Notes of rich caramel, zesty orange and cream are expertly complemented by deep cocoa flavours for barista-grade hot chocolates.
Tell me more
The 55% Dark Flakes create an indulgently luxurious hot chocolate like no other.
The milk couples the sweet, creamy nostalgia of a milk chocolate with Islands intensely flavourful St Vincent cocoa to curate a mature, versatile couverture. Aromas of toffee and malt develop further in the flavour, leading to an explosion of buttery caramel and rich creaminess, perfectly balanced by a light acidity and fruity banana notes.
The Origin
Cocoa is a delicate and highly sensitive plant, especially when young. Much like coffee, it requires a few perfect conditions to grow; high rainfall and specific temperatures, as well as trees to offer shade and protection from too much sun and wind - it’s a fine balance. Luckily the Caribbean terroir offers exactly what cocoa needs.
This 55% hot chocolate powder is sourced from their very own farm in St Vincent, where Islands began direct farming in 2011. Today, they cultivate around 400 acres of cocoa, supported by over 100 employees, with a system focused on both enhancing cocoa flavour and preserving the island's intricate natural ecosystems.
St Vincent offers ideal conditions for growing cocoa—nutrient-rich soil, a tropical climate, cool ocean breezes, and shaded valleys. Despite these advantages, the cocoa industry is relatively new to the island. Organised farming only began in 2011, with prior efforts dating back to the 1950s, when a few small, unmanaged cocoa farms existed. Since cocoa takes up to seven years to fully mature, it wasn’t until 2018 that Islands harvested its first significant yield, marking the official launch of the brand.
Why Islands?
When we began our search for a new, delicious hot chocolate range, Islands Chocolate immediately came to mind. With their own farms in St Vincent and partnerships in Dominican Republic, they belong to the elite 0.01% of the chocolate market that operates as both farmers and chocolate makers, making them truly unique.
At Extract, we value the traceability of our coffee, so to see Islands Chocolate also take this seriously played a huge part in our decision to partner with them. By managing every step of their chocolate's journey, they can guarantee that deforestation, child labour and slavery are completely absent from their supply chain.
Islands have crafted award-winning chocolate, packed with bold fruit flavours and savoured acidity - both of which make it perfect for hot chocolate.
We've been working closely with the Islands Team to handpick our new range of hot chocolate here at Extract Coffee Roasters. It's fair to say we've tasted a lot of hot chocolate along the way and we couldn't be more excited to share this new Islands range with you.
How to prepare one cup
You'll need 23g for 6oz, 30g for 8oz and 45g for a 12oz drink.
Start by adding a splash of boiling water to a cup
Add Hot Chocolate to the cup
Whisk, swirl or stir to melt to a smooth ganache
Steam milk and pour over to create latte art
It's that easy!
55% Hot Chocolate Ingredients
Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter. May contain traces of Milk, Hazelnut, and Almond.
Contains 55% cocoa solids minimum.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information per 100g
Energy (kJ): 2382
Energy (kcal): 573
Fat : 39g
Of which saturates : 23.8g
Carbohydrate : 47.2g
Of which sugars : 43.9g
Protein : 4.2g
Salt : 0.0g
