Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Co

Olive & Sinclair is quite simply one of my favorite places in the world. The chocolate is amazing. The business model, based on the preservation of traditional techniques and even machinery, is remarkable. Ethically sourced ingredients, many local suppliers, the friendliest staff EVER, and the chance to see how chocolate is made are combined in this company/project. Don’t miss the tour: you’ll experience the tradition and innovation that keep Olive & Sinclair alive.

We had a tour of their fine chocolate factory. I highly recommend going on a Saturday as that is the only day they have tours. 😆 It was a blast. We had a great time! Who doesn't like chocolate? Yummy! I do highly recommend going. 🍫

Visited Nashville as a family of four, saw Portland, Zoolumination, etc. The Chocolate tour was the best part of our trip according to my oldest, who was happiest with his face in a screen. He loved hearing the history of the techniques and methods used to make their phenomenal chocolate and candies. My wife who generally does not care for white chocolate, thought it was the best she'd ever had and bought some for the trip home. The street parking can be a bit tricky, but it is well worth the experience.

We took a tour of the chocolate making. Everything is done as a labor of love. If you’re on the hunt for some great cocoa nibs, stop on in! The team is super knowledgeable; the caramel is soooo good; and the chocolate is for real delish!

This isn't a chocolate store, it's an experience. Tours are only offered on Saturdays, but Sammy will gladly give you the history anytime. We learned all about the sourcing, production, what makes them distinct and superior, and we tasted about 10 different types of bars and brittle. Sammy even let us taste a sample of the chocolate in its purest form before sugar was added. And even that was delicious. We loved everything they made and Sammy's hospitality made the A+ an A+++. Please put this shop on your destination list when visiting Nashville. The Five Points neighborhood is really cute and easy to navigate on foot or by car. Lots of great local shops.

So as a disclaimer, I have never been to the Olive & Sinclair shop but have had their chocolate. I sat next to their employee Sammy on a connecting flight out of Nashville over Christmas holiday who, after giving a few bars of chocolate to the flight staff for working on Christmas Eve, gave me a bar as well at no cost despite my offer to pay. The chocolate was very good but most memorable was the act of kindness. 👍🏻

Wow! Just absolutely blown away by the service and warm welcome. Jason treated my family & I like royalty with endless samples, great conversation, and a sweet deal for a few epic chocolate bars. World class experience while grabbing brunch across the street at Flying Monkey. Will definitely be back!

Our guide for the tour was amazing. He explained how the process of how the chocolate is sourced especially with chocolate tears not chocolatiers. The understanding of where they got the chocolate source is amazing. Olive & Sinclair have a respect to keep the taste how true chocolate taste. If you are visiting Nashville please come by Olive Sinclair it’s family owned. You want to put this location on your itinerary list when traveling to Nashville, TN

On a whim, my husband and I picked up a box of Olive & Sinclair's "Duck Fat Caramels" at Whole Foods and we've been hooked ever since. I've driven by their shop and factory on Fatherland a handful of times, and finally stopped in this week to pick up a few locally-made stocking stuffers. Oh my goodness ... the smell of this shop is absolutely intoxicating. Upon entering, you're hit with the most wonderful scent of melted chocolate, and it sticks with you throughout your shopping experience. As I was browsing I thought, "They should make this into a candle," ... only to turn around and see that they've already thought of that! They have all sorts of chocolate-scented candles for sale. Sadly, I missed out on the big boxes of Duck Fat Caramels this holiday season - apparently those sell out quickly this time of year! Thankfully they did have a few two-packs still available, along with some interesting looking "Salt and Vinegar Caramels," which I'm anxious to sample on my next visit.

This is by far one of my favorite things I've ever done in Nashville. The tour is so cheap and takes up a good amount of time, plus you get to sample a bunch of things throughout. The man giving the tour was so kind and very eager to answer any questions we all had. He even spent time afterwards discussing my job with me because I'd mentioned working at a bakery. Everything is so cool to learn about here and you can get some beautiful pictures. Very cool experience, I highly recommend this place!

Unlike several of my reviews where I just give my personal perception, this one is filled with data and references. I bought three products and will review them in detail after a few paragraphs on initial impressions. The product reviews are a consensus between my adult son, my wife and I as we sampled the wares in a formal taste testing. Acting in a venue across the street, I noticed the sign that this was actually a candy shop. From the title, I was not sure if maybe it was a Mediterranean place or an architectural firm. I ventured in and short of cash at the time, I sampled some of the bits out for that purpose. Those tids and bits were great and I promised I would be back. In the interim, I told the rest of the cast and anyone who would listen that they needed to check the place out. On my return, I had two minor disappointments. Family sent me in with a list and two of the varieties they requested were no longer available, even though they were on the website. Now, on the products. First up is the 67% cacao. My adult son had the most input to this product but we all agreed. For reference, he rated this as a 5 on a 1-5 scale, 5 high. For reference, here are his ratings: Rausch Chocolate from Germany is a 5. Lindt is a 3 and Hershey dark is a 2. The reasons for this are many. All of us present rated this high percentage cacao as extremely smooth due to its processing. We all agreed it was not bitter, but had a pleasant bite to it, not overpowering. We detected notes of cherry and the aroma when we opened the wrapping wafted to our noses quickly. My son noted that they listed the country of origin for the cacao on this, and that was a big plus. While he nor the rest of us have tasted enough chocolates from various countries, we could not use this data effectively. Next up was the Candied Lemon and it did not get as rave a review. The overall rating was "adequate". I was the dissenter. It had salt and lemon. I would have preferred on or the other but not both. We all agreed that with the 75% cacao it was good. Lastly, the Duck Fat Caramels took the most courage to try. I sampled them on my first visit and because they did not have two of the chocolates on my list, I bought this box. It was expensive. My son passed strictly on the concept of duck fat being one of the prime ingredients. Yes, it is duck fat and not a moniker to rename another ingredient. The label states that this was literally born in duck blinds by hunters. Both my wife and I agreed that if you did not know it was duck fat, you could not identify it. I will try this as a blind taste test on a few friends. Other ingredients besides the sugar include cream (although the person selling it to me said it had a bit of butter), salt, black pepper, chilies and thyme (to enhance the duck fat). They do have tours, but I did not have the time for one. Not a neighborhood I frequent as I live 35 miles away, if I find myself there, I will try to find some of the product I missed the first time. You can almost make this a destination confectionery.

For Mother's Day, my son, and I took a tour of Olive and Sinclair's chocolate factory. This is a wonderful little hidden gem! The tour guide is wonderful, very informative, and funny! We got to taste so many different forms of chocolate from the nibs to the pulverized chocolate before sugar is added, and the final product. He was also very kind in answering my son, who apparently has read about chocolate making, and asked many many questions. The store is cute and small and has lots of great samples. Everything is absolutely delicious and naturally made. I've never had such a good chocolate before. Not sure I can go back to eating big box chocolate. This is a tour you should not miss. East Nashville is also a really cute place to visit. Street parking around the area is free and pretty easy to find.

The chocolate-making machinery is a prominent part of the storefront, though the limited space for actually buying chocolate is quite pleasant. The price of chocolate here is quite high, but you can see the quality. The bars I got were reminiscent of other au natural stone-ground chocolate; the taste is similar to Taza (a New England company that sells little chocolate wheels) but the texture is smoother. I didn't realize a tour was an option, but it seems like teat would be worth doing.

This place is so cute. We were rounding out a weekend girls trip to Nashville and had breakfast at the frothy monkey across the street. It was mid-morning on a Tuesday. The exterior is very non-descript. We walked past the entrance but the chocolate being made in the window down the block caught my eye and I begged my friends to go in. The smell is fantastic. We were immediately greeted by the owner(?), who was super friendly. The shop sells caramels and chocolates, and you can sample everything. I walked out with a box of caramels and 2 chocolate bars. Excellent last minute and random find.

Enjoyed the tour with my family. Very informative and the antique machinery was fascinating.

Wonderful tour. Friendly customer service. What great place to learn about how artisan chocolate is made. The chocolates were AMAZING!

The Duck Fat Caramels are the best! Been watching the interesting chocolate machine for a while and decided to stop by and try the chocolate. Tasted the chocolate offerings and they were great, however I left with Caramels. I highly recommend a visit to this interesting store.

Awesome people, delicious chocolate, and very fun to tour! Highly recommended going if you're in the area for anything.

Awesome place to visit and do the tour, you will learn the path from the cacao bean to the chocolate bar ! Samples of all the products for you to try. Delicious chocolate.

Very cute and clean chocolate store. Shelby was very helpful. Got a bunch of goodies. They have a candy shop tour and a bunch of samples. The store is located in a cute little neighborhood. Will visit again. Great chocolate.

Might be me, but I found this tour boring and not that interesting. Cool old building, smelled delicious in there, but the mechanisms of the machinery and process was tedious. Not sure what I expected but the Ben and Jerry's tour in Vermont was wayyyy more interesting than this. Don't bring kids. They will hate their life.

Unique chocolate "factory ". Awesome attentive owner who spent time sharing the history of the location and community! Rustic, authentic feel of a special product. Samples available and encouraged!! Not your average confectionery store!

Do the tour and taste the sweet treats! The tour guide, Jason, did a wonderful job of explaining the processes with a bit of humor. Our kids are aged 12-17 and all enjoyed the experience. Favorites were the duck fat caramels, cinnamon and chili chocolate, and sea salt chocolate.

We had some time in between our scheduled activities so we looked up this place and decided to try it. We went in the $5 tour, great price and the tour was about 45 minutes. The lady doing the tour was awkward but funny. She knew everything you needed to know About making chocolate. She clearly knew her stuff and was able to really show and explain how everything works. We all got to taste multiple kinds of chocolate. My husband loved it and my kids hated it. The chocolate for the kids was too bitter and not sweet enough. I think majority of littles might have some trouble with the flavors. It's definitely worth the tour and can help break up your day!

Awesome chocolate and the staff is SO amazing. Talked with Scott for a little bit and he was extremely nice and gave excellent recommendations for while we are here on our trip. We really appreciated the welcoming spirit to the town. Try the caramels as well! They are amazing.

Located conveniently in the heart of East Nashville's suburbs and close to both Five Points and downtown, this place was a great find. I was in town for the weekend and had the opportunity to pop in for their tour that they offer on Saturday's only for $5 per person. Olive and Sinclair is Tennessee's only bean to bar chocolate factory and provides an opportunity to see the behind the scenes of the process of how their treats are made. Our tour guide was very friendly and provided details of the process as well as fun snippets of history and the background of the factory. You get a snazzy hairnet to wear while you're in the back factory portion and get a full tour of their space which produces and impressive amount of chocolate for a smaller location. The tour includes samples and an explanation of the specific bars and treats that they make. In addition the front shop space includes samples of the bars and all of their products that are for sale. The chocolate bars and confections that are offered included unique flavors and were all delicious! Options such as sea salt, cinnamon and chili, coffee, salt and pepper, caramel, and various brittles. I ended up taking a sea salt bar home and my friend brought home some caramel and bourbon nib brittle. Overall I definitely recommend popping in to this place to do the tour or to bring home some chocolate. Hits the spot for anyone with even a small sweet tooth!

This was a last minute activity that I found on Groupon for $5. I've never been to a choccolate factory before. Although this is a small one, it's local which makes it cool. You can pick your times by the hour. I was able to book 15 minutes before and I arrived 5 minutes before 2. Nathan was our tour guide and he was informative and funny. We were able to sample caramels and brittle chocolates at the end. I did wish that we could see the machines up and running in action. I would say this is great for teenagers and adults but not so much for the young ones. It's a lot of listening and the chocolate tasting would be too bitter for them. The tour was about 40 minutes long. We enjoyed it and was easy to fit into our schedule.

I loved this! We signed up for the tour about a minute before it started - they were so kind. They gave us hair nets and we got to it. It was very educational - overall their story is a good one. They let us smell a bunch, taste a bunch, and ask so many questions. You get your tour payment refunded when you spend over $35 in chocolate at the end... we spent way more than that. It was nice to support a small batch chocolate spot while we visited Nashville for the weekend. Again, the group couldn't have been nicer.

Our tour guide was so passionate about the process that we couldn't t help but be intrigued. He had corny jokes that kept us entertained. Small group sizes allows time for questions The chocolate is really good too.

Olive and Sinclair is Tennessee's only bean-to-bar chocolate company. And once you've seen their chocolate bars, you'll realize you've seen them all over town: grocery stores, souvenir shops, general stores, etc. Yeah, their chocolates are great (more about that later). But the best surprise about O&S? YOU CAN TOUR THEIR CHOCOLATE FACTORY FOR $5. That's right, for $5, you get a 30-45 minute tour. An O&S employee walks you around the back of the store, tells you how they make their chocolate, showing and explaining the equipment they use, and giving you samples of chocolate through the process (raw cocoa nibs, "chocolate liquor" - which is cocoa nibs that have been pressed to a liquid, and finished chocolates). It's really interesting, informative, and fun! And it smells great! And the samples are awesome! (And, if you spend $30 in the shop after the tour, they give you $5 off.) You do have to wear a hair net on the tour. We all looked awesome. It's a good look! Heads up: tours are only on Saturdays and they DO SELL OUT. Get your ticket online before the tour. Their location is completely adorable. Very cool, very hipster. Even the ticket they give you for the tour is adorable! The store is stocked full of all of their chocolate products (and their new candy store's candies, too - the candy store is based in Franklin!), including all the chocolate bars, brittle, and more! I walked out with a box of Bourbon Nib Brittle (it's amazing), a bar of Mexican style chocolate (which has an amazing crystal-y texture), and some candy! This was such a fun experience! Completely worth the $5 the tour cost!

I LOVE Olive and Sinclair Chocolate! The factory tours are a must for visitors or locals in Nashville. The chocolate itself is very robust in flavor and definitely worth the few extra dollars.

Amazing in every way. Don't miss the bourbon brittle which has a perfect layer of their dark chocolate on top. Caramels with duck fat are 5 Star. They do tours of the factor on Saturday and they will start up again on the 3rd of October. They are happy to give free samples!! Packaging is so cute and plan on buying a tee shirt or hat.

What an amazing find. When you step in the front of the store it feels like you're stepping back in time about 60-70 years. The displays, packaging, samples, and swag let you know you've walked into something special that just doesn't happen much anymore. The tour: It lasts about 45 minutes depending on the tour guide and amount of interaction. You'll learn about how they make the goodies from people who love what they do there. The only disappointment was they just talk through the process rather than demonstrating it. The samples: There so delicious, and you should eat them all. Seriously. Eat. Them. All. Personally, I'm not a fan of sweet treats and like good flavors. If you're that way too then this chocolate is for you. The shop: it's been said before but spend $35 & you'll get your tour admission refunded in a discount. Be careful though...the samples will get you. We easily spent $100 on different chocolates. Why 4 starts and not 5? I would've appreciated a demonstration of some of their machines. Truth is it didn't really take anything away from the experience - just a personal preference.

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

Took the chocolate tour on a Saturday morning. Upon arrival, we were greeted and checked in. We walked around looking at and tasting the chocolate. At the start of the tour, they brought our group back and explained how their artisanal chocolate is made from start to finish including packaging. There were a lot of interactive portions like feeling cacao beans, watching the chocolate churn and of course more tasting. Only 5 dollars and well worth every penny. You get a lot of information and chocolate - win win!!!

Loved the guided tour through their in-house chocolate and confectionary factory. A fun experience for a reasonable price ($5 per person). Our group size was fairly large (~20) for the small 1890 converted H.G. Hill grocery store. Our tour guide is an actual employee and baker who was expert in cocoa bean processing and chocolate/confection making. We visited 4-5 stations beginning with bean extraction, cleaning, and inspection (cocoa pods are imported from fair-trade countries), then roasted, husked, crushed (nibs), pulverized (liquified), mixed with ingredients (depending on end product), and finally cooking, forming/settling, and packaging. Most product is sold wholesale, but there is also an in-store market with lots of cool sweets and logo gear, and, of course, online. The coolest machine was a grinding machine from early 1900's made of two massive stone granite wheels. Apparently, cocoa nibs are approximately 50% oil (cocoa butter), so when ground in the granite wheels for a day, or overnight, a paste-like chocolate emerges (not yet sweet though). If expecting a sweet Hershey's type chocolate you'll be disappointed. Their chocolate is more like dark chocolate and a bit on the bitter side, but still very tasty for those who enjoy a darker chocolate. My favorite product was the Peppermint Bark, which was almost sold out for the season. Definitely worth a trip with the family or for those visiting Nashville. Tell them Lonny with @donutexplorers sent you! Happy eating...

I love chocolate in all forms, and my diet is about 30% sweets so I was super pumped to check out a local chocolate shop. It was nice that they had samples of all of their chocolate laid out but unfortunately I didn't like how any of them tasted. I must not get the whole artisan thing because I wanted everything to be way sweeter and less tangy/bitter. The different flavors definitely come through but none of the chocolates blew me away and left a weird aftertaste in my boyfriend's mouth according to him. I'd rather eat a Hershey's bar so if you like standard grocery store chocolate, Olive and Sinclair is not for you. What was good though are the duck fat caramels and the orange/white chocolate/shortbread/cranberry chocuterie. I felt bad sampling everything so I bought the chocuterie but I don't think it's worth $16.

Officially naming this place ILOVE & Sinclair Chocolate. From the minute you walk in the door of this old building you are welcomed with free chocolate smells..and samples!! This southern gem sat nestled in an eclectic area. The building itself is an old store from the 1900s. I entered from the chilly streets and was immediately warmed with the worker's smile from behind the counter. Luckily I had arrived on a Saturday when they do $5 tours. The tours start at the beginning of each hour until 4. The tour was amazing and really made me appreciate the delicacy. Make sure to stop in for a tour if you want some tasty Tennessee treats!

A tour of a chocolate factory for only 5 dollars?! Yes please!! I was visiting Nashville for the day and Olive and Sinclair was one of the places to visit if you're on a tight budget. The building/factory is in a small neighborhood like area. When I came here, it was very quiet and relaxing. The staff are so friendly and they will talk to you about anything. We were early for the tour so we talked to the staff in order to kill time. I apologize if we drove you crazy by not being quiet. The tour lasts about an hour and you actually learn a lot. There is so much detail in order to make their chocolate. A bonus is you get to try free samples. I think I ate my weight in chocolate, but I wasn't complaining. You have to try their white chocolate. I am honestly not a fan on white chocolate in general but they make theirs with buttermilk. It is the best chocolate I've had. The tour is only open on Saturdays and if you do not book your trip online, you may want to call ahead of time to make sure there are spots open. I'm not going to lie, the chocolate is expensive, but that's because it's made right there and is only sold either in the shop or online (I think). Olive and Sinclair is a little gem that makes Nashville so interesting. I will gladly take another tour here and I will drag my friends with me so they can have the same experience as I did.

Scott has an amazing operation going here. He was very informative and personable. He told us back stories behind the chocolate and it's other products. We will definitely be back next time in Nashville.

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.

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.

Totally awesome little chocolate shop in a semi-residential area. $5 will get you a short tour through the back. The chocolate is a little bit on the pricey side but the caramels are worth it by far!! We bought a muzzle loader - super amazing single bite chocolate ball- you've got to try!!! The $3 is worth it! The staff is well knowledged and friendly and the chocolate is good!!!!

I was staying in East Nashville a few weeks ago, and was surprised when I learned that there was a chocolate factory right around the corner! I definitely recommend taking the tour, because it is great information and you get to taste the stages of the chocolate along the way. Also, the staff are incredibly welcoming. However, if you plan to buy chocolate, you will probably end up spending a small fortune rather quickly.

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!

I had so much fun at Olive and Sinclair. I came here for a tour with my mom, and we had a blast. Our tour guide walked us through Olive and Sinclair's thoughtful chocolate making process (from roasting the cocoa beans to setting the chocolate bars). The tour was intimate, engaging, and had plenty of tasters (and is only $5)! I enjoyed hearing about all of Olive and Sinclair's collaborations with local tea makers, soap makers, breweries, and coffee makers. It is great to see small businesses thrive and support each other. The chocolate was delicious! I was personally very taken by the salt and pepper chocolate but enjoyed everything I tasted on the tour. Also, the employees were friendly and offered my mom and me plenty of suggestions about which chocolate choices to make for family and friends back home. It was an excellent way to spend a rainy afternoon in Nashville. I am so jazzed to have more family and friends visit town so I can come back for another tour!

If you've been in Nashville for a while, you've seen the "Olive and Sinclair" name around. It's a mainstay ingredient in the dessert menu at the city's best restaurants, which speaks volumes about the quality of the product. We recently found out about the 'factory tour,' and decided to give it a try. At $5, heck, why not? The shop is a quaint little space nestled into a residential neighborhood in East Nashville. It's a cool space: all the products are on display, with bowls of chocolate to sample to your heart's content. And it's good, good stuff. Especially the Cinnamon Chili and Buttermilk White chocolate bars. We had a hard time walking away and leaving samples for others on those. The tour is well-worth the $5 and ~30-45 minutes of your time, if you're the sort of person who likes going to science museums, watching "How It's Made," or generally learning about random stuff. It's pretty cool to walk through the process of chocolate-making, and it'll definitely awaken the five year old in you to see a turbine churning a giant vat of liquid chocolate! The tour guide had a great sense of humor, which made the whole thing all the more pleasant. Plus, more free samples--including my personal favorite, a bourbon-flavored brittle. If there's any downside here, it's the pricing. I get it: the process of chocolate-making takes time and effort, especially when it comes to stuff like placing gold-leaf onto intricately designed chocolate truffles. And even though $5 for a chocolate bar or $35 for a box of truffles might accurately reflect the efforts of production (and after seeing the tour, I believe it does) I have a hard time motivating myself to shell out that much for chocolate. That being said, definitely check out O&S. Whether you're heading over for the tour, to pick up (pricey) gifts for friends back home, or just to see and sample a Nashville favorite, you're in for a good time.

Pretty good chocolate! We went for the Saturday tour and really enjoyed it. They are legit in how they process froM cocoa pods to chocolate bars! The tour guide knew what she was talking about and handled a large group well. Exactly how I want to feel in a vintagey chocolate shop. Most of their items are pretty dark so I docked a star for the limited variety.

I was pretty excited to do the tour but my husband was skeptical. We ended up having a really good time! I can't remember the name of the lady who did our tour but she was hilarious as well as super informative and used history and other random bits of information to explain the process. For $5, the tour was so informative and definitely gave me a better appreciation for this business...and for their delicious chocolate!

My wife and I took the tour on a Saturday and it was very interesting and informative. We would highly recommend. It's amazing that they can run the place with only 7 people! The staff was all super friendly as well. The chocolate is amazing. I recommend the smoked chocolate and the Mexican chocolate.

This is grade a prime chocolate. I thought I loved the sea salt dark chocolate but the salt and pepper blew my mind. The sea salt and vinegar caramels were excellent. The service was spectacular and friendly. All other chocolate is basically ruined for me. Love this place,

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?!

My sister was in town so we took the tour of Olive and Sinclair today. The tour was only $5 apiece and we learn about the history of the company and it's unique, Southern chocolate-making process. The tour only lasted about 45 minute, and the tour guide, Paige, was well informed and extremely funny! We both ended up making purchases upon leaving. We got the salt and vinegar caramel, the bourborn nib brittle, an individual Cherry Bomb, and an individual muzzle loader. It was great. I'll probably continue to bring our visiting family members to Olive & Sinclair so that we can experience it.

This was our second tour at Olive and Sinclair, as we had family in town. Jason was our guide, and he did an AMAZING job, he knew all the answers to our questions even though he hadn't been there long. We got plenty of delicious samples and a discount on product... wayyyyy worth the $5!

We took the tour and I was thoroughly impressed with the guide, not so much with the chocolate. She was extremely knowledgeable, entertaining and personable. It's something I'm glad we did just for the educational aspect. We had several samples of beans at various stages of processing during the tour and of course a few of their flavors were available to sample in the shop. We did buy 2 bars (67% & 75%) and a couple caramels to try with family at home as these were not available for sample and we wanted to try their plain chocolate.

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.

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.