Manufacturer: Waialua Estate
Cocoa Content: 70%
Location: Oahu, Hawaii, USA
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A+

Up for review today is the Waialua Estate dark chocolate bar. The Waialua Estate has the unique distinction of being 100% American from bean to bar. The beans are grown at the Dole plantation in Hawaii, and the bars are being made by Guittard. The bar itself is mahogany in color with reddish-purple highlights.

On the palate there are smoky, roasted chocolate notes up front. What starts out as a moderate acidity builds to a lively level, revealing pineapple, citrus, red berries and green bananas. Some mint and floral aromatic flavors are here. Espresso, sea salt, black pepper and creamy notes are all present as well as some earthiness in the background. Chewing the Waialua Estate opens up spearmint, green bananas and a rosy floral note. The bar melts perfectly on the tongue. It is smooth, creamy and leaves a slight cooling sensation. The finish has floral notes, fruit, and coffee (along with a faint espresso bitterness). All notes seem to fade in perfect unison.

The Waialua Estate bar is a true masterpiece. It is perfectly crafted, has great complexity and a very distinct flavor. This is a perfect example of terroir as it relates to chocolate. The Hawaiian volcanic soil leads to a one-of-a-kind flavor that this bar captures perfectly. While my previous experiences with Guittard have been hit-or-miss, this bar is truly one of the elite.

Manufacturer: Guittard Chocolate Company
Cocoa Content: 65%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

On the tasting block today is the "Chucuri" from E. Guittard. The Chucuri is a 65% cocoa dark chocolate bar of Columbian origin. The Chucuri is on the lighter side of mahogany in color with light-brown highlights. Up front on the palate is a rich flavor of semi-sweet chocolate chips. There is a mild bitter bite and very little acidity. Sweet flavors of banana and caramel are present. Almonds, coffee and a faint black pepper note are here as well.

Chewing the Chucuri highlights notes of vanilla nad honey. The chocolate has a smooth, creamy mouthfeel. The finish has notes if hot cocoa and marshmallow with black pepper undertones. This is another decent chocolate bar from Guittard, but something just seems missing to me. The flavor seems a bit flat, like either the bitterness and/or the acidity needs to be bumped up to make it a bit more lively.

Manufacturer: Guittard Chocolate Company
Cocoa Content: 65%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Up for review today is the Ambanja dark chocolate from E. Guittard. The Ambanja is made from Criollo cocoa beans from the Sambirano Valley in Madagascar. The bar is rather light brown in color for a 65% cacao chocolate, along with some orange/red/yellow highlights. The Ambanja leads with a rich chocolate flavor on the palate that has notable, yet balanced, sweetness. Acidity slowly builds to a moderate level. Red fruit notes of pomegranate and cherry are present, along with a banana/plantain note. Some floral and herbal flavors are present as well.

Chewing the Ambanja opens up sweet aromatics of vanilla and caramel, along with some floral notes. The finish has cherries over a faint bitter note. The mouthfeel has some barely noticable grit, but is otherwise thick and creamy. While the Ambanja leaves a nice initial impression, I find that the floral notes clash a bit with the bitterness and acidity in a way that ends up leaving a bit of a medicinal aftertaste. A decent chocolate, but has some room for improvement.

Manufacturer: Guittard Chocolate Company
Cocoa Content: 65%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Today's tasting is the "Quevedo" from US chocolate maker Guittard. The Quevedo is a 65% cacao chocolate bar whose beans originate from Ecuador. The bar is deep mahogany in color with orange highlights.

The bar has a distinct herbal/floral chocolate flavor. There are notes of hazelnut, marshmallow and earth along with a touch of spice. There is a slight acidity that builds as the chocolate melts on the tongue. Chewing the chocolate brings forward more herbal and floral notes along with leather, plantains and a hint of cucumber. The finish has cocoa, banana, bitter herbs and an earthy note. The Quevedo has a smooth, slightly thin mouthfeel.

The Quevedo chocolate bar has a unique flavor, which is characteristic of Ecuadorean "Nacional" cocoa beans. In this case I did find that the floral/herbal notes combined with the bitter chocolate flavors to leave a faint "medicine" taste that seemed a bit off. Despite that, this is a pretty good chocolate with a very distinct flavor.