I met David De Olier a couple years ago when I was in Quindio, Colombia tasting coffees and visiting farms with Cofinet. We stopped into the touristy town of Salento and walked the cobbled streets past shops selling clothes, art, and jewelry. David's chocolatier sits on the corner, unremarkable from the outside. But just inside the door, a glass cabinet displays a myriad of delectable chocolates. Maria and I sat down and enjoyed chocolate the way most Colombians do: as a hot drink. David walked me through a tasting of cacao dried, roasted, and then made into bars with increasing amounts of sugar. He walked me though his little production facility, and we talked about cacao varieties, fermentation, and all the things that give each chocolate its unique flavors.
We've collaborated with David the past couple years to produce bars with our coffee in them. This year I let him do his thing, and picked out three stock bars I think are the best: a dark (my favorite), milk with coffee, and milk with passion fruit (my amiguita's favorite). Chocolate lover? Buy every bar we sell.
