{"product_id":"limited-release-yasica-especial-case-of-12","title":"Limited Release, Yasica Especial, Case of 12","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ehis very special bar is crafted from the single sack of ancient Nicaragua Criollo beans that were produced by farmer Giff Laube this harvest season.  This is the second year we’ve gotten these beans and crafted our Yasica Especial chocolate, and it is truly unique and delicious.  Flavor notes include sweet Concord grapes, juicy strawberries honey \u0026amp; cashews.  Get yours while they last!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSince only one sack of beans was produced this is a very, very limited release bar. \u003cstrong\u003e The price is also  higher than our usual bars\u003c\/strong\u003e, although it doesn't even begin to cover the true costs of bringing this bar to market.  This is a passion project for everyone involved.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gnf-featured-product-toggle\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout This Bar\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver a decade ago Giff discovered what he thought may be ancient Criollo trees in a remote area of the jungle in Nicaragua.  He had the leaves from several trees \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/goodnowfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Yasica-Genetic-Testing-Graph.pdf\"\u003etested by the USDA\u003c\/a\u003e, and one tree (identified as “Laube 1” on the test results) turned out to actually be ancient Nicaragua Criollo.  Giff cleared a section of his farm away from his other trees and began to propagate this ancient Criollo along the Yasica river through \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ctahr.hawaii.edu\/oc\/freepubs\/pdf\/FN55.pdf\"\u003egrafting\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlmost ten years after first beginning this labor of love, Giff’s painstakingly grafted and nurtured trees finally produced enough beans for a single sack of dried cacao.  He sent us that sack, and we created this incredibly special bar, which won Best in Competition when it debuted at the Northwest Chocolate Festival.  This year Giff sent the beans via air freight as soon as they were ready, and we began crafting this bar right away.  We only have a very small number of bars.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe beans themselves are white, which result in a light brown color once dried (see cut test picture in the gallery).  They’re extremely small, and with only one sack we had to get everything right the first time.  After deciding on the best roasting temperature we carefully monitored the entire roast, tasting beans at one-minute intervals and stopping the roast as soon as we felt the flavors were fully developed.  We took a similar approach with the conch, tasting hourly throughout the process and stopping the grinders once we felt the chocolate had reached peak flavor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe flavors in this bar are intense and exquisite, with notes of sweet Concord grapes (grape jelly), juicy strawberries, honey and cashews (among others).  It’s fascinating to think that these may be some of the same flavors that indigenous Latin American peoples tasted in their cacao hundreds of years ago.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gnf-featured-product-toggle\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gnf-featured-product-toggle\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Note on Cacao Genetics\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere’s often confusion surrounding the term “Criollo.”  A common misconception is that there are three genetic types of cacao:  Criollo, Forestero and Trinitario, with Criollo being considered the best.  This is absolutely not true.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor one thing, Forestero and Trinitario aren’t even genetic types – they’re cultivars.  In addition, there are over a dozen \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/goodnowfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Examples-of-cacao-genetic-varieties.pdf\"\u003edifferent genetic types of cacao\u003c\/a\u003e that have been catalogued, and more that haven’t been.  Plus, unless specific genetic varieties are planted in areas separate from other genetic varieties, the genetics get mixed together not only between trees in the same area but even within pods on the same tree.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMost importantly, growing Criollo is NOT particularly good for cacao farmers.  The trees are very susceptible to disease, and aren’t good producers.  This is one of the reasons Giff was only able to produce one sack despite having many trees.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis project is truly a labor of love on Giff’s part.  He has a large cacao farm which is productive and sustainable, and was able to undertake this years-long project because the other operations on his farm made it financially possible.  In addition, he was lucky enough able to get the cacao leaves tested by the USDA – something that’s very difficult to do.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the end, great flavor comes down to many factors other than simply genetics – the expertise of the farmers, how the cacao is cultivated and harvested, the skill and techniques of the post-harvest facility, and of course the approach an individual chocolate maker takes to roasting and conching (among other things).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe’re very lucky that Giff put so much time and effort into making these beans, and that he chose to share them with us.  As a cacao farmer, Giff understands and appreciates the value of such a special project, and as chocolate makers we’re fascinated and intrigued by the unique flavors in this bean, and what it represents.  But, this bar needs to be viewed as a flavorful exception to the standard practices of viable cacao farming.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gnf-featured-product-toggle\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTASTING NOTES:  \u003c\/strong\u003eSweet concord grapes, juicy strawberries, honey and cashews (among others)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSKU:  CASEB-LTD-YAS-660\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eIngredients:  Single origin cacao beans, organic sugar, freshly pressed single origin cocoa butter\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Goodnow Farms","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46290350571691,"sku":"CASEB-LTD-YAS-660","price":252.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/5602\/7563\/files\/Yasica-2x3-portrait.jpg?v=1779818907","url":"https:\/\/goodnowfarms.com\/products\/limited-release-yasica-especial-case-of-12","provider":"Goodnow Farms Chocolate","version":"1.0","type":"link"}