 |
Ingredients: Cocoa beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, whole Tahitian vanilla pods.
Amano Artisan Chocolate is a small batch bean-to-bar chocolate maker based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founder Art Pollard first became interested in making chocolate in 1996; Amano chocolate bars became available to the public in 2006. Although Amano isn’t fair trade certified, they cite that many farmers cannot afford to go through the process, and that they pay farmers and co-ops above fair trade price for beans. Amano does not disclose, however, whether or not they employ Oompa Loompas, and how they might be compensated. |
According to Amano, the criollo beans from this bar come from the Ocumare Valley in Venezuela, where they have been grown since at least the early 1700s. It’s a flavorful bar, but very subtle, so it seems pretty mild (rather than bold). It begins with a really rich, chocolatey taste, a little woody. Small bits melting on the tongue taste like raspberries. It ends with a light, roasted, coffee bean-ish taste, but it’s not bitter really - it’s very well balanced. Definitely one of my favorite bars so far. (9.5/10)
