It All Starts at the Farm
We work with ethically sourced cacao from trusted cooperatives and transparent importers who prioritize quality, sustainability, and traceability. Our origins vary from batch to batch — Ecuador, Tanzania, and the Dominican Republic are just a few of the sources we’ve featured.
Flavor begins long before roasting. Everything from the varietal and soil, to the fermentation and drying method, shapes the final character of the cacao. Our role is to find exceptional beans — and do justice to the work that began on the farm.
Hand Sorting Every Batch
Before roasting, we hand-sort every batch of cacao to remove imperfections — including flat beans, debris, and any leftover husk or foreign material. This step is labor-intensive, but it’s essential for quality and consistency.
Cacao is an agricultural product, and no two batches are identical. By carefully inspecting each tray by hand, we ensure that only clean, fully fermented beans move forward in the process — setting the stage for a better roast and a cleaner, more refined chocolate.
Roasting with Purpose
We roast every origin of cacao in small batches, using a lower temperature and longer roast time than coffee. Each origin has its own sweet spot — affected by bean size, moisture content, and post-harvest fermentation.
Our goal isn’t uniformity — it’s expression. We tailor roast curves to bring out each cacao’s natural character, from bright berry notes to rich nutty depths. Roasting well means knowing when to slow down, when to develop, and when to stop.
Cracking & Winnowing
After roasting, the beans are cracked open and separated into cacao nibs and husks — a process known as winnowing. It’s a critical step that ensures we're working with clean, pure nibs before grinding begins.
Any leftover husk or debris can affect texture and flavor, so we take care to calibrate airflow and feed rates during this stage. The result is a consistent, high-quality base ingredient for our bean-to-bar chocolate.
Refining into Chocolate
After winnowing, the clean cacao nibs are combined with sugar and any flavor additions, then slowly ground in a stone melanger for over 48 hours. This extended process reduces particle size and allows the cacao and sugar to fully integrate into a smooth, fluid chocolate liquor.
Refining is where texture and flavor truly come together. The long run time not only produces a velvety mouthfeel but also mellows any bitterness and brings balance to the final bar. It’s a slow, deliberate step — and it’s one of the reasons our chocolate finishes clean, smooth, and deeply satisfying.
Tempering & Molding
Once refined, the chocolate is tempered — a controlled process of heating, cooling, and reheating that stabilizes the cocoa butter crystals. Proper tempering gives each bar a glossy finish, a satisfying snap, and helps it hold up beautifully at room temperature.
We mold each batch in small runs, ensuring consistency and clarity in every bar. Once set, the chocolate is released, inspected, and ready for wrapping. It’s the final step before presentation — and one of the most satisfying parts of the entire process.
Wrapped with Care
Each bar is carefully inspected and hand-wrapped to protect its finish, preserve flavor, and present it at its best. We treat packaging as the final extension of our craft — not just a way to contain the product, but a way to represent everything that went into making it.
We apply each label by hand, ensuring it’s clean, crisp, and consistent. From the moment the cacao was harvested to the moment the bar is sealed, every detail matters. Whether you’re enjoying it yourself or gifting it to someone special, our packaging is designed to feel as thoughtful as the chocolate inside.
We believe that something made with care should be delivered with care — and that starts with how it’s wrapped.
Ready to Taste the Process?
From hand-sorting to slow refining and precise tempering, every bar we make highlights the care that began on the farm — and ends in smooth, flavorful chocolate.