Academy of Chocolate Awards 2015 – the results are in!

Congratulations to all these dreamers and visionaries who make the world a better place – for farmers, for retailers and all the other people in the cocoa value chain, including, of course, chocoholics.  It’s time to celebrate. Academy of Chocolate published the winners list of the most important awards in the fine chocolate universe. Below are the results of all BAR categories (filled chocolates were also judged). 

Best Dark Chocolate Bean-to-Bar under 80%

GOLD:

• Akesson’s 75% Criollo Cocoa Madagascar
• Amano Ocumare 70% Dark Chocolate
• Bar au Chocolat Dominican Republic 70%

SILVER:

• Akesson’s 75% Trinitario Bali
• Bar au Chocolat Madagascar 70%
• Castronovo Chocolate Rare Cacao Collection – Sierra Nevada Colombia 72%
• Chocolat Madagascar  Dark 65% Cocoa
• Chocolat Madagascar  Dark 70% Cocoa
• Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate 72% Madagascar, Sambirano
• Green & Black’s THIN Dark 70%
• Hotel Chocolat Saint Lucia, Rabot estate single cote, Bord du Lac 70%
• Pump Street Bakery Chocolate Grenada 70% – Crayfish Bay Estate
• Pump Street Bakery Chocolate Madagascar Criollo 74%
• Duffy’s Honduras Indio Rojo 72%
• SPAGnVOLA Oda Cocoa Estate – 70% dark chocolate, Ondo State, Nigeria
• SPAGnVOLA Single Estate – 70% dark chocolate, Dominican Republic

BRONZE:

• Amano Artisan Chocolate Chuao 70% Dark Chocolate
• Amano Artisan Chocolate Cuyagua 70% Dark Chocolate
• Amano Artisan Chocolate Morobe 70% Dark Chocolate
• Amano Artisan Chocolate Madagascar 70% Dark Chocolate
• Amazona Chocolate SAC Amazona Chocolate Dark 74% – El Shunté
• Amazona Chocolate SAC Amazona Chocolate Dark 72% -Valle del Chanka ( native Lamas variety)
• AQUIM Chocolates Q65% Q Chocolate/Aquim
• Bar au Chocolat Peru 70%
• Chocablog Ecuador 70% [now called: Damson Chocolate]
• Chocablog Madagascar 70% [now called: Damson Chocolate]
• Chocolate NAÏVE Dark Chocolate Nicaragua Nicoliso
• Chocolate Tree Madagascar Sambirano 72%
• Chocolate Tree Peru Marañon 69%
• ChocXO Camino Verde 72% Single Origin
• ChocXO Guantupi 75% Single Origin
• ChocXO Tres Rios limited edition
• Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate 72% Belize, Toledo
• Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate 76% Ecuador, Camino Verde
• Doble & Bignall Johe Beans, Raven
• Domori Ocumare 77, 77% dark criollo
• Du Jour Chocolate LTDA Pure 70%
• Hotel Chocolat Honduran Mayan Red 70%
• Idilio No. 3 Selección Cata Ocumare
• Idilio No. 4 Carenero Urrutia Superior
• Omnom Chocolate Madagascar 66%
• Original Beans PAPUA KERAFAT
• Original Beans PIURA PORCELANA
• Pacari Esmeraldas 60%
• Duffy’s Nicaragua Chuno 70%
• Ritual Chocolate Mid Mountain Blend
• Rococo Chocolates GruGrococo Organic Dark Chocolate Artisan Bar
• Rozsavolgyi Csokolade Madagascar Criollo
• Rozsavolgyi Csokolade Puerto Cabello
• Rozsavolgyi Csokolade Porcelana
• Tobago Estate Chocolate

Best Dark Chocolate Bean-to-Bar over 80%

GOLD:

• Akesson’s 100% Criollo Cocoa Madagascar

SILVER:

• Papa Chocolat 80% origin Peru
• Pump Street Bakery Chocolate Honduras 80%
• SPAGnVOLA Single Estate – 80% dark chocolate, Dominican Republic

BRONZE:

• Bar au Chocolat Trinidad 80%
• Baravelli’s Madagascan Sambirano 82%
• Chocolat Madagascar  Dark 85% Cocoa
• Domori Criollo 100%, Hacienda San Jose
• Hazel Mountain Chocolates 87% Venezuela Bean Sur del Lago
• Michel Cluizel Noir Infini 99%
• Szanto Tibor  Single region Baracoa Cuba 88% “Ocenta y ocho”

Best House Dark Chocolate Bar

BRONZE:

• Bachhalm PUR raw chocolate Domenikanische Republik 95% BIO and raw chocolate 95% cacao
• Beschle Ariba Ecuador 72%
• Pacari Esmeraldas 60%
• Rococo Chocolates Peru 63% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Artisan Bar

Best Flavoured Dark Chocolate Bar

GOLD:

• Akesson’s 75% Trinitario cocoa & ’Wild’ Voatsiperifery pepper
• Akesson’s 75% Trinitario cocoa & Pink pepper

SILVER:

• Co Couture Ginger & Lime 70%
• Forte Chocolates Orange Jazz Bar
• Michel Cluizel Noir 72% Mendiant
• Rococo Chocolates Cardamom Organic Dark Chocolate Artisan Bar

BRONZE:

• Akesson’s 75% Forastero & coffee nibs
• Beschle Arriba 72% with Ginger Infusion
• Chocolatier Praetsch KG Johann Oberholz ™ Sandalwood
• Co Couture Coffee & Cacao Nibs 95%
• Vanini 62% Dark Chocolate with Rosemary (10%) – Bean To Bar
• Vanini 74% Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs (10%) – Bean To Bar
• Jordi’s Chocolate Dark with Nibs
• Ocelot Chocolate Hebridean Sea Salt
• Ocelot Chocolate Piura Porcelana with Salted Marcona Almonds
• Papa Chocolat 85% Peru with hazelnuts
• Papa Chocolat 75% with Christmas Spice
• Pacari Melcocha 60%
• Pump Street Bakery Chocolate Sourdough & Sea Salt 66%
• Ritual Chocolate Fleur de Sel
• Rococo Chocolates Morello Cherry Dark Chocolate Artisan Bar
• Schokov Organic No. 4 “Almond & Cardamom”
• Schokov Organic No. 7 “Rosemary and Lemon”
• White Rabbit Chocolatiers 70% Dark Spiced Orange with Cranberries
• Zurg and Fabric Kft Fabric Mexican 66% Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Bean Tuile

Best Milk Chocolate Bean-to-Bar under 45%

BRONZE:

• Green & Black’s THIN Milk 37%
• Idilio Con Leche
• Omnom Chocolate Milk of Madagascar 45%
• Duffy’s Nicaragua Oh Chuno! 45%

Best Milk Chocolate Bean-to-Bar over 45%

SILVER:

• Bar au Chocolat Dominican Republic 60%

BRONZE:

• Castronovo Chocolate Rare Cacao Collection – Sierra Nevada Colombia Dark Milk 63%
• Chocolat Madagascar Fine Milk Chocolate Dark 50% Cocoa
• Chocolate Tree Peru Marañon 48%
• Doble & Bignall Puerto Cabello Beans, Tawny Owl
• Hotel Chocolat Nicaragua, Chuno 65%
• Original Beans FEMMES DE VIRUNGA
• Pump Street Bakery Chocolate Madagascar Milk 58%
• Duffy’s Honduras Mayan Red Milk 61%
• Duffy’s Venezuela Ocumare 55%

Best Flavoured Milk Chocolate Bar

GOLD:

• Akesson’s 45% Milk chocolate with Fleur de sel & Coconut blossom sugar
• Hotel Chocolat Borough Market Blend Gin Bar (65%)
• Pump Street Bakery Chocolate Rye, Crumb, Milk & Sea Salt 60%

SILVER:

• Beschle Tonka bean and Orange infusion
• Jordi’s Chocolate Milk with Nibs
• Rozsavolgyi Csokolade Caramelised Lavender Flowers

BRONZE:

• Chocolate NAÏVE Dark Milk Chocolate Mulate Peanut
• Chocolatier Praetsch KG Johann Oberholz ™ Red Roses
• Chocolatier Praetsch KG Johann Oberholz ™ Holy Night
• Green & Black’s THIN Salted Caramel
• Green & Black’s Sea Salt
• Hotel Chocolat Saint Lucian 65% Milk conched Earl Grey
• Vanini 49% Milk Chocolate with Sicilian Sea Salt (0.3%) – Bean To Bar
• Vanini 49% Milk Chocolate with Orange Peel (8%) – Bean To Bar
• Omnom Chocolate Sea salted almonds and milk 45%
• Omnom Chocolate Lakkris and sea salt

Best Packaging — Bars

GOLD:

• Beschle Matcha Bar
• Chocolate NAÏVE Mulate Collection
• Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate Chocolate Bar Envelope

SILVER:

• Omnom Chocolate Madagascar 66% AND Lakkris and Sea Salt
• Pump Street Bakery Chocolate bar packaging

BRONZE:

• Ocelot Chocolate Hebridean Sea Salt Bar AND Bee Pollen and Mango Bar
• Pana Chocolate new 45g bar design

Best Packaging — Boxes

GOLD:

• Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate Drinking Chocolate Bag
• Du Jour multipurpose
• Rozsavolgyi Csokolade Hot chocolate family packaging

SILVER:

• Ocelot Chocolate Ocelot Truffles Box
• Rococo Chocolates Drinking Chocolate Tin
• Rozsavolgyi Csokolade Bergamot packaging

More info (including results for filled chocolates) in the press release.