— One of the finest cacao in the country, and it feels like it!
Nahua exists through to the friendship between Vai’s founders and Juan Pablo, the founder of Nahua Cacao. They hold him as a great mentor in their cacao journey and lived up to his standards in crafting this delicious paste.
Discover its terroir below, and go through our tasting notes and effects feedback to learn more about this beautiful cacao!
"After sipping our last sip, we felt its effect reaching us like a dense wave. We could sense a comforting vibe, but what happened on a physical level was really remarkable."
N.B. : This article contains an affiliate link and a 10% discount code available for a first purchase. These advantages are here to compensate the time and work we put in our project. Yet, we’re dedicated to staying objective in our analyses.
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Terroir
ORIGIN COUNTRY
COSTA RICA
REGIONS
GUATUSO & UPALA
POST-HARVEST HANDLER
NAHUA
HARVEST YEAR
2021
BEANS VARIETY
[Mix] TRINITARIO
STORY & INFORMATION
Beans used in the making of Nahua come from the eponymous post-harvest handler. They collect wet beans from selected farms located accross the regions of Guatuso and Upala. More precisely, farms are dispersed between the Caño Negro Wildlife Reserve and the Cordillera de Guanacaste mountain range.
The network is composed of more than 400 smallholder farmers who benefit from a direct-trade philosophy, while being supported in developing their agricultural knowledge and technical skills.
Their beans come from some of the best trinitario hybrid available and qualify as a single origin, fine flavor cacao, that is highly regarded in the indsutry.
Further than selecting precious beans, Nahua is responsible for the post-harvest process and is looked up to for its quality. Precisely defined fermentation coupled to solar drying allows for great care and great flavor.
Once the beans are properly dried, they are packed and shipped to Sardinia, making their way towards Vai Cacao’s manufactory. Here starts the minimal and artisanal making process that’ll allow to transform the beans into pure cacao paste. It is comprised of light roasting, winnowing, crunching and soft stone-grinding. Conching and tempering aren’t performed, as they would be in a classic process, in order, among other things, to preserve cacao’s compounds at best. The paste then solidifies at room temperature, forming blocks ready to be chopped and turned into a cacao drink.
Offering this cacao has been possible thanks to the true bond created between Vai’s founders and Juan Pablo Buchert, Nahua’s founder. The latter being an important figure throughout Central America’s cacao farming community, Elisa and Juan-Ra (amongst many others) benefited from his experience, knowledge of agricultural practices, and insights in creating added-value to the cacao crops. A powerful relationship resulting in a potent cacao.
Details
IN HANDS
COLOR – BrownSMELL – Chocolatey, vanilla, tangy notes – cranberry, sweet tangerine SHAPE – Blocks
IN CUPS
COLOR – Brown
SMELL – Cappuccino, tonka, red plumFOAM – Light beige
Tasting notes
Aromas:
Brazil nut, mokaccino, fruity coffee
Remarks:
Nahua purely pleased our taste buds with a complex variation of a chocolatey profile.
From the first sip, it met our expectations because it delivered elaborated aromas of what we naturally associate to cacao. They gave us an interesting twist to the usual notes of toasted, nutty, slightly fruity and bitter. Drinking this cup left us with a somehow sensual feeling.
Effects experienced
→ Physically relaxing | Comforting | Satisfying
Nahua was about relaxation, the deep kind.
After sipping our last sip, we felt its effect reaching us like a dense wave. We could sense a comforting vibe, but what happened on a physical level was really remarkable.
It felt like if we were laid down, invited to take time, relax and appreciate what was given.
Once we noticed the context in which we were immersed, a sentiment of satisfaction emerged.
Yet we didn’t feel mentally disconnected from what was happening, but the only will we could find was to enjoy the moment.
A proper setup for a practice like meditation.
We hope you enjoyed this content! If you’d like to try Nahua, feel free to use our 10% discount code: CACAOINSIGHTS, available on your first order.
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