Sunday, October 24, 2010

Review: Rogue Piura

Lindy's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)

chocolate makerRogue
barPiura
regionPeru
plantationJuan Tirado
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size60g ~ 2.1oz
cocoa solids75%
added fat(none)
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price$8.99

colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken
texturesmooth
aromafloral, clove, roast, red fruit
snapvery hard
tastegrapefruit, earth, hint of nuts
meltless smooth
lengthlong
finishtangy
Rogue is a tiny independent U.S. chocolate maker in Minneapolis, MN. The founder, Colin Gasko, is passionate about the chocolate he produces and goes to great lengths to ensure quality in every step of the process from cacao tree to shipping the resulting chocolate bars.

Rogue's Piura bar was made from four bags of cacao beans that he purchased from Juan Tirado's small organic farm in Piura, Peru. Fewer than 4,000 bars are being sold.

The ingredients of the Piura bar were simply cocoa beans and cane sugar. The texture was similarly simple: smooth and without any imprints or scoring, suggestive of its production by a small, low-volume chocolate maker. The color was a medium brown with an orangish tint.

This chocolate gave off a floral aroma, with scents of clove and a red fruit, perhaps cranberry. Rogue's Piura had an unusual and interesting flavor that we both liked: a citrus that Lindy perceived as grapefruit and I thought might also have some lime, as well as a hint of nuts. Lindy found the taste somewhat tart.

The melt was smooth, but less so than most other chocolates with a smooth melt. The flavor of this chocolate lasted quite a while: almost a minute for me, and more than a minute for Lindy. Unlike many chocolates, there was no final bitterness; instead there was a pleasant tanginess left from the citrus taste.

3 comments:

  1. Nice blog. There's not enough written about good dark chocolate so well done for redressing the balance.

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  2. Right now I'm tasting and reviewing the Piura too. I find it sublime. I'm sad to think that we might never be able to taste this one again, but maybe Rogue will be able to get some more of these beans.

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