2022 Craft Chocolat Challenge

The first of its kind ever held in Kentucky, and only a handful held in the U.S., the International Bean to Bar Chocolate Contest was held on Saturday, January 22, 2022 in Beattyville, Kentucky
USA.

Entries included 33 chocolate bars from four different continents representing 18 regional cacao farms spanning 11 different countries of origin. The contest highlights craft chocolate makers who create their delicious treats from the cacao bean. That is no easy feat—creating high-quality chocolate from cacao beans is labor intensive and requires numerous steps from roasting the beans to tempering the chocolate for the perfect chocolate bar mold. The contest brought in chocolate makers from around the globe, representing Asia, Europe, South America and North America and several U.S. states.

The competition included 14 judges scoring dozens of chocolate bars in five categories. Judges noted what set one bar apart from another, or why a bar fell short. Feedback in a competition like this is important so the chocolate makers can refine their craft.

  

Top Overall 

Best Dark Chocolate 

Best Milk Chocolate 

Best White Chocolate 

Best Inclusion 

What is Craft Chocolate?

Craft chocolate or artisanal chocolate generally refers to smallbatch chocolate made from bean to bar. These chocolate makers ethically source their cacao beans to ensure a sustainable future for farmers, allowing them to tend to their crops in ways to create higher-quality cacao. It is a win-win and often bean to bar chocolate makers will create their craft by showcasing a single farm’s cacao. Chocolate is a lot like wine and coffee, different locations, crops, seasons, and so on, which creates different flavor profiles. The bigger chocolate companies go to extremes to keep their product’s flavor consistent. However, craft bean to bar chocolate makers let the chocolate speak for itself, not masking it, and they welcome unique flavors that appear naturally in different varieties of cacao. Although the industry has been around some time, a decade ago there was a boom and since then the craft chocolate industry has picked up steam. Much like the craft beer and specialty coffee booms, craft chocolate is also growing more loved by the general public as craft chocolate makers are fine tuning their craft to give consumers what they desire—REAL chocolate. 

Notes from the Craft Chocolat Challenge

• Cacao beans from 18 regional cacao farms spanning 11 different countries

• 33 Chocolate Bars accepted from 4 different continents

• 14 judges from various backgrounds to create a unique and powerful panel for The Craft Chocolat Challenge hosted by the Chocolat Inn & Café located in Beattyville, Kentucky .

Dustin and Mai Cornett, owners of the Chocolat Inn & Café are craft chocolate makers themselves and were on a mission to create a chocolate tasting contest for chocolate makers. The goals of the contest is to spotlight bean to bar chocolate being crafted, provide insight and feedback to help the chocolate maker’s business, and to create awareness of the craft chocolate industry to the general public.

For additional information, contact contest director, Dustin Cornett, info@chocolat-inn.com, www.chocolat-inn.com