{"id":43881,"date":"2024-07-19T15:26:16","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T22:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/?p=43881"},"modified":"2024-11-30T17:20:04","modified_gmt":"2024-12-01T01:20:04","slug":"winning-2024-bars-barks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/local-chocolate\/winning-2024-bars-barks\/","title":{"rendered":"Winning 2024 bars & \u201cbarks\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Entries in the 2024 Chocolate Bar Awards<\/a> sponsored by TasteTV ran the gamut from amazing to awful. Thankfully there were plenty on the better side for me to tell you about.<\/p>\n

SFBA<\/h2>\n

I always start with our local competitors. This time a local chocolate maker had a couple of winners.<\/p>\n

Rainy Day Chocolate<\/h3>\n

Sonoma County chocolate maker Rainy Day Chocolate<\/a> <\/strong>submitted their single origin bars which I tried at this year\u2019s Chocolate Salon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Rainy
Rainy Day mini bars<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

69% Guatemalan<\/h4>\n

The 69% Guatemalan used a new bean that Rainy Day owners Chris Sund and Jennifer Daly went to the source for themselves. It\u2019s a slightly raisiny but mostly nutty\/savory chocolate that\u2019s not bitter but is a little drying. I liked its chocolatey aftertaste and rated it a 4.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Rainy Day Chocolate\u2019s 69% Guatemalan was rated 3.5 stars.<\/p>\n

72% Tanzanian<\/h4>\n

The 72% Tanzanian is a fruity chocolate with a smoother texture. It also wasn\u2019t bitter but it had a tart cherry flavor. I rated it a 5.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Rainy Day Chocolate\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Rainy Day Chocolate is available online<\/a>, at special events, and soon in their own place up in Sonoma County.<\/p>\n

Recommended<\/h2>\n

These are bars I thought were exceptional and rated 4 or 5 stars.<\/p>\n

Amano Artisan Chocolate<\/h3>\n

Amano Artisan Chocolate<\/a>, <\/strong>Orem, UT, continues to do amazing things with single origins \u2014 and their tasting notes are the most accurate I\u2019ve seen from a chocolate maker. They submitted 3 bars to this competition, one of which they also submitted to this year\u2019s Best Vegan Chocolate Awards competition.<\/p>\n

\"Amano
Amano Dos Rios<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dos Rios, Dominican Republic<\/h4>\n

The Dos Rios single origin bar is the one they submitted to both comps and I reviewed in the vegan chocolate awards article<\/a>. It\u2019s an excellent example of what can be done with single origins \u2014 very distinct flavors of blueberry and bergamot that were coaxed from the beans \u2014there 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.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Amano Artisan Chocolate\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Cuyagua\"
Cuyagua<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cuyagua<\/h4>\n

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 \u2014 which I think is accurate \u2014 and a little spiciness \u2014 which I think is so amazing: Cacao can have all these complex flavors in itself, no infusions\/inclusions needed. I also loved the bar\u2019s creamy texture. This is one of the more expensive bars on the Amano site currently but it\u2019s worth it. I rated it 5 stars.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Amano Artisan Chocolate\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"Raspberry
Raspberry Rose<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Raspberry Rose<\/h4>\n

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 \u2014 the rose was very subtle so I didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Amano Artisan Chocolate\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>). 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 $$.<\/p>\n

Chocopunto by Mabel<\/h3>\n

Veteran competitor, Chocopunto by Mabel<\/a>,<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

70% with Walnuts<\/h4>\n

I was intrigued to see Chocopunto\u2019s 70% with Walnuts because it\u2019s a less used nut for chocolate bars although I don\u2019t 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 \u2014 maybe walnuts are oiler than other nuts and cause more bloom.<\/p>\n

\"Walnut
Walnut bar had a little bloom but it didn\u2019t seem to affect the taste<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The bar had a medium hard snap and the bloom didn\u2019t affect the taste as far as I could tell. It was a slightly bitter, savory, and raisiny chocolate with lots of chopped walnuts throughout.<\/p>\n

This was my favorite bar of the competition and I rated it 5 stars.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Chocopunto\u2019s 70% with Walnuts received Honorable Mentions for Best Dark Chocolate Bar and Best Chocolate Bar. It was rated 4 stars.<\/p>\n

\"78%
78% Dark Chocolate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

78% Dark Chocolate<\/h4>\n

Chocopunto\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

It had a smooth creamy texture and wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Chocopunto\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Chocopunto\u2019s website is currently under construction and I am not aware of any US distributors of their bars.<\/p>\n

Panache Chocolatier<\/h3>\n

Veteran competitor,\u00a0Panache Chocolatier<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>Leawood, KS, submitted 3 bars that I thought were all top tier.<\/p>\n

\"Derby
Derby Bourbon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Derby Bourbon Chocolate Bar<\/h4>\n

Panache\u2019s Derby Bourbon Chocolate Bar smelled like bourbon and looked gorgeous with chopped pecans, rose petals, and gold leaf sprinkled over it \u2014 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!<\/p>\n

The bar had a medium snap and very soft crunch from the pralines\/pecans. It had a very strong bourbon taste \u2014 even a little burn. It was sweet, but not unexpectedly so, and so good. The rose petals and gold leaf were decorative only \u2014 I didn\u2019t taste rose which is always a plus to me. I rated it 5 stars.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Panache Chocolatier\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"Tigris
Tigris Thai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tigris Thai Chocolate Bar<\/h4>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The bar had a good snap and the chocolate was the main flavor \u2014 Panache\u2019s Columbian chocolate is delicious \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Panache Chocolatier\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"Jalape\u00f1o
Jalape\u00f1o Pistachio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jalape\u00f1o Pistachio Chocolate Bar<\/h4>\n

Panache\u2019s 3rd entry, the Jalape\u00f1o 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 jalape\u00f1o spiced pistachios and dark pink dried raspberries. Ingredients included green chili, lemon, and lime along with the pistachios and raspberries.<\/p>\n

The bar smelled like pistachios which heightened my interest \u2014 pistachio chocolate is often a disappointment because there\u2019s not enough of the mild nut to stand up to the chocolate.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Panache Chocolatier\u2019s Jalape\u00f1o 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.<\/p>\n

Panache Chocolatier\u2019s website is currently under construction. They have a brick and mortar store in Leawood.<\/p>\n

Stella\u2019s Confectionery<\/h3>\n

Competition veteran,\u00a0Stella\u2019s Confectionery<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>Milwaukee, WI, submitted 2 charming little ganache filled square bars. I rated them 4 stars not 5 because \u2014while they were very good \u2014 they would\u2019ve been better if they were less sweet.<\/p>\n

\"Stella\u2019s
Stella\u2019s Confectionery entries<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Irish Cr\u00e8me Caramel<\/h4>\n

The Irish Cr\u00e8me 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.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Stella\u2019s Confectionery\u2019s Irish Cr\u00e8me 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.<\/p>\n

Caramel Noir<\/h4>\n

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.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Stella\u2019s Confectionery\u2019s Caramel Noir won Silver for Best Texture and received an Honorable Mention for Best Dark Chocolate Bar. It was rated 4 stars.<\/p>\n

You can buy Stella\u2019s chocolate bars and other confections online and at a few stores across the country. Check their website for locations.<\/p>\n

CacaoLab<\/h3>\n

I covered the surprising CacaoLab<\/a>,<\/strong> a bean to bar maker in Hong Kong, in the vegan chocolate competition story<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n

Treasure Blender 70% & Perla 88%<\/h4>\n
\"CacaLab
CacoaLab\u2019s samples had a pretty cacao flower design<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\u2019t taste like it (whew!). Instead it had caramel and milk notes in a non-bitter dark chocolate.<\/p>\n

In the competition, CacaoLab\u2019s Treasure Blender 70% received an Honorable Mention for Best Bar Design & Art (non packaging). It was rated 3.5 stars.<\/p>\n

The brittle Perla 88% shattered when I broke a piece off and was bitter but it was its unusual flavor \u2014 very savory reminding me of red meat \u2014 that piqued my interest. It had a smooth texture and wasn\u2019t super chocolatey but sometimes weird works.<\/p>\n

In the competition, CacaoLab\u2019s Perla 88% received an Honorable Mention for Best Dark Chocolate Bar. It was rated 3.5 stars.<\/p>\n

CacaoLab\u2019s 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\u2019t know if they ship outside the country.<\/p>\n

Worth a mention<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Chocopunto by Mabel<\/h3>\n

50% Milk with Salted Almond<\/h4>\n
\"Milk
Milk Chocolate with Salted Almonds<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chocopunto\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> in which I also mentioned licorice and Hersheys flavors.<\/p>\n

That one I rated 4 stars because it was unique. This time I rated it 3 stars because it wasn\u2019t almond-y enough to me \u2014 Hersheys puts in whole almonds. Chocopunto might want to try that or at least increase the amount of almonds in this bar.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Chocopunto\u2019s 50% Milk with Salted Almond won Silver for Best Milk Chocolate Bar. It was rated 3.5 stars.<\/p>\n

Delysia Chocolatier<\/h3>\n

Experimental chocolatier and competition veteran, Delysia Chocolatier<\/a>, <\/strong>Austin, TX, submitted 2 bars that I rated 3 stars.<\/p>\n

\"Smoked
Front of Smoked Butterscotch Latte Bark<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Smoked Butterscotch Latte Bark<\/h4>\n

I have one quibble with Delysia\u2019s 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\u2019t take points off for that. But I wonder why it was misnamed.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"back
Back of Smoked Butterscotch Latte Bark<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was sweet with a little heat and had a buttery, caramelized taste with a slight undertone of espresso. I would\u2019ve liked a bolder espresso flavor to counter the sweetness.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Delysia\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Hazelnut Orange Blossom Molded Chocolate<\/h4>\n

Delysia\u2019s other entry that made my list, the Hazelnut Orange Blossom Molded Chocolate, was also entered in the vegan chocolate competition<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Delysia\u2019s
Delysia\u2019s Hazelnut Orange Blossom Dark Chocolate Bar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I thought it was a nice orange flavored dark chocolate bar. I didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

In the competition, Delysia\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Delysia chocolates are available online and at their shop in Austin.<\/p>\n

CacaoLab<\/h3>\n

The 3rd entry from Cacao Lab was a one-ingredient bar.<\/p>\n

Perla 100%<\/h4>\n

Cacao Lab submitted their Perla 100%, which was a gutsy move since there\u2019s no sugar or anything else added to temper the chocolate\u2019s 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 \u2014 just know what you are getting into.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> it wasn\u2019t chocolatey at all and had a slippery texture like an olive oil chocolate. Well made but weird \u2014 you might find it interesting too.<\/p>\n

In the competition, CacaoLab\u2019s Perla 100% chocolate won Bronze for Best Dark Chocolate Bar.<\/p>\n

More winners<\/h2>\n

As always my mileage varies from the final awards. View the complete list of winners<\/a> in this year\u2019s Best Chocolate Awards on the International Chocolate Salon site.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Good to excellent single origin and inclusion bars \u2014 plus one bar masquerading as a bark<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":43918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58,1570,1564,20,15,884,169],"tags":[1544,1626,1562,1217,1021,892,1237],"class_list":["post-43881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-chocolate","category-asian-chocolate","category-caribbean-chocolate","category-chocolateroundtheworld","category-local-chocolate","category-north-bay","category-reviews","tag-amano-artisan-chocolate","tag-cacaolab","tag-choco-punto-by-mabel","tag-delysia-chocolatier","tag-panache-chocolatier","tag-rainy-day-chocolate","tag-stellas-confectionery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43881"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44980,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43881\/revisions\/44980"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chocolatebythebay.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}