Why Specialty Coffee Lovers Fall in Love with Fine Chocolate | Standout Chocolate Review

 This is actually the second time I’ve seriously talked about fine chocolate in my content—and for a very simple reason: once you fall in love with specialty coffee, you’re almost guaranteed to fall in love with fine chocolate as well. At their core, the two share so many similarities. The joy of tasting, comparing, and discovering flavors is genuinely addictive.

This time at the expo, I discovered a Swedish fine chocolate brand called Standout Chocolate. Coincidentally (and quite amusingly), Sweden is also home to a specialty coffee brand called Standout Coffee. Same country, same name, same pursuit of excellence—clearly right up my alley.

When it comes to fine chocolate, I think it’s worth briefly introducing two of the most recognized international chocolate awards. One of them is the International Chocolate Awards (ICA). Founded in 2012 by members from Italy, the United States, and the United Kingdom, the ICA is now considered one of the most authoritative professional chocolate competitions in the world. Its mission is to promote the development of the cocoa market and to recognize creative and outstanding chocolate makers.

Another important award is the Academy of Chocolate Awards (AOC), established in 2005 by five British chocolate experts. They share a simple belief: enjoying great chocolate is one of life’s great pleasures. The AOC invites chocolate makers, food critics, and top chefs as judges, and every two years they conduct blind tastings to evaluate high-quality chocolate products available on the market.

Cocoa grows primarily in warm, humid regions, very similar to coffee-growing areas. The ideal zone lies roughly between 10° and 18° north and south of the equator. One of the defining characteristics of fine chocolate is its focus on single-origin cocoa, with great emphasis on clearly communicating origin details and post-harvest processing methods. If you’re ever unsure how to choose fine chocolate, browsing award listings is a great place to start—selecting award-winning brands is rarely a wrong move.

Standout Chocolate operates around a very clear core philosophy: using as few ingredients as possible. You’ll notice that every one of their chocolate bars contains only cocoa beans and cane sugar. To me, this feels like a way of honoring the terroir of each cocoa-growing region. Chocolate, just like coffee, should stay true to its origin. Cocoa varieties, growing conditions, and post-harvest processing all play crucial roles in shaping the unique flavor profile of each region.

They also place strong emphasis on direct trade at origin. The cocoa beans they source are of exceptionally high quality, and during production they aim to preserve the individual character of each origin as much as possible. At the expo, I sampled chocolates from several different regions. Even though they were all 70% dark chocolate, the flavor differences were immediately obvious. The tasting value is genuinely high.

They roast the beans slowly at relatively low temperatures, using their own methods to develop each origin’s profile. This approach increases flavor complexity while maintaining balance, resulting in a long, clean finish.

When the cocoa beans arrive, they first go through an initial inspection to ensure they were handled properly during transport. The beans are then tasted to confirm quality and flavor consistency. Before roasting, each batch is hand-sorted to remove any defective beans that could negatively impact flavor.

For different origins, they experiment with multiple roasting profiles to find the one that best expresses each harvest. Roasting helps loosen the shells around the nibs, making them easier to crack. The shells and nibs are then separated using a machine that relies on vacuum airflow to divide the lighter husks from the heavier cocoa fragments. Removing all shell material is essential, as it would otherwise affect the taste. The remaining cocoa nibs are then ready to be turned into chocolate.

The cocoa nibs are ground and combined with sugar, then refined into chocolate liquor. Standout Chocolate uses granite stone grinders, where friction between granite wheels and the granite base generates heat, melting the cocoa butter and turning the mixture into a liquid.

Achieving the desired particle size takes several days, making this the most time-consuming step in the process. It also helps remove unwanted acidity and develop the cocoa’s natural flavors. Particle size is crucial for a smooth mouthfeel—anything over 30 microns will feel gritty on the tongue. At the same time, they avoid over-refining, as that would reduce flavor complexity.

One final and essential step is tempering. The chocolate is first melted, then slightly cooled, and finally reheated. This process aligns the cocoa butter crystals into a stable structure. Once tempered, the chocolate is poured into molds, gently vibrated to remove air bubbles, and left to cool and set. Proper tempering ensures a beautiful shine and a clean snap. When you hold the chocolate, it doesn’t melt immediately in your hand, making it cleaner and more pleasant to eat.

Even the packaging reflects their philosophy: simple, eco-friendly, made entirely from biodegradable materials, and packed by hand.

This time, I bought two bars. One of them—a 70% Madagascar dark chocolate—has won awards from both major competitions mentioned above. It received a Gold Award from the Academy of Chocolate in 2022 and a Silver Award at the European International Chocolate Awards in 2020, among others. The cocoa beans come from the Sambirano Valley in Madagascar, grown on the Åkesson family estate.

This Madagascar 70% dark chocolate was my personal favorite of the two. Right from the first bite, it shows excellent balance. As it melts in the mouth, bright citrus acidity emerges, followed by subtle notes of pineapple and grape.

The other bar won a Silver Award at the 2022 Academy of Chocolate Awards. It’s also incredibly delicious. This chocolate comes from the Cap-Haïtien region of Haiti, sourced through a cooperative called PISA, which represents a network of around 1,500 smallholder farmers.

Compared to the Madagascar bar, its acidity is slightly brighter, but overall it’s smooth and gently sweet. With careful tasting, you can also pick up notes of vanilla and toasted nuts.