I’ve decided to switch my bars from batch numbers to dates. After chatting with so many of you at the farmers market stand in North Beach, I realized a batch number doesn’t tell you anything about freshness. Since I usually make and sell the bars within days of each other, I want you to see that these bars are fresh out of the kitchen.
Just like fresh produce, you can taste the difference. Almost everyone who stops to try a sample seems a little surprised. This is what chocolate really tastes like. It’s so much fuller in flavor, and a lot of complex notes really come through. I do believe those flavors begin to dull over time, which is why I want you to know exactly when your bar was made.
I sold out of Batch #2 on Saturday (thank you!) and felt the pressure to start the next batch right away, since these things take time. Seven days never feels like enough to make chocolate bars in a home kitchen. If you follow along on Instagram at @cincottichocolateco, you might have seen that I started roasting that same night. Sunday I was cracking and sorting, and by Sunday night the conching and refining were underway. A new Cincotti Chocolate Company record!
Luckily, I invested in very helpful upgrades a few weeks ago. This batch was made entirely with the improved process I described in Batch #2’s Full Story, and it was much more streamlined. I tempered 48 bars in a single day, something that used to take two. Well, 47. I broke one by accident. Start to finish, the whole batch took four days.
And I think that number, 47, is worth pausing on. Most factories turn out hundreds or thousands of bars at a time, but I prefer to keep things small so each bar gets real care. Handing one over to you feels a bit like sending a child off to school. The only way I can describe the feeling is like being a proud parent.
As I write this, I’m packaging something new: Cacao Husk Tea. I’m really excited to share it with you and can’t wait to get it into your hands. It’s Small-batch. It’s Quite good.
And just like my chocolate bars, I’ll be watching those little bags with a proud smirk as they go into your totes.
Yours Truly,