Award Winning Chocolate 2024

Great Taste, Two Stars: BeanCraft Chocolate - Sierra Nevada, Colombia, Dark 70%

This award-winning 70% dark bar by BeanCraft is delightful. The chocolate is bright and well-rounded, with notable notes of dried fruit.

This cacao for this bar is sourced from Uncommon Cacao, and cultivated by approximately 80 indigenous smallholder farmers in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range on the Caribbean coast in North Colombia. The cacao is grown under the canopy of the natural forest, together with food crops like corn, yucca, and fruit trees. After manual picking the farmers bring the wet cacao beans to a central fermentation units.

Great Taste, Two Stars: Firetree - Mindanao, Philippines, Dark Milk 50%

This dark milk bar from Firetree is complex and delicious. The chocolate has undertones of honey and chocolate brownie, which marries perfectly with the top notes of citrus.

The farmers of Mindanao Island have the ideal combination of tropical rainforest and volcanic soil. Much of the cocoa is grown on small family farms under the shade of coconut and plantain trees; the small harvests are then combined for fermentation and drying, which makes the post-harvest process easier (and more profitable) for everyone involved.

Great Taste, Two Stars: Butterfly - Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania, Dark 74%

This rich 74% dark bar has an interesting, almost gritty texture, and carries notes of sherbet, tropical fruits, grapes and brownie.

The beans for this bar were sourced from Kokoa Kamili in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. Kokoa Kamili has been paying premium prices for wet cocoa since 2015, saving farmers the tasks of fermentation and drying and adding enormous value to their cocoa beans. In the height of harvest season, Kokoa Kamili employs 3000 smallholder farmers, and has set up a scholarship fund for local girls to go to the nearby secondary school.

Great Taste, Two Stars: Solomon's Gold - Dark 75% with Nibs

This intense and savoury dark bar has a profile of woodsmoke, with hints of tobacco and leather within the crunchy nibs. It’s a unique tasting experience, comparable to some higher percentage bars.

Solomons Gold began life in 2006 as a producer and exporter of fine-flavour cocoa beans. In 2013, Clive Caroll – the founder – teamed up with Glenn Yeatman, who had been conducting some home experiments making chocolate with his wife’s hairdryer and their kitchen blender. They set up their factory in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand (complete with some higher-spec machinery!), and began crafting chocolate using beans from the Solomon Islands.

Great Taste, Two Stars: Butterfly - Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania, Dark Milk 58%

This creamy 58% dark milk bar carries notes of sherbet, tropical fruits, grapes and brownie.

The beans for this bar were sourced from Kokoa Kamili in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. Kokoa Kamili has been paying premium prices for wet cocoa since 2015, saving farmers the tasks of fermentation and drying and adding enormous value to their cocoa beans. In the height of harvest season, Kokoa Kamili employs 3000 smallholder farmers, and has set up a scholarship fund for local girls to go to the nearby secondary school.

Great Taste, Two Stars: Chocolat Madagascar - Organic Dark 85%

Underneath the simple, understated packaging of this bar, you’ll find some truly exciting Madagascan chocolate that shows of the rich flavour notes the island is famous for. It has a smooth texture and fruity, roasted flavour notes that are typical of cocoa from the area.

Great Taste, Two Stars: Sirene - Lachua, Guatemala, Dark Milk 65%

The dark milk chocolate has an incredibly creamy texture, with the rich Guatemalan cacao showcasing its signature flavour. As Sirene puts, the cacao “steals the show”. Expect rich maple and caramel notes.

The 200 hectares surrounding Lake Lachua, Guatemala, are home to the Q’eqchi’ Maya, who rely on the traditional cultivation of cocoa, honey, cardamom, and corn for their livelihoods. They have partnered with Cacao Verapaz, the Guatemalan division of Uncommon Cacao, to centrally ferment and export their high-quality, fine-flavour beans to the international market.

Great Taste, Two Stars: Firetree - Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, 100%

This 100% is quite the mesmerising bar.  It is wonderfully aromatic with a flavour that plays around ever so delicately between liquorice and bourbon vanilla ice cream. The texture is smooth with the creamiest mouthfeel. What we love so much about this 100% cacao bar is that it so hard to believe that it is indeed sugar free! It is incredibly more-ish, an absolute outstanding 100% bar.

Firetree Chocolate sources its cacao beans from the volcanic and rich soils of the South Asian Pacific. From the little island of Guadalcanal in the Soloman Islands, to the Karkar Island of Papua New Guinea, to the Malekula Island of Vanuatu. Firetree crafts its chocolate with cacao grown amidst these rich terroirs for the immense and dynamic flavour profiles they create on the palate.

Great Taste, Two Stars: Butterfly - Sambirano, Madagascar, Dark 80%

This smooth and intense dark 80% bar carries notes of cardamom, citrus and raspberries, which work well with the slightly bitter finish.

The beans in this bar are sourced from Bertil Akesson’s estate in Madagascar. Bertil’s beans are famous throughout the craft chocolate world, having produced countless award-winning bars and winning many awards themselves. They typically lend their bars a fruity flavour profile, and it’s an endless source of enjoyment for us to see all the new ways makers find to bring out their very best.

Great Taste, One Star: Land - Tanzania, Dark 85%

This 85% dark bar from Land is rich and fruity. When you put the chocolate on your tongue, the subtle notes of dried fruits develop into punchy notes of apricot and wonderfully earthy notes of hazelnuts.

The beans for this bar are sourced from Kokoa Kamili, a social enterprise fermentary who operate by purchasing ‘wet’ cocoa beans directly from smallholder farmers, and then ferment and dry the beans following its post-harvest protocol. The cacao beans are all sourced from the Kilombero Valley, Morogoro Region, so as to raise the profile of Tanzanian cocoa.

Great Taste, One Star: Firetree - Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Milk 40%

This 40% milk bar from Firetree is smooth and creamy, with lingering notes of caramel and a mild citrus note.

The island of Guadalcanal, nestled in the heart of the Solomon Islands, is home to some of the finest cocoa from this region. Honiara is the Capital of the Solomon Islands and main port for all exports, including cocoa, coconut, and tuna. The cocoa trees grow in this rich volcanic soil, protected from the midday sun beneath high coconut palms.

Great Taste, One Star: Standout - Kerta Semaya Samaniya 2021, Bali, Dark 70% (Limited Edition)

This limited edition 70% dark bar from Standout is fruity and nutty, with notes of arrack, passion fruit, and walnuts.

The history of Jembrana’s cacao cooperative, Kerta Semaya Samaniya (“KSS”) is characterised by perseverance, patience and creativity. One of the key pillars of KSS’s strategy is gender equality. Historically, women were often limited to ‘helpers’ despite doing most of the work on the farm. The introduction of female-led trainings on good agricultural practices and post-harvesting processing has helped increase their self confidence as well the ability to train other female farmers across the farmer groups. Further, women can now join the cooperative, which allows them to sell their cacao directly to KSS and therefore gain full transparency of the income generated.

Great Taste, One Star: Land - Hacienda La Carrera, El Salvador, Dark 72%

This rich 72% dark bar from Land has a wonderfully earthy flavour, with tasting notes of orange blossom, peanuts, and wood.

The beans for this bar were grown at the Hacienda La Carrera plantation in El Salvador. Some of the cocoa trees varieties on the plantations after over 100 years old, so it follows that a family of cocoa trees that have spent such time on earth deserve a long name: trinitarios finos de Aroma y criollo.

ICA Gold: Duffy's - Juno, Nicaragua, Dark 70%

We found that this dark chocolate has a complex mix tasting notes of fresh hay, mellow red fruit, and a roast chestnut aftertaste. The melt is smooth – we can see why it’s an award-winning bar.

Duffy started his chocolate journey in Guatemala, buying cacao from Xoco, who cultivate their cacao strains in distinct locations with specific conditions: factoring in rainfall, altitude, humidity, etc. Duffy’s relationship and trust in Xoco then allowed him to explore different beans from different origins, for example Honduras and Nicaragua. The Chuno bean strain for Duffy’s Oh Juno! grows south of the Lake Managua in Nicaragua.

ICA Gold: Friis Holm - O'Payo, Nicaragua Milk 50%

This award-winning bar from Friis Holm is a creamy, fragrant and fruity milk chocolate. This milk chocolate bar has been crafted using a blend of Nicaraguan beans from a co-operative in Waslala, in the nature reserve in the mountains of northeastern Nicaragua.

Mikkel Friis-Holm’s craft chocolate journey started with an ever-growing passion for fine chocolate. This eventually led him to Central America, where he immersed himself in a project that aimed to identify and evaluate DNA strands of Nicaraguan cocoa beans. He then pivoted from sourcing to making, and Friis Holm, the Danish craft chocolate maker, was born. Mikkel is still fascinated with genetics, and ensures he chooses the best varieties with the highest flavour potential.

ICA Gold: Chocolate Tree - Belize Black 100%

This bold 100% bar from Chocolate Tree is perfect for those who like 100% chocolate. The bar has a mildly creamy texture, and is packed with an intense cacao flavour.

Chocolate Tree partner with Uncommon Cacao to source this cacao from Belize, and in doing so are striving to maintain biodiversity in Belize through careful organic agroforestry.

ICA Silver: Dormouse - Qori Warmi, Peru, Dark 75%

This wonderful 75% dark bar from Isobel at Dormouse is bright and smooth. With refreshing notes of citrus, hints of berries, and brightening floral notes, this bar is certainly one worth trying.

The Qori Warmi Cooperative is based in the Vraem region of Cusco, Peru, an area well known for its incredible cacao and enormous geographical and ecological diversity. Unfortunately, the region is also known for its conflict and illegal coca (the plant that is used to make cocaine) production. However, in 2017, a group formed the Qori Warmi Cooperative with the goal of raising a legal income through the farming of cacao. The 130 members of the Cooperative are primarily women who have taken over the running of their family farms after losing family members to illegal activities, and the name of the cooperative translates to “women are worth gold”.

The varietal of cacao cultivated by the cooperative was selected for its unique, delicate flavour profile, and by using strictly controlled post harvest practices at a central fermentation station the incredible flavours are preserved. The beans are fermented for 6 days in horizontal wooden boxes before being transferred to solar tunnels for drying.

ICA Silver: Duffy’s – Oh Juno! Milk 45%

A beautifully soft milk chocolate with hints of hay, figs and red fruit with a sweet caramel aftertaste.

The beans for this bar are grown in the foggy mountains of northern Nicaragua. Weekly harvests from small farms – usually less than 3.5 hectares – are collected and centrally fermented by Ingemann, which helps these special beans to acquire the flavour profile that makes them sought after by chocolate makers around the world.

ICA Silver: Table - Dominican Republic, White 43%

Smooth, creamy, and delicious. We tasted notes of caramelised brown butter, dulce de leche, and caramel in this 43% white bar from Table – try it for yourself, and let us know what you think!

The beans for this bar are sourced from Öko Caribe, a prominent cocoa supplier in the Dominican Republic and one of the most popular in the world. The two owners, Adriano de Jesus Rodriguez and Gualberto Acebey Torrejon, maintain close relationships with their farmers, often giving out loans for family emergencies and community needs. They also educate their farmers about sustainable land management and environmental responsibility, and pay consistent premiums for the farmers’ award-winning cocoa.

ICA Silver: Chocolate Tree - Whisky Nibs, Dark 70%

Chocolate Tree’s Whisky Nibs bar is an award-winner through and through – winning Scotland Food and Drink Product of the Year in 2017, as well as two Academy of Chocolate Awards (and now the International Chocolate Awards for 2024!) this bar is certainly one worth trying.

The small pieces of roasted nibs give the bar a gentle crunch. The nibs have been soaked in Scottish single malt whiskey from Islay, which is renowned for its peaty and smoky notes, while the chocolate itself has sharper notes on the finish.

Chocolate Tree’s Whisky Nibs bar is an award-winner through and through – winning Scotland Food and Drink Product of the Year in 2017, as well as two Academy of Chocolate Awards, this bar is certainly one worth trying.

Chocolate Tree has hand-crafted the bar from Marañón beans, grown in the foothills of the Andes.

ICA Silver: Pump Street - Croissant Dark Milk 62%

Reviewed by: ICA Silver: Friis Holm - O'Payo, Nicaragua Milk 50% with Liquorice

This indulgent bar encapsulates Pump Street Bakery’s handmade croissants. An indulgently buttery bar packed with crisp flakes of croissant.

Hacienda Victoria is a 500-hectare cocoa plantation about half an hour from Guayaquil, Ecuador. Established in 2012 by Carlos Eduardo García Fuentes and named after his wife, Victoria, the estate is leading the way in sustainable, socially responsible cocoa agriculture.

This milk chocolate bar has been crafted using a blend of Nicaraguan beans from a co-operative in Waslala, in the nature reserve in the mountains of northeastern Nicaragua. Added to the mix is Danish Lakrids licorice from Johan Bülow.

On the palate, expect a rich creamy chocolate with notes of honey against the herbal and distinctly liquorice flavours. The liquorice has some bite, so do expect a chew against this fudgy Friis Holm milk chocolate.

ICA Silver: Friis Holm - Nicaragua Dark Milk 55%

This rich, chocolatey dark milk has a silky smooth and creamy texture. It melts on your tongue releasing fantastic light, spicy notes. A really enjoyable treat to pick you up after (or during) the work day. Alternately try it as a great dessert alternative for your dinner party.

Mikkel Friis-Holm’s craft chocolate journey started with an ever-growing passion for fine chocolate. This eventually led him to Central America, where he immersed himself in a project that aimed to identify and evaluate DNA strands of Nicaraguan cocoa beans. He then pivoted from sourcing to making, and Friis Holm, the Danish craft chocolate maker, was born. Mikkel is still fascinated with genetics, and ensures he chooses the best varieties with the highest flavour potential.

ICA Silver: Fjak - Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania, Dark 75%

This award-winning 75% dark bar from Fjak is a smooth and well-rounded dark chocolate, with sweet notes of ripe bananas and raisins.

The beans for this bar were sourced from Kokoa Kamili in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. Kokoa Kamili has been paying premium prices for wet cocoa since 2015, saving farmers the tasks of fermentation and drying and adding enormous value to their cocoa beans. In the height of harvest season, Kokoa Kamili employs 50 people from their village, and has set up a scholarship fund for local girls to go to the nearby secondary school.

ICA Silver: Friis Holm - Chuno, Nicaragua, Double Turned Dark 70%

A delicate dark bar made to a very particular formula. Friis Holm specified that the Nicaraguan beans used in this bar be turned twice during fermentation (hence the name). This seemingly inconsequential change to the fermentation process gives the final bar a radically different flavour.

The generous bar has a delicate profile, which is initially dominated by the bar’s creamy quality. It is incredibly smooth with beautiful light spicy notes and just a hint of peach. The dark chocolate is finished off with a touch of sherbet and a slight astringency giving it a really balanced flavour.

ICA Silver: Friis Holm - Barba, Nicaragua Dark 70%

Barba is one of the rarest cacao varietals in the world. In the whole of Nicaragua (and possibly the world), there are perhaps only 100 trees growing the Barba varietal. This is an exceptional bar. At first bite, it has the same rich, creamy texture and even melt that we have come to expect from Friis Holm chocolate. Then as it melts, a bright, bold flavour bursts forth. This bar is spicy, not bitter, with black pepper emerging toward the middle of the melt, before leaving a rich, buttery finish.

This dark chocolate bar has been crafted using a single Nicaraguan bean – one of the rarest on the planet.

Mikkel Friis Holm is passionate about the genetics of cacao. He has been committed to isolating the genetics of cacao since he first got involved in Nicaraguan plantations back in 2008. One of the cacaos that Mikkel helped to define was Barba – the bean that he uses in this single bean 70% dark chocolate bar. Many makers make bars that hail from a single region of a country, but with this bar, Mikkel has gone one further – this is one a series of bars that Mikkel has crafted from cacao of a single genetic variety.

ICA Silver: Friis Holm - Nicaliso, Nicaragua Dark 70%

An ultra smooth, spicy and fruity dark chocolate made with Nicaraguan cocoa beans. We can see why this bar is an award winner!

Mikkel Friis-Holm’s craft chocolate journey started with an ever-growing passion for fine chocolate. This eventually led him to Central America, where he immersed himself in a project that aimed to identify and evaluate DNA strands of Nicaraguan cocoa beans. He then pivoted from sourcing to making, and Friis Holm, the Danish craft chocolate maker, was born. Mikkel is still fascinated with genetics, and ensures he chooses the best varieties with the highest flavour potential.

ICA Silver: Friis Holm - Rugoso, Nicaragua Dark 70%

Reviewed by: ICA Silver: Friis Holm - Chuno, Nicaragua Triple Turned Dark 70%

This bar is a 70% dark chocolate with fruity & spicy notes that give way to a roasted flavour with notes of black tea.

Mikkel Friis-Holm’s craft chocolate journey started with an ever-growing passion for fine chocolate. This eventually led him to Central America, where he immersed himself in a project that aimed to identify and evaluate DNA strands of Nicaraguan cocoa beans. He then pivoted from sourcing to making, and Friis Holm, the Danish craft chocolate maker, was born. Mikkel is still fascinated with genetics, and ensures he chooses the best varieties with the highest flavour potential.

This punchy 70% bar is turned three times during the fermentation, hence the name. This gives it a different flavour to those turned once or twice.

Mikkel Friis-Holm’s craft chocolate journey started with an ever-growing passion for fine chocolate. This eventually led him to Central America, where he immersed himself in a project that aimed to identify and evaluate DNA strands of Nicaraguan cocoa beans. He then pivoted from sourcing to making, and Friis Holm, the Danish craft chocolate maker, was born. Mikkel is still fascinated with genetics, and ensures he chooses the best varieties with the highest flavour potential.

ICA Silver: Friis Holm - La Dalia Lazy Cocoa Growers Blend Dark 70%

Intense notes sharp of blackcurrant and dark cherries, meld into a spiced floral aroma. Citrus is complimented by a crisp astringency and wooded hints. When we tasted we were amazed by the layer upon layer of flavour that burst forth and blend on the tongue.

The ‘Lazy Cocoa Growers Blend’ is anything but. Mikkel Friis Holm has used beans from 10 different growers in the Matagalpa region of Nicaragua. The ‘lazy’ farmer haven’t sorted the beans into different varietals prior to fermentation. With old cacao trees, cross-pollination often means you will have a mix of different pod varietals growing on neighbouring trees and even on the same tree. Sorting these out would be incredibly labour intensive for the farmers, and take up a huge amount of valuable time. Instead the beans are fermented together and Friis Holm has then crafted a bar with all of these together.

ICA Bronze: Bare Bones - Paquibato, Philippines Dark 70%

A smooth and rich dark chocolate bar packed with so much nuttiness and cream, you would think they were added!

The beans for this bar were sourced from the Paquibato Co-operative in the southern Philippines, right next to Mount Apo National Park. After cultivation, a selection of five Trinitario bean types are fermented and dried in central fermentation centers. This profile won a Cocoa of Excellence award in 2019 for its nutty tones with hints of yellow fruits and tropical fruits, so it is no surprise that this bar is, once again, an award winner!

ICA Bronze: Pump Street - Madagascar Milk 58%

The notes of caramel and treacle are particularly prevalent in this bar, and as they round off in zesty finish, the natural creaminess of the whole milk chocolate is brought out. The contrasting flavours work wonderfully on the palette.

The beans in this bar are sourced from Bertil Akesson’s estate in Madagascar. Bertil’s beans are famous throughout the craft chocolate world, having produced countless award-winning bars and winning many awards themselves. They typically lend their bars a fruity flavour profile, and it’s an endless source of enjoyment for us to see all the new ways makers find to bring out their very best.

ICA Bronze: Pump Street - Sourdough and Sea Salt 66%

Sourdough is an intriguing inclusion. It gives the chocolate a gentle crunch and pleasant yeasty taste that works incredibly well with the salt. This sourdough bar surpassed our expectations and is one of the most moreish bars in the Pump Street range.

The beans in this bar are Heirloom Designated Arriba Nacional beans, grown on Samuel Von Rutte’s Hacienda Limon estate in the Guayas Basin, Ecuador. Unusually, Samuel pre-dries the cocoa seeds before fermentation, which reduces both acidity and bitterness and contributes to their rich and nutty caramel profile.

ICA Bronze: Friis Holm - Rugoso, Nicaragua Dark "Bad Fermentation" 70%

The same fruity, spicy notes are present as in the ‘well fermented’ version of this bar, they appear all at once here, rather than slowly revealing each other.  It is relatively rare to be able to taste this bar – Mikkel generally just shares it at shows and fairs where its cult like following means that it always sells out quickly.  However, we have secured a small number of bars for you to taste.

The reference to a ‘bad’ fermentation is actually a pun.  Mikkel feels strongly that there is a perception that for a fermentation to be ‘good’ it must be a longer process.  These beans are possibly more accurately described as having undergone a ‘short’ fermentation.  Indeed, the beans for these bars have been fermented for only a quarter of the time of a more typical fermentation.  Friis Holm believes that this allows the beans to reveal their true potential, as the brighter flavours are allowed to burst forth from the beans.

ICA Bronze: Friis Holm - O'Payo, Nicaragua Dark 68%

This bar is a light dark chocolate, with fragrant, fruity notes, and it has been crafted using a blend of Nicaraguan beans from a co-operative in Waslala, in the nature reserve in the mountains of northeastern Nicaragua.

Mikkel Friis-Holm’s craft chocolate journey started with an ever-growing passion for fine chocolate. This eventually led him to Central America, where he immersed himself in a project that aimed to identify and evaluate DNA strands of Nicaraguan cocoa beans. He then pivoted from sourcing to making, and Friis Holm, the Danish craft chocolate maker, was born. Mikkel is still fascinated with genetics, and ensures he chooses the best varieties with the highest flavour potential.

ICA Bronze: Standout Chocolate - PISA Coop, Haiti Dark 70%

This unique single-origin bar has distinct notes of black olive and roasted nuts accompanied by soft vanilla and sweet, smooth chocolateyness.

The beans for this bar are sourced from Haiti, in 2014 PISA’s founder Gilbert Gonzales began driving efforts to transform Haitian cocoa from commodity to speciality-grade. Now PISA’s team drive wet cacao from hundreds of small farms across the Nord department to PISA’s processing facility where the beans are carefully fermented and dried. Bars made with PISA’s beans (such as this one!) now win awards across the globe.

ICA Bronze: Feitoria do Cacao - Marañón, Peru Dark 72%

This chocolate, hand-crafted in Portugal from beans grown in the Peruvian Andes, has a fragrant floral aroma of orange and sandalwood. Hints of Earl Grey tea appear within the creamy melt, giving a beautifully deep, long finish.

In the early twentieth century, the Puro Nacional, a variety of exceptional Ecuadorian cocoa bean, was declared to be extinct after disease had ravaged the area. But in 2007, two Americans who were in the area supplying equipment to local mining companies in the Marañón Valley, Peru, stumbled upon a strange cocoa tree. They sent the fruit off for DNA analysis, which confirmed that the new beans were pure strains of the old Puro Nacional. This exceptionally rare cocoa bean is now cultivated in the valley and imbues each chocolate bar with beautiful elegance and complexity.

ICA Bronze: Friis Holm - La Dalia Lazy Cocoa Growers Blend Dark 85%

This bar features intense notes sharp of blackcurrant and dark cherries, meld into a spiced floral aroma. Citrus is complimented by a crisp astringency and wooded hints. When we tasted this, we were amazed by the layer upon layer of flavour that burst forth and blend on the tongue.

The ‘Lazy Cocoa Growers Blend’ is anything but. Mikkel Friis Holm has used beans from 10 different growers in the Matagalpa region of Nicaragua. The ‘lazy’ farmer haven’t sorted the beans into different varietals prior to fermentation. With old cacao trees, cross-pollination often means you will have a mix of different pod varietals growing on neighbouring trees and even on the same tree. Sorting these out would be incredibly labour intensive for the farmers, and take up a huge amount of valuable time. Instead the beans are fermented together and Friis Holm has then crafted a bar with all of these together.

ICA Bronze: Standout Chocolate - Sugar Kelp & Sea Salt Dark 66%

This well-rounded bar features sugar kelp, an umami-packed seaweed which grows naturally in the oceans around the world. The combination of the kelp, beans from the Dominican Republic and sea salt brings out hints of rose hip, green tea and a fresh sea breeze.

The beans for this bar are sourced from Öko Caribe, a prominent cocoa supplier in the Dominican Republic and one of the most popular in the world. The two owners, Adriano de Jesus Rodriguez and Gualberto Acebey Torrejon, maintain close relationships with their farmers, often giving out loans for family emergencies and community needs. They also educate their farmers about sustainable land management and environmental responsibility, and pay consistent premiums for the farmers’ award-winning cocoa.

ICA Bronze: Friis Holm - Medagla, Nicaragua Dark 70%

This bar takes its name from the cocoa from which it is made: Medagla. The pods on this particular tree are yellow ‘medal’ shaped fruits. This rare breed is packed with intense taste. It is at first savoury with a melange of baked fruit notes.

This Medagla dark chocolate gifts notes of strawberries and sweet biscuits, amongst the buttery texture that is signature of Friis Holm. There is a strong cocoa body, which makes for a mellow and warming finish.

This dark chocolate bar has been crafted using a single Nicaraguan bean by Friis Holm in Denmark. Friis-Holm has done a lot for craft chocolate today, but before any award-winning chocolate had been made, Mikkel’s journey started with an ever-growing passion for fine chocolate. This eventually led him to Central America, where he fully immersed himself in a project that aimed to identify and evaluate DNA strands of Nicaraguan cacao. Discovering this new profile of cacao became motivation for Mikkel to fulfil his long time interest, thus, Friis-Holm, the Danish bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturer, was born. Still today, genetics of cacao is very important to Mikkel, which means constantly working with cocoa farmers and suppliers, such as Ingemann Fine Cocoa, to ensure Friis-Holm chocolate gets the varieties of cacao with the highest-flavour potential.

Still today, genetic information is as-ever important to Friis-Holm, particularly the specific phenotypes. The maker prides itself in being one of the few worldwide to pay such attention and focus on single varietal chocolate bars.

ICA Bronze: Friis Holm - La Dalia 60% Lazy Cocoa Growers Blend with Cocoa Nibs

This bar features intense notes sharp of blackcurrant and dark cherries, meld into a spiced floral aroma. Citrus is complimented by a crisp astringency and wooded hints. When we tasted this, we were amazed by the layer upon layer of flavour that burst forth and blend on the tongue.

The ‘Lazy Cocoa Growers Blend’ is anything but. Mikkel Friis Holm has used beans from 10 different growers in the Matagalpa region of Nicaragua. The ‘lazy’ farmer haven’t sorted the beans into different varietals prior to fermentation. With old cacao trees, cross-pollenation often means you will have a mix of different pod varietals growing on neighbouring trees and even on the same tree. Sorting these out would be incredibly labour intensive for the farmers, and take up a huge amount of valuable time. Instead the beans are fermented together and Friis Holm has then crafted a bar with all of these together.

ICA Bronze: Friis Holm - O'Payo, Nicaragua Milk 50% with Sansho

This milk chocolate bar has been crafted using a blend of Nicaraguan beans from a co-operative in Waslala, in the nature reserve in the mountains of northeastern Nicaragua. Within is sansho pepper. Sansho, also known as Japanese pepper, is an aromatic shrub belonging to the citrus and rue family.

This bar is a creamy, fragrant and a fruity milk chocolate, which works perfectly with the delicate spice of the sansho.

Mikkel Friis-Holm’s craft chocolate journey started with an ever-growing passion for fine chocolate. This eventually led him to Central America, where he immersed himself in a project that aimed to identify and evaluate DNA strands of Nicaraguan cocoa beans. He then pivoted from sourcing to making, and Friis Holm, the Danish craft chocolate maker, was born. Mikkel is still fascinated with genetics, and ensures he chooses the best varieties with the highest flavour potential.

ICA Bronze: Feitoria do Cacao - Nicaragua, Milk 57% with Pastel De Nata

“Pastel de Nata” is one of the most popular Portuguese sweets in the world. Feitoria Do Cacao has enveloped the crispy puff pastry, creamy egg custard with a subtle touch of lemon, and a pinch of cinnamon into a smooth, creamy 57% Nicaraguan milk chocolate. The Nicaraguan cocoa is sweet and dense, with notes of raisins and peanuts. This bar is nothing short of heavenly; and certainly one you’ll want to try.

Feitoria do Cacao was established by Tomoko Suga and Sue Tavares after an eye-opening trip to see the poor living conditions of cocoa farmers in São Tomé and Principe. They remain committed to paying a premium price for their cocoa beans in an effort to reduce the economic disparities between cocoa farmers and chocolate producers. Based in Portugal, they hand-craft their chocolate bars in micro batches to accentuate the natural variety of flavours in each delivery of cocoa beans.