Upala 70%

This is the first chocolate that Ben at Potomac created from his Woodbridge, Virginia, USA chocolate making facility back in July 2010. Since then Ben has focused on refining his approach to the Costa Rican beans and continues to improve upon an already very special creation. In 2011, just one short year since starting production this bar won Silver in the Academy of Chocolate Awards, for which I was a judge. 

The beans are sourced from the Upala district of Costa Rica and have been crafted into a rich and earthy dark chocolate that offers more intensity than the 70% cocoa level might indicate. That being said, there certainly some very interesting flavours present. In the past I've got fruity Solero ice cream and certainly red fruits. It's the underlying creaminess combined with a degree of brutishness that I find intriguing.