Firetree – Guadalcanal, Soloman Islands 69% Dark

Description

With the cocoa trees’ yellow, red and orange pods, from a distance it can look like a tree on fire, say the founders of Firetree Chocolate. This chocolate maker’s name also resonates with its sourcing of cacao from small islands on the Pacific Ring of Fire, all of which have a volcanic past. In some cases, the cocoa trees are still growing besides dormant volcanos.

Firetree’s founders, David Zulman and Martyn O’Dare, have a wealth of chocolate expertise and passion. David ran a large confectionery business in his native South Africa before coming to the UK.   And Martyn spent many years setting up factories all over the world for both Cargill and Cocoa Barry (and most recently a new craft chocolate factory set for launch in Madagascar).  Back in 2017 they joined forces and determined to create a unique small batch, single estate craft chocolate company in the UK.

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.

Tasting Notes

This rich, dark chocolate is wonderfully aromatic bar. Its flavour plays around ever so delicately between liquorice and bourbon vanilla ice cream. The texture is, as you’ll come to discover, something very signature of Firetree. It is smooth, silky and with a clean melt.