Handcrafted Bean-to-Chocolate Goodness: 9th & Larkin Review

A few days ago, I was sent a package of chocolates from 9th & Larkin, a bean-to-bar chocolate shop in the Bay Area that makes handcrafted chocolates in small batches. Safe to say, I am more than lucky enough to have tried these chocolates. 

Growing up, my dad used to bring my sisters and me chocolates from all over the world on his work trips; this has given me the advantage of tasting as many different chocolates over the years. Throughout my chocolate encounters, I realized the more I try, the more I can cut through the noise, and 9th & Larkin was a whole new experience worth trying.

I can definitively say 9th & Larkin chocolates deliver what they promised their customers. Each batch is handcrafted with the highest quality cacao beans sourced from a single region and uses as few as two ingredients to achieve the purest flavor profile possible. They start with raw cacao beans, carefully selected, sorted, roasted, winnowed, ground, refined, tempered, molded, and wrapped each bar by hand. When they make these chocolate bars, they want them to look beautiful and delicious to be a special pick-me-up during the workday or a pampering gift for someone who is near and dear. Their goal is to create moments out of the ordinary because we all deserve them more often.

Nowadays, the visual impact is especially important as everything is posted online. It also gives me an insight into a brand if they care about every tiny detail their product offers to the public. With 9th & Larkin's chocolates, each chocolate flavor has a different elegant sleeve to distinguish one from the other. I liked the molds they used for their chocolates as the look of the chocolates made them different from the rest. I also love the flavor range of this brand and the use of single-origin beans for a specific flavor. It reminded me of how coffee is packaged and marketed to the public. What also made me love each bite of their chocolates was the smooth texture as it carefully glides through my tongue and gives off a distinct flavor profile. 

As all their chocolates were outstanding, it was difficult for me to pick a favorite. But after careful consideration of each flavor profile, I am pleased to say their Tanzania, Kokoa Kamili, Dark Chocolate with Warm Spices is my favorite. That particular bar sang on my palate as I was consuming it. In terms of flavor, the best quality for me in any type of food or snack I eat is balance. This company understood this as each bar showed restraint and finesse thus, exuding the balance I usually search for. 

Overall, I can only sing praises for this company. Not only were they able to provide me with perfection in each bar, but they also earned my respect and love.