Starbucks Chantico...wow! Now that's hot cocoa! (1 Viewer)

[Carlo_M]

Okay, I've been after the "perfect hot cocoa" for years now. I've tried everything from Scharffen-Berger to Droste to Ghirardelli and other various exotic cocoas and chocolates. I have tried adding ingredients like sugar, honey, vanilla extract, etc. I'm not afraid to experiment. I usually prepare my hot cocoa in a saucepan, stirring slowly (no microwave).

I had a vision in my head of what hot cocoa should taste like, but could never quite achieve it in practice. I imagined trying to make a hot cocoa that looked like what Juliet Binoche served in the movie Chocolat.

I actually came the closest, surprisingly, with a pre-made mix that someone gave me for Christmas (knowing I was a chocoholic). Godiva Dark Chocolate Truffle Hot Cocoa mix. Not their standard Hot Cocoa (which a coworker tried and found wanting) but the Dark Truffle one (the pic on the website is of the standard canister). I found that just following the instructions and adding hot whole milk produced great results.

However I have now found my hot cocoa nirvana. I am a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf addict, and I generally do not like Starbucks. Not because of their business practices (though I'm certainly not a fan of that) but because I just don't find their drinks to be very good. Their Peppermint Mocha Latte was the first drink they premiered that got me thinking that they were capable of making a decent drink, but now they have topped themselves with...

Chantico--"Drinkable chocolate"

At first I ordered it because I saw the sign in the store and was intrigued. When I got it, it came in a small cup (I didn't read the fine print that it was a 6oz serving). My first thought was "what the hell is this?"

But like "The Noisy Cricket" gun from Men In Black, this baby packed a wallop that belied its size! It's dark, rich, and a total chocolate experience that any chocolate lover needs to try. It is so strong, it really isn't fit for drinking, but rather sipping. It usually takes me about 20 minutes to sip a 6oz cup.

I hate sounding like an advertisement for them (and my friends know this) so for me to blubber on about this should say a lot about the drink.

Do not, I repeat, do not have this if you are on a diet. It has cocoa butter in it, and from reports I've read, a 6oz cup has 390 calories. This is not targeted at the health-conscious segment of America . Of course, one occasional drink shouldn't really do too much, and the couple of times I've had it, it actually works as an appetite suppressant as I have not wanted to eat right after imbibing it.

But if you've ever been like me, searching and searching for that perfect hot cocoa drink, give the Chantico a try. It just might be the end of your search (it was for me).

 

[SethH]

I had one this past weekend. I was extremely pleased, but I doubt I will order another one. It was very good, but it was honestly too much. If you drink it too fast you kind of start to feel sick. I really think they just take a quality bar of chocolate and melt it down, perhaps adding a little bit of milk or something to thin it out slightly. Very, very good. Definitely worth trying once.

 

[Phil_L]

It is way too much to handle!!!! I really liked it but it is incredibly rich. Not a bad thing, but I couldn't finish even the small portion I was given. Would make a great dessert when you're REALLY in the mood for something sweet.

 

[NickSo]

I asked what it was one time at starbucks and they offered a sample that was the size of an espresso.

DAMN its sweet... literally... too sweet for my tastes... But yeah, it tastes like they melted down a chocolate bar.

They say many women prefer chocolate over sex... starbucks may be onto something here

 

[Ron-P]

I'll have to try it. I'm not a huge chocolate fan so if I cannot finish it I'll give it to my 8 year old daughter. Heck, even my wife might drink it. Sounds very intriguing to say the least Carlo.

Currently though, I am hooked on their Pumpkin Spice Latte. Their fav of mine is the Eggnog Latte but this runs a close 2nd.

 

[Carlo_M]

Which reminds me of an analogy I told a friend when describing this drink:

Chantico is to "hot chocolate" what espresso is to coffee.

I think that's an appropriate description. This is not your mother's hot chocolate, this is something infinitely richer. It's no wonder it comes in a 6oz size because anything larger would require people to seek medical attention after imbibing!

 

[Carlo_M]

Ron, use caution about giving it to your 8 year old daughter [I hope you're all doing well, it's been a while, we should do another SoCal getogether!]. Be prepared to have her jumping off of the walls if you do give it to her.

Your wife might enjoy it though. I'm serious, I'm not sure I would give the Chantico to a child, unless in very small amounts. You know kids, they won't sip, they'll chug it.

 

[Ron-P]

Carlo, I am doing well hope you are, and yes, I was thinking about another met sometime in the near future. I'll be let'n ya know.


Exactly the reason I'd give it to her All kidding aside, I may let her sip it but not drink it. I wouldn't want to deal with the aftermath.

 

[Zen Butler]

All Balrogs aside, I thought it was too much also. Now, add 3oz. to a quad espresso, with whip and it's very yummy. My Barista let me experiment with a few combinations and I liked the 4 shots to 3oz of Chantico the best.

 

[Carlo_M]

Waitasec, Zen. You say it's too rich so you dilute it with...espresso?

Talk about bouncing off of walls, you must be like that kid in Iron Giant after he has his first espresso!

 

[todbnla]

I like S/B stuff but really when you get down to it, aren't they turning into a Yuppie Baskin & Robbins, in that, aren't these all high end milk shakes of some sort, really. The stuff my kid gets looks like a Sunday with the whip cream and stuff.

As Arnold would say thiz stuff is for the girly man... I'll stick with my Venti Bold of the day coffee...

 

[Carlo_M]

Todd, trust me, the Chantico is anything but a high end milkshake.

Think of the strongest, richest chocolate drink you can imagine, and you MIGHT come close to the Chantico...might.

No whip cream, no extraneous ingredients, just 45-50% cacao, 20% cacao butter, whole milk (they won't/don't make a lowfat, nonfat, soy version).

This is by far the most serious drink SB has ever made, IMO.

 

[Yousaf]

The richest chocolate drink ever made? You can only get one down, and even then it's a stretch? I'll take that challenge! Looks like it's time to play Chantico...

(For those that don't watch Scrubs, any "game" that has the name of a food consists of eating a large quantity of food [the more expensive, the better] faster than your opponent.)

 

[James Edward]

They were giving samples one day while I was there. It was unbelievably good. Like perfect hot chocolate on steroids.

If I wasn't already overweight, I'd try to have one a day.

 

[Ron-P]

Any of you chocolate/coffee fans choke down a few chocolate covered espresso beans? I love those things but damn if I don't get the jitters after a few of'em.

 

[Carlo_M]

Let us know how you fare, Yousaf!

Ron, that's exactly why I don't eat those beans. Because it takes a while for the effects to kick in, and by that time I've ingested 1/2 the bag! Shaky hands all night after that...only took a few bags to learn my lesson...

 

[Zen Butler]

I can't stop at a few. I grub the whole box.

 

[Tony Whalen]

Had one last week. Hot DAMN is that a rich hot chocolate. Truely amazing! Very tasty, but you gotta be a chocolate-lover to enjoy it. Me, I'll have one once-in-a-while. It's just so RICH!

A friend of mine had one while vacationing in the US. The barista offered him an "under-the-table" super-size version. (10-oz?). Oddly enough, he doesn't want another one. My reaction was "you ordered a LARGER version? Are you INSANE?"

 

[Carlo_M]

Yeah Tony, I've been doing some web searches on Chantico, and on some chocoholic forums, people have reported asking for VENTI versions!

 

[Ron-P]

I've got to try this thing. There's a Star Bucks next to the Best Buy I'll be visiting at lunch today. I might just swing in, try one, and report back. Of course, that means I'll have to get my Pumpkin Spice Latte as well.