Where can I get a full description of each of these Varieties and identify the finest ones.

I have these options for planning and want to make sure I plant the finest of them..

The varieties identified are as follows:

GS 29 (Grenada Selected) This variety originated in Grenada.

POD-Seven (7) pods will produce one pound of cocoa beans. The pod has high rough ridges. The pod is purple when young, long with deep ridges. As the pod matures it turns pink then yellow. The pod is normally full with beans but the beans are not very thick.

GROWTH HABIT- The tree grows very tall and branches a lot. This variety should not be planted alone because it is incompatible. It should be planted with DS1,DS 2, ICS 1, ICS 84 and ICS 95.

ICS 1- This variety originated from Trinidad.

PODS-The beans are smaller than the G S29, purplish when young, yellow when ripe. The skin is smooth, ridges are wider and flatter. It is juicier and sweeter than the GS29 .the pod is round when young and becomes longer when older.

ICS 39

POD-the pods are very rough. Fewer pods are required to produce a pound of cocoa. The pods are yellow when ripe. The pod has a small neck, large body and tapering end. The pod appears creamish when young. When the pod is ripe it has a chalkish/whitish look outside. The older the pods the rougher the skin. The size varies according to the condition o the trees.

GROWTH HABIT- The tree is very vigorous and tall.

ICS 95-

PODS- The pods are light purple when young, then they turn light yellow. The ridges are closer and the pod is smoother than ICS 1.

ICS 40

Similar to ICS 39 has similar habits. Ridges are raised and the end is fuller and round.

ICS 60

PODS- same habit with ICS 39.The pod is the biggest in size. The pod is green at the top and bottom and this pod has the most beans.

updated by @sabastion: 05/03/15 09:14:19

It's a bit like asking which car manufacture is the best - ford or chevy? you're information has a lot of yield information present, which makes me think you're getting your info from breeders - who almost never focus on flavor. breeders serve farmers, and farmers are most interested in yield, often at the expense of flavor. which is the finest? a significant portion of flavor is developed AFTER the beans are harvested - i can make any one of the above beans taste like 15 separate chocolates, even though they'd all be the exact same bean. i'd recommend identifying what characteristics you WANT to have, then source some beans from the geography you're considering, and have them prepared a number of ways postharvest, so you can get a feel for what they're capable of.

It's very difficult for anyone to say that ICS39 planted in, say Ecuador, will give a fruity chocolate. There's just too many variables. If you're going to be planting, remember there may be self incompatibility issues, and you may want to consider planting a variety of clonal materials to ensure a hedge against disease/pest pressures (if you go monoclonal, a single disease event could wipe you out). Remember also, that it will take 2-5 years for you to realize beans from new planting material as well.

I have few farmers that are already producing a few of the Varieties. So far they have been selling the bean to a few European buyers as flavoring beans. Seeing that this is my first attempt at growing and processing, I want to focus mostly on developing the highest quality favor beans possible. I was told base on the genetic variety I begin with, this would heavily affect the quality of the final product.

'tis true, poor genetic stock will never result in good chocolate. however, simply having good genetic stock does not guarantee you'll get good chocolate. there are many many ways to completely screw it up 8-) good genetic stock + good post harvest practices = a good thing. good genetic stock + poor post harvest practices = disaster. there are many shades of grey between the two.

Ask your farmers to provide you with a number of samples using their standard post harvest practices and evaluate what you get. the best case scenario is you like what you get, and thus don't have to ask them to do anything different. changing behaviors is one of the most difficult things you can ask anyone, not just a farmer, to do.

Yes I do agree, nurture often beats nature the majority of the times. Also breaking the habits of frames can in most cases proved very difficult. Would you say that the varieties that I have if done right I will achieve fine finish product?