It feels remiss of me to have let Easter pass without talking about chocolate, but then again I’ve never been very good at scheduling my blog to reflect holidays in a timely manner. I’m the kind of person who tells you my ideas for Christmas treats in January, after all.
Also, chocolate is an every-gorgeous-day part of the food pyramid for me. Also, I’m rambling a little bit. Also, because the more I write the less I think about other things. Also, the less I start crying. Also, also, also. Anyway. Chocolatepalooza, anyone?
Chocolove Almonds and Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate
This chocolate was one of the very first I reviewed on my blog, but judging by the tiny and non-gooderest photos in that post, I thought it’d be worth giving a quick shout-out to this chocolate again. And a shout-out to the lovely Casey, who generously sent it to me.
I love this chocolate. It’s sweet but not too sweet, with the 55% cocoa content balanced by the buttery roasted almonds and the gentle-yet-ever-present salt. The chocolate itself has notes of muscovado sugar and caramelised pineapple, while the salt and almonds lead to thoughts of butter toffee, crème brulee (with its burnt sugar top), and almond brittle. Very easy to eat in large, large quantities.
Koko Black Dark Chocolate Coffee Beans
I was given these Koko Black Dark Chocolate Coffee Beans by a friend who knew I love coffee and chocolate. I must admit, though, that even before tasting these hyper-caffeinated creations I was drawn in by the gorgeous little bird drawn on the package.
I mean, apart from the fact that I first thought Koko Black had labelled this bird a “nipple feeder”. That somewhat terrified me.
These coffee beans weren’t just any ol’ coffee beans; they were “Kenyan peaberry coffee beans enrobed in 54% dark chocolate”. I wish I could give you detailed tasting notes for the peaberry goodness, but alas! I ate a large handful at work immediately after my 11am flagon of double-shot black black coffee, and am sorry to say that all I can remember is that I starting buzzing (literally; I was making bizarre humming noises in my office), nodded wildly throughout all conversations for a good hour, and found the light in my office very very bright.
Note to self: too much caffeine does not a calm Hannah make.
Artisan du Chocolat 70% Black Cardamom Dark Chocolate
The third and final installment in today’s chocolatepalooza came to me courtesy of Agnes, whom I HAVE NOT SEEN ENOUGH OF in the past year. Agnes, we need to fix that. The end.
Or not the end, because there’s chocolate to talk about.
The aroma of this Artisan du Chocolat 70% Black Cardamom Dark Chocolate (direct from London, because Agnes is fancy like that) was quite fruity and citrusy, with lemon zest and an overall tanginess coming forht more strongly than any scent of cardamom.
Taking a bite, though, showed that the cardamom was present in a lovely, subtle, warm, pervasive way. The chocolate had lovely cream and coffee notes and a slow, silky-fudge melt. As a big fan of cardamom in sweet things, I loved its spicy warmth in this chocolate. You know what that means, don’t you? I need to head back to London. Yep.
Question Time: Do you have any favourite bars by any of these three chocolate makers? I’m always on the hunt for recommendations.
Cardamom in chocolate sound perfect! I am loving anything with a hint of Indian-inspiration.
It was lovely
I’m so pleased you told me about those coffee beans. We gave my father some rather ho-hum (awful really) chocolate covered coffee beans for his birthday and I will now replace them with these.
I’m no chocolate-coffee-bean connoisseur, so be warned! All I know is that these were sweet and crunchy and made me so hyperactive I lost track of time.
Misty ate a coffee bean the other day…. I was freaking out but he was fine… went to sleep as usual. This was not the case for a friend of mine who gave her son (same age as Misty) 2 jelly snakes…. finally got him to sleep 3 hours past bed time. Ha
I haven’t tried any of these but the cardamom one sounds like my sort of treat for sure…. hope you are holding up OK Hannah, thinking of you x
Thanks Lou. Finding it pretty tough tonight. I need the opposite of two jelly snakes – something to let me sleep. xo
That Chocolove block looks amazing! Oh, I nearly made it to Koko Black before Easter to get some of those exact coffee beans … but I didn’t because work was insane (I’m such a good story teller!). I did pick up a block of KB 80%, one of Macadamia Cherry & Cranberry (white) and one of Hazelnut & Caramelised Cocoa Nib (milk) a few months ago. All were good but the Hazelnut one was surprisingly excellent.
I like any stories involving chocolate
I’ve had Koko Black’s dark chocolate with caramelised cocoa nibs and thought highly of it (will review eventually) and must say the white chocolate one sounds lovely!
It was nice but it was definitely outshone by the Cocoa Nib one. That said, it was KB and not the hubby’s usual glass and a half so I’m not complaining!
Bahaha! You’re so right; anything that isn’t Cadbury is golden
I would like one of each, please, but I really only want the second one for the packaging. Chocolate coated coffee beans not only make me not-calm (and really very, very not-calm, from experience) they also seem to make me feel slightly sick. Possibly an effect that is secondary to the not-calmness.
Amusingly, I also thought the pack said nipple feeder and I take great comfort in knowing that you did too. If it was just me, I’d be forced to ask what that says about the way my mind thinks, but given it was both of us, I figure we can blame poor font choice
These coffee beans made me feel a bit queasy, I must admit, but that’s likely due to the fact that, up until a year ago, I was so feeble in the face of caffeine that I couldn’t even drink proper coffee. (Dark chocolate built my tolerance up
)
Oh, definitely poor font choice. I don’t even know what a nipple is.
Haha every time I see a fancy/unfamiliar/interesting/unique chocolate bar at a shop, I automatically think of you. Then I ask myself whether I should buy said chocolate for you, then tell myself to not be silly because chances are that you would have already tasted said chocolate already!!
I do love the sound of the Chocolove bar though – ‘ever-present salt’? Sounds good to me!
THAT MAKES MY HEART GLAD. Except for the part where you don’t buy it for me.
Completely joking!! But you should buy it for yourself 
Mmmm salty goodness.
Nope, got nothing for you in terms of recommendations … but I do love the labels on all those chocs. So stylish, and yet all so different.
You don’t need to give me recommendations, ma, because you give me actual chocolate. xo
Chocolate with almonds and sea salt?? Sounds dreamy like Ryan Gosling. Didn’t sleep too well last night, so those chocolate nibbles (nipples would be freakish) sound REALLY good right about now. YUM!
I totally do not get the Ryan Gosling thing, but considering the fact that 99% of the population adores him, I’ll take your comment as pro-chocolate
Would you like Ryan Gosling chocolate nipples?
How about dreamy like Elliot Cowan then?
Well gosh darn, now my Thursday night is definitely going to be about rewatching Lost in Austen for the fourth time. Thank you
I can certainly think of worse ways to spend a Thursday night …
Amen, sister.
Do they do stopovers in New Zealand on the way to London from Australia? Oh, even I can’t pretend THAT could happen. Although airlines can be strange.
Always enjoy your straight-up chocolate posts – for all that the caffiene made your head spin, I hope you held on to the nibble feeder (I repeat, nibble) bird picture because it is adorable.
I totally stopped in New Zealand that first time I flew from Canberra/Sydney to LA! I just need to plan for a super long layover next time
Thank you Laura. I needed to write something separate from life. I wish I had kept the package! But I ended up giving the rest of the coffee beans to Dad, and I doubt he’s building a chocolate package shrine
Did they choose sandpipers as their mascot because sandpipers flit about all crazed and caffeine-y like? Your behavior sounds suspiciously similar to theirs, so perhaps that’s their line of thinking?
I have been angsting to get my hands on some Artisan du Chocolat for SO LONG now! Eerrrrrarrrrggghhhhgrrrrr… yay for you!
I figure you need the boost way more than me right now, especially since I have candy and chocolate and sweets exploding all over my kitchen.
One last thing: I love seeing cardamon in 70% cacao. I’ve only had it in lighter milk chocolate before, and while that was tasty, it was also sort of no-brainer pairing. This sounds delectable.
By golly, I think you’re right! They’ve got someone in the team analysing what a Hannah’s response to all/any chocolate is likely to be, and planning their marketing strategies accordingly!
I want a sweets explosion in my kitchen. I’ve been resorting to copious amounts of rhubarb jam and tahini straight from the jars into my mouth. Maybe I should shake the cardamom into there too.
When I saw that chocolate bar, I thought of you. I’m glad you took it with you.
And yes, I agree that another visit to London is in order.
PS: you don’t get the Ryan Gosling thing?? OH HANNAH. You have so much to learn, grasshopper.
Teach me the way of the Proper Man Swooning, O Agnes One. I find myself distracted by the likes of Bill Nighy and Jonas Armstrong…
Oooh, I might be more likely to see those fellows in London, too. ALL THE SIGNS.
You were so lovely and generous with your chocolate that night, oh so long ago! xo
OK I’m still laughing at nipple feeder because I did a double take over that same word and probably the same (0),(0) expression!
AAAAH! I realise now you mean bug-eyed, but when you said you also thought nipples then wrote (o)(0) I thought something ENTIRELY different!
I am most enticed by the first one, I think. Chocolate always seem better with nuts.
Only if the nuts are finely chopped, in my book. I dislike whole nuts in chocolate
Oooo! Every one of these sounds very good. Even without tasting notes for the chocolate-covered coffee beans, I have a phantom flavor of slightly bitter coffee poking at the sides of my tongue and now I want want WANT some!
I also read “nipple feeder” and just felt strange for about a tenth of a second before my brain tried harder and succeeded.
That would be our psychic connection. Yeppideedooda.
I’m loving how many of us saw “nipple feeder”. I feel neither as alone or as strange as I did at first. High five!
Nipple feeder? Eep! lol. And those coffee beans sound like a much more delicious way to start the day than your standard flat white!
Soy latte, if you please.
(In truth, long black, but soy latter sounds fancier and is my holiday drink of choice.)
Must resist urge to continue with nipple feeder jokes.
cute packages – I actually can eat chocolate covered coffee beans – unlike most coffee products and then I suddenly find it tastes good but makes me feel ill – though I wish it just tasted good! And Black Cardomom – doesn’t that sounds like a great name for a superhero (sorry am writing on a nutella high because was unenthused about bad easter egg chocolate!)
I’m on a semi-nauseous White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter high right now, so I’m completely with you on the Black Cardamom band. Let’s start it?
I’m going to Koko Blacks tomorrow, as it happens.
I will be sure to ask for nipple feeders when I do.
Take care of yourself.
Much love,
Catherine
Bahaha! Oh, it would give my soul such joy if you actually did that! Thank you, Catherine! xo
Chocolove Almond Salt is one of my all time favorites too! They just game out with a few new flavors too and I’m dying to try the new Milk Chocolate Pretzel! Sounds sinful
Milk chocolate pretzel! Oh, be still my heart! Thank you again, Casey
Such very arty chocolate wrappers!
Also, still sending loads of hugs to you.
They are very, very needed. Thank you, Theresa. xo
I do love the look of the almond and salt chocolate. What an enticing wrapper. Would be great to try it. I imagine I’d have to fly overseas to get my hands on some? I hope things are going well for you xx
Thank you. Very up and down, but trying to be strong.
The Chocolove chocolates all come with love poems in the wrappers, too
When you go back to London…grab them all for me!! >__<
They sound soooo freaking good, especially the "buttery roasted almond" one. Love that description.
Teehee… meet me there?
Wow these really are interesting flavours Hannah! I’ve never had chocolate with cardammon hehe but I’d like to try! I love chocolate covered coffee beans YUM YUM ~ they’re even better than a good cup of coffee sometimes and I like how they give you an immediate ‘lift’ hahaha but of course isn’t good hahaha
I haven’t had much chocolate from these 3 brands, but if I find any good ones I’ll let you know
Unfortunately I love real coffee so much that I can’t give up my huge mug for just a handful of coffee beans
I wish someone would make chocolate covered decaf coffee beans…
Teehee, thank you!
chocolove is so so good. i want to try the crystallized ginger one. i have a stash thats out of control already though. must, stop, hoarding.
Never stop hoarding! At least, I never will, so you know you’ve got a friend in me
All the chocolate looks delicious and I also very much like the packing. Unfortunatelly I cannot give any recommendation, as I have never tried them.
I love how inventive chocolate companies are with their packaging
The cardamon chocolate bar sounds quite delightful! I absolutely love seeing all the packaging in your photos as well, all these products in particular have such pretty wrapping. It would be awesome to stick them all on a wall. Massive chocolate wrapper wall….:D
I totally have that vague idea in mind, except all that’s happened in reality is I have chocolate wrappers and boxes scattered all over the place. Darn my lack of artistic skills and motivation!
Uuiii.
Now the almond and sea salt 55 % chocolate is something I want to try!!! Now you don’t believe me? I’m in an adventurous mindset currently. 
Quick! Someone get Kath some chocolate before the wind changes!
I’ll buy some today.
My brain is so tired that I had a split second of thinking “Where could you get chocolate at 10pm?!” before remember the whole opposite-sides-of-the-world thing
You know I love you for thinking about this and totally forgetting that we are on different sides of the world!
Our hearts are on the same astral plane somewhere
i’ve seen the almonds with dark choc and sea salt before and i am dying to eat a bite right now. hehe.
Never resist a chocolate craving
I wish I did! I am going to London next week so will hunt this down. I loved the sound of the sea salt one. The coffee nipple feeder sounds a little scary and conjures up weird images doesn’t it??
It’s quite a sweet dark chocolate but just so easy to like
Please please take me to London with you!
Three intriguing looking chocolates there. I don’t know that I’d want any of them but I’m glad you enjoyed them.
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