In every box of chocolate we ship we include a short tasting guide. This guide tells briefly a little bit about each of our bars including a few major flavor notes. Much like fine wine fine chocolate has a unique flavor profile that is determined by genetics, growing conditions, fermentation, roasting and other processing techniques. Knowing a little bit about the main flavors of each bar can help you enjoy the experience as the chocolate melts on your tongue. Now we don’t list every flavor of each bar but we try to hit the major ones.

For more on tasting chocolate check out our guide on how to taste chocolate. You might enjoy setting up a chocolate tasting with friends to compare your taste impressions with others. Not everyone picks up the same flavor notes.

One thing we’ve discovered is that enjoying your chocolate is just the beginning. Describing your experience of tasting the chocolate can be much more difficult. By giving some descriptions of the main flavor notes we hope to help you share your experience with others.

Since you may have lost your tasting guide (or haven’t yet ordered from us) we’re including a copy here. We’re including our Cuyagua even though it is out of stock since many of you may have a stockpile on your shelves for special occasions. (I know I do)

Ocumare 70% Dark Chocolate

On the central coast of Venezuela is a remote valley known as Ocumare de la Coasta. This region of the world has been known for its superior criolla cacao since the early 1700’s. We carefully roast the hand selected beans with bring from this valley. Our aim is to develop the many unique notes and tones the beans hide within them. When you taste the award winning chocolate we make from these beans you will find fruity and floral notes that pair well with its rich chocolate flavor. You might taste a raisin note in it. You may also pick up slight smokey and woody notes. This is our flagship bar and has long been a favorite of many — just as it was hundreds of years ago.

Madagascar 70% Dark Chocolate

The quality of chocolate is closely tied to time and place. Flavor changes with the seasons and is intricately tied to the soil and climate in which it is grown. Our Madagascar bar is a perfect example of this. Around the end of the 19th century cacao trees from Venezuela were brought to some plantations in Madagascar. We take the beans of the children of those trees to make a mild fruity bar that is our most popular. Our Madagascar bar is loved even by those who don’t care for the stronger flavors of dark chocolate. It has a fruity almost plum like flavor that is natural to these beans but sometimes repressed by other chocolate makers. There is a buttery subtext to the bar that many pastry chefs love. At the end of tasting the bar you will natural with a slightly acidic citrus like finish some describe as having a hint of lemon or raspberry.

Jembrana 70% Dark Chocolate

The regency of Jembrana lies on the southwest coast of the Indonesian island of Bali. Known for its lush vegetation, fertile volcanic soil, and high humidity it has ideal growing conditions for cacao. We carefully selected beans from around Jembrana for this chocolate. Tasting it you will discover a deep chocolate flavor and a gentle nuttiness with a honeycomb finish. You may even notice some coffee like flavor notes as you let the chocolate melt on your tongue. The beans from Jembrana let us share with you a chocolate that is singularly rich, beautiful and flavorful. It contrasts well with our other bars offering a unique flavor quite unlike the others.

Cuyagua 70% Dark Chocolate

Near the Ocumare valley in Venezuela is a small secluded valley known as Cuyagua. It is known for some of Venezuala’s finest cacao. The beans from this valley demonstrate how microclimates can radically affect flavor. Despite being close geographically to where we get our Ocumare beans, the beans from Cuyagua taste completely different. The chocolate we make from these beans has a deep complex flavor. Each tasting should unveil new flavors you had missed before. Unlike our Madagascar or Ocumare bars there are no fruity notes to this Cuyagua chocolate. Rather you will find a rich nutty chocolate with some spicy notes that some compare to white pepper. This is one of the rarest beans in the world and so supplies are always limited.