In my earlier post this week, I shared with you the Chocolate Swap parcel I sent Patricia of My Year In Chocolate in California. It was my turn to receive the goodies. Check out below what I received in our Choc-Swap. I can’t tell you how excited I was to open my parcel to find what Patricia selected for me to try. There were a couple of local makers from California and some slightly further afield, with bars from Indian and Hawaii!
Chocolate Bar No.1 –Dick Taylor Solomon Islands 72% Exclusive Release. Dick Taylor was the only maker that Patrica sent me that I had tried before but so lucky to try this exclusive release bar. Every detail of this bar is special, from the quality of the packaging and letterpress to the moulded detail of the bar, makes for a truly special eating experience.
Fantastic insert in the bar to learn more about what makes this particular bar so very special. Love the extra mile taken to connect the consumer with origins of the cocoa.
A robust flavour with astringency which lasts on the palate, with buttery nutty notes with the freshness of a fruity cherry flavour. A beautiful bar.
Chocolate Bar No.2 –Map Chocolate Fiji 78% Dark with lemon white chocolate and Fiji craft cocoa powder dust: Man on the Moon. I’ve been following Map on Instagram for quite awhile so was really excited to try one of their beautifully wrapped bars.
I love the super cute label on the back of the bar, ‘feed your dreams’.
Again another lovely note in the bar about the flavour inspiration for the bar.
Another world of a galaxy swirl of lemon white chocolate with flecks of single origin cocoa powder. The lemon oil appears to cut through the creaminess of the white chocolate and the richness of the Fijian chocolate. Very moreish!
Chocolate Bar No.4 –Manoa 70% Hawaiian Dark Chocolate. The Hawaiian Islands are the only place in the United States with an appropriate climate to grow cocoa so a truly local bar. 
This is a such a lovely bar in that, the gentle floral aroma and flavour, makes for such a fresh bar with a deep creaminess. An absolute fantastic discovery which makes me want to book flights to Hawaii right away to stock up on a suitcase of these bars.
Chocolate Bar No. 5 – Letterpress Chocolate 70% Ucayali Peru Private Reserve. Another maker I’ve been coveting on Instagram for a long time and one of Patricia’s local maker. This bar is very special and won a whole host of awards for their efforts and care taken to produce this bar.
An adult bar, with savoury spice and woody notes which deserves to be savoured with friends.
Chocolate Bar No.6 – Letterpress Chocolate São Tomé, Satocao, 70% Dark Chocolate.
A lighter bar with rich caramel flavour with a nutty note, as well as a flash of smoke coming through as the flavour developed. A bar that develops a complex aftertaste.
Chocolate Bar No. 7 & 8 –Twenty Four Blackbirds Chocolate Another local maker for Patrica and another maker I’ve been wanting to try for ages.
The 75% Oko Caribe from the Dominican Republic, had a leather flavour with a distict dairy flavour that develops into a honey sweetness, making for a gem of a bar.
The 75% Palos Blancos from Bolivia in comparison had a milky coffee flavour with a creaminess that comes through with a robust flavour and slight toasted sugar notes. Now to work through the whole range please??
Chocolate Bar No. 9 & 10 –Parliment Chocolate. Sadly I got to the end of all my delicious chocolate but I ended with a high. Just love the cute line drawing illustrations on the packaging.
The Belize 70%, again had incredible savoury notes with a rich smokey, earthy flavour which would go great with a deep red wine to enjoy it with.
The Guatemala 70%, had a great burst of citric orange flavour to wake up the palate and to then make way for a rich honey sweetness.
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