2013 Americas Semi-Final Round Semi-Official Results

I attended the awards presentation for the Americas round of the 2013 International Chocolate Awards last night. Held at ICE in NYC, this was the first "live" awards announcement, bringing together organizers, judges, and entrants.

Some housekeeping notes about this results list and the awards:

• Note - these are transcribed from the list prepared by the organizers and given to me last night. Any errors of omission or commission are mine. I have checked and double-checked, but there has only been one set of eyes - mine - on the list below. That's why I call the list semi-official.
• The Americas does not include Canada. It's the US, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Plus Japan. Until Australasia/Asia (and other countries/regions) have enough entrants to merit a separate competition, they will be included in other regions. Japan is in the Americas region because a) they wanted to be in the Americas not Europe, and b) the Americas partner for the ICA (Maricel Presilla) wanted Japan to be in the Americas.
• In each category there can be up to one Gold award and up to five Silver awards.
• The organizing committee, however, has the option of giving out extra Gold awards based on special criteria.
• Gold and Silver awards do not have to be given in any category if the judging does not support their being awarded.
• In addition to Gold and Silver awards there are also nominations. These are for entries that placed extremely closely, statistically, to Silver award winners, that the organizers wanted to send through to the World Final judging.
• There were so many entries from the US that in addition to Americas winners the organizers decided to create a competition within the competition. Several individual entries won both an Americas award and a USA award.

With all that said, here are the results (all are US-based unless otherwise noted).

Category: Milk Chocolate Caramels

Americas Silver: Tumbador Chocolate Kalamansi "Pie" Caramel
Americas Silver: Chuao Chocolatier Rosemary Salt Caramel
Americas Gold: Theo Chocolate Honey Saffron Caramel

Category: Milk Chocolate Nut-based Pralines

Nomination:Fika Choklad Quinoa Hazelnut

Category: Mixed Dark, Milk, White Chocolate Ganache and Truffles

Nomination:Fika Choklad Goat Cheese Truffle
Nomination:Luxx Chocolat Fig & Port Hat Trick
Nomination:Payard Patisserie Salted Caramel Chocolate
USA Silver: Fruition Chocolate Strawberry and Toasted Cashew Gianduja
USA Silver /Americas Silver:Payard Patisserie Key Lime Chocolate
USA Silver /Americas Silver:LA Burdick White Chocolate Mouse
Americas Silver:Arcay Chocolates (Venezuela) Limon
Americas Silver / USA Gold:Forte Chocolates Lemon Pepper Butter Truffle
Americas Gold: es koyama (Japan) Laphroaig 10yr Whisky & Raspberry

Note: This is a new category this year, introduced at the request of entrants based on feedback from last year's competition. Entrants in this category might, for example, use dark chocolate for the coating and a white chocolate for the center. These are judged separately from entrants where the coating and center are the same type of chocolate.

Category: White Chocolate Ganaches and Truffles

Americas Gold:Chocolopolis Lemon Lavender Truffle

Category: Milk Chocolate Ganaches and Truffles

Nomination:Tumbador Chocolate Salted Peanut Bar
Americas Silver: Theo Chocolate Burnt Sugar Ganache
Americas Silver/ USA Gold: Xocolatti Passion Fruit Truffle
Americas Gold: es koyama Nanko Ume Plum & Almond Praline

Category: Dark Chocolate Caramels

Nomination:Forte Chocolates Sea Salt Caramel
Americas Silver:Theo Chocolate Licorice Caramel
Americas Silver:Lille Belle Farms Lavender Sea Salt Caramel
Americas Silver:Theo Chocolate Ghost Chile Caramel
USA Gold / Americas Gold:Forte Chocolates Rosemary Caramel

Category: Dark Chocolate Flavored Nut Pralines, Gianduja, & Enrobed Whole Nuts

Nomination: Gearharts Fine Chocolate Pistachio Toffee

Category: Flavored Dark Chocolate Ganaches and Truffles

Nomination:Chocolate Springs Salted Caramel Truffle
Nomination: Chocolopolis Anise Ganache Fig
Nomination: Socola Chocolatier Dark Chocolate Cognac Truffle
Americas Silver:Arcay Chocolates Coco Rum
Americas Silver:LA Burdick Fig Bonbon
Americas Silver: The Secret Chocolatier Cardamom Chocolate Truffle
USA Gold / Americas Gold:Theo Chocolate Mint Ganache

Category: UnflavoredDark Chocolate Ganaches and Truffles

Nomination:Chocolopolis Colombia Truffle
Nomination: Payard Patisserie Chocolat Chocolat

Category:FlavoredWhite Chocolate Bars

Nomination:jcoco jcoco Veracruz Orange Cayenne
Americas Silver:Forte Chocolates Rosemary Sea Salt Bar
Americas Silver:es Koyama Raspberry and Lychee

Category:FlavoredMilk Chocolate Bars

USA Silver:Askinosie Chocolate Dark Milk Chocolate+Ancho Chile & Pistachio CollaBARation Bar
USA Silver / Americas Silver:Hudson Chocolates Milk Chocolate and Sichimi Togarashi Bar
USA Silver / Americas Silver: TCHO Chocolate Mokaccino
Americas Silver: es koyama DaitokujiTemple Anatto
USA Silver / Americas Silver: Chuao Chocolatier Pop Corn Pop
USA Silver / Americas Silver:jcoco jcoco edamame sea salt bar
USA Gold / Americas Gold:Jade Chocolates Genmai

Category:FlavoredDark Chocolate Bars

USA Silver: TCHO Chocolate Galactic Gelato
USA Silver:Chuao Chocolatier Spicy Maya
USA Silver:Chuao Chocolatier Salted Chocolate Crunch
USA Gold / Americas Silver: Patric Chocolate Mocha OMG
Americas Gold: Pacari Chocolate (Ecuador) 60% Organic Chocolate w/ Lemongrass Infusion
Americas Gold: es koyama ManganjiTemple Green Pepper & Almond Praline

Category:Plain & OriginWhite Chocolate Bars

Americas Silver:Fruition ChocolateToasted White Chocolate
Americas Gold:Chocolates El Rey (Venezuela) Icoa (growing country, directly traded)

Category:Plain & OriginMilk Chocolate Bars

Americas Silver:Chocolates El ReyIrapa
Americas Silver:TCHO Chocolate Classic
Americas Silver: Forte Chocolates Chocolate Love (dark milk)
Americas Gold:Chocolates El ReyIrapa (growing country, directly traded)

Category:Plain & OriginDark Chocolate Bars

Nomination:Amazona Chocolate (Peru) Dark ChocolateTrinitario (origin: Peru) 73%
USA Silver:Dandelion Chocolate Papua New Guinea 70%
USA Silver:Tejas Chocolate Capistrano (origin: Madagascar) 70%
USA Silver:Askinosie Chocolate Corts (origin: Honduras) 70%
USA Silver:Amano Chocolate Company Chuao (origin: Venezuela) 70%
Americas Silver: Grenada Chocolate Company Organic (origin: Grenada) 60%
USA Silver / Americas Silver: Patric Chocolate Piura (origin: Peru) 67%
Americas Silver:Pacari Chocolate Guayacn (origin: Ecuador) 70%
Americas Silver / USA Gold:Patric Chocolate Madagascar 67%
Americas Silver:Pacari Chocolate Piura Quemazon (origin: Peru) 70%
Venezuela Gold:Franceschi Chocolate Canoabo crop 2013 (origin: Venezuela)
Ecuador Gold:Pacari Chocolate Raw 70% (origin: Ecuador)
Americas Gold:Pacari Chocolate Raw 70%
Americas Gold:Pacari Chocolate Raw 70% (chocolate maker, growing country, directly sourced)