Krak Chocolate – Colombia Betulia B9 70%

These beans come from Hacienda Betulia, in the northwestern province of Antioquia in Colombia. traditionally a traditional cocoa-growing region. The criollo Betulia was created by grafting old local Colombian cocoa trees. At the Hacienda there are 3 trees selected that produced completely ‘white’ cocoa beans and a beautiful cocoa taste but also the complex fruit notes. These trees are numbered B6, B8 and B9. They all have a different flavour profile and after years of grafting these mother trees, there are several tons of the 3 varieties available for the commercial market.

I met one of the owners in 2018 at a fermentation course in Brussels. Here I was able to taste some samples of his cocoa beans for the first time. As a chocolate maker, the B9 appeals to me the most because of its insanely fruity character. The color of the chocolate is misleading and looks more like a light milk chocolate.