Indianbeantobar Archives - Bean to Bar Chocolates India

As India’s 1st certified chocolate taster, I bring news that may be hard to swallow for Indian craft chocolate lovers: Indian bean-to-bar chocolates have struggled to secure awards at the prestigious International Chocolate Awards (Asia Pacific 2024 edition). The reasons are many (link). Intense competition, lack of application on behalf of chocolate makers, reliance on single origins and not acknowledging the plethora of indian flavours that can co-exist with chocolate can be mentioned as some of the reasons. In continuation to my efforts to bring you the latest and best from the Indian bean to bar chocolate world, I regularly review Indian award winners. My previous post was about the 2023 winners (there were many!) Shining out are 2 chocolates which we have tasted and reviewed for your benefit. Some of the chocolates are not yet available (at the time of publication) to buy online.

Disclaimer:

I have not been asked or paid to write this review. However, I did receive the samples and transport at no cost. I refrain from judging or reviewing aspects that are not always within the control of the chocolate maker. Therefore, I will not comment on the snap or temper of chocolate that has been transported in tropical conditions. I also avoid discussing the appearance of the chocolate in order to “take the glamour out of the equation” and maintain objectivity.

Typically, I take 55 seconds to a minute to form an opinion with 5 grams of chocolate. I make my “chocolate notes,” and then repeat the process after 15 minutes, strictly adhering to established tasting methods. I taste chocolate only after a meal (sans a dessert), limiting myself to 10 grams from two different chocolates each day. This approach helps me remain objective and prevents palate fatigue, which could lead to inaccurate judgments.

I always strive to identify any defects before I allow myself to spend more time with the chocolate. Often, I will stop a tasting session if I find myself unable to focus, and I won’t resume until the next day. While judging chocolates, I am dramatic yet sincere. This is my personal style. As they say, to each is his own. I have judged at the International Chocolate Awards (Regional & Finals) in London and multiple other locations from 2014 to 2021.

Paul & Mike – Milk Chocolate with Pistachios and Idukki Cardamom (Bronze)

The Milk Chocolate with Pistachios and Idukki Cardamom should be renamed Idukki Cardamom Milk Chocolate with Pistachios. “Heavenly” is the one word that comes to mind immediately. Read on…

To start with, the colour of the chocolate appealed to me greatly. Though it is not much to go by, the blackish colour is usually a put off indicating alkalised chocolate. The perfect light brown, akin to classic milk chocolate, was a pleasing sight. The aroma of the chocolate, had a strange but faint cardamom. It didn’t help set my expectations too high. But when I took a piece, my first encounter was with the perfect amount of cardamom being delivered as the 1st welcome note. Warm and full-bodied, (or can we say whole bodied and robust) the cardamom added a full-filling creaminess and a touch of vanilla to the chocolate. Too much cardamom usually does more harm than good, but the precise use of high-quality cardamom flavoring (oil, in this case) has certainly helped the cause and results in an experience which delights you and sets you up well for more to come.

I don’t bite the chocolate and as it started to melt, cocoa was married to the milk very well, providing a near-perfect creamy delivery. Additionally, the chocolate had a very good balance of fat and sugar. Craft chocolates can become overwhelming with the amount of fat used. The texture of this chocolate was silky and smooth with a good particle size distribution, due to very good refining and delivering a consistency we’ve come to expect from Paul & Mike.

As we enjoy the milk chocolate, a few moments on, I noticed the generous and well-spread pieces of good-sized pistachios. The crunch and nuttiness from the well-roasted pistachios plays the role of a fitter rather than a filler, flattening the sweetness very smartly. The pistachio’s fit perfectly into the flow of the experience, leaving us pieces to chew into and making for a memorable ending. I was not left with an over whelming sweet feeling.

As I finish, I usually try to pay close attention to find any defects in the chocolate and after notes or any shortcomings and find myself empty-handed with this chocolate! Defect-free! This is a delight and rare with Indian craft/bean-to-bar chocolate. This chocolate is an award winner for many reasons.

What worked in this chocolate bar for L Nitin Chordia, India’s first Certified Chocolate Taster: Balance of flavour, high-quality ingredients, and perfectly masked sweetness. What would I do better: I thought hard and I cannot seem add value to this effort to make it better. I would rate this 9/10.

Paul & Mike – Milk Chocolate Coated Salted Capers

The chocolate coated salted capers has won several awards across the years at the International Chocolate Awards. This is a marquee award winner for Paul & Mike which demonstrates the concept of a western fusion (a.k.a pairing) to Indian craft chocolate. The milk chocolate initially makes for a sweet treat and gives way to the caper on the inside. Coated in perfect amount of milk chocolate, each freeze dried caper is tangy and tart and gives a feeling of it being suspended in brine. One cannot help bite the caper once it arrives and this delivers a burst of flavours and saltiness. This product offers a simple yet fantastic balance of salt, tart, tangy and sweet and tempts you to take another shot at it. This can be called a true master class in balancing flavours.

At no point it seems very salty and the milk chocolate does a perfect balancing act. No credit should be taken away from the freeze dried capers, the real hero in the delivery. What worked for L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st Certified Chocolate taster: Exceptional pairing of ingredients, High quality ingredients. What would I do better: Reduce a bit of salt and experiment with a few spices. I would rate this 8.5/10.

Indian bean to bar can improve their performances at the International Chocolate Awards. Read a thought piece at: https://cocoatrait.com/chocolates/revolutionizing-chocolate-the-bold-strategy-that-will-make-indian-chocolatiers-global-award-winners/

Contact L Nitin Chordia at +919600064846; nitin@cocoatrait.com

Indian cacao might not have made its mark yet globally but it would be fair and safe to say Indian Bean to bar chocolate makers have arrived! With 10+ winners at the recently concluded Asia Pacific Edition of the International Chocolate Awards (ICA) hosted in Hongkong, L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st certified Chocolate taster picks the award winning chocolates, experiences them and shares his observations to help you understand the significance of the awards.

Virtual Engagement Session — Nitin experiencing the Sensory magic that he enjoys being India’s 1st certified chocolate taster!

Disclaimer: Upon request, we were privledged to be sent a few Indian Bean to Bar chocolates of each of the International Chocolate Awards (ICA) Asia Pacific 2023 winners. Please note that this is not a generic product review and most of these bars were not paid for by us. We have looked beyond the the packaging, snap/condition and temper of the chocolate. We review what matters the most to us, which is, flavour! This reviews only the work/effort of the chocolate craftsman / maker and the flavour delivery of the product. This review is about what I like about the bars and NOT a critical/product improvement review exercise with an aim to help consumers understand why a bar won an award and which bar to choose to experience. The reviews are in the order of the bars received by us upon request to the chocolate makers. Some bars were not available to us to review.

Chitra’m White Chocolate Masala Chaas (ICA Asia Pacific 2023: Silver)

A down right innovative approach which is bound to make heads turn! Chitra’m has kept up to its reputation of innovation in approach towards product development and product delivery after their Moringa & Lemon White Chocolate won an ICA a few years ago. Chitram has the most awards in the white chocolate category in India. They almost own the white chocolate category in India! No surprise that this bar got the attention of the judges and won a silver. A well balanced white chocolate without sugar, with all the elements of chaas (buttermilk) as we know it and a visual treat. Yes! a chocolate without sugar! What deserves mention is that it is not overly buttery, none of the flavours over power each other, deliver on the palate fairly easily with all ingredients fighting to delicately show up during the melt leaving no off taste and a medium post melt length. We could carve a new category for this! We would not call it sugar free but sugar less savoury chocolate! What worked in this chocolate bar for L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st Certified Chocolate taster: A sugarless creation with authencity of flavours packed in an innovative bar.

Savorworks 72% Dark Gin & Tonic (ICA Asia Pacific 2023: Silver)

A worthy new silver award winner from a relatively new entrant at the ICA from India! The chocolate makers roasting ability and chocolate making skills have been a differentiator and demonstrates itself clearly (or shall we say “cleanly”) in the chocolate experience. Having tasted this last year and living up to its name, this 72% dark chocolate bar is the closest it gets to experiencing Gin & Tonic in a bar. This bar wins because the subtle flavour oils (Juniper, Lime and Lemon) blended well and show up almost immediately. They pair well with the cacao notes which are highlighted due to a near perfect roast. A hint of astringency plays well and while the mouthfeel is a bit buttery (give it to the lecithin), it melts rather slowly. Clearly the best roast I have experienced in Indian craft chocolate yet! Overall, well roasted cacao turned into a chocolate bar experience leaving a desirable medium long post melt length. Great new entrant and a warm welcome to the Indian Bean to bar chocolate industry! What worked in this chocolate bar for L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st Certified Chocolate taster: The roast profile of the cacao, the texture and the flavour balance.

Paul And Mike 57% Vegan Dark Milk Masala Chai (ICA Asia Pacific 2023: Gold)

This gold winner deserves the recognition because of the quality of ingredients used, the balance of the spices with the sweetness and chocolate and the post melt delivery of flavours. The highlight is the use of rice milk to add a subtle creaminess to the chocolate. The lack of good quality milk powder in India gets compensated by the use of Rice milk as it helps the lactose intolerant and also does a favour to people who have an intolerance towards the taste of milk from dairy source. We believe that this could have been a good bar even if a bit darker in cacao % but we are sure that, as is, this would be a mass appeal chocolate bar. The texture is smooth and the finish is worth mentioning! What worked in this chocolate bar for L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st Certified Chocolate taster: A really good mix of spices in the most perfect balance of creaminess and sweetness followed by a lingering aftertaste of spices to start with and ends with sweetness! I would give it a gold simply because is achieved this without the addition of flavour oils!

Paul And Mike 64% Dark Rum & Rummy Raisins Chocolate (ICA Asia Pacific 2023: Bronze)

Paul and Mike Dark Rum and Rummy Raisin Chocolate

This is one of the 1st bars we have tasted with an inclusion from the ICA AP 2023 edition winners. First up, the aroma of the Jamaican rum captivated us. On going beyond and not surprisingly, Paul and Mike leans on the legacy and expertise of their flavours division and delivers a winner with this bar! Using the Jamaican rum flavour, a very interesting balance of tropical fruits (pineapple, a bit of citrus) is paired with raisins and a really good balance of sweetness and chocolate delivers a satisfactory experience for us. This bar saves me a pairing and I could enjoy this bar anytime of the day (or night)! What worked in this chocolate bar for L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st Certified Chocolate taster: The aroma, the quality of the flavour oil and the balance of sweetness.

Paul And Mike 64% Dark Beer Chocolate (ICA Asia Pacific 2023: Bronze)

Let us give it to this bar! Hands Down! In my opinion this could have easily been a silver winner had there been lesser competition in the category at the ICA. With a smooth texture, this chocolate is a mind blowing application and execution of a flavour concept which panoramically captures the flavours of hops, beer, pineapple with a perfect balance of sweetness and chocolate. With a medium melt, this bar finishes with a flavourful freeze dried mango piece left to be savoured. The good quality of the flavour oils stands out once agin for Paul & Mike! What worked in this chocolate bar for L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st Certified Chocolate taster: A genuine effort at conceptualising and executing a concept with a progressive collaboration!

Paul And Mike 87% Dark Chocolate (ICA Asia Pacific 2023: Bronze)

A truly fine flavoured plain chocolate bar with really enjoyable smooth texture, controlled acidity and lingering with citrus and red fresh fruits. The muscovado sugar lends a light caramel note to the already enjoyable experience. This bar could so easily win a gold within an Indian competition. This bar should be dedicated to the cacao bean and the roasting capability of the chocolate maker. A slightly fatty bar, the refining/texture is smooth and the astringency has been eliminated to keep the experience really enjoyable, with a clean finish and must say a memorable experience and a good length. This must be considered as an example of what Indian bean to bar chocolate makers are capable of and a benchmark of sorts. What worked in this chocolate bar for L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st Certified Chocolate taster: The roast which retains and brings out the best character of the bean and the texture.

Paul And Mike 64% Gin & Ginger Dark Chocolate (ICA Asia Pacific 2023: Silver)

The best and a silver award worthy creation of the popular beverage combination! This would be my 1st initial reaction. With perfect pieces of good quality candied ginger aided by juniper oil (smaller ginger pieces embedded in the chocolate compared to the picture), this is certainly a bar I could go back to at any point of the day (or night). The start is a mesmerising (can we say satisfying too?) aroma of Juniper and the balance of sweetness and the ingredients with a perfect dosage of the oil helps the ginger (and the spice flavour it brings along) to play a role of the hero in the overall experience as it unfolds. The quality of the flavour oils are noteworthy and the bar is blessed with a long length! What worked in this chocolate bar for L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st Certified Chocolate taster: The high quality flavour oils used, the delicate balance of the ingredients and the spicy experience on the throat that I am left with! This is a bar I would certainly gift!

Kocoatrait 64% Masala Chai Dark Chocolate (ICA Asia Pacific 2023: Silver)

This is not the only chai chocolate winning at the ICA 2023 (Asia Pacific). While India has kept to its reputation of innovative uses of spices in various foods and beverages, this bar is further proof that the traditional masala chai (which was a beverage believed to be traditionally used to keep alert) remains the rightful property of Indian bean to bar chocolate makers! What makes this chocolate memorable to me is the delicate balance and delivery of flavours of the spices used (Ginger, Cardamom & Black Pepper), in a not very complex (collectively) but very well balanced 64% dark chocolate with low to medium acidity, controlled astringency and medium bitterness matching the experience of our beloved Indian masala chai! The spices present themselves one after the other in the melting experience and I would refer to this as an “engineered” chocolate. It has a persisting length of melt and provides a lingering aftertaste. What worked in this chocolate bar for L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st Certified Chocolate taster: The flavour starts with cardamom followed by ginger and ending with a slight burn due to black pepper on the throat. This chocolate bar keeps me intrigued, entertained and engaged through out the experience.

La Folie 65% Kelagur Coffee Bar (ICA Asia Pacific 2023: Bronze)

What can you do to make an already good chocolate better?? Add great coffee beans to it! I was not too impressed with the aroma initially but as the chocolate started to melt, it became evident that it was a marriage of good cacao and good coffee. Dark fruit notes (raisins, berry) complimented the coffee used and it makes this a very interesting bar. It has accentuated caramel notes from the muscovado sugar and from the coffee beans. A good selection of cacao % without too much overall bitterness and coffee flavour means that it is a coffee lovers bar to look out for! What worked in this chocolate bar for L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st Certified Chocolate taster: Good balance with the coffee and accentuated flavour notes (fruity & caramel).

La Folie 70% Silk Route Dark Chocolate (ICA Asia Pacific 2023: Silver)

The aroma of cardamom and a beautiful looking bar. This is my 1st impression about this creation from La Folie. I took a bite of the chocolate sans the pistachio and rose petals to get a feel of the base creation. The sweetness of the cardamom and sweet spiciness of the nutmeg both ensure that the bar does not come across as a 70% dark bar. It appeared much lower in %. The melt as desirable (slow) and the advantage of using the real spices as flavours was playing out clearly and was at the core of the experience. The magic started when i chewed on the pistachios and the rose petals along with the chocolate (inspite of me always resisting the bite while evaluating chocolates. It was followed by a good length. Pro Tip: Defects are easier to notice when you melt the chocolate). This is certainly a silver award winner for the handling (can i say balance, one more time?) of the various ingredients. What worked in this chocolate bar for L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st Certified Chocolate taster: The way the ingredients hid 70% darkness away behind the melody of flavours in the chocolate experience.

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Tasting the best of Indian Bean to Bar winners from International Chocolate Awards Asia Pacific 2024

Tasting the best of Indian Bean to Bar – Indian winners from ICA Award Winners Asia Pacific 2023