Blog

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.

What can I say? I’m not good at keeping a schedule when the sun is shining. But I’m a problem solver. And how did I solve this one? I’m outside on my sun soaked deck with my laptop and dogs (they have a shady spot–which one takes advantage of and the other spurns), and I’m ready to talk chocolate. Sounds like a pretty good day to me! Let me introduce you to Mount Pleasant Chocolatiers, from Jamaica. Hellen Akiror French and Averell French started the business officially in 2013, however, they’d met years prior. Averell worked in the UK and was running his family’s cacao and coffee farms in Jamaica. Hellen was researching Blue Mountain coffee. They met and the idea of Mount Pleasant Chocolatiers took shape. Their chocolate is a blend of Criollo and Trinitario cacao from the Blue Mountain area of Jamaica. The Blue Mountains are in eastern Jamaica. They’re about 30 miles long and extend eastward to the Caribbean Sea. The coffee produced from this area is among the most expensive coffee in the world and is exported mainly to Japan. I met Averell and his son at the NWCF. They were such kind people! Mount Pleasant Chocolatiers has won at least 2 food awards and 2 business awards.

Now let me introduce you to Mount Pleasant’s 70% chocolate bar. The bar is handcrafted using single origin Jamaican beans from the Blue Mountains, cocoa butter, sugar, and vanilla beans. This is their flagship bar. It was the first bean-to-bar chocolate made in Jamaica, and the first single origin bar.

Sight: clean, basic mold design; dark brown color; poor tempering
Sound: good snap with break in some areas but crumbly in others
Smell: moderate intensity, sweet and chocolatey
Mouth Feel: smooth and creamy with even melt
Taste: initial moderate sweet walnut flavor and a hint of floral, that ends in a walunt-y deep chocolate flavor
Astringency: very minimal

Summary: This bar might look questionable because of the tempering, but it’s tasty. I’m not usually a fan of the walnut flavor, but this 70% bar was sweeter than expected and the walnut was mellowed by the floral notes. I look forward to supporting these chocolate makers with more purchases in the future.

I’ve run into this chocolate maker at 2 different chocolate festivals–Northwest Chocolate Festival and Midwest Chocolate Festival. The NWCF was my 1st chocolate festival and it was, frankly, just short of overwhelming. I remember tasting their chocolate and buying a few bars, but don’t remember meeting anyone from their team. However, later at the Midwest Chocolate Festival in IN, I was sure to talk to them. Liang is just about as sweet as her chocolate–she gifted me a beautiful origami crane. Let me introduce you to Kessho Craft Chocolate and Gelato. Its co-founders are Liang Wang and Mark Huetsch. Liang studied pastry and chocolate making in Tokyo. Mark studied computer science and Chinese studies at Stanford. They met in 2009, then opened Pantry’s Best, a bakery known for reimagining Asian ingredients into Western-style desserts. They launched their chocolate making brand in 2019, then relocated to Austin, Texas in 2023. “Kessho” translates to “Crystal” in Japanese. It’s a symbol of clarity, purity, and finding the right balance of elements. Kessho has won 33 awards from the Academy of Chocolate, International Chocolate Awards, and Good Food Awards since their start in 2019.

Now let me introduce you to Kessho’s 70% Kokoa Kamili Tanzania chocolate bar. These cacao beans are from the Mbingu area, a thriving market town located in the Kilombero District of the Morogoro Region in central Tanzania. The town is known as a center for organic cacao farming. These beans are trinitario and have been sun-dried on mesh tables.

Sight: clean molding with glossy shine; dark brown with a hint of red; on-point mold design; on the outside– colorful packaging that uses a traditional Chinese watercolor technique and on the inside–a simplified look at the process of chocolate making along with the origin of these particular beans
Sound: good snap with break
Smell: fruity and strong
Mouth Feel: texture is smooth with the occasional sugar crystal; easy melt with thin coverage
Taste: plum and more plum! then a hint of lime and finishes with a fudgy chocolate flavor
Astringency: barely a hint

Summary: I mentioned the occasional sugar crystal in an otherwise perfectly smooth texture. It’s not accidental. It’s brilliant. It keeps my mouth engaged on different levels without being an unwelcome disruption to that silky smooth texture. And that plum flavor is amazing, then mellows with the help of the lime and blends so nicely with the dark fudgy flavor. I ate the original bar from the NWCF almost immediately after purchase. The one I tasted for this review was a replacement purchase–replaced 4 times over.