specialed2003 wrote:it is a type of sugar. the non sugar beet kind

They're the same... Sucrose

This is my favorite:
https://www.askinosie.com/default.aspx
These sound good, but I don't much care for the soy lecithin added in.

PhilSandifer wrote:Fair Trade certification has become increasingly problematic - at this point much of the most ethical product buying *isn't* fair trade. I wouldn't take the lack of certification to mean anything one way or another.

I would take it to mean they probably didn't feel like ponying the dough to pay for use of the certification logo.

DaZoneRanger wrote:Do they even have cacao trees in Holland, Denmark or Belgium?

They don't grow sugar cane in Dallas, but I can still bake a cake. In other words, where they grow/make the ingredients has next to nothing to do with the quality of the final product.

bhaschalk wrote:I've got a couple of birthdays I'd like to use this for...but not until sep/dec. Whats the recommended storage for chocolate (or if the constitution of this chocolate makes a difference somehow?) or should I not even undertake the task...I live in Maine, and we just left the freezer-like time of year, like yesterday...summer temps can range from 70-85ish.

Thanks in advance anyone, and everyone

jsmart wrote:They don't grow sugar cane in Dallas, but I can still bake a cake. In other words, where they grow/make the ingredients has next to nothing to do with the quality of the final product.

Neither does where it's made. Unless good chocolate depends on low altitude!

drewcroa wrote:umm, with the warm weather, won't there be some melting shipping this smartpost?

I didn't think of that till I saw your post. It is going to be 85 today (and most days next week)...certainly not safe for chocolate. I suppose most of the country will be ok though.

AttilaTheMom wrote:oh wow. it's a good thing there isn't a chocolate.woot, or I would be broke and you guys would have to come up with a color for the super black box. :P

note to self, don't talk about other people's super black box in public....

on topic: really torn about whether to woot this...

Got Stress?

if this doesn't help you push the ridiculously large button, then...

[quote postid="3873498" user="rnthom54"][/quote
I buy chocolates when the Easter sales are off and the candies are at super discounts, sometimes up to 90% off. Anyhoo, I just keep mine in the back of the refrigerator freezer and take out what I need and let thaw at room temperature. I can only remember one time the chocolate had turned a white blotchey but I understand from research it doesn't change the flavor. Good Luck.

jsmart wrote:They don't grow sugar cane in Dallas, but I can still bake a cake. In other words, where they grow/make the ingredients has next to nothing to do with the quality of the final product.

"where they grow/make the ingredients has next to nothing to do with the quality of the final product."
Whhhh-waaaaaaa-What?!?!
We are on WINE.woot, right?
When discussing, buying, purchasing wine, isn't one of the top 3 questions, "where were the grapes grown" Doesn't it seem reasonable that the same would apply to cocoa beans, just as it does coffee beans and grapes?
Just saying . . .

jsmart wrote:They don't grow sugar cane in Dallas, but I can still bake a cake. In other words, where they grow/make the ingredients has next to nothing to do with the quality of the final product.

Aww smack! What kind of cake are you making? Does it include high-end chocolates bars, if so, you're in luck!

Oh for crying out loud. Beet sugar and cane sugar are EXACTLY the same chemically and physically. The only difference is marketing.

LucyT wrote:Oh for crying out loud. Beet sugar and cane sugar are EXACTLY the same chemically and physically. The only difference is marketing.

true, but this uses evaporated cane juice, try evaporating a beet!

Actually, that sounds good.

sukeiasa wrote:note to self, don't talk about other people's super black box in public....

on topic: really torn about whether to woot this...

Woot this. This is a fair price for middling premium dark chocolate.

The rats for this are from the previous week (Hook & Ladder Rats). I know this because I was one of them

Some of us talked about chocolate in our posts, so I would recommend reading up on what all Hook & Ladder rats said regarding chocolate.

This was really amazing chocolate, imo. I've had a fair amount of Green & Blacks, which I consider pretty good, and this was better. It had all the yumminess of dark chocolate but wasn't nearly as bitter. It seemed much smoother than a lot of dark chocolate I've had.

Greshmahg wrote:Guatemalan chocolate?! Not exactly Dutch, Danish, or Belgian.

Pass.

"dutch" from above refers to a process of treating the coco.

Dutching Coco: An Alkalizing agent is added to slightly change the finished process. I *beleive* it changes the color and helps to soften bitter flavors

However, one very important thing for great quality chocolate is how hot the mixtures allowed to get during grinding/processing. Higher temps burn off a lot of chocolates volatile compounds - its one reason small hand made batches of chocolate are sought after - as the hand grinding of the beans does not allow the temperature to go very high. I've seen some places purposely slow their grinding process to 2-7 days so as to not allow a high temperature to form from the friction. *side note* I don't know if this actually made a difference, but the chocolate's I've had that take this time are completely unlike anything else I've ever tasted

Greshmahg wrote:Guatemalan chocolate?! Not exactly Dutch, Danish, or Belgian.

Pass.

rofl, I think you've been torn what? 6 or 7 new pieces of toast... at least!

In for one. I hope I don't receive a box of melted chocolate since the weather just started hitting the 70s range.

powerpiglet wrote:100 kilopascals.

Aren't [kilo]Pascals a measure of pressure?

Therefore you would need at least one other piece of information to gleam its weight (or mass if you wanna play it that way).

(ratted with Emmy83 on Hook & Ladder and this chocolate)

I'm a huge fan of dark chocolate and eat some almost every day - just a square or 2 savored slowly. I've tasted a lot and this was one of the best I've had.

Compared to other 70% bars, this was smoother. It seemed to have a lower melting point than the Lindt Excellence 70% bar I've been eating recently. It got soft in my mouth faster. It was also nice that the squares were small. It makes it easier to break off a piece that will fit perfectly in my mouth. Bars with bigger squares usually splinter if you try to subdivide the square. That wastes tiny shards of chocolate. I also liked the thickness. The main part of the square is thicker than the Lindt which makes it last just a little bit longer as it melts in your mouth.

I think it's well worth the price. In for 1.

vinithehat wrote:rofl, I think you've been torn what? 6 or 7 new pieces of toast... at least!

That really cracked me up! I knew looking at woot would cheer me up before going off to work....

vinithehat wrote:true, but this uses evaporated cane juice, try evaporating a beet!

Actually, that sounds good.

Hey, this is Josh, looking forward to being on Wine.Woot Here to answer any questions anyone
might have. Thanks!

Do you have to be 21 to buy it? The description says liquor but most chocolates using liquor have it but its cooked out, anyone know???

brucedoesbms wrote:

yeah, but stop at "thick juice" and you have evaporated cane juice. There's a few less steps involved - you're not separating the crystals form the syrup. I know sugar comes from beets.

unwrittenrainbow wrote:Do you have to be 21 to buy it? The description says liquor but most chocolates using liquor have it but its cooked out, anyone know???

chocolate liquor is not booze.

rainrepublic wrote:Hey, this is Josh, looking forward to being on Wine.Woot Here to answer any questions anyone
might have. Thanks!

How long can one expect your chocolate to keep if properly stored... and how should it be stored?

rainrepublic wrote:Hey, this is Josh, looking forward to being on Wine.Woot Here to answer any questions anyone
might have. Thanks!

Could you please enlighten us as to why you use soy lecithin in your process? And what about those who have soy allergies?

rainrepublic wrote:Hey, this is Josh, looking forward to being on Wine.Woot Here to answer any questions anyone
might have. Thanks!

If you read through the previous posts, there are a few questions people have asked about comparisons, storage, sourcing, etc.

vinithehat wrote:How long can one expect your chocolate to keep if properly stored... and how should it be stored?

Thanks! Dark chocolate like this one can be stored at room temp. for one year. It can keep for up to 2 years but looses intensity over time so we label the expiration one year only. This micro batch was made just last month so its as fresh as possible.

hostahelen wrote:Where do you think the Dutch, Danish or Belgian got theirs?

should this question be answered empirically, or imperially?

dangerhaus wrote:should this question be answered empirically, or imperially?

OH... hohoho puns.

dangerhaus wrote:should this question be answered empirically, or imperially?

Good one... deserves a bacon rasher...

brucedoesbms wrote:Could you please enlighten us as to why you use soy lecithin in your process? And what about those who have soy allergies?

Yes, if you are allergic to soy sorry, we use it. Lecithin is used to bond the sugar, cacao butter and cocoa bean molecules for improved mouth feel and drive off water. We use less than a half a percent of any formula so, its not much.

tytiger58 wrote:100 percent natural means anything can be in it....hmmm

crunchy frogs, i hope.

dangerhaus wrote:crunchy frogs, i hope.

I can attest no frogs nor any other animals were hurt in the production of this chocolate. It is VEGAN, dairy free and not tested on animals.

vinithehat wrote:How long can one expect your chocolate to keep if properly stored... and how should it be stored?

it should be stored at my house. you can expect me to keep it indefinitely.

What about this product's Fair Trade status? I assume that if they aren't saying then it isn't Fair Trade?

rainrepublic wrote:I can attest no frogs nor any other animals were hurt in the production of this chocolate. It is VEGAN, dairy free and not tested on animals.

If so, please explain this:
"Allergy Info: May contain traces of milk, peanuts and/or tree nuts."