Founded in 2006, Öko Caribe ferments and dries Hispaniola cacao grown only in sustainable agroforestry systems. With a goal of total transparency and sustainability, Öko Caribe strives to raise the quality of cacao grown in the Dominican Republic. We first visited the project in 2014 and were impressed by the quality of the co-op, the people, and the cacao. We immediately knew we wanted to work with Öko Caribe. Tasting notes: berry, mocha, spice.

Guaniamo (Amazonas) cacao is grown in the Amazonian river basin of Venezuela, thought to be the birthplace of cacao. This wild Forastero cacao is harvested by local Piaroa Indigenous communities. It is a two-day canoe trip or one day 4x4 expedition across wood plank bridges and dense jungle to bring this varietal from the Amazonian basin to the nearest roads for Tisano Cacao who then drives another 10 hours to their warehouse before shipping to us. Tasting notes: blackberries, mocha, cashew.

Tasting notes: brownie crust, graham cracker

Located near the coastal town of Muisne, Costa Esmeraldas is entirely owned and managed by the Salazar family. This single estate farm was established on reclaimed land and is planted with approximately 100 hectares of 5-year old Nacional hybrid cacao. This bar is the result of a new fermentation and drying project from award-winning cacao expert Daniel O'Doherty of Cacao Services. The color is striking for a 70% dark chocolate, but belies its mild flavor. Enjoy. Tasting notes: nutty, floral.

Tasting notes: chocolate sunflower seeds

The FHIA is a nonprofit agroforestry project that serves as a gene bank for other projects in Honduras, as well as our own project in Guatemala. This particular harvest of La Masica was personally supervised by award-winning fermentation expert Daniel O'Doherty of Cacao Services. We were the first chocolate company to make chocolate from this harvest in 2015. It's been one of the most challenging bars for us to make, and one that we're quite proud of. Enjoy. Tasting notes: tart raspberry, mocha, cedar.

La Red Guaconejo was our favorite farm we visited in 2014. Working with over 150 local farmers who use sustainable agroforestry systems rather than conventional monoculture, La Red was a model for fine flavor cacao fermentation. Sadly, La Red closed its doors in 2015, unable to pay farmers for their beans. We were lucky enough to obtain the last bags from this very special co-op. Once our supply is depleted, that will be the end of this bar. We hope they come back. Tasting notes: red berries, mocha.

Liberation Cocoa rehabilitates cacao farms in the Butuo region of Liberia. Former child soldiers are hired and trained to cultivate and harvest cacao in Grand Bassa and Grand Gedee and relocate with their families to safer areas. By buying chocolate made from this cacao, you are helping these young men and their families rebuild their lives. Liberation's goal is to hire 1,500 former child soldiers to cultivate the best cacao in the country. Tasting notes: earthy mocha, pepper.

Thought to be extinct for 100 years, pure Nacional cacao was discovered by Dan Pearson in late 2007 growing in the Marañón Canyon of Northern Peru. The pods are unique in that they contain 40% white beans which results in much lighter chocolate. Pearson and his team live with the farmers, pay premium prices and ferment and dry the beans. Now, more children in the Marañón Canyon are going to school and choosing to stay in the area as adults to grow cacao because they are finally getting a fair price for their work. We have strived for a balanced chocolate from these beans, retaining citrus notes while supporting a warm mocha finish.

Maya Mountain Cacao sources premium cacao beans from smallholder Belizean farmers for chocolate makers. In late 2014, LetterPress Chocolate contributed to Maya Mountain Cacao's Kickstarter campaign which directly helped to plant over 4,000 hardwood and cacao trees in their demonstration farm. Maya Mountain Cacao was given Heirloom status by the FCIA in 2015. This bar is the direct result of over two years of planning. We're excited to finally bring it to you. Tasting notes: stone fruit, mocha, pepper.

São Tomé and Príncipe is an island archipelago located on the western equatorial coast of Africa. A former Portuguese colony, the country has a terrible past of slavery. Now one of the most stable democracies in Africa, São Tomé has some of the most unique soil and climate conditions for cacao, their primary export, but the country remains extremely poor. Satocao was established in 2015 as a certified organic co-op of over 400 farmers from 7 communities. We were the first craft chocolate makers to import this cacao into the United States. We were able to secure a small amount of some truly exceptional beans from Satocao and made into chocolate that we are extremely proud of. Tasting notes: peanut butter cup.

Cacao South is a fermentary project that works with a network of farmers of the Talamanca and Valle Estrella cantóns (counties) in the Limón province of San Andres, on the east coast of Costa Rica. They believe in producing high-quality cacao and pay premium prices to the farmers. The 2016 harvest is slightly more fruit forward than previous harvests and we feel Daniel South and his team did a fantastic job with the ferment resulting in a balanced chocolate. Tasting notes: stone fruit, roasted coffee.

Trinitario cacao was born of the hybridization of Criollo and Forastero brought in country. Gran Couva, in the central part of Trinidad is considered ideal for growing and cultivating cacao. The Trinitario grown here was the first to be made into a single estate bar by the Valrhona Chocolate company. For the first time, Valrhona has allowed exports from this estate to the rest of the world. Tasting notes: marshmallow, vanilla.