Chokolate Journeys

Chokolate Journeys Bean to Bar Chocolate Sommelier, Judge, Reviewer; championing those in the Bean to Bar Chocolate industry while exploring the world of fortified wine

The small of Kasama Chocolate 70% Kisinga, Bukinjo, Uganda cacao chocolate bar was honey-sweet and roasted cacao nib-nut...
28/07/2026

The small of Kasama Chocolate 70% Kisinga, Bukinjo, Uganda cacao chocolate bar was honey-sweet and roasted cacao nib-nutty. Such an aromatic welcome!

My taste journey - started light and sweet with flavour notes of fresh, juicy black cherries and plump, purple plums, coupled with the sweetness of wildflower honey. These flavour notes evolved and deepened as the smooth chocolate leisurely melted. First into a thick, sticky, honey-sweetened jam. Then, into a dense, concentrated, pâte de fruit, coated in honey-toffee powder. From light and fresh, to deep and mature; reminiscent of a recent fortified wine tasting flight I enjoyed - from Classic, to Grand, to Rare - all through chocolate! ☺️

Thank you Kasama, you have given voice to this cacao and let it sing clearly 🎶

About the cacao - “…from a microlot of cacao beans grown in Kisinga, on the southern slopes of Uganda’s towering Rwenzori Mountains, known as the ‘Mountains of the Moon’. The beans are fermented for 5.5 – 6.5 days in eucalyptus wood boxes, and sun-dried on raised racks for 6-7 days.” ~ Kasama website

Batch no.17.

*Facebook review no.123. For the full back category of bean to bar chocolate reviews, please visit my Instagram page thanks*

Would you try chocolate with (swipe) wakame?! If you have the opportunity, I encourage you to taste this Wild and Weedy,...
21/07/2026

Would you try chocolate with (swipe) wakame?! If you have the opportunity, I encourage you to taste this Wild and Weedy, 70% PNG cacao chocolate bar, crafted by the bean to bar side of The Cacao Embassy Australia

My taste journey - commenced with the quintessential salty aroma one experiences when walking along the beach. This was followed by a salty spray, as the wakame side of the chocolate hit my tongue and exploded with its savoury, miso, soy-like flavour. Wow! The wakame dissolved and dissipated rapidly as the chocolate started to melt. Flavours notes of thick prune juice, sticky raisin and current paste, subtly sweet brown sugar syrup, and rich chocolate shortbread biscuit arose. These flavour notes hummed along pleasantly together, with the miso-wakame flavour note floating in the background.

It was as though I was tasting the experience of sitting and watching the waves crashed on the rocks down at the beach near where I live. Something I enjoy doing. And then accidentally getting caught by a wave!

Thank you Joel for crafting this fascinating chocolate bar🤎

Note - if the wakame looks too daunting, here are some creative ideas
1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl, in the microwave and stir in the wakame. Then pour the chocolate onto baking paper and let it set. Once set, break it up into pieces. It will have this delightfully crunchy texture!

2. Spread your favourite nut or seed butter over the wakame side of the chocolate. I tried peanut butter and also tahini and topped it with a date. It was delicious!

*Facebook review no.122. For the full back category of bean to bar chocolate reviews, please visit my Instagram page thanks*

Solkiki 100% Costa Esmeralda’s cacao chocolate bar, with 0% added cacao butter, was a Special Edition with Khorog. Kazak...
29/06/2026

Solkiki 100% Costa Esmeralda’s cacao chocolate bar, with 0% added cacao butter, was a Special Edition with Khorog. Kazakh Khorog are raisins, which were dotted throughout this bar.

My taste journey - was intriguing. The Costa Esmeralda’s cacao held a natural sweetness, even with zero added sugar. While the chocolate itself had a smooth, viscous, and buttery texture, despite zero additional cacao butter added. As the chocolate gradually melted, flavour notes of dense Jamaican black fruitcake, nutty roasted brazil and pecan nut paste, and subtle hints of dried black Turkish apricots soaked in pekoe orange tea, arose. These flavours were interspersed with delightful surprise pockets of sweetness from Kazakh Khorog raisins, which added to the overall taste experience. Inviting, gentle and pure 🥹

Iris and Bob, thank you 🤎

About the beans - see Solkiki’s website (and maybe buy a bar or three 🙃)

*Facebook review no.121. For the full back category of bean to bar chocolate reviews, please visit my Instagram page thanks*

Foundry Chocolate Pinalum, Malekula Island, 70% Vanuatu cacao chocolate bar is gentle and unassuming; it captures beauty...
22/06/2026

Foundry Chocolate Pinalum, Malekula Island, 70% Vanuatu cacao chocolate bar is gentle and unassuming; it captures beauty in simplicity of flavour.

My taste journey - started leisurely, as the chocolate melted slowly with a viscous texture. From this flavour notes gradually emerged. Imagine this; enjoying a Malt ‘O’ Milk biscuit, coated in dark chocolate and ducked in a mug of whiskey-infused hot chocolate. A subtle nutty-biscuit, dark-caramel sweet, and warm malty whiskey unification of flavours. Tranquil, delicate, calm, and delicious. Perfect for a cool winters night ❄️

Thank you David and Janelle 🤎

About the beans - “Pinalum Village [on Malekula Island] have been specialising in fine flavour cacao since 2015…Organised by the tireless Olivier Fernadez from Gaston Cacao and managed by local villager Lily Buktan [who]…oversees the fermentation and drying station, and works with her extended family to do the fermentation, drying, packing, storage and payroll.” Since 2015, Olivier has worked “to pay the famers as much as possible for growing fine flavour cacao. This involved building fermentation stations, drying stations and training individual farmers.” ~ Foundry Chocolate website

Cacao Vintage 2024
Microbatch no. VP327

*Facebook review no.120. For the full back category of bean to bar chocolate reviews, please visit my Instagram page thanks*

Planet Cocoa Black Forest, 64% Guadalcanal, Solomon Island cacao chocolate bar, brought me much delight on a cold winter...
15/06/2026

Planet Cocoa Black Forest, 64% Guadalcanal, Solomon Island cacao chocolate bar, brought me much delight on a cold winters night ❄️

My taste journey - as I opened the chocolate bars wrapper, I noticed the dried sour cherries peeping through the chocolate, like a lighthearted welcome. As the chocolate slowly melted, an initial flavour note of chocolate fudge and brown sugar arose. This pleasantly sweet note continued for the duration of the chocolate’s melt; punctuated by mini surprises of crispy, nutty pieces of malt crunch and chewy, sour black cherries. Like a playful game of peek-a-boo or hide-and-seek, this chocolate bar was simply joyous!🥲

Thank you Janette 💙

*Facebook review no.119. For the full back category of bean to bar chocolate reviews, please visit my Instagram page thanks*

The first week of winter calls for a wintery chocolate, and Kasama Chocolate Winters Eve bar seemed a suitable choice. T...
08/06/2026

The first week of winter calls for a wintery chocolate, and Kasama Chocolate Winters Eve bar seemed a suitable choice. This Seasonal Release chocolate bar is crafted from 65% Costa Esmeralda’s cacao and winter spices❄️

My taste journey - started with a strong aroma that defused through the chocolate’s outer wrapper; a mixture of the winter spices along with a note of black stone fruit. Then, as the smooth chocolate melted, these winter spices evolved; cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, turmeric, black pepper, mixed into a note of double cream. Once established, these flavours faded modestly to allow a sweet note of dried black fruits - prunes, raisins, currants - to emerge. Together these flavour notes twirled and swirled in harmony, leaving behind a long winter spice aftertaste. A peaceful start to this cold season!

Thank you Kasama 🩵

*Facebook review no.118. For the full back category of bean to bar chocolate reviews, please visit my Instagram page thanks*

Solkiki ‘The Elvis’ chocolate bar takes a classically known combination - the peanut butter and banana sandwich - and pu...
25/04/2026

Solkiki ‘The Elvis’ chocolate bar takes a classically known combination - the peanut butter and banana sandwich - and puts their bean to bar, artisanal, innovative magic on it 💫

My taste journey - I was welcomed by a sweet, caramelly, nutty, chocolatey aroma. As there were chunks of freezer dried banana and candied redskin peanuts in the chocolate, I decided to let the chocolate melt a little and then chew. This allowed all the flavours to amalgamate and sing together! And sing they did!! The silky smooth chocolate gifted me flavour notes of browned butter caramel and banana caramel as it melted. This was interspersed with mini explosions of nutty peanuts and crunchy freeze dried banana pieces. It was like a flambéed banana dessert with added chocolate and peanuts. Solkiki, what a multi-textural, morish, marvel! Thank you! ☺️

*Facebook review no.117. For the full back category of bean to bar chocolate reviews, please visit my Instagram page thanks*

Kasama Chocolate limited release Chumphon Collective, 70% Thailand cacao chocolate bar, was crafted in celebration of As...
17/04/2026

Kasama Chocolate limited release Chumphon Collective, 70% Thailand cacao chocolate bar, was crafted in celebration of Asian Heritage Month, which is May (this bar was from 2025). And a celebration it was!

My taste journey - the chocolate’s melt started with the sweet flavour of Muscat wine. Notes of dried golden raisin and sultana, with a delicate sweetness of lychee and clover honey, came in waves of flavour; raising and falling as the smooth, creamy chocolate melted. These flavour notes evolved, developed, and deepened into notes of black cherry and prunes, sweetened with a butterscotch syrup. The finish was long and reminiscent of plum pudding soaked in Muscat. Divine!

Kasama, it was an honour to taste this chocolate bar💫

About the beans - were grown by Cacao Farmers of the Chumphon Collective, a microlot farm in Southern Thailand, nurture these fine flavour cacao beans.

About the wrapper - “…was illustrated by Amy & Sha from the Chumphon Collective and symbolizes prosperity & friendship within the chocolate community. Inspired by Thai folklore, the Nang Kwak (นางกวัก), is a beloved goddess of good fortune…to bring prosperity and positive energy. The golden midges symbolize friendship…key…in supporting cacao farming.”

*Facebook review no.116. For the full back category of bean to bar chocolate reviews, please visit my Instagram page thanks*

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