All your Christmases have come at once!

Just once a year, Foundry Chocolate introduce their cacao to an interesting character from Thomson Whisky - all in the name of flavour.

Introducing this year's limited edition special release whisky bar: 

Foundry Kilombero Valley, Tanzania 
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Thomson Pinot Noir Barrel-aged Single Malt Whisky

Only limited numbers of this special release whisky infused chocolate bar have been crafted, and once they're gone, they're gone.

For 2024’s annual whisky release, they’ve complemented Tanzania’s festive fruitiness and silky vanilla notes with an exceptional selection from Thomson Whisky. 

Mat Thomson has perused his extensive barrel room and selected a limited edition NZ ex-pinot noir barrel-aged whisky, rich in tones of spicy raisin and clove.

After dousing the cacao in a flood of this delightful elixir, the resulting chocolate bursts with red grapes, tannins, and a tickle of black liquorice, sumac and cinnamon. 

Fa-la-la-la-lovely.

70g

Foundry Chocolate

Foundry celebrates the remarkable personalities of the world’s finest cacao by crafting and ageing micro-batches of two ingredient chocolate, but just once a year they throw caution to the wind to create something wildly different in their little foundry in Mahurangi, New Zealand.

Thomson Whisky and Pinot Noir Barrel-aged Single Malt:

Thomson Whisky, based in Riverhead, Auckland, seek to satisfy the treasure hunter within. Committed to quality over volume Thomson Whisky release only a limited number of hand-selected whiskies each year and is proudly 100% NZ owned and operated.

Thomson love what they do; making craft whisky for the modern enthusiast. Artisan. Premium. Progressive. By traditional methods for contemporary ends – it’s all about a passion for the spirit, creativity, and respect for the process.

This years selection comes from Mat Thomsons extensive barrel room. Aged in an ex-NZ Pinot Noir wine barrel and made from 100% New Zealand grown malted barley, this is unsmoked NZ single malt whisky at natural cask strength. This single malt whisky offers flavours of rich tannins, black tea, clove and raisins on the palate.

Cacao Origin

The cacao beans grown in the Kilombero Valley are sourced from Kokoa Kamili, which was founded by Brian LoBue and Simran Bindra, who have backgrounds in international development throughout eastern and southern Africa. Prior to Kokoa Kamili, a single buyer dominated the area – the local arm of one of the world’s largest soft commodity trading houses. A sole buyer meant it had the power to set the price for cocoa, and farmers had little alternatives. Historically, farmers in the Kilombero Valley received some of the lowest prices for cocoa in the country. In Kokoa Kamili’s first year alone Kilombero farmers received the highest prices in Tanzania for their cocoa. 

Today, Kokoa Kamili works with nearly 3000 smallholder farmers, most of whom farm between 0.5-2 acres of cocoa. Kokoa Kamili pays a premium - well above the market rate - to farmers for their ‘wet’ cocoa, and conducts its own fermentation and drying. By taking over the fermentation and drying process, Kokoa Kamili can produce more consistently higher quality cocoa beans. This method gives farmers a reduced workload, along with greater compensation, and the farmers are paid immediately after the cooperative receives its wet beans.

Kokoa Kamili also distributes cocoa seedlings to farmers in the community. In the past three years, they have aided in the planting of over 140,000 trees.

Kokoa Kamili is situated in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, an area known for its abundance of bird and mammal wildlife. It is most famous for the eleven different primate species, bird life, and is one of three remaining sites that support Savannah Elephants in a mountainous environment. Current estimates say that 2,000 elephants reside in and around the Udzungwa area.

Ingredients

Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Thomson Single Malt Whisky.

No added cacao butter, lecithin or vanilla.

Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free and 100% Plant Based. Also alcohol free, the way we make the chocolate ensures all alcohol is evaporated off, leaving just the most amazing flavour notes.