DISTINGUISHED BEANS
Reviewing the best in craft chocolate
Suggested Tastings
There are many fun ways to put together a selection of chocolate for tasting. You can taste by country, which lets you get to know a particular place while accentuating differences between maker styles and regions within that country. You can taste my maker, which lets you get a good sense of their particular style and focus on the differences across regions. You can taste similar chocolates to explore the nuances of flavor - taste Domori's whole criollo line and it will be nothing but lovely nuance. Or, taste dramatically different chocolates to explore the wide range of possible chocolate flavors.
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Exploring the Range of Chocolate Flavor - Include a range of bars with really varied flavors
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A very fruity Madagascar like Dandelion, Dick Taylor, or Valrhona Manjari
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Rich chocolate flavors from West Africa, such as Ghana such as William Marx or Côte d’Ivoire from Chocolat Bonnat
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One of Domori's Venezuela Criollo bars
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Something bold and rustic like Mexico Soconusco from Ritual
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Solstice Bolivia or Fruition Bolivia
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Ecuador from Askinosie, Soma or Domori’s Arriba Nacional
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Something from another region with unique flavors, such as Solstice India, Fruition Marañon, or Marou (Vietnam)
Best of Belize
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Dick Taylor Belize Toledo
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Ritual Belize Toledo
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Dandelion Belize Toledo
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Best of Madagascar
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Dandelion Madagascar Ambanja
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Dick Taylor Madagascar
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Ritual Sambirano Madagascar
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Patric Madagascar
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Domori Madagascar Trinitario
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Pump Street Madagascar Criollo
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Valrhona Manjari
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Best of Peru
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Qantu Gran Blanco
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Fruition Marañon
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Maraná
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French Broad Peru
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Domori Peru Trinitario
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Original Beans Pirua Porcelana
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Best of Colombia
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Cacao Hunters Tumaco
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Dick Taylor Palomino Limited Release
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Castronovo Sierra Nevada
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Best of Bolivia
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Fruition Wild Bolivia Limited Edition
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Original Beans Wild Beni
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Solstice Palos Blancos
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Best of Tanzania
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Domori Tanzania Trinitario
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Dandelion Kokoa Kamili
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Original Beans Tanzania Cru Udzungwa
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Solstice Tanzania Kilombero
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Best of Vietnam
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Belvie Dong Nai
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Marou Lam Dong
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Marou Dong Nai
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Best of Ecuador
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Creo Ecuador 73%
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Dandelion Esmeraldas
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Soma Mr. Salazar
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Domori Arriba Nacional
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Askinosie San Jose del Tambo
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Best of the Caribbean
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Soma Haiti Creole Gardens
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Pump Street Bachelor's Hall Jamaica
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Fruition Hispaniola
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Best of Central America
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Ritual La Colonia Nicaragua Limited Release
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Ritual Soconusco Mexico
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Castronovo Honduras Lost City
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Best of West Africa
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William Marx Ghana
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Chocolat Bonnat Côte d’Ivoire
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TCHO Ghana
For Bold Palates - Choose a selection of bars with distinct rustic flavors
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Akesson's Brazil
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Ritual Madagascar or Mexico
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Fruition Marañon
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Marou Ben Tre
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Something from Raaka
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For Delicate palates - choose a selection of bars with subtle but complex flavors
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Pump Street Madagascar Criollo
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Anything from Domori’s criollo selection,
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Castronovo Honduras Lost City,
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Original Beans Piura Porcelana