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It’s another repeat maker review! I reviewed Azu Chocolate’s 70% bar a while ago. Let me introduce you to Azu’s 68% sarrapia chocolate bar. Azu is a bean-to-pastry bakery and chocolate workshop in Caracas, Venezuela. They make their chocolate using Venezuelan ingredients, like sarrapia, aka tonka. This bar has 3 ingredients: cacao from Hacienda La Sabaneta, cane sugar, and tonka beans.

Sight: brown with a hint of red; clean, crisp molding featuring the company’s name and origin; creative packaging
Sound: good snap with break
Smell: intense vanilla
Mouth Feel: thin, creamy and smooth melt
Taste: initial strong note of vanilla, then a rounded caramel note with just a hint of bitterness
Astringency: slight

Summary: The tonka is not subtle in this bar. The intense vanilla smell that’s followed by the combined vanilla/caramel flavor notes yell, “Tonka!” I like strong/bold flavors, as long as they combine well with the chocolate, like they do here. The slight bitterness also keeps it from being too sweet. This is definitely a bar and a flavor that are not common in the US. Might be why I like it so much.

Hopefully you’ve read my previous post on Choco Del Mar. I mean a chocolate with an otter for its mascot? That’s a beautiful thing. Let me introduce you to Choco Del Mar’s 63% Rising Clarity chocolate bar. This bar is made with cultured ghee.

Sight: reddish brown color; outer wrapper is beautifully bright; clean and classic molding with shiny finish
Sound: muffled snap with mild softness with break
Smell: moderate intensity; nutty
Mouth Feel: creamy with soft, thin melt
Taste: the flavor is initially nutty and buttery, and chocolatey with mild bitterness
Astringency: mild

Summary: This is deliciously smooth and wonderfully buttery. I’m in love. And I’m in love every time I eat one of these bars. Since the NWCF, this is my 3rd. It won’t be the last.

Ah, Foundry Chocolate, we’ve met before. But seriously, I met its founder, David Herrick, at the NWCF last year. And I reviewed their Vanuatu bar earlier this year. Now let me introduce you to Foundry’s 70% Peru chocolate bar. The cacao is from Pichari Alta, Cusco. Pichari is in Peru’s largest cacao-growing valley, located in the center of the country. This bar has only 2 ingredients, cacao beans and organic cane sugar. The wrapper describes the flavor as “notes of sweet mandarin and rose-laden Turkish delight”. I get something different.

Sight: classic and clean molding with good shine; dark brown; attractive outer wrapper; the wrapper is also easy to open, which I prefer as I don’t think chocolate should be a cause of frustration
Sound: great snap with break
Smell: mild intensity and fruity
Mouth Feel: thin, smooth melt
Taste: I don’t get individual fruit and floral but something more rounded and combined, like a yellow peach with just a bit of bitterness, and the bar finishes with an intense chocolate flavor
Astringency: slight

Summary: The rounded combination of fruit and floral with the strong chocolate ending makes for a wonderful bar! It isn’t surprising that it has won awards. If it was easy to get in the US, I would buy more because I want to eat more.

I don’t know what’s better, Cleo Otter or an encounter with Kumar Agarwal. Both ranked fairly high in my memories of 2025’s NWCF. Meeting Kumar was a spectacular combination of knowledge, enthusiasm, and curiosity. Then there’s Cleo Otter. She pleasantly nibbles on chocolate while telling stories about her friends. What’s not to love?? Let me introduce you to Choco Del Mar chocolate. It was founded in 2024 by Kumar Agarwal, and it’s based on the California coast in Los Altos. Cleo Otter is the brand’s mascot, but have no fear about her diet, she’s a cartoon otter so it’s ok. Kumar was an applications programmer, but luckily for us he changed his direction and started small batch chocolate making. Initially, Choco Del Mar was based in Santa Cruz County, later moved to Santa Clara County and underwent a refresh to highlight its single origin chocolate bars. Choco Del Mar makes single origin dark and dark milk chocolate bars with ethically sourced ingredients, and has collaborations with local food brands. Choco Del Mar has won 5 International Chocolate awards since 2024.
Now let me introduce you to Choco Del Mar’s 70% Cream Esmeraldas chocolate bar. The bar has 4 ingredients– cacao nibs, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and heavy cream powder. Cream is added to the bar to enhance its flavors while limiting the amount of sugar added.

Sight: clean, classic molding; love the outer packaging and all things Cleo and Friends.
Sound: good snap with break
Smell: moderate intensity, chocolatey with a hint of brightness
Mouth Feel: moderate thick melt with smooth texture
Taste: it opens with a fruity brightness, like cherries, and rich chocolate with cream that picks up a nutty flavor along the way
Astringency: mild

Summary: It’s an otter eating chocolate. That, for sure, is reason enough to trial the bar. However, once you taste it you’ll be hooked. It’s rich and luxurious, with a brightness and nuttiness that ascent the chocolate instead of taking away from it. It’s not style over substance, it’s just darn good chocolate with a darn good marketing idea. I’ve ordered from them, twice. And when their Cleo shirt is back in stock, I’m ordering another one, along with more chocolate.

You know chocoMe Atelier and I know chocoMe Atelier, so no introductions are needed there. But let me introduce you to their Canoabo 74% chocolate bar. The cacao for this chocolate comes from a family-owned farm in the Canoabo Valley in western Venezuela. The farm is Hacienda San Cayetano. The Canoabo Valley is one of the oldest cacao producing regions in Venezuela.

Sight: So shiny! and the molding is very crisp; dark brown color; the outer packaging is educational–with a depiction of the steps needed to make chocolate
Sound: clean snap with break
Smell: moderate intensity; very chocolatey
Mouth Feel: thin with a mild chalky mouth feel
Taste: initial flavor is chocolate with a mild sweet vanilla flavor that ends with a mild nutty flavor
Astringency: very mild

Summary: This is a deeply chocolatey bar. That plus the mild, sweet nutty flavor combine to make a yummy chocolate bar. It’s not often that I love a bar without fruity flavors, but I kinda love this bar.

We’ve already talked about Charles, the founder of Boho Chocolate. Now let me introduce you to BOHO’s 70% Madagascar chocolate bar. This bar is made with cacao from the Sambirano Valley. Specifically, the cacao is from the Akesson Bejofo Estate. It’s a 4,942 acre farm where cacao has been grown for more than 100 years.

Sight: classical and clean molding with good shine; dark brown color with a hint of red; classic and clean packaging with an insert that explains more about the origins of the specific cacao used in the bar
Sound: good snap with break
Smell: moderately intense; fruity
Mouth Feel: thin, even melt; mild “biscuit” texture
Taste: red fruit brightness that stays present throughout and a final hint of caramel
Astringency: very little to none

Summary: BOHO is good chocolate, and this bar is no exception. It’s a fairly simple bar with just enough of the bright fruitiness (that’s my favorite) to have me buy it again.

If you look at my Dec 14, 2025 post, I wrote about Argencove’s Apoyo 70% bar. It was a while ago, so I felt like I needed to re-introduce you to this Nicaraguan chocolate maker. Argencove Chocolate has won more than 76 international awards.
Now let me introduce you to Argencove’s 70% mombacho chocolate bar. The bar is named after the Mombacho Volcano, which is a dormant volcano located approximately 6 miles south of Granada. It’s made with cacao and sugar only and has won over 20 international awards.

Sight: clean and classic molding with glossy shine, and the same clean and classic packaging
Smell: strong fruity smell
Sound: good snap with break
Mouth Feel: silky smooth, thin, even melt
Taste: strong berries/fruit flavor initially that deepens into a fudgy/fruity flavor with a hint of bitterness at the end; with repeated tastings the berry/fruit tastes of blackberry and kiwi
Astringency: minimal

Summary: This bar is one of my favorites. Its silky texture is wonderful! And its deliciously fruity flavor balances with the fudgy-ness of the bar instead of overpowering the chocolate flavor. It’s a beautiful thing. Sigh.

This is my first “second bar” review–same maker as a prior post but I’m reviewing a different bar. And I just realized how much easier this is! I’ve already introduced you to this maker–you two are on a first name basis.

Now let me introduce you to Likkel More’s 70% Jamaican Thyme and Orange Peel chocolate bar. This bar is made from a mix of Criollo and Amelonado cacao beans sourced from Tulloch Estates in the St. Thomas Ye Vale valley, Jamaica. The bar uses locally sourced thyme and orange peel.

Sight: classic and clean molding; dark brown; glossy surface; the bar and packaging are colorful–right down to their signature cocoa butter splatter
Smell: moderate intensity; earthy, thyme
Sound: great snap with break
Mouth feel: smooth, thin melt with chunks of orange peel
Taste: strong thyme that gives way somewhat to a mellow orange flavor, then the thyme hits you again
Astringency: none

Summary: This is a lot of thyme. So much thyme that I feel like the cacao’s flavor notes get lost, and instead the whole bar tastes earthy and vegetal. The orange peel isn’t sweet–it’s subtle compared to the thyme and doesn’t help brighten the bar. If you’ve read some of my other reviews, you know I don’t like earthy flavors in general. I know the maker is going for savory and sweet together, but….the chocolate gets lost. I’m not sure I need to buy this bar again.

So many inclusion bars! People at the NWCF mentioned this chocolate maker’s booth as a must-visit because of its flavor line up. Let me introduce you to Likkel More Artisan Chocolate. The name of this chocolate brand comes from a Jamaican expression that roughly translates to “a little more”, because everyone enjoys a little more chocolate. It was founded by Nadine Burie, who was born on the Ivory Coast and moved to Jamaica in 2010 with her husband, Jason Sharp. Nadine fell in love with Jamaica and its people. She had taken fine pastry and chocolatier courses in Canada, as well as training in the bean to bar making process. She used her knowledge to start Likkel More in Kingston, Jamaica. Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. Nadine is committed to creating a quality product, sourcing cacao beans from local farmers and helping to reestablish the local cacao industry, as well as sustainable farming practices. Likkel More Artisan Chocolate has won 9 awards from the Academy of Chocolate Awards and the International Chocolate Awards.

Now let me introduce you to Likkle More’s 70% fresh ginger chocolate bar. This bar is locally sourced, from the single origin Jamaican cacao beans to its fresh ginger root. They use their own pressed cocoa butter too, which is not as common as you’d think.

Sight: dark brown; classic and clean molding; glossy surface; the bar and packaging are colorful and elaborate
Sound: great snap with break
Smell: moderate intensity chocolate smell with a light spiciness
Mouth Feel: smooth and thin melt
Taste: initial fudgy chocolate flavor that quickly changes to a spicy, fresh ginger flavor
Astringency: none

Summary: I love ginger in a bit of an unhealthy way, and this ginger tastes wonderfully fresh. Definitely not from an extract, which tends to taste artificial and not quite how the actual flavor should taste. So I love this bar for that. However, I prefer the lead role to be played by chocolate, and in this bar, the chocolate shines but only momentarily.

It had to happen. Eventually, I had to review an inclusion bar. And I wanted this bar to be the first one. Shane loves his chocolate, and he loves his dogs. He’s definitely one of my people. Anyway, let me introduce you to Nearynogs Chocolate, in Northern Ireland’s Lisnacree, County Down. It’s located on a repurposed potato farm at the base of the Mourne Mountains. Nearynogs was founded in 2011 by the husband and wife team of Shane and Dorothy Neary. It initially started as a flexible way to earn money while they dealt with a family member’s ongoing medical issues. Nearynogs was the first maker in Ireland to use cacao beans sourced direct from growers. And they strive for sustainability, from the packaging and manufacturing facility to the ingredients. Nearynogs has won numerous awards, but my internet search didn’t list them.

Now let me introduce you to Nearynogs’ 60% Ecuador chocolate bar with soda bread. The cacao for this bar is from Ecuador’s Hacienda Limon. It’s a single plantation/farming community with 45 farmers in all. The bar has traditional Irish soda bread, gently toasted and crushed, then swirled into the chocolate.

Sight: clean molding with well executed intricate design; dark brown with a hint of red; shiny finish; packing is modern yet with a hint of traditional Irish design
Sound: clean snap with break
Smell: moderate intensity; deep and chocolate-y
Mouth Feel: textured due to the bread crumbs and chunks; smooth and even chocolate melt
Taste: initial chocolate notes that include sweet and caramel-y notes with a hint of salted butter
Astringency: none

Summary: I’m biased because of their love of dogs, but they make great chocolate too! This bar is a happy combination–the caramel-y chocolate is complimented by the soda bread rather than pushed aside by it. And from a texture perspective, the larger sized bread chunks in this are definitely better than if they’d been fine breadcrumbs. I’ve eaten the whole bar, and I’m not sorry.