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Using 55% dark chocolate, they combined nutty, Brazilian cacao and delicious peanut butter powder, made from freshly roasted peanuts.
Location: Eureka, California
Size: 2 oz
Ingredients: Cacao*, Cane Sugar*, Peanut Powder* (Peanut Flour*, Sugar*, Salt), Cocoa Butter*
*Organic
NOTE: We do not ship in summer or hot weather but do have a wide selection at our cafes.
$40.00
AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP ONLY AT BAREFOOT CAMPBELL OR SANTA CLARA ROASTERY
Nose: Honey, plums, green tea
Palate: Plums & dates, green tea, sweet orange
Finish: Green tea, woody, caramel
To'ak Chocolate is known for having the most expensive chocolates in the world, with some of their single bars costing up to $450! Why? The cacao is grown in Manabi, Ecuador, which is to cacao what Burgundy is to wine. Beans come from the rarest variety, pure 100% Nacional, which is over 5,300 years old. To'ak also promotes sustainability and conservation. Barefoot is proud to offer these one-of-a-kind chocolates.
Story: For true tea aficionados, Pu'er needs no introduction. Exclusively grown in the Yunnan province of China, and one of the only teas to earn an official designation of origin, Pu'er sits at the apex of the world of tea. Pu'er itself is an aged tea and this To'ak chocolate bar has been aged with it.
Pairing Recommendations: Peaty Islay single malts (Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Bowmore), triple-distilled Irish whisky (Redbreast, Tullamore Dew), a rich and well-aged Cognac. Zacapa 23 rum always works. Sweet dessert wines like Sauternes can work well. Creamy and nutty cheese—mild Brie, triple-cremes, Gouda.
Location: Ecuador
Size: 1.76 oz (price is per bar)
Ingredients: 73% Cacao beans, cane sugar
*Waitlist is on a first come basis
NOTE: chocolates will only ship if ordered with a coffee bean order. We do not ship in summer or hot weather but do have a wide selection at our cafes.
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NOTE: We will update availability and estimated ship time after you order. If the time does not work, we will refund your money. Once chocolate has shipped from our distributor, there are no returns, exchanges or cancellations unless there is a defect. If out of stock, email Orders@barefootcoffee.com to be placed on the waitlist.
Nose: Lightly peated, sea air with soft flowers.
Palate: Caramelized fruit, honey, touch of peat smoke, savory sea grass.
Finish: Smooth and seductively unorthodox.
To'ak Chocolate is known for having the most expensive chocolates in the world, with some of their single bars costing up to $450! Why? The cacao is grown in Manabi, Ecuador, which is to cacao what Burgundy is to wine. Beans come from the rarest variety, pure 100% Nacional, which is over 5,300 years old. To'ak also promotes sustainability and conservation. Barefoot is proud to offer these one-of-a-kind chocolates.
Story: Single Malt Islay meets Ancient Nacional aged for 3 years!
Islay is a small island off the coast of Scotland and is considered home to the world’s most charismatic whisky. In the words of the Master of Malt, “Islay whiskies are among Scotland’s most powerful, thunderous drams. Often with plenty of peat and smoke, brine and medicinal flavors Islay has attained a truly iconic status.”
To'ak sourced a barrel from Laphroaig, one of their all-time favorite distilleries. With 200 years of history on Islay, Laphroaig is famous among whisky connoisseurs for being on the far edge of the peaty spectrum, and it is rightfully celebrated for its highly distinctive flavor.
When the New York Times assembled a tasting panel of top food and restaurant critics for a blind tasting contest of 20 different single malt whiskies from Islay, Laphroaig 10 Year was crowned the winner. Eric Asimov, who served as one of the judges on the panel, wrote, “It was one of the smokiest of the group yet one of the subtlest and most complex as well, with all of the rich medicinal, waxy, savory and saline flavors that people associate with Islay, butwith an underlying sweetness.”
Famously, Laphroaig is also Prince Charles's favorite whisky.
The source of the much-desired smokiness in Laphroaig and other Islay single malts is peat, which is decomposed organic plant matter that has been compressed in the ground for thousands of years. In whisky production, it’s burned underneath the malted barley to stop germination. Smoke from the burned peat makes its way into the grain and remains impregnated in the whisky.
Another hallmark feature of Islay single malts is salinity. The Master of Malt writes that Islay is also known for “seaweedy, kelp-rich whiskies. This is often attributed to the terroir. The Islay distilleries possess a relative close proximity with the sea. The sea spray is said to whip across the warehouses, the salty air penetrates the barrels and flavours the maturing whisky.”
The unique flavor characteristics from land and sea in Islay have lent themselves to this To'ask chocolate in a surprisingly seductive way. Prior to insertion into the Laphroaig cask, their Rain Harvest 2015 “Light” edition (73% cacao) was considered To’ak’s softest and most subtle expression of dark chocolate, characterized by smooth caramel and delicate fruit notes. After its multi-year residence in the cask, a new chocolate has emerged. It is their most critically-acclaimed edition thus far.
Pairing Recommendations: This is arguably their most versatile chocolate for pairing. Laphroaig and other peaty Scotch single malts are obvious choices. Sweet fortified wines like Port and PX Sherry and sweet dessert wines like Sauternes also pair excellently with this chocolate. Even absinthe works well. Pairs excellently with a broad range of cheeses, including but certainly not limited to Gouda, Manchego, Brie, Crottin de chavignol, Comté, Pyrenees sheep milk cheese, and a broad range of goat cheeses.
Location: Ecuador
Size: 1.75 oz (price is per bar)
Ingredients: Cacao beans, cane sugar
NOTE: We do not ship in summer or hot weather but do have a wide selection at our cafes.
Sold Out
NOTE: We will update availability and estimated ship time after you order. If the time does not work, we will refund your money. Once chocolate has shipped from our distributor, there are no returns, exchanges or cancellations unless there is a defect. If out of stock, email Orders@barefootcoffee.com to be placed on the waitlist.
Nose: Tobacco, caramel, floral, woody.
Palate: Woody, buttery caramel, tobacco, honey, dark fruits, softly floral, earthy, nutty.
Finish: Honey, toffee, earthy, nutty.
To'ak Chocolate is known for having the most expensive chocolates in the world, with some of their single bars costing up to $450! Why? The cacao is grown in Manabi, Ecuador, which is to cacao what Burgundy is to wine. Beans come from the rarest variety, pure 100% Nacional, which is over 5,300 years old. To'ak also promotes sustainability and conservation. Barefoot is proud to offer these one-of-a-kind chocolates.
Story: Ecuador’s native son, Oswaldo Guayasamín, is one of Latin America’s most celebrated artists. His work has been on display in many of the finest museums and galleries in the world. In 1976, Guayasamín and his children created the Fundación Guayasamín to honor Ecuador’s rich indigenous culture and history. In service of this mission, To’ak and Fundación Guayasamín co-created a special edition of dark chocolate that pays tribute to the ancient history and culture of Ecuador in a way that has never been done before.
To’ak has never been satisfied with simply making chocolate. Ultimately they present to the world a work of art, and dark chocolate is their medium of expression. One element of Guayasamín's style that has particularly drawn their attention is his depiction of sharp contrasts. Guayasamín painted about cruelty as well as tenderness, life and death, desperation and hope. He explored both the light and the darkness within the human condition.
With each edition of chocolate, To'ak's goal is to faithfully express the unique aromas and flavor profile of Nacional cacao. But just as a person cannot be defined by any single characteristic or mood, Nacional cacao has many different faces. In 2015, To'ak launched two expressions of chocolate, each representing different ends of the spectrum in terms of flavor profile and character. The 2015 “Light” edition was soft, subtle, nuanced. The 2015 “Dark” edition was raw, powerful, unapologetic.
Both of these editions were released to the public in 2015, but separately, allowing people the opportunity to experience both sides of the Nacional flavor personality. For the Art Series, To'ak created their very first blend, using chocolate aged from the 2015 harvest.
They integrated “Light” and “Dark” editions into a single unified expression, called the Duality Blend. This metaphor extends beyond flavor and can also been interpreted in the context of their work on the land. In the drawing by Guayasamín that accompanies this edition, there is an indigenous man that has been beaten down by cruelty, and yet he is planting a tree. In spite of the suffering that he bears, what he offers is an expression of hope.
Something similar can be seen in the destruction of habitat and the loss of ancient food varieties. Over 93% of the world's food varieties have been lost over an 80-year span. The next in line is Ancient Nacional cacao in Ecuador, which is on the brink of extinction. Under the shadow of destruction, To'ak is currently planting Ancient Nacional cacao seedlings, to give new life to this culinary treasure. This is their hope for the future.
To metaphorically describe his connection to the past, Guayasamín once said that his hands have been painting for more than five thousand years. Interestingly, Nacional cacao also traces its roots back by roughly 5,000 years in Ecuador. In this rare edition of chocolate, To'ak celebrates that which is far older than any of us and transcends time. They are celebrating the human experience in all of its many shades.
Pairing Recommendations: Sweet fortified wines like Port and Pedro Ximenez sherry work beautifully. Zacapa 23 rum, triple-distilled Irish whiskey, and sherry-finished single malt Scotch whisky are also excellent pairing partners. Bowmore 1965, a fascinating Islay single malt, paired particularly well with this edition. In the realm of cheeses, Gruyère, Comté, aged Gouda, and Brie are recommended.
Location: Ecuador
Size: 1.75 oz (price is per bar)
Ingredients: 77% cacao beans, cane sugar
NOTE: We do not ship in summer or hot weather but do have a wide selection at our cafes.