We have a couple new beans, the first One, brand new.
Mexico Camino Cacao - Direct Trade - 2023 It never fails to excite me when I have a new origin to announce. It is twice the fun when I can't seem to stop eating the chocolate. Check out the spider chart. The flavor is as big and full as the chart indicate
Ghana Rain Forest Alliance 2021 This is the epitome of a well rounded chocolate flavor profile and is the chocolate flavor we all grew up with and came to love. The chocolate is deep and rich like fudge with walnuts. I also get warm graham cracker and rich rum that leads an extra deep of flavor. The bitterness and astringency are there and fully in check further lending structure and body.
Other bits and Bobs:
We have one last bag of Madagascar 2023 and it is already going fast. It is going to be a number of months before the new crop arrives so get it now if you have not been wowed by it’s incredible vibrancy.
Philippines Davao de Oro 2023 is also very low and I’m not sure if we will be getting more in.
We have also just run out of our Bolivia Rio Beni and both Dominican Republic beans but we have put a few pounds that were at the bottom of the barrel on our Clearance page. While you are there, check out the deal we have on allulose. Our loss is your gain. We've had some go a bit clumpy. It still works just great for chocolate making and baking, but the new lot off Allulose is nice a free flowing.
With all that, you might have noticed some of our options are getting a little low and prices are going up a tad. You are not imagining things. Covid really upset the infrastructure cart in 2020 and we are just now seeing how our specialty cocoa is tied to the commodity market. One after another producer has come to realize prices paid were just not working and we are seeing some significant price increases.
At this point I’ve seen some prices go up 20% and I would not be surprised to see that again this year. I know I’m just sort of slipping this in at the end. It isn’t as a way to dodge the conversation but mostly as i don’t have a lot of solid information as my crystal ball hasn’t been working for a while now. I guess I’m calling out the situation so you don’t think people are suddenly deciding to just boost prices for the hell of it but instead prices are going up something crazy. Much of that is righting some really crappy prices paid to farmers. Some is inflation. Some is trickle down of fuel, food and other general living costs rising. Hang tight folks. It is probably going to be a bumpy year.
That’s all.