Fearless 70% Exploding Coconuts

 

 

  

2oz (56.7g) bar

Ingredients: Organic raw cacao, o. unrefined cane sugar, o. raw shredded coconut

7g sugar/28.35g serving (24.7% by wt.)

Corporate Info: [Copied from 1/26/13] Fearless was founded in 2006 in California, uses recycled paper for the outer boxes, and makes bean-to-bar chocolate with organic ingredients and direct trade cacao from specific plantations in Brazil, with a special focus on raw cacao. All of this may or may not mean anything to you, but I think I can safely say that Fearless is full of good intentions, part of what I'm seeing as a young cohort trying to bring chocolate into the modern age more thoughtfully, with an eye toward (or blatant focus on) sustainability and treating growers well. The small-company, bean-to-bar model is one way of doing it (contrast with Divine, for example), and it's a fine option. Good for them. Fearless is also notable for its aesthetic, a combination of earthy-crunchy (recycled-looking paper boxes) and super cute, as the font is friendly, the logo is a tiny elephant, and the mold embosses the elephant and a bunch of stars on the bars and takes a “bite” out of the corner of the bar. I'd argue that the cute-ification of the raw, organic message is a great way to go, taking what might otherwise be perceived as a solidly hippie company and making it more approachable. As of last September Fearless only produced five bars, and now there are seven, so look for more from Fearless in the future.

Today's Bar: More 70% raw cacao and unrefined sugar, plus shredded coconut. As I noted last week, the package has changed since I bought this bar, though this one already has the new winged elephant logo. Hm.

Appearance: Funny, the elephant imprinted on the bar itself has no wings...I wonder if the bars are different now. Anyhow, same red-orange color and slight gloss.

Smell: This one first reminded me of raisins, but when I remembered the sweetness of coconut, my mind rebranded the aroma as coconut's round, buttery-sweet smell, with the underlying warmth of cacao. Well-melded thus far.

Taste: This bar first hits my tongue as buttery and sweet, and then the sour-bitter rawness and the coconut's chewy texture kick in. The coconut pairs well with the chocolate in both flavor (rounded and subtly sweet to sour-bitter) and texture (chewy-crispy to thick), but I don't get a ton of coconut flavor. It adds good, buttery (third time I've used that word) complexity, and I'd like more of that.

Conclusion: Fearless 70% Exploding Coconuts pairs two contrasting elements well, but I'd like to taste more coconut in there.

Cocanú Picasso 72% Spicy Dark Chocolate, Coconut, Ginger, and Peppers

0.8oz (25g) bar

Ingredients: Cacao, sugar, coconut, paprika, cayenne pepper, ginger

Corporate Info: I bought this bar at Cacao in Portland, and if I recall the cashier's claim correctly, tiny Cocanú is the brainchild of one of the gentlemen who works at the shop. This bar sounded interesting to me, but it's not the only one; if you're in the area, try the Pop-Rocks-studded Moonwalk and let me know what you think. Cocanú's M.O. is to create blends using chocolate from other high-end companies. The Moonwalk, for example, is made from Michel Cluizel chocolate (I'll be reviewing one of their bars soon), and includes nibs from François Pralus (see my François Pralus reviews here). The Picasso contains chocolate from a Swiss company called Felchlin that claims to maintain strong and fair relationships with its cocoa farmers, so take from that what you will. Note: According to the Cocanú website, Picasso is 70% cacao, not 72%, which I assume means the formula was changed after I bought the bar.

Appearance: A smooth, thin, slightly glossy square with a scattering of tiny bumps the size of raspberry seeds.

Smell: Sour.

Taste: Morphing. Not sour but sweet!...Oh, okay, some sour...Hm, there's the flavor: Ginger and paprika are part of a warm ensemble rather than standouts on their own...Spiciness is starting to build in the back of the throat...Small pieces of coconut are textural, with no perfumey suntan-oil scent...sweet-sour chocolate dissipates, leaving a lingering heat and a couple tiny slivers of coconut. Fun.

Conclusion: Cocanú Picasso 72% Spicy Dark Chocolate, Coconut, Ginger, and Peppers is a fun ride.

Seeds of Change 61% Cacao Dark Chocolate With Coconut

2.99oz (84.8g) in three 1oz bars

Ingredients: Organic chocolate, o. cane sugar, o. cocoa butter, o. milkfat, o. soy lecithin, o. vanilla, o. coconut, natural flavor

8g sugar/28g serving (28.6% by wt.)

I bought Seeds of Change's coconut bar for several reasons. 1. I'd seen the brand in the grocery store many times but somehow hadn't tried it yet. 2. I finally caught some of it on sale. 3. I was curious whether someone could combine flavorful dark chocolate and mild coconut in a balanced, worthwhile way.

While this is a common tall, 3oz brick, it's not a single bar but rather a card-stock envelope containing three individually wrapped 1oz bars. The copy's a little silly (“The Seeds of Change mandala is an ancient symbol of abundance and vitality...”), but the bars are pleasantly stubby and scored into the usual rectangles with a nice little imprint on top. The chocolate isn't especially light or dark and is just barely glossy, and it smells rich and coconutty, vividly reminiscent of suntan oil, Mounds bars, and other sweet, perfumy coconut products.

That's just about how it tastes, too: Sweet, rich, only mildly chocolatey, and with a lot of coconut. Compared to Theo Seeds of Change actually uses less sugar per serving, but this chocolate tastes sweeter. That's probably in part because it has a significantly lower cacao content, which means less intense chocolate to compete with the coconut. Lower sugar, lower cacao...what makes up the difference? Milkfat, and possibly a greater percent of added cocoa butter. Fat can mellow sharp flavors—strong spices plus coconut milk create curry that is complex but not overwhelming; parmesan or blue cheese tempered with cream makes a mild sauce. I also wonder if the “natural flavor” in the ingredients infuses the chocolate with coconut flavor, because I don't think the suntan oil/Mounds vibe is coming from the shreds of coconut alone.

I'm not sure this is for me. The richness reminds me of the center of a Lindor Truffle, sweet and fatty, and though I used to love them my tastes have changed. But it definitely doesn't overwhelm the coconut, and if that appeals to you, by all means try this bar. The company is pretty neat too, and they have other interesting-sounding flavors (albeit in the same chocolate) that I'd be interested in trying if I found them on sale again.

Conclusion: Seeds of Change 61% Cacao Dark Chocolate With Coconut is sweet, mild, coconutty, and very rich.

Theo Organic Fair Trade Toasted Coconut Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao

3oz (84g) bar

Ingredients: Organic fair trade cocoa beans, oft. sugar, o. toasted coconut, oft. cocoa butter, o. vanilla bean

13g sugar/42g serving (31% by wt.)

I know I’ve talked a lot about Theo lately, so I promise I’ll take a break after today! I first noticed this toasted coconut bar on Theo’s website and kept an eye out for it for a few weeks, then finally spied the pastel pink wrapper in my local bookstore’s Theo display. It’s one of their seasonal offerings for spring, though other than the wrapper color I’m not sure what makes coconut particular springy. Regardless, I was pleased to find such an unusual combination. Okay, yes, coconut is a common (if divisive) ingredient in mass-market chocolate candy bars, but I’ve rarely seen it in such dark bar form, and it seemed like fun.

First the good news: The coconut contributes an interesting shredded texture, almost crispy at first bite, that is also fine enough to mostly avoid post-chew stringiness. Now the bad news: The bar seemingly uses Theo’s usual 70% cacao blend, which has a long, sour finish. The coconut flavor is subtle, and I think it would’ve been better paired with a much milder chocolate—not less dark, just with some of the tart edges shaved down. I love the texture, but I don’t think the flavor pairing works.

Conclusion: Theo’s Coconut 70% cacao bar has a fun texture, but the sour chocolate overwhelms the more delicate coconut flavor.