Tasting Notes: Delectable Berry Jam, Cabernet Grape, Long Finish
It’s nearly impossible for me to pick a favorite bar among the multi-awarded Goodnow Farms lineup. Each bar is an exquisite masterpiece expression of the fine flavor bean it showcases. That said, this Ecuador Esmeraldas 70% Dark Chocolate Bar has a beautiful berry jam flavor that persists long after the bar has melted on your palate. It’s a lovely, deliciously intense experience and typically a favorite at tastings!
- Gold - Chocolate Alliance Awards 2021
- Silver - Academy of Chocolate 2021
- World Silver - International Chocolate Awards 2020-2021
- Americas Bronze - International Chocolate Awards 2020-2021
- Gold - SFA SOFI 2020
- Gold - Good Food Awards 2018
- Gold - Northwest Chocolate Festival - 2018
The fine flavor beans for this exceptional bar come from the Salazar family farm in the Esmeraldas region of Ecuador which is home to over 100 acres of carefully cultivated Nacional hybrid cacao trees.
The hallmark depth of flavor tasters notice in this bar results from beautiful beans expressed to their full potential by both farmers and the talented Goodnow chocolate makers.
Due to the large quantity of beans harvested at the Salazar farm, it makes sense to attend to fermentation and drying onsite. The state-of-the-art fermentation and drying facility was designed by botanist and award-winning chocolate expert Daniel O’Doherty and built by the Salazars themselves. Attending to post-harvest practices at the same location where the beans grow enables the family to match appropriate fermentation and drying methods to each distinct varietal.
And now, meet Tom and Monica, your Goodnow Farms chocolate makers!
Tom and Monica Rogan, the excellent team behind Goodnow Farms Chocolate, have developed friendships with the cacao farmers whose fine flavor beans they meticulously source. This dynamic duo follows the beans, traveling directly to origin to secure outstanding, flavor-packed cacao.They’ve learned so much about post harvest practices and often request that their farmer partners ferment and dry the beans according to their custom specifications.
Tom and Monica pay significantly more than Fair Trade prices to ensure that farmers earn fair wages and engage in sustainable practices.
Another reason why Goodnow Farms Chocolate is utterly superb is the fresh-pressed single origin cocoa butter that Tom and Monica incorporate into their bars. Many chocolate makers do not press their own cocoa butter, but these dedicated makers go above and beyond the standard to provide an authentic single origin experience, with cacao beans and butter hailing from the same terroir. This labor of love results in a rich, lusciously flavorful chocolate.
Every bar is lovingly made and wrapped by hand at the Rogans’ 225 year-old farm on Goodnow Road (named after one of the town’s first settlers) in Sudbury, Massachusetts.
- Ingredients: Single Origin Esmeraldas Cacao Beans, Organic Sugar, Single Origin Fresh Pressed Cocoa Butter
- Net Weight: 55 g./ 1.94 oz.
- Country of Origin: USA