taza chocolate factory tour reviews

Taza Chocolate Factory Tours

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Taza Chocolate Factory Tours - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

Taza Chocolate Factory Tours

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

TAZA CHOCOLATE FACTORY TOURS (Somerville) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Taza Chocolate Factory Tours

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

TAZA CHOCOLATE FACTORY TOURS (Somerville) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Taza Chocolate

Review Highlights

“ There is in depth information on their founders, mission, chocolate making process , environmental impact, etc. ” in 16 reviews

“ Our guide was very knowledgeable, friendly, and was excited to show us as much of the process as they can. ” in 39 reviews

“ Their direct trade practices with farmers ensure that equitable monetary payment is going into the right hands. ” in 8 reviews

Location & Hours

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561 Windsor St

Somerville, MA 02143

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About the Business

Business owner information

Business Owner

We make stone ground chocolate that is seriously good and fair for all. At Taza Chocolate we make stone ground chocolate. Cacao is so complex in flavor that we want to let it shout loud and proud. That is why we do less to bring you more. We stone grind organic cacao beans into perfectly unrefined, minimally processed chocolate with bold flavor and texture, unlike anything you have ever tasted. Visit us at our Somerville factory where all of our chocolate is made! Peek through windows into our manufacturing space. Our team of chocolate guides is always on hand to answer all your questions about our process, our mission, and of course, our chocolate. Savor samples of all our Stone Ground chocolate products and shop a range of Taza treats. Tours offered daily. Online reservations required. …

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Do they sell hot chocolate at this location?

Are the tours infant friendly? Can we bring ours in a stroller?

Hi, when I visited a bit ago, they did indeed allow them. Someone in my tour group had one. I would highly recommend making reservations as they allow only a small group through at a time. For me I had to travel so it would have been a bugger if I… more

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Overall rating

354 reviews

Sweet tooth alert ‼ A lovely Saturday afternoon spent at Taza doing a tour & sampling a variety of delicious chocolates. A local gem and wonderful to have an actual chocolate factory nearby where you can get a tour, see & learn how it's made, sample a whole lot and then shop to take home. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and made it wicked fun to learn about the chocolate making process. Their store setup is wicked charming and with a whole lot of flavor. If you have a sweet tooth and looking for a nice fun activity to do with friends or your loved ones, be sure to pay Taza a visit.

See all photos from Ethan R. for Taza Chocolate

Went here for chocolate factory tour with my girlfriend on Valentine's day. The guide was super knowledgable and attentive throughout the tour. It was about an hour long and we learned a ton about how the chocolate works as currency in west Africa and is victim of climate change! We also liked the fact that chocolate you get from here are very different from the ones you get from grocery store, they have the grinding(?) and rough texture inside them, and some of them have spiciness! There are chocolates you can buy that you can use as hot chocolate, which is super cool as well.

I did a chocolate tasting with Taza, and it was so much fun. I got a booklet listing all of the chocolates involved in the tasting with space for me to rate them. There was a great variety, ranging from sweet to bitter. I had a lot of chocolate leftover that lasted for months. They all tasted wonderful.

What a fantastic activity to do with family or friends! Taza's chocolate tour is definitely an amazing deal and interesting experience, not to mention their chocolate is delicious and fun to try as well. We booked the tour a day before and there were maybe 8-9 others in the experience with us the next day so I wouldn't too much about booking far ahead. Our tour guide was super enthusiastic, friendly, and knowledgeable. The experience goes through a very basic walk-through of how chocolate is made for their specific factory and also showcases the machinery involved. You're also able to taste any chocolate flavor in their store at the end which I find to be a nice little perk to wrap the event up. While the experience isn't very repeatable, I had a very nice time and will definitely be visiting again to buy some of their locally made chocolate!

I had never been picky with my chocolate but this place has truly taught me how chocolate should taste. The stone ground chocolate, vanilla and sea salt almond were the perfect balance of crunchy, bitter and sweet. When you walk in, you can watch people actually make the chocolate through the window. There's a wide selection of chocolates ranging from different flavors and themes.

Taza chocolate selection

The tour was very interesting. Learned a lot about the chocolate making process from the harvesting to the final product. Aside, the chocolate is incredible. The texture of stone ground chocolate is unlike anything you can get in stores, they aren't packed with sugar, and they have a bunch of unique flavors. The round bars are perfect for mochas and hot chocolates. Only chocolate I'll be buying from now on

We did a virtual tour and tasting today and it was terrific. Boxes with supplies were shipped ahead of time and they included one each of the following. Dark Cinnamon disc Dark Guajillo Chili disc Dark Vanilla disc Cacao Puro 70% disc Nibs from Dominican Republic, Haiti and Ghana 100% Dark (baking style) chocolate chunks 70% Couverture chocolate chunks 70% Deliciously Dark Bar 60% Toffee Sea Salt Bar 95% Wicked Dark Bar Vegan Almond Milk Bar Additionally they provided a tasting notes card and reference wheel of flavor and texture identifiers. The tour and tasting took place over Zoom and our hostess (though I forget her name unfortunately) was delightful. As we tasted and discussed our various impressions, we learned about Taza itself.. the founders/history, business practices and production methods... as well as about growing, harvesting, the history of chocolate/cacao in general and so much more. It was very educational, unique, and fun. Highly recommend!

Virtual Tasting Kit (corporate event)

We took an in person tour on Saturday and it was great! Learned a lot about making chocolate and the company's mission and history. It was really cool seeing the process and they were sooo generous with the samples. I honestly didn't think I would get full but by the end I was stuffed in chocolate. There were new flavors I got to try and I will definitely be buying their chocolate.

Did the tour today and it was super fun . You learn about cacao . The ins and outs of growth and where they source their beans from etc . No, you can't go onto the production floor but you can see it and have it all explained . Best part, you get to sample the finished products at the end ! Even our 17 yr old thought it was fun !!

I love the super dark chocolate and the tours are fun with really knowledgeable guides. After the tour, they let you try a bunch of different chocolates, a great chance to try things without having to buy a whole bar.

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Taza Chocolate Virtual Factory Tour and Tasting Review

With an all-but-cancelled spring behind us and a rather uncertain summer ahead, like many of you, I’ve been slowly coming to terms with the “new abnormal” we are now living in.

As such, I’ve tempered my disappointment about canceled travel and events with closer-to-home adventures that have allowed me to re-discover my DC neighborhood and connect virtually with friends and family. 

Given that I’m not going anywhere any time soon, when I saw that Taza Chocolate was offering virtual tours of their Somerville, Massachusetts factory, I jumped at the opportunity to take a virtual trip to learn more about one of my favorite chocolate companies. I am already a huge fan of their line of completely gluten-free and dairy-free products! 

This online adaptation of their factory tour (via Zoom) not only includes a behind-the-scenes look at  ingredients and processes, but also comes features a delicious and interactive component- a bean-to-bar tasting! When exploring how chocolate is made, it makes sense to start at the very beginning, in this case with cacao trees. As a part of the tour, our guide shared videos of what cacao looks like freshly harvested, and the process by which the beans are fermented and dried for shipment. Believe it or not, right off the tree the beans and their sticky fruit taste nothing like chocolate!  Talking about the organic cacao used for their chocolate also presented an opportunity to discuss their commitment to fair farming practices, which go above and beyond fair trade standards. Not only does Taza have a commitment to fair payment for the product (with no middlemen), they also have labor and environmental sustainability standards too. See more all about this on their website. For the taste testing portion, I was surprised by how different the cacao nibs from Ghana, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic tasted. Though seemingly all the same fruit, it was interested to contrast the nuttiness of the Ghanaian nibs to smokier Haitian nibs and tangy DR ones. From the nibs the next steps into chocolate-making were demonstrated through their 100% dark baking chocolate (which contain no sweetener) and 70% couverture chocolate, which introduces a second ingredient: cane sugar. As I’m used to their gritty Mexican-style chocolates (more on that to come), it was interesting to taste the smooth flavors of the 100% and 70%, and compare the intensity of cacao flavor and fruity notes, especially with the later.

From the origins of chocolate, it was then interesting to hear more about how Taza came to be, and how Mexican-style chocolate sparked the company’s creation and still influences how the chocolates are made today. With these disks being their original product , it was fun too to hear about how they sourced a machine to wrap their signature, but difficult-to-package, circle shapes. Taza’s signature chocolate texture is made using an Mexican granite stone grinder (which is chiseled by hand!). I could have watched the video of nibs getting ground into a peanut butter-like substance all day. This was definitely one part of the tour where we all were   missing out on the smell of being in the factory!

By comparing tasting notes on the four disks- cacao puro, chili, cinnamon, and vanilla, it was interesting to see how the mix ins really elevated and enhanced the flavor profile of the cacao. Whether eaten on their own or used a hot chocolate base, they are endlessly versatile and delightfully unlike the European-style chocolate that tends to be the predominate style sold in the US.

Exploring beyond the disks, we also delved into their bars, which introduce variations on taste and texture . Of the three included in the virtual tour package, I particularly loved the buttery toffee, almond, and sea salt, and the fruity deliciously dark.  Here, it was fascinating to know what the standards are for even calling a dark chocolate a dark chocolate. To even be called a chocolate, the product must have at least 10% cacao by volume. In that case the other 90% would count any sweeteners, add-ins or dairy (or non-dairy) products. Taza’s products weigh in much higher, and you can taste the difference a few percentage points make by comparing the different disks, bars, and beans.

And we couldn’t leave without a look at one of their newest products- the almond milk chocolate bar. This offering also happens to be paleo, as they mix in coconut sugar and almond flour to replicate creamy milk chocolate. 

As the product with the lowest percentage of cacao of the bunch (47%), this also made for the sweetest and creamiest of the included products. Though not normally a huge coconut fan, I really liked the nutty flavor and smooth consistency of the blend, which showed off the full range of textures of their bars (gritty, medium grit, and smooth).

I was really impressed with the virtual presentation of the Taza Chocolate factory tour , and it totally didn’t dampen my desire to visit the factory in person whenever we get the green light to travel again. Our tour guide was fantastic and incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about chocolate. She was a more-than-capable guide through the world of cacao and Taza. Having the interactive chocolates to smell and taste, and a small group of fellow tour-goers also made the experience fun and memorable, as we compared tasting notes and it made the experience satisfy all five senses.  If you’re looking for stay-at-home fun that combines chocolate and sneaks in quite a bit of learning too, I wholeheartedly recommend this virtual tasting pack . You can also order a version of the tour (the extra essentials), which includes extra disks and bars to expand your taste test.

Disclaimer: This review is current to the original publication date. Updates will be noted. Ingredients and manufacturing processes can change without notice. Each product should be reviewed for individual nutritional needs. Feel free to to contact me with any questions or comments. I purchased the product independently and this review is a reflection of my personal opinion.

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Taza Chocolate Factory Tours

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Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

TAZA CHOCOLATE FACTORY TOURS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Taza Chocolate Factory Tours

• See all photos

Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Taza Chocolate Factory Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Private Tours

Private tours at the taza chocolate factory.

There’s no better adventure than a visit to your local chocolate factory! Experience chocolate unlike any other. Book a private Intro to Stone Ground Chocolate tasting at the Taza Chocolate Factory for your next class field trip, team build or group outing.

We schedule private group visits at our factory Tuesday–Friday for groups of 17 people during factory store business hours, 11am-6pm. Booking a private visit allows our Chocolate Guides to cater to the unique interests or special needs of your organization.

Private tour experiences start at $180 per tour for up to 17 guests. Hot Chocolate and Gift Bags may be added onto your booking for an additional fee. 

Student and non-profit groups may be eligible for a discount on the tour reservation fee. Please fill out the form below to inquire regarding this discount. Additional times may be available outside of the posted schedule. Please inquire via the form below or by emailing at [email protected]. 

Need special accommodations or interested in the non-profit discount?

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Taza Chocolate Factory Tours

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Taza Chocolate Factory Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor