February is National Chocolate Lover’s Month, but any month of the year is the right time for chocolate lovers on a Redwoods vacation to tour (and sample!) Dick Taylor Craft Chocolates in Eureka. This award-winning chocolate factory is just 20 miles from The Redwood Riverwalk Hotel in the heart of California’s North Coast Redwoods at Fortuna. You can take a 45-minute tour that shows you how they make chocolate “from the bean to the bar”, followed by an indulgent 15 minute tasting in their chocolate boutique.
The small factory has earned its international reputation through their mission “to bring back cacao to its original glory, used as a form of currency hundreds of years ago”. As a result, they partner with just a few cacao plantations throughout the world. They combine this cacao only with organic cane sugar, using modern variant of traditional European techniques to create their artisan chocolates of about 72 – 75% cacao.
Their single origin chocolate bars highlight the subtly different aroma and flavor notes among cacao harvested from single plantations in the Toledo District in southern Belize, the Sambirano Valley of Madagascar, and the Bahia region of Brazil. Their Northerner chocolate bars blend cacao from Madagascar and Brazil, while Dark Milk combines Madagascar Cacao with dairy from local farms.
Dick Taylor Inclusion chocolate bars incorporate additional ingredients into different cacao blends. Current offerings include Black Mission Fig, Candied Almond, Salted Almond, Espresso, Fleur de Sel, and Brown Butter with Nibs and Sea Salt.
The samples offered at the end of the tour allow you to taste the difference between some of the varieties. The tour costs $5.00 per person. It’s very popular, but it’s easy to book the tour in advance through their website.
It’s just as easy as booking your room at The Redwood! If you’d rather talk to The Redwood Team here at the hotel to make your reservation, just give us a call at 707-725-5500. We’ll also be happy to answer any questions you have about other things to do or see on your Redwood Coast vacation. Our small independent hotel is conveniently located near the Avenue of the Giants, Humboldt Redwood and other State Parks, Humboldt Bay, Victorian Ferndale, and the Lost Coast Trail.
Dick Taylor Craft Chocolates
Bean to Bar Craft Chocolate Maker
Days & Hours: Weekdays 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturdays 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: 4 W 4th Street, Eureka, CA Phone: 707-798-6010
Tour Cost: $5.00 per person.
Please Note: The factory requests anyone taking the tour be at least 6 years old and wear closed-toed shoes.
Photo by Pablo Merchan Montes on UnSplash
