Sourcing Cacao: Finding Beans We Love

On a recent podcast, Logan discussed what we look for when sourcing cacao beans and shared stories from our recent trip to Guatemala and Belize to visit with cacao farmers.

Below is an overview of what was discussed on the podcast:

Great Chocolate Starts with Great Cacao

There are about 8 steps needed to take raw cacao beans and make dark chocolate, and the most consequential step is the very first one: buying the cacao beans or what we call "sourcing." Poor-quality beans can’t be salvaged with excellent roasting or grinding and that's why we put a lot of effort into finding great cacao beans to work with.

We recently visited farms in Guatemala and Belize to learn more about post-harvest processing, fermentation techniques, and cacao genetics. Fermentation—typically lasting 6 to 7 days—is essential to developing the flavor precursors we bring out during the roasting process, and understanding fermentation is critical to making two-ingredient chocolate.

Cacao Genetics and Flavor Profiles

Cacao comes in three broad genetic categories: heirloom varieties, high-yield commercial varieties, and hybrids of those two. Each has many subtypes. We’re focused on identifying specific genetic lines that align with the flavors we want to express—floral, fruity, nutty, woody, or earthy. Unlike large producers blending beans across thousands of farms to create a generic flavor, we aim to highlight distinct profiles from individual origins.

Working With Farmers

We are not at the scale to buy full containers directly from farms, but we work closely with importers who are transparent about sourcing and pricing. On our most recent trip, we visited five farms, three of which were introduced by import partners. In some cases, we also reach out to farms directly.

The problem in the "big chocolate" supply chain is often scale-related. In commodity cacao, beans can pass through many intermediaries before reaching a chocolate maker. That lack of transparency allows for labor abuses and it also crushes margins for those at the bottom - the farmers. Our approach to ethical trade is simple but powerful: we want to know exactly who is growing our cacao and then we want to minimize middle-men between them and us. For us, this gets to the heart of going "beyond fair trade" in our work.

Adapting to Market Volatility

Global cacao markets are highly volatile and at record prices. A drought in West Africa — where the majority of the world’s cacao is grown — sent prices to 40- to 50-year highs. Even though we source from Central and South America, we’re still affected by global supply and demand.

To mitigate risk, we’ve started developing cacao blends instead of relying solely on single-origin bars. Single-origin chocolate is compelling but some times inflexible; if one origin becomes unavailable due to climate or market issues, we may not be able to make that chocolate anymore. Our "Caldera Blend" combines several of our favorite origins, allowing us to maintain consistency and quality even if one origin suffers a drought during a given growing season.

Local Collaborations and Flavor

We’re also using more local inclusions to make the chocolate experience unique and true to Montana. Recent collaborations include chocolate blended with tea from Steep Mountain and smoked nib bars made in collaboration with Grotto Meats. These partnerships let us be creative and get more local FLAVOR (quite literally) into the chocolate that we are making.

Thanks for reading, and reach out to us if you have any questions about what we discussed on the podcast!