This was a pairing I did at PERC Coffee in Savannah, GA. They are a local roaster with a cool and cozy vibe in their shop. 

Meet the Chocolates: 

Dandelion Chocolate 70%  - The origin of this bar is Madagascar, a small country off the coast of Africa. It smells nutty and rich, with tasting notes of brown sugar, tobacco, and fudge. 

Samui Chocolate 88% - From the town of Chantheburi, Thailand, this is a very dark chocolate bar. The darkest we're working with today. It's deep, grassy, and sweet, with an end note of cream and caramel. Like sitting at a farm in the summer drinking a milkshake. Applegate farms feel.

Foundry 70% - This bar is from the Korosim Microlots in the Solomon Islands. This co-op of micro cacao farms are made up of 10 villages that all contribute beans to the cause.   It smells like pineapple, with a really fruity and tropical taste, coconut and orange, with a deep toffee after-note. It has very light and bright flavors, and tastes like sitting on a beach sipping a piña colada.

Warm Welcome to Our Coffees: 

Mild, wild, and manual pour flight at PERC Coffee in Savannah, GA. 

Brazil Legender Especial - tasting notes of almond butter and cocoa. 

Colombia Jhoan Vergara - reminiscent of agave and lighter fruit notes. 

Colombia Sebastian Ramirez Pink Bourbon - this limited edition brew incorporates fruity and floral tasting notes of fruit loops and lavender. 

Now for... drum roll please....

The Pairings: 

Brazil x Dandelion - This pairing sings in warm harmony. The coffee’s nuttiness enhances the brown sugar tones in the chocolate, deepening both without overpowering either.

Brazil x Samui - Surprisingly, this one fell flat. The mild coffee and earthy chocolate muted each other, losing the vibrancy each one has alone.

Brazil x Foundry - A contrast that somehow works. The light, nutty coffee allows the chocolate’s tropical fruitiness to take center stage. Counterintuitive, but delicious.

Colombia Jhoan Vergara  x Dandelion - The coffee’s bold structure and depth overpowered the chocolate’s smoothness. Not a bad pairing, but just a bit mismatched in energy.

Colombia Jhoan Vergara x Samui - An earthy, grounded duo. The coffee teases out the gentle sweetness in the Samui bar, creating a warm, balanced pairing that feels deeply connected to the soil.

Colombia Jhoan Vergara x Foundry - A bright surprise! This combo brings out a tangy, tropical edge in the chocolate. Unexpected at first, but once your palate adjusts, it’s addictive.

Colombia SR PB x Dandelion - Neutral territory. Neither enhanced nor diminished. Pleasant, but unremarkable.

Colombia SR PB x Samui - A beautiful pairing. The coffee’s lightness allows the Samui’s earthy depth to shine without being overshadowed. Supportive and balanced.

Colombia SR PB x Foundry - A clear miss. The interaction created an off, almost sour note. Not the bright tang of tropical fruit, but something closer to rancid. A reminder that not every risk pays off, but that’s part of the fun. 

The Final Results: