It’s been a while since my last bean-to-bar chocolate indulgence and I thought it was about time to pay attention to some bars from Fossa Chocolate. I have tasted a couple other bars from them, each one delicious and sublime. Last time, however, I just didn’t get the chance to write down what I noticed. And while I have seen many rather intriguing bars on the Fossa Instagram account, I decided that I should try their chocolate in the purest form without any inclusions (like sake, salted egg or candied ginger). Don’t get me wrong, I would very much like to taste these one day but my true intent was to gauge what their pure, single-origins would taste like. That being the case, I added three bars to my last Avo & Co delivery. I ordered through them because I already have a weekly delivery from Avo & Co so there is no additional delivery fee for just a few bars.
Of the three bars ordered, one was intended as a present for a friend. I had decided that the 70% Alto Beni and 68% Pisa were to be my own indulgence. A late recommendation made me swap the 68% Pisa for the 72% Oko Caribe. These were the final two I tasted.
About Fossa Chocolate
Fossa Chocolate is based in Singapore and I have been quietly stalking them over social media. I mean, they are chocolate makers after all. If the real Willy Wonka were to exist, I would stalk him on Instagram as well… though one could argue that bean-to-bar chocolate is a bit more of a labour of love than a factory full of Umpa Lumpas and chocolate rivers (referenced from the movie, if you’ve seen it). Right from the beginning, I knew that Fossa Chocolate prided themselves on quality. Their packaging is beautiful. Minimal with a gorgeous letterpress finish. I am, after all, a sucker for anything in pretty packaging. Judging from these two bars I tasted, Fossa Chocolate is an exquisite maker of chocolate. Each bar carried different flavours and profiles. I can only imagine that this comes from the specific beans and regions they are sourced from.
Here is my review of the two bars I tasted. If you need a reminder on how to taste chocolate, be sure and brush up on the finer details by reading our story on How to Taste Chocolate. We also pulled out our Chocolate Tasting Sheet so we could record our impressions.
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Fossa Chocolate Alto Beni 70% Dark (Bolivia)
This bar had me in the throes of ecstasy! It was a dark and stormy Friday evening when we opened this bar and while we were having a minor disagreement over some random family matter, this bar made me forget what it was. For a brief, quiet moment, there was nothing I could do but mmmm and ahhhh over it. A terribly smooth finish, I found this bar to be mildly astringent with hints of beautiful sweetness. While the tasting notes say hazelnut latte and pine needles, I found it to be brightly flavoured, cheerful even. This bar was eaten in its entirety before we even realised it. In our defence, Fossa Chocolate bars are small, each one only 35 grams. Pity I had to share it with The Vegetarian and both of us enjoyed three little segments and were desperate for more. Alto Beni is definitely on my must order list. I think I would squirrel away 10 bars and eat them in private… they would probably only last a day.
Fossa Chocolate Oko Caribe 72% Dark (Dominican Republic)
Ah… The 72% Oke Caribe was highly recommended and touted as better than the Alto Beni by a fellow chocolate lover. This admission made me swap the 68% Pisa for the 72% Oke Caribe. Yes, it was terribly amazing. Bitterly delicious with a smooth and fairly slow melt on the tongue. It’s definitely a bar to be savoured quietly and slowly. I got the bright coffee and peanut brittle as noted on the tasting notes but also hints of nuts and roasted cereal. Of this bar, I would say that one piece was enough for that moment. It made such an impact that my head felt dizzy and while I savoured each speck of it on my tongue, it was not something I could have much more of at the same time. Even though it contained only 2% more dark chocolate than the Alto Beni, the deeper bitterness was pronounced. Truly a bar for that very moment when you need to clear your head and be startled into submission. Order it. It is really exceptional.
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To purchase Fossa Chocolate, visit fossachocolate.com
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I also noticed that Fossa Chocolate conducts workshops and a subscription box on offer. Let me know if you’ve tried any of these out.
