What is your shipping policy?

Warm weather policy starts April 19, 2021: We want you to receive your chocolate in perfect condition and as quickly as possible. In warm weather, we ship on Mondays and Tuesdays (and Wednesday if the destination is close enough to guarantee arrival before the weekend). We add insulation and an ice pack at no charge, and we strongly encourage you to choose an expedited shipping method if your order is traveling outside of New England. We cannot be responsible for chocolate that is heat-damaged when you open it, so please have someone be home when your package is expected to arrive or provide a safe, cool delivery spot. We may need to delay shipment altogether if the weather is too hot here or there, and will notify you if this happens. You will receive an email when your package ships. We do not ship internationally at this time.

What is your return policy?

Your chocolate is shipped in perfect condition and, as described above, we take every precaution to make sure it arrives in perfect condition as well. If it is damaged in transit, we will gladly replace it but cannot refund shipping costs. We cannot accept the return or exchange of chocolate that was received intact. Having said that, if you are unhappy with your order, we hope you will reach out to us. Our products are created for you, and we want to hear if we need to make changes to our product, our shipping methods, or anything else in order to keep you as a happy customer.

How should I store my chocolate?

Best is to keep it between 65 and 70 degrees and in low humidity (less than 55%) and darkness, like a pantry or cupboard. Refrigeration is a good choice as long as you first put it in something else with as little air as possible such as a baggie with the air forced out. Please let it come to room temperature before enjoying it. Hot temperatures as well as big swings in temperature make chocolate “bloom” or go out of temper, meaning the cocoa butter separates from the cocoa solids. When this happens, although there is nothing wrong with the chocolate, it will have chalky whitish/greyish patterns (that’s the cocoa butter) and a different mouthfeel. When stored in ideal conditions, your chocolate can be enjoyed long after you got it, but we like it the most when it’s as fresh as possible.

It refers to the percentage of cacao by weight in the finished chocolate. Because Tangle Chocolate has only two ingredients, you know that our chocolate consists of 70% cacao and 30% sugar.

Do you make other kinds of chocolate besides 70% dark?

Not right now...but what do you think we should make next? Please let us know!

What's the big deal about Tangle Chocolate being freshly made?

Some foods improve with age, such as wine and many cheeses. Others lose some of their taste over time. We find that the flavors in chocolate mellow. Now, this may not concern you, and you may have been perfectly content your whole life with chocolate that arrived in a shop perhaps many months before you purchased it. But we invite you to try our chocolate and see if you notice a difference in the number and quality of distinct flavors straight from the cacao bean that you can taste.

Is Tangle Chocolate single-origin? And what does that mean?

Yes, Tangle Chocolate is single origin. That means that all of the cacao beans used in our chocolate are from the same region. Those cacao trees experience the same soil, weather, altitude and so on that contribute to the distinct flavor of the chocolate. Tangle Chocolate uses cacao beans from a single region of Guatemala, the Cahabón region.

What's the difference between bean-to-bar and craft or artisan chocolate?

These words, along with other ones like "small batch" and "handcrafted," are used in an attempt to differentiate specialty chocolate from large-maker industrial chocolate. However, none of them has a legal definition in the U.S., so their presence on a label doesn't necessarily guarantee anything, which can be confusing and even misleading. Bean-to-bar chocolate means that the maker started with cacao beans, did all of the roasting and refining in house, and ended up with the finished chocolate. That describes Tangle Chocolate. Very large companies technically can be bean-to-bar chocolate makers too, but the term is generally used to describe small chocolate makers like us. The terms “craft” and “artisan” imply that the chocolate was made by a small company with lots of human involvement in the process, whether or not the chocolate is bean to bar...but again, without a legal definition, it's hard for us as consumers to know what "small" is. Industrial chocolate makers have noticed consumer interest in craft products, and some now use words like "craft" and "artisan" on their labels. In addition, while some “craft” or “artisan” chocolate companies are also bean to bar, others buy ready-made chocolate, melt it and perhaps add special touches, and then remold and package it with their label. If you're unsure about a chocolate company's label language, call them and ask any questions you have.

Is your chocolate certified organic?

Not at this time. Although the cacao beans and sugar that we currently use are certified organic, we have chosen not to go through the process to be certified organic as a company. This enables us to keep the door open in the future to using non-certified organic beans that we love. We understand that sometimes a farmer can't meet the costs and administrative duties associated with getting and maintaining organic certification even though their products are up to organic standards.

Is Tangle Chocolate Fair Trade?

No. We are committed to paying more than the Fair Trade price standards and to meeting or surpassing any ethical standards you can think of. We buy our cacao beans from good people who know their many small farmers (average farm size: 2.5 acres) and are super transparent about their practices and finances.

Is Tangle Chocolate vegan?

Yes! The only two ingredients are certified organic cacao beans and certified organic cane sugar.

Is Tangle Chocolate kosher?

Yes! Our chocolate is certified kosher by the Massachusetts Kosher Commission.

Is Tangle Chocolate gluten free?

Yes! There are only two ingredients in our chocolate, organic cocoa beans and organic sugar, both of which are gluten free, so our chocolate is gluten free.

Tangle Chocolate THINS | Premium Luxury Handmade Bean-to-Bar Chocolate

Melt the Moment

Handmade 9-calorie fine chocolate slivers that melt on your tongue.

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Melt the Moment

Handmade 9-calorie fine chocolate slivers that melt on your tongue.

SHOP NOW

the essence of life

is found in small, everyday moments. Elevate yours with the luscious pleasure of exceptional chocolate.

Handmade 9-calorie slivers

Satisfyingly small with a personal touch.

vegan, organic, gluten free

Dark chocolates are two-ingredient healthy for plenty of vegan options. (Milk options contain dairy products.)

ethical and sustainable

Invested in the long haul.

We are at Black Birch Vineyard on Straits Rd in West Hatfield on Saturdays from 12-6 and Sundays from 12-5 during these glorious summer months. We have boxed chocolate, ice cream with chocolate sauces, and baked goods. Hope to see you there!

A FEW FAVORITES

Small closed brown box with white and green label with leaves that says Tangle Chocolate. On a maple table with a white cloth draped behind it.

Act of Kindness

$9.90

Medium closed brown and coral box with a white, green and gold label with leaf pattern and words "Tangle Chocolate". Coral ribbon to pull open box drawer. The box is filled with slivers of dark chocolate with a couple of the slive On a maple table with a white cloth draped behind it.

Language of Love

$29.90

Celebration of Goodness

$24.90

Large closed brown box with a coral accent and white, green, and gold label with leaf pattern that says Tangle Chocolate. on a maple table with a white cloth draped around it.

Spirit of Generosity

$49.90

A Meditative Moment

$32.90

Tasting Kit

$44.90

A Black woman's hand and arm holding a small box of Tangle Chocolate THINS, placing the box on a napkin as part of a beautiful table setting with candles, wood table, moss centerpiece.

Customer Love

...delectable and beautifully packaged ~ an elegant presentation! I put one Act of Kindness at each place setting for an upscale birthday party favor. It was a special surprise and very well received!

Leslie M.

Northampton, MA

One of the four boxes was for myself. Oh my God, the Soft Chai chocolate is amazing!

Richard

Florence, MA

Beautifully done from flavor to presentation. Texture of velvet, taste of the gods. Service from a truly dedicated and thoughtful soul.

Jodi B.

Martha's Vineyard, MA

I never knew chocolate in such a simple form could be so complex as it opens on your tongue to create a story — earth, rich, and slightly sweet.

Cat S.

Nashville, TN

My wife loved this gift!

Chris H.

Florence, MA

Beautiful white woman with long auburn hair standing outside in pink shirt and winter hat smiling and holding a mug of hot beverage

Beautiful Black woman smiling with blue shawl holding a basket filled with boxes of Tangle Chocolate, standing in front of a beautifully set dining room table with candles, warm colors, wood, and green plant in the background.

PRIVATE VIRTUAL TASTING CLASS

Would you like to learn how chocolate is made, be guided through a sample of several different kinds of chocolate, and experience how its taste can be altered by the maker? Informative, fun, and delicious, this class is the perfect shared experience for a group of friends, family members, or work colleagues. Contact us for more info!

about our chocolate

We start with cacao beans from a small association of farmers in the Cahabón region of Guatemala. You can count on us always to use ethically-sourced cacao and pay more than Fair Trade prices, because we want cacao farmers to thrive! Tangle Chocolate checks all the boxes that contribute to great flavor and then adds some more: single origin, bean to bar, two premium organic ingredients, small batch. Optimally sized, freshly produced, handmade. Read more about our chocolate here.

Flavor profile: As the chocolate melts on your tongue, you might taste creamy chocolate mousse, rich cashew butter, orange peel, and tart cherries. Each taster’s experience is unique.

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Hands holding a box of Tangle Chocolate THINS, brown box with white label and leaf pattern, coral accent, as though she's about to open the box. Outside setting, wearing a tan cashmere bathrobe.

we have a blog!

If you're interested in learning more about chocolate, our frequent blog posts contain favorite recipes, bits of chocolate history, chocolate current events, and ethical discussions. Click here to read our chocolate news.

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Melt the Moment

Melt the Moment