https://www.barefootcoffee.com/blogs/news/toak-the-worlds-most-expensive-chocolate
Lots more at the article above ...
1) Origin: To’ak’s cacao is grown in Manabi, Ecuador, which is to cacao what Burgundy is to wine. It has the ideal soil and climate.
2) Farming is "dry", which means they do not irrigate their cacao. So To'ak's harvests highlight the terroir and varies each year according to weather (like coffee and wine).
3) Scarcity: beans are harvested from only 14 farms and come from the rarest variety, pure 100% Nacional. They painstakingly sift through beans in 6 manual phases to find the most desirable
toak chocolate
4) To’ak is sustainable and invests in conservation. eg. all wood they use for boxed packaging is replenished by planting native hardwood trees.
But $450...for a single bar?! That's To'ak's 77% Guayasamín art series bar...and it is truly a piece of art. The bar pays tribute to renown artist Oswaldo Guayasamín who painted in dualities: cruelty and tenderness, life and death.
It arrives in a crafted wood box with wood tweezers (so you don't contaminate the bar with your finger oils). It also includes a drawing by Guayasamín. The chocolate was aged 3 years and is a blend of their 2015 "light" and "dark" (duality theme) harvest.
Experience notes:
Nose: Tobacco, caramel, floral, woody.
Palate: Woody, buttery caramel, tobacco, honey, dark fruits, softly floral, earthy, nutty.
Finish: Honey, toffee, earthy, nutty.
With luxury items, high prices reflect the artistry, craftsmanship, scarcity, taste and overall experience. That is To'ak's $450 Art Series bar.
Edited to add that
this article prices To'ak at $490 for 1.76 oz (50 g).
The foundation of its prestige rests on the company's dedication to the legendary Ecuadorian cacao variety known as “Nacional.” This cacao's genetic lineage traces back to the dawn of cacao domestication by ancient civilizations 5,300 years ago. Despite once being globally acclaimed in the 19th century, pure Nacional cacao was nearly lost to time, believed to be extinct as of 2009. However, To'ak discovered one of the last standing groves of 100% pure Nacional cacao in the valley of Piedra de Plata. This historical and genetic significance, paired with the variety's potential extinction, catapults its value and demand. The company's commitment to preserving this treasured variety, differentiating between pure Nacional and its more common hybrids, and investing in conservation efforts make To'ak Chocolate not just a purveyor of fine chocolates, but also a steward of cacao history and biodiversity.
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