Chocolatier
Veteran competitor, Panache Chocolatier, Leawood, KS, submitted 3 bars that I thought were all top tier.
Derby Bourbon Chocolate Bar
Panache’s Derby Bourbon Chocolate Bar smelled like bourbon and looked gorgeous with chopped pecans, rose petals, and gold leaf sprinkled over it — more accurately, thickly covering every inch of the surface. Described as a twist on Derby Pie, a traditional Kentucky Derby dessert, it was a Columbian dark chocolate bar flavored with Kentucky bourbon and smothered in chopped up vanilla infused pralines and bourbon soaked pecans, then sprinkled with rose petals and gold leaf, and drizzled with more dark chocolate. Whew!
The bar had a medium snap and very soft crunch from the pralines/pecans. It had a very strong bourbon taste — even a little burn. It was sweet, but not unexpectedly so, and so good. The rose petals and gold leaf were decorative only — I didn’t taste rose which is always a plus to me. I rated it 5 stars.
In the competition, Panache Chocolatier’s Derby Bourbon Chocolate Bar dominated, winning Gold for Best Ingredient Combinations, Best Bar Design & Art (non packaging), and Best Chocolate Bar; Silver for Best Taste and Best Flavored Chocolate Bar; and Bronze for Best Texture and Most Unique. It was rated 4.5 stars.
Tigris Thai Chocolate Bar
The Tigris Thai Chocolate Bar was jam packed with toppings too making for a messy tasting BUT it was delicious. The ingredients list included Tom Yum seasonings, lemongrass, chili powder, chili flakes, citrus, cashews, and white sesame seeds on Columbian dark chocolate.
The bar had a good snap and the chocolate was the main flavor — Panache’s Columbian chocolate is delicious — with some growing heat as it melted. I thought the Thai spices and cashews were too subtle against the dominant chocolate and chilis but it was a tasty chocolate and I rated it 4 stars.
In the competition, Panache Chocolatier’s Tigris Thai Chocolate Bar won Silver for Best Bar Design & Art (non packaging); Bronze for Best Ingredient Combinations, Most Unique, and Best Flavored Chocolate Bar; and received an Honorable Mention for Best Texture. It was rated 4 stars.
Jalapeño Pistachio Chocolate Bar
Panache’s 3rd entry, the Jalapeño Pistachio Chocolate Bar, continued the theme of a mess of toppings on their Columbian dark chocolate. This time it was covered with an attractive color palette of bright green jalapeño spiced pistachios and dark pink dried raspberries. Ingredients included green chili, lemon, and lime along with the pistachios and raspberries.
The bar smelled like pistachios which heightened my interest — pistachio chocolate is often a disappointment because there’s not enough of the mild nut to stand up to the chocolate.
The bar had an immediate raspberry chocolate flavor that transitioned to a little heat and ended with pistachio and the rich Columbian dark chocolate after a little chewing. I rated it 4 stars.
In the competition, Panache Chocolatier’s Jalapeño Pistachio Chocolate Bar won Silver for Best Ingredient Combinations and Best Flavored Chocolate Bar; and Bronze for Best Bar Design & Art (non packaging). It was rated 4 stars.
Panache Chocolatier’s website is currently under construction. They have a brick and mortar store in Leawood.
Stella’s Confectionery
Competition veteran, Stella’s Confectionery, Milwaukee, WI, submitted 2 charming little ganache filled square bars. I rated them 4 stars not 5 because —while they were very good — they would’ve been better if they were less sweet.
Irish Crème Caramel
The Irish Crème Caramel was a great combination of caramel and Baileys Irish Cream in milk chocolate. The bar had a smooth texture and as it melted it traveled through 3 distinct flavors: milk chocolate then caramel then Baileys Irish Cream. The 36% milk chocolate had a good flavor but was too sweet for me.
In the competition, Stella’s Confectionery’s Irish Crème Caramel won Gold for Best Texture and Best Milk Chocolate Bar; Silver for Best Chocolate Bar; and Bronze for Best Ingredient Combinations and Best Flavored Chocolate Bar. It was rated 4.5 stars.
Caramel Noir
The Caramel Noir was a 60% dark chocolate shell filled with caramel ganache that was almost as dark colored as the shell. The packaging said the chocolate was made with cacao from Peru and the Dominican Republic. While sweet it was very dark chocolate tasting with the mild caramel ganache disappearing before the harder shell.
In the competition, Stella’s Confectionery’s Caramel Noir won Silver for Best Texture and received an Honorable Mention for Best Dark Chocolate Bar. It was rated 4 stars.
You can buy Stella’s chocolate bars and other confections online and at a few stores across the country. Check their website for locations.
CacaoLab
I covered the surprising CacaoLab, a bean to bar maker in Hong Kong, in the vegan chocolate competition story. They have competed before but this year is the first time they made my lists. They submitted the same 3 entries to both competitions with 2 rating in my top tier and the 3rd one worthy of a mention.
Treasure Blender 70% & Perla 88%
The 2 CacaoLab entries I rated 4 stars got high marks from me because they were unusual. The Treasure Blender 70% was well made with a medium snap and smooth texture. It had a tobacco aroma but didn’t taste like it (whew!). Instead it had caramel and milk notes in a non-bitter dark chocolate.
In the competition, CacaoLab’s Treasure Blender 70% received an Honorable Mention for Best Bar Design & Art (non packaging). It was rated 3.5 stars.
The brittle Perla 88% shattered when I broke a piece off and was bitter but it was its unusual flavor — very savory reminding me of red meat — that piqued my interest. It had a smooth texture and wasn’t super chocolatey but sometimes weird works.
In the competition, CacaoLab’s Perla 88% received an Honorable Mention for Best Dark Chocolate Bar. It was rated 3.5 stars.
CacaoLab’s chocolates are available on their website and at a few locations around Hong Kong. The prices on the site are in Hong Kong dollars and I don’t know if they ship outside the country.
Worth a mention
In addition to the outstanding entries above, there were a few good entries that I think are worth mentioning. I rated all of these 3 stars.
Chocopunto by Mabel
50% Milk with Salted Almond
Chocopunto’s 3rd entry was a milk chocolate bar that I thought was pretty good. The 50% Milk with Salted Almond had a medium snap and smooth texture with a small crunch from finely chopped almonds scattered throughout. It was lightly but distinctly salty.
In my judging notes I described the chocolate as having a licorice undertone and that it reminded me of a Hersheys with Almonds bar. When writing this article I looked up previous Chocopunto reviews to see if there was a milk chocolate and there was one last year in which I also mentioned licorice and Hersheys flavors.
That one I rated 4 stars because it was unique. This time I rated it 3 stars because it wasn’t almond-y enough to me — Hersheys puts in whole almonds. Chocopunto might want to try that or at least increase the amount of almonds in this bar.
In the competition, Chocopunto’s 50% Milk with Salted Almond won Silver for Best Milk Chocolate Bar. It was rated 3.5 stars.
Delysia Chocolatier
Experimental chocolatier and competition veteran, Delysia Chocolatier, Austin, TX, submitted 2 bars that I rated 3 stars.
Smoked Butterscotch Latte Bark
I have one quibble with Delysia’s Smoked Butterscotch Latte Bark: They call it a bark but look at the picture! That is clearly a bar. Barks are generally thick and irregularly shaped because they are broken pieces. This was a molded bar plain and simple. Still I didn’t take points off for that. But I wonder why it was misnamed.
The ingredients included gold chocolate, arabica coffee, paprika, sugar, and salt. It had a soft snap and a crispy crunch from the little lumps of caramelized sugar that covered the back of the bar.
It was sweet with a little heat and had a buttery, caramelized taste with a slight undertone of espresso. I would’ve liked a bolder espresso flavor to counter the sweetness.
In the competition, Delysia’s Smoked Butterscotch Latte Bark won Gold for Best Taste and Best Chocolate Bar; Silver for Best Flavored Chocolate Bar; and Bronze for Best Texture and Best Milk Chocolate Bar. It was rated 4 stars.
Hazelnut Orange Blossom Molded Chocolate
Delysia’s other entry that made my list, the Hazelnut Orange Blossom Molded Chocolate, was also entered in the vegan chocolate competition.
I thought it was a nice orange flavored dark chocolate bar. I didn’t taste, smell, or feel hazelnuts in it. It had a little sugary texture so maybe that was really finely ground hazelnuts but in any case it was not nutty enough for me when the first word in the name is hazelnut. I liked it enough as a very dark orange chocolate for it to merit a mention.
In the competition, Delysia’s Hazelnut Orange Blossom Molded Chocolate bar won Gold for Best Dark Chocolate Bar; Silver for Best Taste; Bronze for Best Texture and Best Bar Design & Art (non packaging); and received Honorable Mentions for Best Flavored Chocolate Bar and Best Chocolate Bar. It was rated 4 stars.
Delysia chocolates are available online and at their shop in Austin.
CacaoLab
The 3rd entry from Cacao Lab was a one-ingredient bar.
Perla 100%
Cacao Lab submitted their Perla 100%, which was a gutsy move since there’s no sugar or anything else added to temper the chocolate’s inherent bitterness. It was an interesting chocolate in spite of that so in both the vegan competition and this one I rated it 3 stars — just know what you are getting into.
Like the Perla 88%, the tasting tile was so hard it shattered when I broke off a sample. It was bitter and drying, but like the 88% it had that unusual meaty taste. As I described it in the vegan comp article it wasn’t chocolatey at all and had a slippery texture like an olive oil chocolate. Well made but weird — you might find it interesting too.
In the competition, CacaoLab’s Perla 100% chocolate won Bronze for Best Dark Chocolate Bar.
More winners
As always my mileage varies from the final awards. View the complete list of winners in this year’s Best Chocolate Awards on the International Chocolate Salon site.
