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]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

This morning I tried my second bar of Amano Chocolate. The Madagascar bar is just as good as the Ocumare though I hesitate to say better than because you saw how much I loved the Ocumare!

The bar is packaged the same as the Ocumare – a nice cardboard box and gold foil with two ounces of beautiful dark chocolate inside. The bite is a satisfying snap and then you’re hit with a nice fruity flavor though there’s no fruit – it’s the Madagascar beans. My first impression was cherry which I found very pleasant. Though neither bar is as creamy as a milk chocolate, they’re also not as brittle and chalky as other darks I’ve tried. They actually melt very smoothly in your mouth if you can manage to leave it alone for that long!

I actually let each of my girls try a square (the sacrifices you make as a mom, etc). One of my twins, age 7, said it tasted like red in her mouth and when I asked her to clarify she said she could taste “some kind of fruit.” I led her a bit by asking if it could be cherry, and she said yes, that was it. All three (ages 7 and 9) asked for more, which is a big win for dark chocolate in my book!

I love how different these two bars are even though you’d expect them to be pretty much the same. They’re excellent proof that the beans make the bar and the flavor, and I highly recommend both of them. Thank you, Art, for some excellent chocolate!

Be sure to check out the rest of the Amano site: The history of the company, their very well-deserved awards, and employment opportunities. You can even see Art talking about and making his chocolate over at Youtube!

Post from: Chocolate Bytes