Artisanal Chocolate Bean to Bar - GRENADA Mount Horn - BRONZE WINNER 2025@Chocawards

Awarded at the International Chocolate Awards Competition

Bronze — Europe Regional

Flavor Profile: pleasant, well-balanced cocoa notes with a juicy finish of sweet cherries and a lightly spiced aftertaste of ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.

Two Ingredients

70% Cocoa Beans from Grenada, Mount Horn
30% Unrefined Cane Sugar

Bean-to-Bar chocolate with no artificial flavors, added cocoa butter, or anything else that could alter the natural flavors already present in the cocoa beans.

Bean-to-Bar — What Does It Mean?

Bean-to-bar chocolate differs from most chocolate on the market because all stages involved in transforming raw cocoa beans into smooth, delicious chocolate take place in the same facility. By controlling the roasting process of the raw cocoa beans, we can discover and reveal surprising flavor notes.

Origin? We Go All the Way to the Farm!

The cocoa beans are carefully harvested and selected directly from Grenada, in the Mount Horn region.

Yes, we name our chocolates after the specific farms or growing regions from which the raw cocoa beans originate, because we believe it is important to be transparent about the provenance of the ingredients we use in our production process.

Ingredients? Nothing Could Be Simpler!

We were also tired of reading novels on nutritional labels, so we used only two ingredients:

• Cocoa beans from Grenada, Mount Horn — 70%
• Unrefined cane sugar — 30%

What does this mean?

It means that all the flavors and tasting notes in this chocolate are derived exclusively from the cocoa bean. During the manufacturing process, every step determines the flavor of the finished product, which is why we have developed and perfected unique profiles for each origin, designed to highlight the extraordinary flavors already present in the cocoa bean.

Fun fact: the Latin name of the cocoa tree, Theobroma cacao, translates as “FOOD OF THE GODS.”

Roasting Cocoa Beans: A Sensory Science

When chocolate craftsmanship is at its finest, the chemistry that takes place inside roasted cocoa beans can be experienced through all five senses.

Unroasted cocoa beans begin with an astringent, often unpleasant taste, with bitter, nutty notes caused by volatile acids created during fermentation.

But everything changes once the cocoa beans are roasted!

The Maillard reaction takes place as amino acids and natural sugars react and transform into a range of new aromatic compounds, visibly deepening and evening out the rich brown color that the beans have already developed during fermentation. Meanwhile, the sharp smell of boiling vinegar is replaced by the first joyful hints of that familiar aroma of warm chocolate.

The heat rises further and — snap! — excess moisture evaporates from the surface of the cocoa beans in a series of satisfying cracks, indicating that they are almost ready to be removed from the heat.

Once the Artisan Chocolatier is satisfied with the roast, the reaction must be stopped quickly by cooling the beans to room temperature. Cooling racks, fans, and air conditioning are often called upon to achieve the best results.

Once they are cool enough to handle, the whole beans should be sufficiently brittle for the outer shells to separate easily. The outer “shells” should give way with ease, revealing the precious cocoa nibs inside.

Then comes the ultimate test: tasting. Some chocolate makers take the opportunity to check their creation themselves, trying a piece or two — one of the perks of the job!

Discovering the Perfect Roast

There is no single way to roast cocoa beans!

While mass-market chocolate manufacturers often adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, artisan chocolatiers know better: no two batches of beans are identical, and therefore the roasting process should not be either.

An artisan chocolate maker will adapt the roasting approach to each batch of beans, taking into consideration their type and origin, assessing their moisture content, removing damaged beans, and sorting them by size to ensure an even roast and optimal flavor development.

They must also decide whether to separate the cocoa nibs from their shells before or after roasting. While large-scale manufacturers generally choose to roast only the nibs, artisan chocolate making more commonly involves roasting the whole beans, allowing the nibs to absorb more of the aromas from the surrounding shell.

A “perfect” roast can be achieved using a variety of heat sources, including ovens, drum roasters, stovetop pans, hot-air guns, and even coffee roasters. Some methods, such as drum roasting, can create a more consistent roast, but in the right hands, there is no single piece of equipment that is inherently the best!

It takes approximately five years for a cocoa tree to reach full flowering maturity.

About the Cocoa Beans from Grenada

Cocoa beans grown in the Mount Horn area are distinguished by their delicate, balanced, and refined aromatic profile. The cocoa flavor is mild and harmonious, complemented by a subtle note of red cherries that emerges toward the finish, creating an elegant and memorable tasting experience.

This profile is the result of a perfect combination of the island’s terroir, traditional processing methods, and careful selection of cocoa varieties. The same applies to this particular lot.

Although most cocoa grown in Grenada is Trinitario — a hybrid of Criollo and Forastero — the “Grenada Selection” includes trees originating from 16 selected genetic mother trees, chosen for their aromatic intensity and adaptability to local soils.

This approach allows for precise traceability and consistent quality. The trees are distributed among farmers according to the characteristics of their land, ensuring an optimal match between the plant and its environment.

How to Taste Our Chocolate

Remember to let the chocolate melt in your mouth and breathe: 20% of flavor comes from the tongue, while 80% comes through the nose.

The second bite of chocolate will reset the initial flavor and allow you to experience the dancing tasting notes with greater clarity.

Our chocolates are handcrafted from start to finish — from processing the cocoa beans all the way through wrapping, boxing, and creating and applying the labels.