Power Rankings #11: Waialua Estate

A few months ago my parents took an amazing trip to Hawaii...and all I got were some lousy chocolate bars.... 

haha...no, they were actually quite amazing, AWARD-WINNING even. Here's the story (text conversation) of how they got their hands on this delicious and unique chocolate. 

Mom 3:44pm: This is the day we are tracking LOST sights, and getting lost!
Me 4:30pm: Where's the cocoa tree?
Mom 4:34pm: Tell me where to look and what they look like. I may have seen some...
Me 4:35pm: Haha. They are prob at a farm, where exactly are you? what island?
Mom 4:36pm: North shore right now. Oahu.
*I google "cacao farm North Shore Oahu"*
Me 4:42pm: http://www.waialuaestate.com
Mom 5:30pm: We are headed in...

And just like that, I got some amazing single-estate chocolate straight from the source! Well, sort of. The bars are actually MADE in California at Guittard, but the beans are from this estate. Check this out if you are interested in a little more background on the Waialua Estate. Without further adieu....

1. ***Extra Dark Chocolate - 70% cacao - This is by far the best bar of the three. The flavor is quite complex. It's easy to identify the notes of raisin, dark berry and plum. There's an overall milky sweet finish too, which I love.

2. **Hawaiian Milk Chocolate - 38% cacao - This milk is very rich in creamy texture. Not my FAVORITE type of milk chocolate. But for what it is, it is very very well done!

3. **Hawaiian Cocoa Nib Bar Semisweet Chocolate - 55% cacao - This bar is what Two-Face would eat. The nib part of the bar is fabulous. The chocolate it is in, is not my fave. I can't tell if it's trying to be milky or super dark. It's just a confusing flavor. And the nibs add another level of complexity that just doesn't jive in this bar. All the flavors are good standalone. They just don't seem to blend well. 

Thanks Mom and Dad for a delicious treat! The Waialua Estate is definitely on my to do list when I make my way to Hawaii (someday!!!)! You should DEFINITELY check it out if you find yourself there! And then tell me all about it!

 CHEERS!