Last year I wrote: ‘Every year it’s getting better and better’. This year I should say: ‘It becomes more and more…but unfortunately not necessarily better’. Especially starting chocolate makers do not allow themselves enough time to practice and do sell their creations too quickly. Several times I paid about 8-10 Euros or Dollars (sometimes even more) for stuff that turned out to be not good (to say it nicely). In my opinion you should not sell poor “artisan” chocolate and certainly not at those prices. It is also wrong to force upon innocent people that this is good chocolate. So be careful what you are doing. Next year when I taste something inappropriate, I will ask my money back. So watch out!

I should stop complaining now. Life is too short to focus on the bad stuff, let’s go to the amazing, wonderful, delicious and gorgeous chocolates.

The best new bean-to-bar brands I have tasted this year:

1. Sirene (Madagascar 73%, Ecuador 73% and 100%)
2. Franceschi (Canoabo, Choroni and Ocumare)
3. Manufaktura Czekolady (Porcelana, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and an excellent Ghana!)

Other bars I liked very much (in a random order):

• Soma: Porcelana 75% and CBS Chama 70%
• Dick Taylor: Bolivia Alto Beni 70%
• Chocolate Tree: Peru Marañón 69%
• Luisa Abram: Wild Cocoa Brazilian Amazon 70%
• Lonohana: The Néné 71%
• Bar au Chocolat: Montserrat Hills Trinidad 80%
• Parliament: Guatemalan Q'Eqchi 70% and Dominican Republic Öko Caribe 70%
• Dandelion: San Francisco de Macoris DR 70%
• Catronovo Chocolate: Colombia Sierra Nevada 72%
• Fresco: Madagascar 89% and Five 70%
• A. Morin: Cuba, Panama and Toumi
• Cacao Hunters: Arhuaco 72%
• Rogue: Jamaica 75% and Porcelana 80%
• Georgia Ramon: Ghana 70% and 90%
• Oialla: Bolivia Beniano 78% and 100%
• Chocablog (now Damson): Madagascar Menakao 70% and Akesson 70%
• Middlebury: Dominican Republic Eden O 70%
• The new recipes of Hoja Verde

Have I forgotten to mention something?

Oh yes, a lot of good chocolate made of Belizean cocoa: TAZA, Choco del Sol, Belyzium, Videri, Charm School, Georgia Ramon…

Who creates more new bars in a year other than Tibor Szántó? His Santo Domingo Heima, Sao Tomé, Cuba 88%, Chuno, Nicaliso, Tumbes, Arriba Amazonas, are all great. And his chocolate covered Hispaniola beans are marvellous.

What a fantastic year! Thank you so much for pleasing my taste buds J

You make my life delicious! Happy new chocolate year!

PS 1: Looking forward to meet you at Chocoa, February 4-7th in Amsterdam.

PS 2: Original Beans just launched their web shop:

Original Beans will definitely introduce new products in 2016. Hopefully these will make your life delicious too J