Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Review: Kallari 85% Cacao

Lindy's Rating: 5.5
Richard's Rating: 5.0
chocolate makerKallari
bar85% Cacao
regionEcuador
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year2010
size70g ~ 2.5oz
cocoa solids85%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A
colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1015
Bracken
texturesmooth with leaf imprints and scoring
aromaroast (coffee, cocoa, smoke), earth (grass, must), sweet, floral
snapmedium hard
tastebitter, sour, passion fruit, roast (malt), tannin, hint of sweet
meltsmooth
lengthmedium
finishsomewhat tannin, somewhat sour
Ecuadorian chocolate maker Kallari is a farmer-owned cooperative that grows and makes their cacao beans into chocolate in Ecuador. Their bars are USDA certified organic and Rainforest Alliance certified sustainable (socially, economically, and environmentally).

85% Cacao was made with 85% cocoa solids (cacao beans plus added cocoa butter from the same cacao), cane sugar, and whole vanilla bean. It was scored into 18 pieces, each imprinted with the Kallari leaf image. The bar came wrapped in silver plastic and enclosed inside the black paper box. The dates stamped on the box of the bar we reviewed were a production date of August 2010 and an expiration date of February 2012.

The color of 85% Cacao was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The top of the bar had a fine matte surface and there was only some trivial scuffing. The snap was medium-hard.

85% Cacao had a nice aroma, with roast, earth, sweet, and floral. We both smelled cocoa and coffee in the roast and grass in the earth. I also noticed smoke in the roast and Lindy found must in the earth. Lindy did not notice the floral scent.

This chocolate tasted bitter and sour, with passion fruit and malt roast flavors. In addition, Lindy experienced some tannin and I tasted a little sweetness.

The melt was smooth. 85% Cacao had a medium length, with the chocolate flavor lasting 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was somewhat tannin. Lindy also tasted some sour flavor along with the tannin.

You can purchase Kallari 85% Cacao online for $5.95 from Chocosphere.

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