Why did I not hear about this bar before? Olive & Sinclair chocolate is hand crafted and made in small batches. Old-fashioned and modern techniques are used to create beautiful chocolate bars with a southern flair. There are many bean-to-bar chocolates on the market these days, but not all are created equal. After the cocoa beans are hand sorted at Olive & Sinclair, they are roasted and stone ground, something Scott Witherow, the founder of the company, says reminds him of how traditional grits are made in the South. This is one chocolate that's OK to chew, because you will appreciate the texture of the stone ground product. It yields to the teeth nicely but still has a nice firmness and snap when you break off a piece. Of course letting it melt slowly in your mouth works too.
When I say Olive & Sinclair is hand made, take a look at the old technique of hand sorting the beans here: Olive and Sinclair video
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| Chocolate bars by Olive & Sinclair |
I'm so lucky that my friends and family get my chocolate addiction. The Sea Salt Bar I sampled was given to me by one of my friends. I was very excited to be exploring a bar I had never seen or heard of before. It's surprising to me that this bar isn't on every store shelf here, as it's an all-natural creation made with minimal, pure ingredients, exactly what most Boulderites admire.
When I opened the unpretentious yet nicely-styled package, I was met with a delightful cocoa aroma. My mouth immediately started watering after that, and I couldn't resist a bite before I sat down with a few large squares. I took my time with the rest of the serving.
The flavor goes from fruity to rich chocolate with just a tiny hint of spice and back to fruity. I love chocolates that are hard to describe. They make me want more, so I can try to figure out all the hidden flavors. Whatever the flavors, this bar is not typical. It's complex and intriguing. There's a very slightly bitter taste that's offset with just the right amount of sweetness. It seems that adding brown sugar instead of refined sugar creates a deeper more robust taste and adds faint notes of molasses and caramel. The sea salt plays with your taste buds, increasing and enhancing the flavors of the chocolate when you hit upon the very subtly crunchy saline flakes.
This is a great quality and fun bar to try. It's a must for any chocolate connoisseurs!
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| Sea Salt Bar |
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| The bar with a piece broken off and an obvious bite taken out of it. How did that happen? MMmmm |
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