Review: Bonnat Cacao Cusco Pérou

Richard's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker Bonnat bar Cacao Cusco region Peru plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 75% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate texture smooth with text imprint and scoring aroma roast, earth, hints of fruit and nut snap medium hard taste roast, sweet (burnt caramel), bitter melt smooth length short finish somewhat acidic, bitter

Lauren Adler of Chocolopolis gave me the opportunity to try this chocolate, along with two others from Bonnat, that she was considering for her store. Joining us was Emily, a staff member at the store.

In a change from its former use of traditional white and pale-colored paper, Bonnat has introduced bolder colors for these wrappers, such as the green of this one. We all liked the change.

Bonnat Cacao Cusco is a single origin bar from Peru. As with other Bonnat bars, this chocolate was made from 75% cocoa solids, with added cocoa butter and sugar. The 100 gram bar was in Bonnat's typical form, with their imprint on the larger middle piece and scored into 32 small pieces around it.

The color of this bar was a medium brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317). It had a medium hard snap. The chocolate gave off a roast aroma, and we also clearly smelled earth. Other scents were less obvious, but we noticed hints of nut and fruit.

Cacao Cusco's flavor was a similarly strong roast. There was also a sweet taste of burnt caramel and an underlying bitterness.

The melt was smooth, unsurprising given Bonnat's liberal use of extra cocoa butter. The length was short, leaving a somewhat acidic and bitter aftertaste.

You can purchase Bonnat Cacao Cusco online for $12.25 from Chocosphere.