Foundry Tanzania x Thomson Two Tone 70% - 2021's release

Some things are simply made to be together

Say hello to our delightful new creation, Kilombero Valley x Thomson Two Tone Whisky. We’ve infused one of our favourite origins, Kilombero Valley, Tanzania with almost irresponsible lashings of New Zealand’s own Thomson Two Tone Whisky. It’s playful, it’s luxurious and it’s a very limited edition.

This splendid fusion of flavour will enchant your palate with notes of comforting dark fruits, silky vanilla and a lingering oakiness that'll leave you demanding more.

This delightful, limited-edition 70% bean to bar chocolate began with organic cacao from the 2020 harvest by smallholder farmers of Kilombero, Tanzania. We then immersed these exquisite cacao nibs in New Zealand's own Thomson Two Tone Whisky until they were fat, juicy and bursting with character.

Janelle designed the limited edition packaging to represent the two ‘tones’ in the two types of oak casks used to mature the blended whisky; European oak which formerly held New Zealand red wine and American white oak used exclusively for whisky.

It's only once a year that we release a limited special edition, each bar and microbatch is numbered, and once they're gone, they're gone!

70g

From the 2020 vintage. Please note the batch number you receive will differ from the one pictured.

Ingredients: Organic Cacao Beans, Organic Cane Sugar, Thomson Two Tone Blend 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. 

Would you like this as a gift collection? - We also have this bar gathered together with our five and seven bar gift collections, you can see them at our Gift Collections page here  

Thomson Whisky and Two Tone Blend information:
Thomson Whisky, based in Riverhead, Auckland, seek to satisfy the treasure hunter within. Committed to quality over volume Thomson Whisky brings to the freedom 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.

The name ‘Two Tone’ refers to the two kinds of cask used for the maturation of this blended whisky; European oak which formerly held New Zealand red wine and American white oak used exclusively for whisky.

Cacao origin information:
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.

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. 

Credit: Meridian Cacao