This is going to be one of those Rambling Alchemist kinds of posts where I give you a whack of updates.
Brewing cocoa seems to be gaining a bunch of momentum lately and on the way to becoming the next hot thing. We’ve know this for some years now and have been there from the beginning, always with a nod to the darker and bolder side.
Our most recent addition to the line up is a trio of blends that showcase the range of flavors you can get with pretty minor adjustments to a formulation. I’m of course talking about Code Delta.
Dive into the world of brewing cocoa with Code Delta. We’ve got three unique blends that'll take your taste buds on a wild ride. Whether you're into light and floral or bold and robust flavors, you’re covered. Plus, it's ethically sourced and super easy to brew. Not sure which to try? Grab a sampler pack and find your favorite. Level up your Brewing Cocoa with Code Delta.
We’ve been doing some pretty major updates to the brewing cocoa guide, if you haven’t looked at it yet, lots of good info.
All this is by way of saying both thank you for the huge support it has garnered, please check it out if you have not had the chance, and if you have tried it we would love to hear your thoughts.
A few of you have been astute enough to notice and comment upon our new logo. Thanks for the encouragement. It is kind of funny to be just now coming to a style we like after….shoosh, 20 years. You don’t want to rush into these things, right? We don’t have a form for it but would love to hear your thoughts.
Tidbits:
Along with those updates, I’ve added and restructured a bunch of our chocolate molds. They are all inexpensive hobby molds but they are fun and a nice way to have a bit of fun. The Breakup bar is one of my favorites.
Our Recipes section has gotten a facelift and I’ve add a couple new ones, with more on the way.
I’ve been working on a new Chocolate Kit. It is very much an advanced chocolate kit where you will be heading face on a bunch of different techniques to make some really exciting chocolate. Because these are taking quite a bit of work to develop I want 10 done before I offer them up. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about the Gin and Tonic with candied lemon peel is bloody awesome, the Ethiopian spice one is made with 20+ different spices is like nothing you have ever tried and the Death Chocolate contains a mixture of Scorpion, Carolina Reaper and Ghost Pepper with a numbingly brutal Scorpion Toffee to really kick it up a notch or 11. I hope to have the subscription only kits available in the next couple months..
We have approved the newest crop from Fiji, Direct trade as always. We should see it in a month or so.
Costa Esmeraldas from Ecuador is out of stock the the new crop is on the water and will be arriving soon.
Also in the pipeline is an incredible example of an utterly elegant Criollo from Nicaragua. Be warned, a lot of effort was put into this prized bean and it will not be cheap. You get what you pay for.
Finally, I’m working in Oaxacan Lavados from Mexico (for Ruby Chocolate) along with some luscious Chiapas that I’ve not offered since before Covid.
Free Shipping?
We have now been running a Free shipping offer this last month, and although I’ve not run all the numbers, I’m pretty sure we are going to keep it in place.
I’ll note that I ended up having to cap the offer at about $250 because some equipment was slipping in there that we just could not afford to offer with free shipping. I’ve heard said any sale is a good sale, but I draw the line at actually losing money on a transaction. Sorry/not sorry.
Coupled with the free shipping you may have noticed we have added in FedEx as a shipping option. It is possible we may even discontinue UPS. I'd like your opinion on that. They have steadily become more and more expensive and have huge problems with their claim process when something gets lost or damaged.
With that FedEx addition we have hit a few technological bumps in the road. We think we have them worked out but if you are seeing anything funny during checking, please reach out to let us know. That goes with a new one page check out that is due to roll out. If you see any glitches, we can only fix them if you tell us.
Flux Winnower Update
And FINALLY, we have our first production run of our new Flux winnower in process.
The front cover is easily removable for ease of cleaning, separation is better and it is all stainless steel now. Our recent FDA inspectors gave it appreciative nods (they are not allowed to get to excited you know).
For a bit of clarity, what is new is the separation chamber you see there. It replaces the PVC on our Aether Winnower and we have 100% designed it to be backward compatible. If you have an Aether of the current configuration, you can replace the PVC with the new Flux Chamber without having to buy a whole new winnower.
List price is looking to be right around $1000 (for the separation chamber alone) and you will get to see amazing nib separation in all its sexy glory.
Feel free to email me directly if you would like to pre-order one at a 15% discount before they go live. That is for either a complete set up or just the Flux upgrade.
That’s all folks. I’m spent.