Origin Three Bar Gift Set

Ingredient List

Columbia: Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar.

Peru: Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar.

Madagascar: Cocoa Beans, Cane Sugar.

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Origins & Variety

Tasting notes: A recommendation is to open all three chocolate bars and taste them side by side. The single-origin cacao does the rest. Break a piece of each bar. Let it melt completely before forming an opinion. The finish is where the origin speaks most clearly.

Huila, Colombia

Variety: Trinitario cocoa beans sourced from the Huila region, Colombian Andes.
Fermentation: linear boxes. Drying: raised wooden beds with greenhouse coverage.
Expression: Rich and creamy, with classic dark chocolate depth and a roasted warmth that lingers. A subtle spice arrives in the finish, with a clean astringent edge that confirms the origin.

Flavour Profile

Huallaga Valley, Peru

Variety: Criollo and Trinitario cocoa beans sourced from the Upper Huallaga Valley, San Martín.
Fermentation: five-tiered boxes. Drying: raised cement patios with coverage.
Expression: light chocolate base notes, almond mid notes, red-fruit top notes.

Sambirano, Madagascar

Variety: Criollo and Trinitario cocoa beans sourced from the Sambirano Valley.
Fermentation: three-tiered boxes. Drying: raised beds, open air.
Expression: medium chocolate base notes, light acidic mid notes, tropical fruit top notes.

What does cacao variety mean?

Like wine grapes, cacao has genetic variation that can influence flavour, aroma, acidity and bitterness. The names Criollo and Trinitario describe two broad groups of cacao, but variety alone does not determine how a particular chocolate will taste. Where the cacao grows, how it is fermented and dried, and how the chocolate maker roasts and processes it all influence what eventually appears in the bar.

In broad terms, Criollo cacao is often associated with a more delicate flavour profile, lower bitterness and aromatic complexity. Trinitario has mixed ancestry and encompasses a much wider range of characteristics, often combining pronounced chocolate flavours with fruit, nut or floral notes.

This is a deliberately simplified description of cacao genetics, using broad categories to make the differences easier to understand. For a more detailed explanation, read our article: Genetics of Fine Chocolate.

Why do fermentation and drying methods differ between origins, and what does that mean for the chocolate?

Cacao fermentation and drying are not standardised. Each farm and cooperative works with its own climate, conditions and traditions, and the methods used influence the flavour of the finished chocolate.

During box fermentation, cacao is turned at intervals to introduce oxygen and regulate temperature and acidity. Different origins use different systems. Colombia turns the beans within a single-tier box, Peru uses five tiers for gradual movement, and Madagascar uses the three-tier cascade associated with the Sambirano Valley.

Drying matters just as much. Beans must lose moisture slowly and evenly. Too fast and acids can remain trapped; too slow and mould becomes a risk. Colombia uses greenhouse-covered raised beds to protect against Andean rainfall, Peru uses covered cement patios to manage valley humidity, and Madagascar uses open-air raised beds under the Sambirano sun. All of these unique flavour precursors arrive in the bar. Read more on: Single-Origin Regions.

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