70% Single-Origin Bar

Hacienda Azul

Costa Rica

2022 HARVEST · BATCH no. 1 · By Eric
tasting notes: chocolate ice cream, marshmallow, pistachio

The beans for this bar come from Hacienda Azul, a single estate just north of Turrialba in central Costa Rica. Cacao trees on the estate grow in a diversified agroforestry system, surrounded by jungle flora in a biodiverse habitat. Beans come from six especially high-yielding, disease-resistant genetic tree varieties selected by the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE), a nearby cacao germplasm and research institute. Strong agricultural traits are excellent for producers, but don’t always go hand-in-hand with good flavor. In this case, we’re delighted that they do.

Eric tames the 2022 harvest’s characteristic faint bitterness, coaxing out chocolatey, creamy, nutty notes.

INGREDIENTS & ALLERGENS

All of our single-origin chocolate is made with just cocoa beans and sugar; no added cocoa butter, lecithin, or vanilla. Our chocolate is free of soy, dairy, eggs, and gluten, and it is made in a factory that does not process nuts.

WEIGHT
2.0 oz (56 g)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Storage instructions:

  • Store in a cool and dark place; back of pantry is ideal
  • Best results somewhere between 40°F-68°F
  • Keep away from heat and direct sunlight
  • Keep away from strong odors
  • Do not freeze
  • Two-ingredient chocolate won’t go “bad” like milk chocolate or chocolate with additional ingredients (e.g. inclusions or nuts)
  • If your bar melts or blooms, the flavor notes will still be present though the bar will have lost its characteristic snap. Feel free to use bloomed chocolate for making hot chocolate or baking.

Shelf life:

2 years from factory production date

vegan

gluten free

nut free

kosher-svg

kosher

soy free

Direct Sourced

Dandelion Chocolate Chocolate Bar Hacienda Azul, Costa Rica 70% 2022 Harvest Single-Origin Chocolate Bar
70% Single-Origin Bar
Hacienda Azul, Costa Rica

About Hacienda Azul, Costa Rica

We began sourcing from Hacienda Azul, a single-estate cacao farm near Turrialba, Costa Rica, in 2017. Run by Wilfred Zeuner, who applies science to create a great product, the estate is situated ideally for growing cacao, on beautiful, gently rolling land bisected by a river.

The farm benefits from 30 years of CATIE (Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza) cacao research by growing six cultivars that CATIE bred or selected for their natural disease resistance and ability to cross-pollinate well, yielding plentiful, high-quality cocoa. Nearly half of the estate’s 216 acres of cacao were planted in the last decade, and the most recent specimens thrive in the shade of Mexican cedar trees. The flavorful beans themselves reach us via Eric Sharvelle of Buena Nota Imports.
 
On the estate, Wilfred and his team pay minute attention to every detail from cultivation through processing, aiming for efficiency and excellent quality. The trees grow on sloped hills, so workers roll freshly cut pods downhill to tractors for speedy collection, eliminating the labor of carrying heavy sacks of pods. For fermentation, Wilfred uses a tiered setup in which fully fermented beans are washed with water, improving flavor consistency and promoting even drying. As the beans dry, they are turned by hand, and any imperfect beans are removed.
 
Wilfred's consistently excellent beans make for consistently delicious chocolate, and we are proud to work with people who share our commitment to crafting an outstanding product.