As I write this, I’m gearing up for a trip to California. One of the must-see stops on my journey is the Dandelion Factory and Cafe in San Francisco. Dandelion is one of the most well-known brands in American craft chocolate. This means you are likely to find their bars sold in most major cities at specialty shops. As a package design enthusiast, I appreciate the textured paper and clean typographic choices. I also appreciate the generous amount of sourcing information on the label. I love reading the stories behind the chocolate. You can tell they are proud of their beans.

A nice label is a good start, but it’s what is inside that counts. No real surprises in regards to the appearance; it’s a deep shade of brown, the texture is a little sticky, decent snap. The bar smells of rye bread and nutmeg. Dandelion does not add additional cocoa butter to their bars, but this bar is very fatty feeling. For me, this is a positive as I like my chocolate on the creamy/fatty spectrum. I picked up strong coffee notes as well as graham crackers and chamomile tea. All of these elements combine in a way that reminds me of a simple breakfast. I might consider replacing my standard coffee and toast with a bar of this from time to time. This will appeal to anyone who likes dark, earthy bread slathered in butter.