El Carmen With Coffee Crunch

Single origin dark chocolate bar made with El Carmen cacao from Matagalpa, Nicaragua and coarsely ground El Recreo Arabica coffee from Jinotega, Nicaragua. Coffee bits are added in the tempering machine for an even, satisfying crunch. Cocoa butter is freshly pressed from the same El Carmen beans.

At a glance

• Style: Single origin dark chocolate bar with coffee inclusions
• Bean origin: El Carmen, Matagalpa, Nicaragua (via Cacao Bisiesto, fermenter Giff Laube)
• Coffee: El Recreo Light Roast Estate Premium Arabica, Jinotega, Nicaragua (Hector and Miriam Morales family farm)
• Process: Coarsely ground coffee added to chocolate during tempering for consistent crunch
• Cocoa butter: Freshly pressed from El Carmen beans (single origin)
• Tasting notes: Deep, rich and earthy cocoa with caramel and raisin, infused with bright coffee
• Vendor: Goodnow Farms Chocolate (Sudbury, MA)

Best for

• Coffee drinkers and dark chocolate lovers
• After-dinner sweets
• Gifts for coffee professionals and home baristas
• Holiday and birthday gifting
• Pairing with espresso flights
• A pick-me-up snack with texture

Pairings

Pair this bar with a single origin espresso, a barrel-aged stout or a glass of Amarone. It also works with toffee, salted caramel ice cream or a creamy tiramisu.

Flavor profile

Deep, earthy cocoa with caramel and raisin notes lead, brightened by the citrusy character of the light roast Arabica. The coffee crunch adds aroma and texture without bitterness.

About Goodnow Farms Chocolate

Goodnow Farms is a Sudbury, Massachusetts bean-to-bar maker that direct-sources beans and presses its own cocoa butter. They worked with Cacao Bisiesto on a custom fermentation profile for El Carmen, and have visited both the cacao farms and the El Recreo coffee farm, where the Morales family provides housing, education and health care for workers.

Made by Goodnow Farms Chocolate, based in Sudbury, Massachusetts.