Smoke
campfire, char, smoked wood
Smoke in chocolate is assertive and distinctive: campfire ash, charred wood, the back end of a barbecue. In small amounts it adds intrigue and edge; in larger amounts it can overwhelm. This note marks either highly roasted cacao or certain origins where post-harvest drying uses smoke.
What Causes It
Guaiacol and phenolic compounds from lignin burning are the primary smoke compounds. Smoke-dried cacao beans (a common practice in some regions of Papua New Guinea, Belize, and parts of West Africa) directly absorb smoke during post-harvest drying. Heavy roasting also produces smoke-adjacent char compounds.
Where to Find It
Papua New Guinea beans dried over open fires are the classic reference. Some artisan makers embrace this note; others treat it as a defect and avoid these origins.