Do you offer tastings or tours in Ecuador?

The Chocolate & Art Experience

Includes

• One-hour privately-guided art tour of the former residence of Oswaldo Guayasamín, Ecuador's most renowned modern artist
• One-hour privately-guided To'ak chocolate tasting in Guayasamín's wine cellar (off limits to the general public)
• Optional pairing of chocolate with whisky or alternative spirit plus bottled water
• Access to the Capilla del Hombre art gallery (non-guided)
• Special tour-only pricing on To'ak Chocolate products

Art: Guests are welcomed to the former residence of Oswaldo Guayasamín through a private entrance, not accessible to the general public. The first half of the two-hour privately guided tour will start with a walk through the former residence of Guayasamín where a guide will share Guayasamín's passion for art and culture and explain the most significant pieces of his private art collection. Guests will visit Guayasamín's most intimate chambers including his bedroom and workshop.

Chocolate: The second half of the tour will take place in Guayasamín's wine cellar, where he entertained notable guests and his closest friends. An intimate setting around a table. In front of each person is a tasting plate with a raw cacao bean and samples of at least four different editions of To’ak chocolate. Akin to a wine tasting, a member of To’ak’s production team guides everyone through a comprehensive tasting and pairing experience, with a focus on Ecuador’s famous Nacional cacao variety. Cacao genetics, terroir, fermentation methods, barrel-aging, and other production decisions are all explained in the context of how these variables influence the aroma and flavor profile of each expression of chocolate. Comparable to a course in Wine 101, but with the most luxurious and elaborate dark chocolate on the planet.

How to book: Visit https://toakchocolate.com/tour to book online.

Availability: Tuesday to Friday (except Ecuadorian national holidays) from 10am to 5pm or outside these hours by special appointment.

Additional information about the Chocolate & Art Experience

Is booking required in advance? Yes. It must be booked at least 48 hours in advance.

What days and times is it available? Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 5pm (except on national holidays) or outside of these hours by special appointment.

Is the tour private? Yes. Only those included in your group will participate in the tour. You will also enter through a private entrance that is closed off to the general public.

Is transport included in the tour? No. You need to arrange your own transport to and from the venue. We will provide driving directions and parking instructions should you be driving yourself.

Can our tour guide participate? Your guide is welcome to accompany you on the experience ,or they can wait for you at the venue. If the guide wishes to participate in the chocolate tasting, he or she will be charged as an additional adult.

What languages can the tour be offered in? We can offer the tour in English or Spanish. The chocolate tasting can be delivered in German with advance notice and confirmation.

Should we bring anything with us? The wine cellar where we do the chocolate tasting experience can get a little cold so we strongly recommend bringing a light jacket with you.

Is the chocolate and/or the art available for purchase during the event? Yes. Guests are welcome to purchase To’ak chocolate products at special tour only price. Art can also be purchased from the gallery store.

Where is the entrance to the tour? Guests should enter the tour via the private entrance to the Fundación Guayasamín. When arriving you will pass the general public ticket box on your right hand side and continue upp the hill. As the road turns to the right look out for a set of large wooden doors. Your taxi or transport should enter and may wait for you in an allocated parking spot. Should the gate not be attending kindly contact either the Fundación Guayasamín (02) 244-6455 or To'ak Chocolate (02) 322-7520.

What instructions should I give to my taxi/Uber driver? Ask your driver to take you to the Capilla del Hombre or Fundación Guayasamín (E18-94 y Barrio, Mariano Calvache, Quito 170122). When you arrive at the ticket box ask your driver to continue a little further up the hill and to the right.

A Private Tasting?

We are available to offer you a private tasting in your hotel, function center or at your home.

A guided dark chocolate tasting is a sensory exploration of terroir, varietal, origin, and craftsmanship on the same level of sophistication associated with wine and whisky tasting. As an additional option, pairing dark chocolate with certain wines and spirits offers yet another level of pleasure and complexity to the experience.

How does this look in practice? An intimate setting around a table. In front of each person is a tasting plate with a raw cacao bean and samples of at least five different editions of To’ak chocolate. Each person is also served a flight of dessert wine and spirits, if this option is selected. Akin to a wine tasting, a member of To’ak’s production team guides everyone through a comprehensive tasting and pairing experience, with a focus on Ecuador’s famous Nacional cacao variety. Cacao genetics, terroir, fermentation methods, barrel-aging, and other production decisions are all explained in the context of how these variables influence the aroma and flavor profile of each expression of chocolate. Comparable to a course in Wine 101, but with the most luxurious and elaborate dark chocolate on the planet.

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