Review: Francois Pralus Madagascar

Lindy's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Pralus bar Madagascar region Madagascar plantation (blend) cacao trees Criollo year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 75% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price €4,00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1526 Dark Red Brown texture smooth with text imprint and scoring aroma fruit (red berry, hint of citrus), roast (cocoa), earth, spice (pepper) snap medium hard taste roast (cocoa, coffee), fruit (red berry, citrus), sweet, nut melt smooth length short finish slightly acidic

Pralus Madagascar is a single origin bar made from Criollo cacao beans. It was made of 75% cocoa solids, with sugar, added cocoa butter, and soy lecithin. The chocolate was certified organic by the French Agence Bio.

As usual for Pralus, the bar was packaged in a paper wrapper over gold foil-covered chocolate. The 100 gram bar we reviewed had a best before date of 27 January 2012.

The bar was scored into 24 small pieces and one large piece (that is the same size as 8 small ones) with the "Pralus" imprint. The color of the chocolate was a medium brown Dark Red Brown (PANTONE 19-1526). It had a medium hard snap.

Madagascar had a wonderful collection of aromas: fruit consisting mostly of red berry, but also a bit of citrus, roast in the form of cocoa, a spice that was primarily pepper, and some earthiness.

As Lindy put it, Madagascar "tastes like it smells", with fruit and roast flavors nearly identical to their aroma. The fruit flavor was a combination of red berry and citrus (the citrus was relatively stronger in the flavor than the aroma) and the roast flavor was predominantly cocoa (but I also noticed some coffee). The chocolate tasted sweet to both of us and we also noticed a nutty flavor.

The chocolate had a smooth melt. The length was short, with the flavor lasting 10 to 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone. There was no bitterness in the aftertaste, giving only a slight acidity for the finish.

Both of us liked Madagascar and rated it a solid ***.

You can purchase Pralus Madagascar online directly from Pralus for €4,00, or from Chocolopolis for $7.99.