What do you really want from your chocolate? An energy boost? A calming break in your day? A gustatory joy? I expect a lot from my chocolate. Deep, rich taste, snappy tempering, a texture that enhances all the above, appealing packaging, and ethical sourcing. Quite a tall order.
Luckily for me, there are many incredible options out there. One of the newest is Desbarres from Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada. A micro-batch bean to bar manufacturer and brainchild of Ariane and Erik Hansen. They currently offer six different bars from Madagascar, Ecuador, Tanzania, and Trinidad, all in the 72-85% range. A distinguishing characteristic of all their chocolates is the two ingredient factor: the bars contain only chocolate and organic cane sugar. This, combined with their penchant for higher cocoa percentages, enables you to taste the bean in its least adulterated form.
Ariane designed all the packaging and it is lovely. The inner cardboard sleeve has a reproduction of a map drawn by Giovanni Batista from the 16th century. It shows the Tropic of Capricorn as a reference point, since chocolate is grown between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, 10 degrees north and south of the equator.
All four of the bars I sampled were beautifully tempered with a nice gloss, and a satisfying snap. Each weighs 38 grams. That may sound like a small portion, but the chocolate is so satisfying I found a few bites truly sated my cravings.
The 72% Ambanja from Madagascar tasted of citrus and berries with a slightly dry finish. The circus was non-acidic, just there to add some complexity and balance to the berries. The beans are lauded by other chocolatiers and hail from the Akesson Estate in northern Madagascar.
The Ambaja 85% bar was a different cat altogether, even though the bean was the same. Here, the citrus berry combo was accented with a deep earthiness. If you are looking for an intense, uber chocolate experience, this is it.
Kilombero, from Tanzania, 78%, was also earthy, with coffee and caramel notes.
Camino Verde, also 78%, from Ecuador was the fruitiest of the four, and had a creamier finish.
All delivered a satisfying chocolate experience designed to highlight the nuances, complexities, and unique characteristics of each bean.
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