This stunningly decadent bar is the epitome of deliciousness. The deeply fudgy, caramelized, buttery profile is elevated to even more complex heights with the inclusion of “Dark Waters,” a single barrel rum from Kinsip of Prince Edward County. Soma’s creation is utterly rich and luxurious...the perfect after-dinner extravagance. Upon trying it, I knew I had to have it in the Barometer Chocolate Collection. Please enjoy flavor notes of butterscotch, lightly toasted macadamia nuts, fudge, honey, and oak all wrapped up in one elegant rectangle.
The outstanding beans for this bar hail from Bachelor's Hall Estate in Saint Thomas, Jamaica, which is a 300-acre farm owned and operated by Desmond Jadusingh. The land in Saint Thomas is fertile with natural springs and four small rivers running through the area. It is situated just below the Blue Mountains of St. Thomas Parish on the southeastern end of Jamaica. Once upon a time, Bachelor's Hall Estate grew coconuts, bananas and sugar cane, but since Desmond bought the land in 2002, he has focused mainly on growing and harvesting Trinitario cacao beans. This fine flavor cacao is extremely delicate and nuanced, costing four times as much as commodity cacao.
David Castellan & Cynthia Leung of Soma Chocolatemaker have described Desmond as part farmer, part philosopher and part madman, which makes him spectacularly qualified to grow cacao of this caliber.
David and Cynthia, husband and wife team, turned their hobby and passion into a business in 2003 and are now considered among the best chocolate makers in the world.
Their delicious and beautiful micro-batch bars regularly win top prizes at the International Chocolate Awards, and my teacher, Dr. Maricel Presilla, co-founder and Americas Director of the International Chocolate Awards is their fan not only because they produce superior craft chocolate, but also because when they don't receive an award they are genuinely interested in learning what they need to do to improve their next batch of bars. Cynthia and David listen and take criticism with appreciation and a desire to do their absolute best, implementing the advice of experts with dedication and humility.
In their former careers, David was pulling late nights as a pastry chef and Cynthia worked long days at an architecture firm. They draw upon their rarefied skills to do their beautiful work creating all things chocolate at SOMA, with a long list of high-quality, tasty confections, as well as single origin bars made from the most exclusive of beans. These treats are available in their two specialty shops and Cocoa Bean Lab in Toronto, or you can find several of their amazing bars and treats right here, at Barometer Chocolate!
I was drawn to Soma Chocolate not only because it is mind-blowing, but also because of the name. You see, as a proud resident of the South Orange / Maplewood, New Jersey community, also referred to as "Soma," I feel it is my civic duty to carry this stellar brand. Cynthia and David chose to name their dreamy company "Soma" as a nod to the drink used in ancient India as part of the Vedic culture. It was likely a juice made from a hallucinogenic mountain plant that was considered a sacred drink, similar to ambrosia. In fact, it was regarded as a drink of the gods. In Aldous Huxley's book Brave New World, Soma represents a way to escape pain, discomfort, embarrassment, sadness and anger, all while enhancing joy, arousal and an overall sense of well being. I'll raise my square of Soma Chocolate to that!
The craft chocolate industry has exploded since Cynthia and Dan started Soma in 2003. I love and admire their approach to artisanal chocolate making. When asked if Soma has visions of expansion in a 2018 interview, Cynthia said, "I never thought there would be so many opportunities to grow big, and I never thought that's what we'd be trying to avoid, but we just want to stay small - and great." Amen to that.
- Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Cacao Nibs, Skim Milk Powder, Cocoa Butter, Rum, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla,,Sea Salt, Butter
- Net Weight: 65 g. / 2.3 oz.
- Country of Origin: Canada