Where the cacao comes from.

The Sambirano Valley sits in the wet north of Madagascar, hemmed in by mountains on three sides. The microclimate produces a Trinitario bean with bright red-fruit acidity that almost reads like a natural-process coffee. The Akesson family has farmed here for three generations and sells direct to nine bean-to-bar makers worldwide.

Hand-harvested between March and August, fermented for 6 days in wooden boxes, sun-dried on raised wooden beds. We import 2,000 kg per year by air freight (yes, we know — but it's the bar that built the company).

The Mekong Delta isn't traditional cacao country, but Vietnam's Tien Giang has quietly become one of the most exciting origins of the last decade. Heavy clay soils plus year-round wet warmth produce a Trinitario with malted, dessert-leaning notes — banana bread, brown butter, soft mid-palate.

The Marou Co-op aggregates beans from 24 smallholder families, ferments centrally for consistency, and ships in containers (not air-freight) which keeps the price down. This is our gateway bar.

Tumaco sits on Colombia's Pacific coast where the rainforest meets the sea. The smallholder co-op Asoexbam organizes 180 family farms growing a fine-flavor Criollo cross — small yields, slow harvests, but a flavor profile of bright lime peel, honey, and sweet almond that we couldn't pass up.

This is our newest origin (added in 2022) and our smallest by volume — 600 kg per year. We're on a waiting list for more, but the co-op has been clear they will not over-plant.