The judging panel was a carefully selected group of our most experienced judges with a professional culinary background, who tasted the entries in anonymised judging, together with the permanent members of our Grand Jury.

The Grand Jury Finalists are the entries that made it through to the final Grand Jury round, following an initial technical Selection round and a main round of judging. The Finalists are the nominations from which the Grand Jury select the prize winners, through private voting.

While listing as a Grand Jury Finalist is an achievement in itself, it does not necessarily indicate that the entry will receive a prize.

Scores

Scores were published for each finalist product, using the IICCT scoring system, which is tuned to match the scoring scale used in specialty coffee.

The International Chocolate Awards is continuing its drive for transparency and standardisation in chocolate sensory evaluation, using the flavor profiling system from our parent body, the IICCT. As part of this initiative, we are now listing the scores for all winners and finalists, giving consumers a better guide for chocolate quality and entrants something extra to celebrate along with their medals. The scores given are similar to those used in specialty coffee, where 80 and above indicates fine chocolate quality and scores above 90 suggest extraordinary quality and craft. The prize break points are set by the Grand Jury for each category, according to the product type.

The 2022 World Drinking Chocolate Grand Jury Finalists are:

Plain/origin dark drinking chocolate (made with water)

SLOK Chocolate (Hong Kong) - Philippines 72% (84.20)
SLOK Chocolate (Hong Kong) - India 70% (83.38)
Barberis (Peru) - pasta pura gourmet (83.24)
Malagos Chocolate (Philippines) - Malagos Premium Unsweetened Chocolate (82.06)

Plain/origin dark drinking chocolate (made with milk)

Benns Ethicoa (Malaysia) - 70% Single Estate Khlung District (86.58)
Fjåk Chocolate (Norway) - 70% dark Dominican Republic (86.16)
Chococo (United Kingdom) - 72% Ecuador Dark - Hacienda Zoilita (85.98)
Benns Ethicoa (Malaysia) - 68% Chemor drinking chocolate (85.40)
Benns Ethicoa (Malaysia) - 72% Anaimalai Hills dark chocolate (85.28)
Benns Ethicoa (Malaysia) - 64% Panchor drinking chocolate (85.18)
Fjåk Chocolate (Norway) - 70% dark Tanzania (84.38)
Fu Wan Chocolate (Taiwan) - River 88% Ping-Tung (83.84)
Chococo (United Kingdom) - 70% Madagascar Dark - Ambanja, Sambirano (83.70)
Solkiki Chocolatemaker (United Kingdom) - Chuncho Dark Drinking Chocolate Mix (83.65)
Fu Wan Chocolate (Taiwan) - River 100% Ping-Tung (83.50)
Fjåk Chocolate (Norway) - 72% dark Guatemala (83.49)
Chococo (United Kingdom) - 80% Uganda Dark - Bundibugyo (83.22)
Khom Chocolatier House (Thailand) - KHOM'S HOUSE BLEND NO.1 (83.18)
Chococo (United Kingdom) - 100% Ecuador - Hacienda Zoilita (83.10)
COCOA CRAFTER (Thailand) - Chiang Rai 74 (82.72)
SLOK Chocolate (Hong Kong) - India 70% (82.72)
SLOK Chocolate (Hong Kong) - Philippines 72% (82.44)
SLOK Chocolate (Hong Kong) - Philippines 80% (81.56)
Novello Chocolate (Greece) - THE REAL CHOCOLATE 60% COCONUT SUGAR (80.42)
Mission Chocolate (Brazil) - Chocolate Quente (80.11)

Flavoured dark drinking chocolate (made with water)

Monia Achille (Italy) - Ma karkadè (84.01)

Flavoured dark drinking chocolate (made with milk)

Whosecacao, Inc. (Japan) - SpecialtyChocolateDrinkPowder/Yuzusansho (90.20)
Fjåk Chocolate (Norway) - Cinnamon roll drinking chocolate (87.83)
NRCOFFEE(느린커피) (South Korea) - Drinking Chocolate(Bourbon Cask Aged) (87.35)
Alex Yu (Taiwan) - 60% Pingtung 阿里山四季春-林芯慈 Meiho University (85.85)
Fjåk Chocolate (Norway) - Gingerbread drinking chocolate (85.52)
SLOK Chocolate (Hong Kong) - Aged with Lavender (84.70)
Novello Chocolate (Greece) - THE REAL BIO CHOCOLATE 61% WITH SPICES (84.68)
Monia Achille (Italy) - Ma miele e sambuco (84.08)
SLOK Chocolate (Hong Kong) - Aged with Rose Buds & Sage (82.92)
Fjåk Chocolate (Norway) - Salt caramel drinking chocolate (82.83)
Black Jaguar Chocolate (Canada) - Mayan Traditional Blend (82.51)
SLOK Chocolate (Hong Kong) - Aged with Mints (81.77)
SLOK Chocolate (Hong Kong) - XMAS SPICES (80.94)
Monia Achille (Italy) - Ma nocciola (79.00)

Plain/origin milk drinking chocolate (with milk chocolate/milk powder)

Nugali (Brazil) - Hot Chocolate (80.74)

Flavoured milk drinking chocolate (with milk chocolate/milk powder)

DESEO Chocolate (Poland) - Gorąca czekolada z masłem orzechowym (88.08)

White drinking chocolate

Fjåk Chocolate (Norway) - White caramelised & brown cheese (87.63)
Monia Achille (Italy) - Ma rrakech (86.76)

Plain/origin cocoa powder drinks (made with milk)

Goodnow Farms Chocolate (United States) - Asochivite Hot Cocoa (84.38)
Goodnow Farms Chocolate (United States) - Ucayali Hot Cocoa (84.37)
Goodnow Farms Chocolate (United States) - Almendra Blanca Hot Cocoa (84.34)
Goodnow Farms Chocolate (United States) - El Carmen Hot Cocoa (83.66)
Goodnow Farms Chocolate (United States) - Esmeraldas Hot Cocoa (81.27)

Flavoured cocoa powder drinks (made with milk)

Goodnow Farms Chocolate (United States) - Pimienta Gorda Hot Cocoa (85.42)

Cacao thee/infusies

Goodnow Farms Chocolate (United States) - Cacao Tea (81.10)
Fu Wan Chocolate (Taiwan) - Ping-Tung Cocoa Tea (80.87)

Alcoholic drinks/liquors made with chocolate or cacao (Pilot category)

Mil Alas Nocturne (Guatemala) - Mil Alas Nocturne (88.77)
Over Lab Chocolate (Thailand) - Choco-Umeshu (84.76)