by The Chocolate Salon Comment Closed

BarGold2016We are proud to present the results of the 2016 CHOCOLATE BAR AWARDS Competition.

The International Chocolate Salon Awards for the 2016 CHOCOLATE BAR AWARDS are based on the combined total number of votes received by each entrant from the Judging Panel.

The Judging Panel consists of National and Regional Magazines, Newspaper and Blog Editors, plus Topic Experts, Local Chefs and Food Gurus.

The award winners below have the honor of being able to display and use the Official Award Winner title and award logos, as well as use items (such as the Award Winner lapel pin), as well as use Custom Award Certificates, and logo award merchandise.

Best Dark Chocolate Bar

GOLD

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Guayas River Basin 70% Ecuador

SILVER

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Dos Rios 70% Dominican Republic

BRONZE

  • Durci Taino 70%

Best Milk Chocolate Bar

GOLD

  • Le Belge Chocolatier 3oz Milk Chocolate, Almond & Fennel

SILVER

  • Valenza Chocolatier PB+C Bar
  • Vivra Chocolate Chili Crunch Bar

BRONZE

  • Vivra Chocolate Thai Satay Bar

Best Mixed Chocolate Bar

GOLD

  • BLINK Azteca Bark
  • Valenza Chocolatier PB+C Bar
  • Vivra Chocolate English Garden Bar

SILVER

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Mango Chili 65%
  • Chocolate for the Spirit California Spirit
  • Le Belge Chocolatier 3oz Dark Chocolate, Raspberry & Hibiscus
  • Luxx Chocolat LLC RBar - Creamy caramel infused with award-winning Legs Diamond rye whiskey
  • Vivra Chocolate Chili Crunch Bar

BRONZE

  • Delysia Chocolatier Spicy mango chocolate bark
  • EH Chocolatier  Caramelized White Chocolate Bar
  • Le Belge Chocolatier 3oz Dark Chocolate, Spicy Honeycomb
  • Luxx Chocolat LLC KBar
  • SELEUSS Chocolates SELEUSS SATIN 73.5% Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs

Best Ingredient Combinations

GOLD

  • BLINK Sour Cherry & Cocoa Nib Bark

SILVER

  • Le Belge Chocolatier 3oz Milk Chocolate, Almond & Fennel
  • Le Belge Chocolatier 3oz Dark Chocolate, Raspberry & Hibiscus
  • Milla Chocolates LLC Hazelnut Praliné Chocolate Bar
  • Vivra Chocolate English Garden Bar
  • Vivra Chocolate Thai Satay Bar

 

BRONZE

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Mango Chili 65%
  • BLINK Limoncello Bark
  • Delysia Chocolatier Spicy mango chocolate bark
  • Luxx Chocolat LLC KBar
  • Vivra Chocolate Chili Crunch Bar

Best Taste

GOLD

  • Milla Chocolates LLC Hazelnut Praliné Chocolate Bar

SILVER

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Dos Rios 70% Dominican Republic
  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Guayas River Basin 70% Ecuador
  • Le Belge Chocolatier 3oz Milk Chocolate, Almond & Fennel
  • Vivra Chocolate Chili Crunch Bar

BRONZE

  • BLINK Limoncello Bark
  • Starchild chocolate Wild Bolivian 70% Porcalana
  • Starchild chocolate Dark mocha cream 70% Bolivia, Alto Beni

 

Best Texture

GOLD

  • Milla Chocolates LLC Hazelnut Praliné Chocolate Bar

SILVER

  • Vivra Chocolate Chili Crunch Bar

BRONZE

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Guayas River Basin 70% Ecuador

Most Unique

GOLD

  • Delysia Chocolatier Cricket chocolate bark

SILVER

  • SELEUSS Chocolates SELEUSS SATIN 73.5% Dark Chocolate with Blueberries

BRONZE

  • BLINK Limoncello Bark
  • Delysia Chocolatier Spicy mango chocolate bark
  • Vivra Chocolate English Garden Bar
  • Vivra Chocolate Chili Crunch Bar

Top Chocolate Bar

GOLD

  • Milla Chocolates LLC Hazelnut Praliné Chocolate Bar

SILVER

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Dos Rios 70% Dominican Republic

BRONZE

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Guayas River Basin 70% Ecuador
  • BLINK Sour Cherry & Cocoa Nib Bark

Best Product Name

GOLD

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Dos Rios 70% Dominican Republic
  • BLINK Azteca Bark
  • Milla Chocolates LLC Hazelnut Praliné Chocolate Bar
  • Vivra Chocolate English Garden Bar

SILVER

  • Chubby Chipmunk Hand-Dipped Chocolates Fortunato No. 4 Superberry
  • Delysia Chocolatier Spicy mango chocolate bark

BRONZE

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Guayas River Basin 70% Ecuador
  • BLINK Limoncello Bark
  • Chocolate for the Spirit Gingerbread Bliss
  • Delysia Chocolatier Hummingbird cake chocolate bark
  • Luxx Chocolat LLC KBar
  • Starchild chocolate Wild Bolivian 70% Porcalana
  • Ticket Chocolate
  • Vivra Chocolate Chili Crunch Bar

 

 

Best Graphic Design

GOLD

  • Le Belge Chocolatier 3oz Dark Chocolate, Spicy Honeycomb

SILVER

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Mango Chili 65%
  • Le Belge Chocolatier 3oz Dark Chocolate, Raspberry & Hibiscus

BRONZE

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Dos Rios 70% Dominican Republic
  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Guayas River Basin 70% Ecuador
  • Durci Taino 70%
  • Vivra Chocolate English Garden Bar

Best Packaging

GOLD

  • BLINK Limoncello Bark
  • Milla Chocolates LLC Hazelnut Praliné Chocolate Bar

 

SILVER

  • BLINK Sour Cherry & Cocoa Nib Bark
  • Chuao Chocolaier Strawberry Waffle Wild
  • Durci Taino 70%
  • Le Belge Chocolatier 3oz Dark Chocolate, Spicy Honeycomb
  • Valenza Chocolatier PB+C Bar
  • Vivra Chocolate English Garden Bar

 

 

BRONZE

  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Guayas River Basin 70% Ecuador
  • Amano Artisan Chocolate Mango Chili 65%
  • BLINK Azteca Bark
  • Chuao Chocolaier Cinnamon Cereal Smooch
  • Chuao Chocolaier Caramel Apple Crush
  • SELEUSS Chocolates SELEUSS SATIN 73.5% Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs
  • SELEUSS Chocolates SELEUSS SATIN 73.5% Dark Chocolate with Almonds
  • Vivra Chocolate Chili Crunch Bar
  • Vivra Chocolate Thai Satay Bar

JUDGES' FAVORITES

Love the packaging for Vivra, Amano and Durci.

 

Amano is always excellent! I have consistently enjoyed their chocolates. The Blink and Seleuss chocolates captured my attention by their bold and visual packaging.

 

The bar, so to speak, was high: the quality and creativity of so much of the chocolates made it a challenge to choose favorites. Still, Milla Chocolate's star is rising quickly with its sexy hazelnut praline-filled chocolate bar, and Amano's comeback helps solidify its role at the top of any fine chocolate award list.

 

Wow, well done on a superb hazelnut praline chocolate bar from Milla Chocolates! Amano Artisan Chocolates never disappoints!

 

Above, plus: Milla Hazelnut Praline - the faceted pattern on the bar delighted me when I opened the package! Beautiful and functional. Nice ratio of chocolate to filling. Bar's components come together seamlessly. Le Belge Almond Fennel - very interesting flavor and texture combo! Chubby Chipmunk Superberry - intriguing attempt to make chocolate taste even more like chocolate - and succeeds! The fruits brought out the fruity nature of the chocolate really successfully, without altering the bar's texture. (The almond version of this was less successful.) CBar Bourbon Fig Salted Caramel - nice flavor combos! Great, luxurious texture on all their caramels. Blink Sour Cherry and Cocoa Nib - a grownup version of the chocolate-covered cherries I loved as a kid. Vivra Chocolate Chili Crunch - I didn't want to like this, but it won me over. Who would have known that tortilla chips would be tasty in chocolate?! Choc for the Spirit - nice inclusions; just wish they were more evenly spaced. Kudos to Blink and Seleuss for blanketing their inclusions evenly throughout their bars!

 

Delysia Hummingbird. Great white chocolate entre version. Hummingbird evocative of American heritage. The Valenza PB+C bar is something you would slip into your girlfriend's purse as a surprise gift. Blink, I would bring 3 of these instead of a cake to a dinner at friend's. Amano reminds me of the pleasure of lingering over a complex coffee. Notes of citrus, tobacco, bark, Eau de vie, purity of dark chocolate.

 

BLINK: I'm not usually a fan of bark, but you're helping me see the light!

 

"love the delayed spicy kick in the mango chili chocolate bar" "love the fig and salted caramel combination" "I felt like I was transported to Mexico when I had the Vivra chili crunch bar"

 

I have found a new favorite everything. Milla Chocolates. I might just move to California to be able to get it whenever I want it.

VOTING JUDGES

  • Alexandria Christakos, Draegers Market , http://www.draegers.com
  • Bernard Pacyniak Editor-in-Chief, Candy Industry Magazine, http://www.candyindustry.com
  • Cindy Wong-Chen, China Live
  • Erielle Bakkum, Fancy Toast http://fancytoast.blogspot.com/
  • Frank Price, Dying for Chocolate
  • Gayle Keck, BeenThereAteThat.com & @SFRestoNews http://BeenThereAteThat.com http://www.GayleKeck.com
  • Jack Epstein, Chocolate Covered Boutique, http://ChocolateCoveredSF.com
  • Jay Friedman, Eater Seattle, Seattle Weekly, more all at Gastrolust http://www.gastrolust.com
  • Jennifer Che, Tiny Urban Kitchen www.tinyurbankitchen.com
  • Jennifer Lunz, Chicago Splash magazine http://www.lasplash.com/user/48984-Jennifer_Lunz/articles
  • Jessica Ferraro, Bar Cacao http://www.barcacao.com
  • Lynn Wong, Viva Cocolat
  • Mary Vincent, Gratitude Gourmet http://www.gratitudegourmet.com
  • Sarah Wyatt, Capitol Hill Times http://www.capitolhilltimes.com/

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