Chocolate Tasting Experience

Q: What makes Bar & Cocoa different?

We're a US online retailer specializing in craft bean-to-bar chocolate, with more than 50 makers from over 30 countries. We don't make the chocolate. We choose the makers, then give you what you need to pick well: detailed tasting notes, origin information, cacao percentages, and maker profiles. You can browse by origin, maker, cacao percentage, or flavor, and our gift boxes and club make it easy to send something that feels considered.

Q: What is bean-to-bar chocolate?

Bean-to-bar chocolate is made start to finish by one maker, from raw cacao beans to finished bars. The same team handles roasting, grinding, conching, tempering, and molding, so they decide how the cacao's own flavor comes through. That's why two bean-to-bar bars from different origins can taste completely different, and why makers often name the origin on the wrapper.

Q: How do you source your chocolate? Is it ethical and sustainable?

We buy finished chocolate from more than 50 craft makers around the world. We don't buy cacao ourselves, and sourcing practices differ from maker to maker, so we don't make one blanket ethics or sustainability claim for everyone we carry. When a maker publishes how they buy their cacao, that's the best source, and we're happy to point you to it. Origins in our range include Peru, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, India, and many more.

Q: Do you have vegan, dairy-free, or soy-free chocolate?

Yes. Browse our vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, and organic collections. Every product page lists the maker's ingredients and allergen information. Check it before you buy, especially for a serious allergy, since a maker's facility may also handle milk, nuts, or soy.

Q: How do you pick your chocolate makers?

We taste first. A maker earns a place when their chocolate is well made and tastes distinct, and when they can tell us where their cacao comes from and how they work with it. We look closely at origin, production methods, and flavor, and we keep adding makers and origins as we find ones that meet that standard.

Have a Clean Palate

If you are tasting lots of different chocolates, some sparkling water or plain bread is a good way to cleanse your palate. Not all wines pair with all chocolates, so don’t let that cloud your taste buds either.

Hear, Smell, and Let it Melt

Eat chocolate at room temperature, don't refrigerate it! Cold chocolate makes it harder to detect flavor nuances. Ideally, you shouldn’t store your chocolate in the fridge, but in a cool, dry place around 65F.

Get a decent piece of the bar and break it off. Did it have a nice crisp sound? Good dark chocolate has a clean snapping sound. A lack of a good snap could indicate bad tempering or that the chocolate is too warm.

Give the chocolate a whiff to inhale its aroma. Does it smell fruity or sweet? Can you detect any vanilla, spice or smokiness? Smelling chocolate (or any food) before you put it in your mouth primes your taste buds. Incoming! Pay attention if there is a lack of aroma, as it can indicate staleness and can completely affect taste.

Put the piece of chocolate in your mouth. But don’t chew it and gulp it down! Let the chocolate melt on your tongue. Your mouth is the perfect temperature for chocolate to melt slowly. Let the flavors unfold, and chew a few times to release more flavors if necessary. Use a tasting wheel to help you develop your tasting notes vocabulary.

Chocolate Texture

Textureis the first thing you’ll notice when the chocolate comes in contact with your mouth. Chew it slowly. Is it dry and chalky, or smooth and creamy? Does it coat your entire mouth? Waxy or a granular grainy texture is bad, the chocolate should be smooth (unless it is Mexican style chocolate).

Chocolate Flavor

Chocolate flavorcan vary dramatically depending on the origin, the cacao content and what the maker chose to do with the beans. You may notice bright fruit and acidity, or jammy berries. Some chocolates have a strong nutty, earthy, or smoky tobacco flavor. And as you taste perhaps you will identify notes of caramel, vanilla and various spices. As the flavors unfold, notice what notes come into your mouth and how they change. Bitterness will be the last component.

Chocolate Finish

The finish is all about how the chocolate lingers in your mouth. Does it have a long finish, or do the flavors disappear quickly? Savoring chocolate in this way will help you gain a deeper appreciation for chocolate but remember that what is good chocolate is ultimately subjective and up to you to decide!

Curated list

Your First Five Single-Origin Bars

“Single-origin” means all the cacao came from one place — and geography changes flavor the same way it changes wine or coffee. Here are five bars that prove it in the clearest way