Author Archive: Bryn Kirk
Indulgence Chocolatiers Milk Chocolate Sea Salt
April 13, 2019
Indulgence Chocolatiers offers an amazing menu at their Shop and Chocolate Pairing Bar. They are located in Milwaukee, WI, which many of you know is only a hop, skip and a jump from where I live.
Divine – Dark Chocolate with Mint Crisp
April 8, 2019
I’ve tooted Divine Chocolate’s horn before. In my opinion, every bar they make is top notch...
The Dark Chocolate with Mint Crisp is 70% Ghanaian chocolate with natural peppermint oil and peppermint crisps.
Chocolove Ruby Cacao Bar
March 29, 2019
I have so many questions as I hold a Chocolove Ruby Cacao Bar in my hands. This looks like a pink colored confectionery coating, but that’s not “cacao,” so what on earth is going on?
Chocolove – Coffee Crunch in Dark Chocolate
March 18, 2019
Chocolove chocolate company is based out of Boulder, Colorado and, according to their website, www.chocolove.com, their bars are made in small batches “…delivering a little bit of 'chocolate–love' to discerning chocolate lovers everywhere.”
Coco Chocolatier – Gin and Tonic Chocolate Bar
March 11, 2019
Edinburgh is Scotland's capital. Home of Edinburgh Castle and Scotland’s crown jewels. Also home to Coco Chocolatier.
Coco uses South American cocoa and lots of creativity to craft unique flavor combinations. Each package is literally a work of art. They ask independent artists to create original designs for each chocolate bar. Check out their website, www.cocochocolatier.com, to see the amazing designs.
Chocolat 229 in Galena, Illinois
February 28, 2019
A few weekends ago, I visited the historic small town of Galena, Illinois. Galena is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is nestled among the rolling hills of northwest Illinois near the Mississippi river. Galena was named after the mineral “galena” that was mined first by Native Americans and then by settlers.
44% Cacao Dark Chocolate Stracciatella
February 20, 2019
Kroger’s chain of grocery stores has a line of store brand products, Private Selection™, that includes Swiss chocolate bars. I took one home recently, a 44% Cacao Dark Chocolate Stracciatella.
In case you’re not familiar with Stracciatella, it’s an Italian gelato flavor that consists of tiny shavings of chocolate mixed into vanilla ice cream.
Montezuma’s Absolute Black
February 7, 2019
I’ve reached the top of the mountain. The end of the road. The last stop. I have eaten 100% chocolate. By that I mean chocolate with 100% cocoa solids. That's right, no sugar or any other ingredients!
Nói Síríus Icelandic Chocolate
January 30, 2019
It’s interesting that I should be writing about a chocolate bar made in Iceland when on this day, a polar vortex has swooped into Wisconsin bringing temperatures well below zero (it’s -23 F) with record breaking wind chills around -50 F. Hmm, today in the capital city of Iceland, Reykjavík, where Nói Síríus is headquartered, it’s 23 F ABOVE zero!
Valrhona Le Noir Extra Amer (Extra Bitter Black)
January 20, 2019
Sometimes people cringe when I recommend trying an 85% cacao chocolate bar. “Way too bitter,” they say, or “It’s like eating unsweetened baking chocolate.” If you’re shy about trying something on the dark side, chocolate marketing doesn’t help matters with descriptions like “Extra Bitter Black.” They might as well be saying, “I dare you to like it!”
I get it. If you have a sweet tooth, that kind of jargon only turns you off. This is unfortunate because most chocolate lovers don’t realize that higher percentage dark chocolates have the potential to provide an outstanding flavor experience.