Amano Chocolate Milk Chocolate Bars

One of my favorite chocolate artisans, Art Pollard, has developed some new offerings in his yummy chocolate line at Amano Chocolate.

Art has perfected two new single-origin milk chocolate bars: Ocumare (the dark chocolate version of which I really liked) is made with beans from the Ocumare Valley in Venezuela, and the Jembrana is made from beans from the southwestern coast of Bali.

Though they’re both milk chocolate they each have distinctly different flavors. And though none of Art’s chocolates have anything but milk and a little vanilla added to each bar, the regions the beans are harvested from definitely lend each variety its own unique, not-entirely chocolate flavor:

Jembrana: Beautiful rich chocolate flavor that is yet gentle and beautiful. Hints of licorice, spice, and honey — naturally found flavor components of the special cocoa beans from Bali that naturally exhibit themselves when combined with the milk when we create this chocolate.

Ocumare: Rich and smooth chocolate flavor with natural flavor notes of red fruit (such as plumb or cherry) — a natural flavor component of these special Ocumare cocoa beans.

My favorite of the two is the Jembrana, which doesn’t seem to have as much of a flavor punch as the Ocumare (which I did enjoy, just not as much as the Jembrana!). I prefer my milk chocolate to be a little understated, though, so take that how you will! If you like your milk chocolate with a little something extra, without the addition of actual fruits or nuts, you’ll love these bars, and I’d definitely get them again.

[images: amano chocolate]