Saturday, April 16, 2011

Review: Patric Madagascar 75%

Lindy's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 8.5 (previously ***)

chocolate makerPatric
barMadagascar 75%
regionMadagascar
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size65g ~ 2.3oz
cocoa solids75%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price$7.99

colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1431
Fudgesickle
texturematte with imprint
aromaroast (cocoa), wood (cedar), fruit (citrus), earth
snaphard
tastecitrus, berry, roast, woody, spice
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishslightly acidic
Patric makes two single-origin chocolate bars from beans from the famous Sambirano valley of Madagascar. One is made with 67% cocoa solids and the other is this one, made with 75% cocoa solids. Alan McClure makes his handcrafted chocolate with only cacao beans, cane sugar, and added cocoa butter.

Like his other chocolate bars, the 65 gram Madagascar 75% was enclosed in clear plastic inside a paper wrapper. The bar was a single slab with a matte finish and a large cursive "Patric" imprinted across it. The best before date was February 2012.

The color of Madagascar 75% was a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431). It had a hard snap. The chocolate gave off a cocoa roast aroma that reminded Lindy of hot chocolate. There was also a woody scent that Lindy identified as cedar. I also smelled citrus, and we both noticed some earth. The combination was lovely, or as Lindy exclaimed, "it smells amazing."

Madagascar 75% tasted fruity, with strong citrus and berry flavors. Lindy also experienced an initial slight bitterness that soon faded away. We both noticed a subtle roast that I thought might be coffee. I also tasted woody and spice flavors, though they were definitely secondary to the citrus and berry.

The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted approximately 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a short length. The finish was acidic. To me, the acidity was only slight; Lindy found the aftertaste stronger and described it as somewhat acidic.

Overall, we were once again impressed with Patric. I rated Madagascar 75% a solid ***; Lindy rated it a high ***, describing it as nudging her top 10, but not quite breaking through.

You can purchase Patric Madagascar 75% online directly from Patric for $7.99 or save a dollar and get it from Chocolopolis for $6.99. Note that the online description at Chocolopolis is of the previous 50 gram bar, but it is the 65 gram bar we reviewed here.

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