We recently met Jo Locandro and were excited to play with some of his beans from the "Swiss Farm" in the Dominican Republic. We taste notes of dried plums and tannic wine, ending with a roasty finish.

We roast, crack, sort, winnow, grind, conch, and temper small batches of beans. Then we mold and wrap each of our bars by hand. By sourcing high-quality cacao and carefully crafting small batches of chocolate, we strive to bring out the individual nuances of each bean. These beans are fermented and dried by the Flor de Mantuano co-op in northern Venezuela. Minda loves the cocoa and coffee flavors we find in these beans year after year. In this bar, we taste notes of classic dark chocolate, roasted almonds, and espresso.

These beans come from the Markham Valley of Papua New Guinea, which is on the North side of the island. Minda was excited to work with beans with such overwhelming flavors and complexity. This bar doesn't have the smokiness of our last PNG bar, but instead has its own unique tart notes of pomegranate and raisin, with a subtle hint of tobacco.

The Ocumare is a complex bean, so you will want to let this one melt slowly. If you do, you'll be rewarded with an aromatic bouquet, followed by a clean chocolate flavor, ending with a collection of spices, possibly cinnamon or cardamom.

Hand-harvested on a mountaintop and carried down by the farmers, these beans have been loved at every step. Greg and Caitlin just returned from a visit to the farm and are proud to report that the farmers are huge fans of Erica's first batch. This rich chocolate bar has a roasty flavor reminiscent of peanuts.

From the very first taste tests, these Rio Caribe beans have been easy to love. They have a deep, chocolately flavor with malty notes and a well-rounded finish. Caitlin, our production manager, is excited to share her first official batch with you.

We made this bar from our third set of beans from the Akesson plantation in Madagascar. It has a bold, ripe flavor with a pleasant sourness. Like our other Madagascar batches, it has some wonderful red fruit notes. This time, we noticed strawberries and cherries.

Öko-Caribe is a fermentery in the Duarte Region of the Dominican Republic near the other San Francisco. Kaleb was excited to work with beans from an organization so focused on social responsibility and their local community. In this bar we taste notes of roasted peanuts, honey, and subtle cherry.

San Juan Estate is located in Gran Couva, in the Montserrat Hills of Trinidad. The estate is one of Trinidad's oldest, and uses traditional methods like grading beans with an antique machine from 1905. In this balanced, chocolatey and creamy bar, Annie finds notes of chicory, honey, and a touch of vanilla at the finish.

These beans com from Tumaco, where Cacao de Colombia and regional producers cooperate to preserve local cacao. Kaija developed a bar profile to highlight the unusual creaminess of these beans. We taste notes of wildflower honey, malted hot cocoa, and whipped cream.

We made this batch from our second bag of Costa Rican beans. Like the first, it has a mild and delicate flavor that reminds us of milk chocolate -- even though it contains no milk. It's sweet and smooth and makes a great introduction to dark chocolate.

The beans in this bar travel to us two days upriver via dugout canoe from the La Mosquitia region of Honduras. Ron made this bar, and he is excited about a San Francisco version of one of our most popular Japanese bars. We taste classic dark chocolate, macadamia nut, and honeycomb.

The beans for this bar come from a collection of farms surrounding the bird sanctuary, Reserva Zorzal. Janelle loved working with our first lot of Dominican beans fermented on the reserve itself. We taste notes of black cherry and caffe breve, with a tannic black jasmine tea finish.

Our semi-sweet Dark Costa Rican 65% chocolate has cocoa and date flavors with faint woody, dried apple, and tobacco notes.

Dark Madagascar 65% chocolate is loaded with fruity raisin, plum, and cherry flavors.

Our Dark Milk Chocolate 52% with Nibs has a crunch with a wild touch.

Tasting notes: Malt, soft ripe fruit, green tea.

Tasting notes: Plumeria/blackberry peach cobbler/espresso.

Hacienda Victoria has an extraordinary vision of cultivating three pure clones of Nacional cocoa, with their extreme elegance and delicate notes of white flowers.

It is a light-colored cacao with unique notes of berries alongwith [sic] a very pleasant sourness. It has a long finish, great sweetness and smoothness.

The father of all Criollos. It is an ancient cacao with notes of white flowers, toffee, cream and extraordinary elegance.

Notes of red fruits accompanied by a pleasant acidity. Sweet and rounded, great persistence.

A strong character and aromatic profile in which a primary note of cocoa immediately stands out.

Notes of almond and coffee. Refined, rounded and persistent.

The name given to this chocolate - Cariaco - identifies the Caribbean Gulf which washes the shores of the state of Sucre, in north eastern region of Venezuela - home of the Rio Caribe cacao bean.

The name given to this chocolate - Macuro - commemorates the place in the north eastern region of Venezuela where Columbus first landed on the South American Continent on his third trip to America in 1498.

We are excited to be part of the growing community of small batch artisan chocolate makers, producing unique and interesting chocolates with attention and care. This bar represents our efforts to highlight the bright fruit flavors of the prized Ocumare bean.

Bold dark chocolate with rich notes of black cherry & citrus.

Discover the aromatic and sweet gentleness of this unique varietal chocolate of great criollo purity, crafted with Canoabo, an extra fine Venezuelan cacao rescued by Case Franceschi, to delight your senses.

Dark roast, subtle conch
Batch #10-013
Batch size: 365
Created Sept. 6, 2010

We've selected the highest quality organic Dominican Republic cacao available for this unique bar. Our light roast highlights naturally occurring acidity with hints of lemon and fig. Hours of stone grinding achieve the ideal texture. then, a subtle conching step develops and mellows the final chocolate flavor through heat, aeration and time. Added cocoa butter gives the chocolate a silky texture as it melts in your mouth. We hope you enjoy the results. (Light roast, subtle conch)

The 214 Story: Madagascar's Sambirano Valley produces some of the most flavorful cacao in the world. Daily harvest from Åkesson's 600 hectare Organic plantation are fermented six days to develop a signature fruitiness. Our light drum roast develops and enhances this cacao's fruity character. Days of stone grinding achieve a silky texture. The chocolate is heated, mixed and aerated--this is conching. Our medium conche mellows some of this cacao's raw acidic nature, resulting in a chocolate with complex flavors including notes of citrus, reminiscent of grapefruit. (Light roast, medium conche)

Medium roast, long conch
Batch #11-012
Batch size: 480
Created Mar. 18, 2011

Medium roast, medium conch
Batch #11-022
Batch size: 533
Created Sept. 29, 2011

Rich, volcanic soil and up to 102 inches of annual rainfall make the Markham River Valley in eastern Papua New Guinea home to some of the most unique cacao in the world. Seasonal harvests from a single estate plantation are wood-box fermented for five days to develop complex flavors. Our medium roast brings out a medley of roasted nut and caramelized sugar with a savory character, followed by notes of tropical fruit. This is one of our most complex bars. Days of stone grinding achieve a silky texture. The chocolate is heated, mixed and aerated -- this is conching. Our medium conche mellows some of this cacao's bold tropical character while leaving a distinctively sharp flavor. (Medium roast, medium conche)

The Markham River Valley in eastern Papua New Guinea is home to the single estate plantation where our Trinitario cocoa is harvested, wood-box fermented for five days then dried for up to three days before shipping. Rich volcanic soil and up to 102 inches of annual rainfall help create cacao with exceptional complexity that we highlight with different roast levels and conche durations. (Dark roast, medium conche)

We've selected the highest quality organic Dominican Republic cacao available for this unique bar. Our medium roast reveals subtle notes of blackcurrant, caramel and vanilla. Hours of stone grinding achieve the ideal texture. Then, a subtle conching step develops and mellows the final chocolate flavor through heat, aeration and time. Added cocoa butter gives the chocolate a silky texture as it melts in your mouth. (Medium roast, subtle conche)

The 225 Story: This Organic and Fair Trade cacao is from the Bellavista cooperative along the Rio Huallaga in the San Martin Region of central Peru. Its flavor complexity is among the most interesting we have encountered. Notes of red fruit and banana are enhanced by naturally occurring tannins, resulting in a complex array of flavors. Our light roast develops notes of berries and green banana. Days of stone grinding achieve a silky texture. The chocolate is heated, mixed and aerated--this is conching. Our medium conche refines an array of fruity and floral notes with an underlying chocolaty finish. Compare 225 with recipe 226 to experience how roasting levels dramatically change chocolate flavors. (Light roast, medium conche)

The 226 Story: This Organic and Fair Trade cacao is from the Bellavista cooperative along the Rio Huallaga in the San Martin Region of central Peru. Its flavor complexity is among the most interesting we have encountered. Notes of red fruit and banana are enhanced by naturally occurring tannins, resulting in a complex array of flavors. Our slow, dark roast develops flavors of roasted nuts and berries. Days of stone grinding achieve a silky texture. The chocolate is heated, mixed and aerated--this is conching. Our medium conche refines notes of chocolate, roasted nuts and coffee. (Dark roast, medium conche)

Medium Roast Long Conche Cocoa from Guatemala's Polochic Valley is some of the finest we've experienced. Our medium roast reveals notes of red fruit and caramel. During conching the chocolate is heated, mixed and aerated. Our long conche results in a mellow flavor with subtle earthy notes.

Medium Roast Medium Conche Batch 21-454 Madagascar's Sambirano Valley produces some of the most flavorful cocoa in the world. Daily harvests are fermented six days to develop a signature fruitiness. Our medium roast develops deep flavor notes reminiscent of red berries. During conching the chocolate is heated, mixed and aerated, producing complex acidic, fruity notes.

Bean source: Kokoa Kamili, Kilombero District. Tasting notes: Raspberry, roasted nuts, deep cocoa finish.

A dark milk chocolate made with a mix of Nicaraguan cacao beans: Chuno and Rugoso among others. Fruity, spicy and creamy with an intense cocoa finish. All our cacao is sourced ethically and directly from the farmers.

A roller coaster of flavors. Bright and assertive with a lengthy dark roast finish.

This lightly roasted dark chocolate, made from select Dominican-origin cocoa beans, is bright, balanced and lingering.

Oceania / Americas blend. Beans from Papua New Guinea have a fruity, spicy sharpness and whisky notes which combine perfectly with the fresh herb flavours of Forastero Arriba beans.

Single Variety plain chocolate with 66% of cocoa. Caribbean Trinitario cocoa. Very full taste, with a dried fruit flavour.

Quevedo's extremely dark color foreshadows its powerful but flowery chocolate taste. The intensity of this rarified Forastero varietal produces rich, green forest, tea and slight nut flavors with a lingering banana and pound cake finish.

Fragrant, bright, super-rich chocolate flavors last and last, with a refreshing chocolate finish. Extremely popular with pastry chefs, this 61% is a favorite eating chocolate as well.

Quite the character; behaves like an 80%. A subtle earthy aroma cleverly translates into the opening flavour notes, before transforming into bold notes of burnt sugar and treacle. This rough diamond emanates hints of freshly roasted coffee.

Short story: We proudly present our second 'single côt&e' chocolate, created from cocoa grown and harvested only on a single section of Rabot Estate, our 250-year-old cocoa plantation in Saint Lucia. The 15-acre Pépinière côte is the largest of our 16 côtes, bordered by riverbeds on the slope of a volcanic basin beneath the spectacular Piton Mountains and blessed with fabulously rich and fertile soil.

Deep and broodingly powerful, this chocolate appears under a veil of respect. The older brother of La Pepiniere, you can expect a couverture that hints of antique oak and roasted cocoa, developing bold notes of burnt caramel with a peppery long finish.

Short story: Not just single origin (from one country), or even single estate, we've gone deeper into the world of cocoa and produced single côte. From our own plantation in Soufriere, Saint Lucia, the cocoa has been kept separate as it is picked and fermented from each côte (terroir section) within the estate. This particular côte, Marcial, is a beautiful part of the estate near the Rabor lake, with a mix of grizzled 80-100 year-old trees and fresh new trees planted as seedlings, all bearing the rare Trinitario bean unique to the Rabot Estate.

An elegant and fruity dark chocolate with a clean delivery and multilayered flavours of red berries, raisins, vanilla and coconut. Lightly acidic with floral notes.

An extra long 120-hour conching time makes this a less powerful, more subtle chocolate than the 96-hour version. A quick and intense flavour burst slowly opens up to reveal multilayered notes of raisins, figs, tobacco, honey and grapefruit. A hint of wildness about this chocolate.

Initial red fruit flavour notes slowly diminish to reveal oaked wine, citrus and a hint of spices. Rated as our best cuvée yet from Rabot Estate, the beans benefited from a lower temperature roasting and avoiding the midday sun whilst drying. 120 hour long conch.

We managed to get hold of some of the most prized cocoa on earth! The Criollo beans give mellow flavours of roasted nuts, cream and caramel, raising and malt.

In the Sambirano valley in the north of Madagascar lies the plantation called Menavava where prime Trinitario cocoa trees grow amongst coffee, black pepper and vanilla plants. This 72% cocoa recipe allows the characteristic 'fresh' taste of the Madagascan bean to really come through. Lively in the mouth with fruity sourness and herbal tones.

Cherries and cranberries are the first flavours to reveal themselves, followed by figs. The middle of the tasting experience is a chocolaty phase with roasted cocoa and some coffee. The finish shows a nice increasing bitterness with notes of liquorice and red wine tannins in a show of power and length.

Tsáchila means 'the true people' and the people of this indigenous group have preserved their unique identity by keeping themselves to themselves on their 17,000 acre section of Ecuador. The men shave the sides of their heads and use red wax to dye and shape the remaining hair into a distinctive cap. They collect the cocoa from wild growing nacional-arriba trees scattered across their land. A flowery aroma suggests the unique flavour notes within. A light acidity and a strong, steady cocoa flavour fades to leave flavour tones of jasmine.

Sao Tomé and Principe is an island nation in the Gulf of Guinea off Africa. Cocoa was brought here in the late 1800s, the first to reach Africa. The historic Uba Budo plantation is in the Água Grande region and has a reputation for high quality. Normally forastero is seen more as a bulk cocoa but the best Sao Tomé beans have long been considered rather special. Immediate flavour burst of red fruit with later tones of spices and wood. Leaves a fresh finish.

Polished, with an undercurrent of wildness. Mellow cocoa notes welcome you in, gradually building in intensity before a surprising floral flourish at the peak. Gently subsiding to a clean cocoa, Bordeaux-wine finish. Short story: Made from a lovely batch of cocoa we bought from the Trinidad Cocoa Association. Well-fermented, high quality Trinitario beans, from the island that gave them their name.

Prima Donna with talent. She's good and she knows it - an interplay of cream anad caramel with malt and raisins, roast nuts and plenty of elegant pose. Short story: With only a small annual tonnage produced, fought over by rival chocolatiers, the name Chuao has attracted a certain cachet and a ramping of cocoa prices.

We managed to get hold of some of the most prized cocoa on earth! The Criollo beans give mellow flavours of roasted nuts, cream and caramel, raisins and malt.

Subtle grapefruit, roasted nuts, and floral notes -- harvested from wild cocoa.

Hints of banana, coffee, and nutmeg, -- full-body fruity cocoa flavor.

Plump and acidulous notes of cherry, slightly flowery (Rose) on a final of pineapple and candied exotic fruits.

Dessert-style caramel and hearty dark rum, tucked inside perfectly balanced dark chocolate. It's a classic for a reason - life doesn't get much better than dark chocolate and sweet dark caramel. Crafted in small batches to ensure absolute freshness.

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.

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.

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.

Greeting from the tiniest and most uncompromising chocolate factory in Finland! We're the only bean-to-bar chocolate producer in Finland. Roasting, cracking, winnowing and stone grinding cacao beans are the soul of our chocolate. Levy Peru 71% dark chocolate contains only single origin trinitario cacao beans from the Tocache area and coconut palm sugar.

Madagascar is well known the world over for producing some of the finest cocoa beans. We got our hands on some excellent organic beans traded directly from the plantation at way above fair trade prices and put our spin on them. Two different roasts have been combined to provide a fantastic journey through the character of these beans. The intense fruit comes through singing the praises of the terroir only to be followed by a deep dark chocolate finish that satisfies like no other.

Excellence Toffee Crunch combines smooth milk chocolate with delicate pieces of crunchy toffee.

Located near La Masica in northern Honduras, FHIA is operated by a non-profit agricultural trust, working to improve local incomes by teaching improved cacao farming and fermentation techniques. The beans are world-class and share similar qualities with our estate cacao, yet shine in their own right with seductive notes of citrus, spice and a core of acidity. We are excited to showcase how different regions of the world hold unique terroir characteristics, and to share them in our chocolate.

Tasting notes: sour cherry, spice.

Cacao sourced from Hard Rock Gardens.

Cacao sourced from Mililani Estate.