Thursday, March 15, 2012

Review: E. Guittard Sur del Lago

Richard's Rating: 6.0
chocolate makerGuittard
barSur del Lago
regionVenezuela
plantation(blend)
cacao treesCriollo,
Trinitario
year(unknown)
size57g ~ 2.0oz
cocoa solids65%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifierlecithin
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list price$3.89
colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1015
Bracken
texturesmooth, signature imprints, scoring, scuffing, bubbles
aromaroast (cocoa, coffee), sweet, vanilla, floral
snaphard
tasteroast, sweet, dairy, spice, fruit (red berry)
meltsmooth to more smooth
lengthshort
finishslightly sour
Guittard made Sur del Lago with Criollo and Trinitario cacao beans from the Sur del Lago (literally south of the lake) region of Venezuela. The lake to which they refer is Maracaibo.

This bean to bar chocolate was made with 65% cocoa solids (including added cocoa butter) and had other ingredients of cane sugar, soy lecithin, and vanilla beans. The two ounce bar was scored into 12 pieces, each with an E. Guittard signature imprint. It came enclosed in brass-sided foil inside a paper wrapper. The best before date on the bar I reviewed was August 2012.

Sur del Lago had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The surface was smooth, but had substantial scuffing and several tiny bubbles. The snap was closer to hard than medium hard.

The aroma of this chocolate consisted of roast, sweet, vanilla, and floral scents. The roast was a mix of mostly cocoa with a little coffee.

I tasted roast and sweet flavors, with some dairy, occasional spice, and fruit. The fruit flavor, which included red berry, was relatively subdued behind the strong sweet roast.

The melt of Sur del Lago was right on the cusp between smooth and more smooth. The flavor lasted 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a short length. The finish was slightly sour.

You can purchase Sur del Lago for $3.89 online directly from Guittard, or for $3.25 from Chocosphere.

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