Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate Review: The Intersection of Art and Flavor

Cover image by Aleksander Popovski

Dick Taylor Belize 72% Craft Dark Chocolate

How It All Started

Welcome to my chocolate journey! If you’ve ever wondered what makes the complexities of craft dark chocolate so special, this Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate review is for you. It starts with the manual letter-pressed packaging to the snap of the bar, the aroma of a tropical destination, to every small bite slowly giving your taste buds the sensory experience they were craving. Also, if you are making a trip to the Hawaiian island of Kauai and want to experience an amazing tour of a Cacao Farm, book a trip to Lydgate Farms.

Let me take you back to where it all began. My middle son, Michael, had a love for anything truck-related. We watched countless episodes of garbage and fire trucks on DVD. As he grew older, we started taping and enjoying Mike Rowe’s TV show, Dirty Jobs. We became fans of Mike Rowe, watching his adventures over and over again.

Collection of current Dick Taylor specialty items including the Belize 72% Dark Chocolate, 72% Tanzania Dark Chocolate Bar with California Black Mission Figs, 68% Tanzania Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Covered Almonds, and Madagascar Cocoa Nibs

Discovering Dick Taylor Chocolate

Fast forward to the fall of 2014. I was at a technology conference where Mike Rowe was the keynote speaker. He had just wrapped up his long-running tenure on Dirty Jobs and was starting a new show called Somebody’s Gotta Do It on CNN. Mike shared stories about Dirty Jobs and introduced the unique co-founders of Dick Taylor Chocolates, Adam Dick and Dustin Taylor. These two carpenters decided one day to make chocolate. Their first manufacturing site was in a lumber yard, but they have since moved to Eureka, CA.

That moment inspired me to order my first bar of chocolate from them. I fell in love with it! Here is the 15-minute episode if you’d like to watch it. You’ll get a real sense of the uniqueness and passion of Adam and Dustin. My hope is to someday visit their store. I keep trying to get them to host virtual tasting sessions, like the ones they do in-store.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1jxIdgHugA

How to Enjoy Craft Chocolate

Each day, typically after lunch and dinner, I grab a piece of chocolate to savor. I even started traveling with it! But as you can imagine, this isn’t the kind of chocolate most kids like. It’s not from the famous brand in Pennsylvania. To get the most out of your experience, unwrap the chocolate, close your eyes, and smell it. Then, bring it to your ear to hear the signature snap of perfectly tempered chocolate. Only now should you place it on your tongue and let it slowly melt. Resist the urge to bite it. Let it melt in your mouth to fully experience the taste.

The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: 

"Notice the packaging itself and the tasting notes. Treat the unwrapping of the package as part of the elevated sensory experience. Once you unwrap the bar, hold it near your ear to hear the snap of the perfectly tempered chocolate. Smell it to experience the flavors and then finally taste, leaving it on your tongue and let the flavors melt into your taste buds."

My Favorite Bars

For my Dick Taylor Chocolate review, my two favorites are the Belize and Madagascar chocolates. I usually buy them in bulk at 5 to 10 at a time. I also mix in a few different varieties with each order. Each month, they offer a limited-edition bar that sometimes catches my interest, prompting a special purchase. My other go-to favorites include the Black Fig bar, which has bits of California Black Mission Figs, and the Dark Chocolate Coated Almonds.

My current personal collection of Dick Taylor chocolates bars.

Expanding My Chocolate Use

It’s been about 10 years since I started buying Dick Taylor bean-to-bar craft chocolates. Recently, I began exploring both the Nibs and the Baking Chocolate. I find the Nibs are fantastic for my acai and granola bowls (if I liked yogurt, they’d be great in that too). My interest in using the baking chocolate was driven by a desire to make better chocolate chip cookies—like the rich, tasty ones from bakeries or restaurants. In another post, I’ll share how I upgraded my flour to complement the new baking chips.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/d3f414_18a558930154419483dccdd5e2e2dce2/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

My first unboxing video!

Visiting a Cacao Farm

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a cacao farm. It was a vacation I’ll never forget! I watched as the guide broke open a cacao pod, allowing us to eat the fruit and then the bean. The tour deepened my understanding of the care and passion these small farmers and craft chocolate makers invest in creating the amazing products we enjoy.

Me visiting a Cacao farm in Kauai, Hawaii. The picture is the Cacao pod before as in a full-grown state.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Dick Taylor Chocolate manually print their individual chocolate bar packaging?

Yes, based on the woodworking and craftmanship backgrounds of the founders, Adam Dick and Dustin Taylor, they print each bar package on a vintage letterpress machine.

What is your favorite Dick Taylor Chocolate?

The 72% Belize, Toledo bar is by far my favorite due to the fruity notes that are present when I smell and taste the bar. I also alternate with a variety of others, including the 72% Madagascar, Sambirano and the 65% Tanzania, Kilombero

What recipes do you make with Dick Taylor Chocolates?

I currently make chocolate chip cookies with their 68% Tanzania Baking Chocolate Chips and use the Single Origin Roasted Cocoa Nibs in granola, sprinkled on a banana, and in my Acai bowls.

Start Your Own Chocolate Sensory Experience

If you’re curious to start your own chocolate sensory experience, I’ve listed my favorite bars below. Give one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

Enjoy!