Olive and Sinclair Chocolate

We took the tour — lots of fun and very informative. Their chocolate is truly amazing. Mostly focused on dark chocolate (not generally my thing), but try the bourbon brittle and the caramels if you want something less intense (and phenomenally delicious). I’m addicted!

Did the factor tour a few weeks ago. They are $ 5, Saturday only; book online in advance.
Thought it was a really cute tour and I enjoyed learning more about the chocolate making process. The tour guide was funny. As part of the tour you also get to taste the chocolate/​coco/​cocoa at different stages in the process and that was neat! They use a number of pieces of older machinery and seeing those still working/​the steps they have taken to keep them running was cool. I think it lasted about an hour. Really hard to beat for $ 5. Definitely recommend checking it out and taking guests/​out of towers! You also get a $ 5 off purchase of $ 30 or more coupon with your your ticket.
The store is compact and cute. Has a window where you can see part of the chocolate making process. In addition to their chocolate and candies, they sell really soft branded tees and some glasses. Samples of many of the chocolates are out.
We got a box of the duck fat caramels and a few of the bonbons. I’ve also had their bourbon brittle and chocolate bars before.
Honestly, the duck fat caramels are a bit over rated. They are good and you can taste the duck fat, specks of black pepper, etc– but I’ve had regular sea salt caramels that I enjoyed more.
The bonbons were awesome! They have a new place «Seersucker Candy Co» in Franklin that focuses more on these and I definitely want to check it out now.
Soft Sea Salted Dark Chocolate Ganache (the «original») — omg good! Decadent chocolateyness
Muzzle Loader (chocolate filled with liquid salted bourbon caramel) — delicious, liquidy, second favorite
Cherry Bomb — essentially a cherry cordial, but with pickled/​vinegary cherries. Exciting for a one time try, but I wouldn’t get it again. Burned a little when I swallowed it!
Overall– great experience on the tour. The chocolate and candies are delightful. You should check it out! I would take visitors on the tour again and will certainly be getting more of their treats in the future; excited to visit Seersucker, too! As artisanal, small batch chocolate, though, expect a matching price!

Excellent, top-​notch, stellar, superb, best chocolate and candies ever!
The tour was very educational and while it’s not as tasty as the finished product, I enjoyed tasting chocolate at every step. The antique melanges that stone grind the chocolate are stunning and I could stare at them for hours. I’m down right impressed at the volume and quality of confections that come out of this small operation.
My favorites are the white chocolate, duck fat caramels, and we had the choc-​cuterie that was smores themed!
Toured about 2 weeks ago and got the wrong size t-​shirt as a gift to a friend– hope they’ll let me exchange it by the time I get around to coming back.

Crammed people in the lobby reaching and grabbing and grubbing for chocolates. I love chocolate. Loooove chocolate. But there was not a single chocolate that I liked here. And I tasted all of them. I tasted and tasted (despite the icky feeling of paranoia amidst the nose-​wiping, little kid sticky, germy hands all around from both kids and grown-​ups in this small space). I have to be honest. Actually, I thought the chocolate was not good at all. It was yucky. Just blech. I didn’t take the tour. I walked out and got some fresh air from the distasteful, germy, crammy lobby.
Dumped. Everyone seems to love this place. Sigh. You are right. You know what Darlin’ it’s not YOU, it’s ME.

A hidden gem in East Nashville! 5 stars for the chocolate (which you can buy in several local retail spots — Frothy Monkey, Fido, etc), 5 stars for the shop and 5++++ stars for the tour!
Every Saturday, O&S gives tours of their facility and every step of their intricate chocolate making process (with samples along the way). Tours are $ 5 and will last for about 45 minutes. The staff is great, super informative, and will really leave you with an appreciation for not just chocolate, but their craft! My sweet tooth does not discriminate, but these are high quality sweets! Their duck fat caramels are OMG MELT IN YOUR MOUTH SLAP YO MOMMA good, and all of their chocolates are decadent!
If you’re visiting, put this on your to-​do list!
If you’re a local — what are you waiting for?!

Technically not a restaurant. But they are generous with their samples. Of course, most humans are susceptible to this technique and will end up in a purchasing mode before leaving. We heard about Olive and Sinclair Chocolate in Nashville by watching way too many Food Network and Cooking Channel TV shows. We were intrigued! So we made it a point to visit while we were in Nashville for a reunion, we took the tour for $ 5 each (will be credited towards any purchases), learned all about the bean to bar chocolate making process, sampled more than we should have, and then figured out our must have purchases. I suggest not trying the Bourbon Cocoa Nib Brittle on the tour because you will definitely be recalculating your purchase selections. It caught my eye on the shelf in the front before the tour, we tasted it on the tour, and it is our favorite thing that we purchased and brought home. We also picked up some Mexican, sea salt, and coffee chocolate bars. Not sure if I would even think of protecting enough to share back home, but probably will… maybe. Very impressed by everyone at Olive and Sinclair. Oh, and they are available on the internet as well, cheaper than two or three tanks of gas.

Items Tasted:
Duck Fat Caramels
Sea Salt and Vinegar Caramels
Smoked Nib Brittle
Bourbon Nib Brittle
Mexican-​Style Cinnamon Chili Chocolate Bar
Sea Salt Chocolate Bar
Coffee Chocolate Bar
Salt and Pepper Buttermilk White Chocolate Bar
Having seen the words Olive and Sinclair, or O+S, on almost every menu in Nashville over the course of more desserts than most would dare to try in just a five day span, it was at the Chocolatiers factory that Saturday afternoon found us and with the admission fee easily reimbursed on items in the giftstore where samples of no less than five chocolates were offered in limitless quantity one would be hard pressed to name a better way to spend an hour, let alone five bucks.
Originally a bean-​to-​bar outfit, but recently making its name with brittles and caramels oft named amongst the nations ‘best-​of,’ Olive and Sinclair is a far smaller operation than their Whole Foods reach would make one guess yet at the same time certainly larger than spots like Dandelion or Tcho, let alone the newly hatched HeXX back home in Nevada.
Utilizing old stone grinders, admittedly for show according the owner Scott Witherow, before proper milling, blending, tempering, and more the tour at O+S takes the visitor literally from bean to bar and allowing for tastes of dried cacao, black liquor, and the milkfat white chocolate in their purest forms a sense of passion is clearly perceived, the final station showing off Brittle made of smoked cocoa from nearby purveyors of cured meats.
Clearly playing on Southern themes with bars that include everything from buttermilk to bourbon it warrants mention that Olive and Sinclair’s chocolates are not the typical flavors one would associate with purity, region, or terroir, yet with flavors that pop and smoothness almost incomparable in the market the decision of which is ‘best’ largely becomes one of personal preference — the dark sea salt a bit too ‘fruity’ for my preferences while the cinnamon chili was admittedly a shocker in its subtleties, both brittles pleasant in their slowly evolving flavor profiles beneath bold topnotes while a duo of caramels rivaled the best on this side of the Atlantic, the acidic finish likely not to everyone’s taste but lightly reminiscent to that of a Chess Pie and all the better for it in my eyes.

I haven’t been to the actual factory (yet) but let me tell you, this chocolate = YUM! The Mexican chocolate is my favorite with a hint of cinnamon and chili spices (I wish it had a little more spice, but I’m crazy like that). The duck fat caramel are DANGEROUS… I would eat 100 of them if I could! The white chocolate with salt and pepper was just ok. The brittle was good too.

If you are taking a tour on Saturday, be sure to arrive early to find street parking. Once you are inside, a lady at the counter takes your name, gives you a ticket and a hair net. While waiting for the tour to begin, my daughter and I got to try the chocolate they make. There are sample bowls of each variety of chocolate in the store area. Very nice to let us try before we buy. This is not your ordinary chocolate. This is dark chocolate that Olive and Sinclair make from the cocoa bean. I had no idea there were so many steps to making chocolate. Don’t expect it to taste like the dark chocolate you get at any other store. The tour was great. Very informative. We got to try to Bourbon Nib Brittle at the end and it was so amazing that I had to buy a box before we left. Overall a great experience.

Wonderful place full of wonderful artisan chocolate. Cool storefront with lots of delicious samples. The dark chocolate with cacao nibs is so very very fine! It’s not cheap stuff but it’s also not mass produced by some Wonka-​esque mega factory.
They give tours of the place which we missed out on but we shall return for more chocolate!

I received some of the chocolate as a Christmas gift and it was so good that we decided to go there while we were in Nashville for the weekend. Tour was very interesting and enjoyed seeing the whole process from bean to chocolate. If you are a chocolate snob this high quality chocolate is for you. It’s excellent.

5 stars for the chocolate, especially the 67% and 4 star for the shop design. It looked welcoming and simple. Loved the use of cocoa beans as an accent.
Minus lots of stars for the worst employees who undid a lot of the good. My husband and I were visiting a few weeks ago from San Francisco and came in wanting to purchase some corporate gifts and some treats for friends from our old hometown. We made the trek over to East Nashville prepared to clean house in your shop and ended up walking away with nothing more than a couple bars for me to enjoy with the occasional glass of wine.
The employees acted like they were too cool for school and like they had much more important things to do than help us or answer any of our questions. We weren’t in desperate need of help but were definitely made to feel like we were a nuisance. All of this while one of them sat on a stool behind the register literally the entire time we were in there.
Find some employees who would love to have that job. I know there must be a lot in the area.
For now I’ll keep buying your product at Berkeley Bowl and appreciate the fact that they don’t treat me like garbage there.

This ain’t Hershey folks.
Best way to spend $ 5 in Nashville hands down. I could have easily eaten that amount in faancy chocolate. So just some general things to know if you are planning a visit.
1. Parking can be difficult– mostly side street on Fatherland so I suggest you carpool.
2. Tours start on the hour from 10 – 3 Only on saturdays.
3. Cost is $ 5. If you spend $ 30 they will deduct the cost of the tour from your total.
4. Credit cards only. They use the square.
Okay, now to business.
As many of you know, Olive and Sinclair is found everywhere– including Alaska. Its spread to I think 49 states (wonder what black hole is missing out). including International shipments now I think to Japan and the UK. So clearly someone thinks that this stuff some local MTSU grad makes is pretty delicious. And it is. We are talking salt and pepper buttermilk, mexican hot chili, coffee, bacon infused, bourbon infused… and all. hand made. I think this is what makes the $ 7 chocolate bar worth it to me. To see the tour and observe how everything is hand made… from sorting beans to little old ladies wrapping chocolates wicked fast. like I said, this ain’t Hershey. And if it matters to you, everything is ethically sourced– we asked.
Cool Tidbits or Nib Bits hehe.
1) They legit infuse bacon into their product. They will leave barrels of nibs in some guy’s smoke house for a solid amount of time. I got to smell the product and I swore It was bacon bits not cocoa nibs.
2) They legit infuse bourbon into their product. They will leave the nibs in whiskey barrels… and boyyyy is it strong. And delicious.
My Favorites:
1) All the brittles– bacon, bourbon, peppermint– seasonal. $ 17 a box. WORTH IT
2) Mexican Hot chili melted to make hot chocolate– so indulgent. $ 7
Go.

Great little store front with the factory behind it. They ONLY give tours on Sat… we were there on Wed. (insert sad face) The staff was great though and talked our homeschooler through the whole bean to bar process.
It was fun test tasting some of the flavor combinations. All in all worth it !!!
Happy culinary adventures, y’all !!!

Had the chance to stop by on a Monday when they are normally closed. Friendly staff opened up for us and soon had us sampling their craft. Good variety of choc. And Brittles inc. Bourbon barrel yum! A must try for real chocolate lovers!

My wife planned a trip here so the family could go on the «tour». It was fun to learn about the chocolate making process and smart of them to give you samples so you would know which chocolate you liked before your purchase. The chocolate is really good (I purchased a coffee bean bar, my wife got the Mexican chocolate bar and our son wanted the bourbon brittle) and I am already looking forward to our next trip there to go buy a bar of the white chocolate. No cash purchases, only cards via «Square».

Cute little shop. Plenty of little nuggets of chocolate to taste. Super friendly girl working the counter (this seems to be a trend in Tennessee). The chocolate is pricey but obviously a good quality. The Mexican chocolate with the cinnamon and pepper is to die for.

Any place that lets me try free samples of chocolate is great with me! You walk in to this little shop that smells like chocolate, obviously. They have chocolate bars for sale and then in front of the bars are bowls that have samples. I think I tried them all except for the white chocolate salt and pepper. I am not a fan of white chocolate at all! They had samples of sea salt chocolate, salt and pepper chocolate and the salt and pepper white chocolate, and cinnamon chili chocolate. I loved all of them. My favorite was the salt and pepper chocolate. You could really taste the saltiness in the chocolate so it gave it the nice balance of salty and sweet.
You can take a tour of the chocolate factory for $ 5. The girl working said that it normally takes about 30 minutes but sometimes longer depending on who gives the tour. I didn’t get to do the tour this time but I will definitely go through it next time!
I bought a glass and the girl working at the register was very friendly.
I believe it said they don’t take cash too so make sure you take a credit card.
Great shop! I will be back for that tour!

Nothing is better than a chocolate company that has free samples! The customer service was amazing, they were so friendly and helpful! We didn’t go on the tour this time but definitely plan on coming back very soon!

Olive & Sinclair Chocolate was founded by Scott Witherow back in ’09, making Southern Artisan Chocolates. I like their cool wrapper design — they offer different varieties, such as 67%/75% Cacao, Sea Salt, Salt & Pepper, Double Chocolate Nibs, Coffee, Mexican Style Cinn-​Chili, Buttermilk White (45% Cacao or Salt & Pepper versions), Smoked Nib Brittle, and Bourbon Nib Brittle. They also have Chocotuerie (charcuterie style) and truffles. My absolute favorite was the Mexican Style Cinn-​Chili, containing bright organic Ceylon cinnamon with a salt-​driven chocolate — the flavors are deep, has a little kick, and is quite delicious! :D It was cool to see the chocolate mix behind the glass window. The staff were more focused on one customer, so we weren’t greeted or helped when we were in the store. :(
+Mexican Style Cinn-​Chili — YUM!
+MIA staff

A chocolate factory tour is fun at Olive & Sinclair located at 17^th & Fatherland in a 123 year old former grocery building. Some of their antique ambience harks to an earlier age of southern cuisine. More and more of their chocolate creations are reminiscent of traditional native ingredients, and nouveau. Try their excellent Chocuterie line of chocolates and you will see what I mean. Most are okay for vegetarians, but a couple are meat-​infused. I had an orgasm of the mouth from their Salt & Pepper bar. «67%,» another geshmak Olive and Sinclair chocolate delight is named for the 67 percent cocao it contains, and was delectable too. These kind of orgasmic experiences could be habit forming. I also recommend the chili pepper Mexican Style bar. You can buy this Scott Witherow candy at retail places like Whole Foods and Produce Place. Their southern artisan chocolate starts with cocoa beans that are roasted and stone ground in their Nashville chocolate kitchen. The next step is to add a classic southern flavor using old-​time production methods. When done, it is packaged in the distinctive Olive & Sinclair label. Fine shops and restaurants are places where Olive & Sinclair is to be enjoyed. It’s great for dessert baking at home too, with Jeni’s ice cream. It is worth kvelling over, and I do.