When Nelson & Co. debuted their Carefree line with medicated caramels (see our Dec. 2019 Edible of the Month), we were hooked. That line then grew to include vegan gummies, which we ate by the handful and led to us crossing our fingers and hoping that they would eventually release a chocolate bar. And with their latest offering, our wish has been fulfilled.
Why were we looking more forward to the next Nelson & Co. edible than we would a new Reese’s? In one word: hash, or rosin to be exact. As a small-batch, single-source solventless producer, the crew at Nelson takes a lot of pride in the hash that they release. By only selling the cream of the crop as rosin, the hash that ends up as “food grade” is leaps and bounds better than most starting material.
The chocolate itself is smooth with a bright shine. To snap the perfectly tempered bar in two, I only needed to apply a slight pressure to make it break in crisp and clean fashion. Divided into 10, 5mg pieces makes it easy to dose … even in a dark movie theater. For those who tend to prefer milk chocolate, or find dark chocolate too rich or bitter, this bar is mellow and sweet – leaning much more toward chocolate cake than it does a bitter cocoa nib.
There’s a noticeable Cannabis flavor present as the chocolate melts. For those who enjoy the taste and flavor of premium herb, it’s a welcome addition. If the slight herbal taste isn’t quite what you’re looking for, this dark chocolate makes for a fantastic blank canvas. These pieces would easily melt into a mocha or fit snugly atop a campfire s’more.
The effect is pronounced and long-lasting. As a sleep aid, I ate a couple of squares before bed and slept completely through the night with no lingering grogginess. To relax, I finished the bar, kicked back and settled in for a night at home. But it was hours later when I peeled myself off the couch, gobsmacked at how this chocolate bar had sent me directly to dreamland. Nelson & Co. has impressed us again – for single-source, small-batch and solventless chocolate bars, these are hard to beat.
This article was originally published in the February 2022 issue of Oregon Leaf.
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