Thursday, February 23, 2012

Review: Snake & Butterfly Benjamin's 76% Blend

Lindy's Rating: 7.0
Richard's Rating: 6.5
chocolate makerSnake & Butterfly
barBenjamin's 76% Blend
region(unknown)
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size50g ~ 1.75oz
cocoa solids76%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenercane juice
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price$5.00
colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1431
Fudgesickle
texturesmooth with text and image imprints, scoring, bubbles, uneven sheen
aromaroast (smoke), fruit (red berry), sweet (molasses), wine
snapmedium hard
tasteroast (smoke), wood, tannin, fruit (berry, citrus), sweet
meltsmooth
lengthmedium
finishtannin
California chocolate maker Snake & Butterfly began making bean to bar chocolate in 2007. Although their bars are not certified, they use fair trade cacao beans and organic ingredients. Due to customer demand, they currently focus on flavored chocolate and no longer make single origin chocolate. However, they still hand craft two blend bars, one of which is Benjamin's 76% Blend.

Benjamin's 76% Blend was made from cacao beans, evaporated cane juice, and cocoa butter, with no added emulsifier or flavoring. The 1.75 ounce bar was scored into four large pieces, with alternating imprints of the company name and a stylized branch with a cacao pod.

Inside a paper sleeve, the bar came wrapped in black-sided foil. There was neither a production date nor a best before date for the chocolate we reviewed.

The chocolate had a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431) color. The surface was smooth with some bubbles, and the sheen was uneven. The bar had a medium hard snap.

The aroma included a smoky roast, a red berry fruit, and a molasses sweetness. Lindy also described one scent as that of a fruity red wine.

The taste of Benjamin's 76% Blend contained the smoky roast from the aroma. Other flavors we tasted were wood, fruit in the form of berry and a hint of citrus, and sweetness. A tannin flavor also grew from slight to strong.

This chocolate had a smooth melt. The flavor lasted 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The finish was strongly tannin.

You can purchase Benjamin's 76% Blend online for $5.00 directly from Snake & Butterfly for delivery to the continental U.S. or Canada.

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