Chocolate and whiskey may be the key to the hearts of many, and these sweet treats have arrived just in time for Father’s Day. Sure, dad may not like one of the two but perhaps the flavors of both packaged together will change their mind.
Monsoon Chocolate has spent some time making these confections, too — at least four months — because it all began with tossin’ in some cacao in a Whiskey Del Bac barrel. The rough-ground chocolate took a four-month journey inside a dried whiskey barrel sourced from the local distillery, which was then tempered to create a sensationally rich combo of whiskey and smoke.
Photo courtesy of Monsoon ChocolateChocolate bars and bon bons, oh my. There are two limited-run items to choose from: the Whiskey Del Bac Barrel-Aged Chocolate Bar and Whiskey Del Bac Dorado Bon Bons. The new items can be ordered online and then picked up in-store, or shipped nationwide.
Keep reading and take a gander at the sweet deets if you’re having trouble deciding which one to order (maybe play it safe and order both).
Whiskey Del Bac Barrel-Aged Chocolate Bar
The bar is a 74 percent dark chocolate blend of transparently sourced, fine flavor cocoa beans. Monsoon Chocolate selected these beans for their distinct tasting notes — notes that complement the flavors conveyed from the oak barrels previously used to age Hamilton Distiller’s award-winning Whisky Del Bac Dorado.
Photo courtesy of Monsoon ChocolateUsing the Scottish model or whiskey-making, Dorado is made from 100 percent barley that is malted and smoked over a velvet mesquite fire, mashed, fermented, copper pot distilled, aged, and bottled on-site. As mentioned earlier, after its four-month waiting period, the chocolate bars are ready for consumption.
To order the chocolate bars, visit monsoonchocolate.com.
Photo courtesy of Monsoon ChocolateWhiskey Del Bac Dorado Bon Bons
The bon bons celebrate Hamilton Distiller’s Whiskey Del Bac Dorado, too, and were made from the same barrel-aged process.
This collection features two different confections to compare and contrast with each other. So, one is a velvety chocolate ganache, which brings the rich and smokey campfire flavors from the Dorado to the stage. The other is a fluid caramel, which highlights the soft tannins and sweeter notes.
Photo courtesy of Monsoon ChocolateYou can order the bon bons as a four-piece set (two of each flavor) or an eight-piece set (four of each flavor). The four-piece set can be ordered online, as well as the eight-piece set.
The award-winning Monsoon Chocolate, which has been featured in The Washington Post before and was also officially certified by the Tucson City of Gastronomy, is no stranger to making some of the freshest confections that make you think you’re taking a stroll around Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.
So, go ahead and treat dad to an award-winning Father’s Day this year.
Monsoon Chocolate is located at 234 E. 22nd St. For more information, visit monsoonchocolate.com.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
