Review: Fresco 211 Ghana

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker Fresco bar 211 region Ghana plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 40g ~ 1.4oz cocoa solids 73% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate texture lined, scoring, bubbles aroma roast (tobacco), earth, fruit (prune), sweet (molasses), spice snap medium hard taste earth, roast (cocoa), wood, fruit, sweet, hint of sour, hint of nut melt smooth length medium finish somewhat bitter, slightly sour

United States chocolate maker Fresco numbers each of their chocolate bar formulations sequentially, and are presently making 209 through 218. The packaging for each of these single origin bars reveals not only ingredients and cocoa solids percentage, but also the general roasting and conching strategy that was used. All chocolate is made in a nut-free facility.

Recipe 211 contained 73% cocoa solids (cacao beans from Ghana and added cocoa butter) plus 27% cane sugar. The chocolate was made using a medium roast and a medium conche.

Fresco's bar are small, only 40 grams. They are scored into 10 pieces, with each alternating piece lined either horizontally or vertically. 211 came wrapped in silver foil-sided wax paper inside a paper box. The production date was December 19, 2011 (one of the 570 bars of batch #11-028). The best before date was January 2014.

The color of 211 was a medium-dark brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317). The bar had small bubbles in one or two corners of most pieces, but otherwise looked great. It had a medium-hard snap.

211's aroma contained roast, earth, fruit, sweetness, and some spice. The roast was that of tobacco. The fruit scent seemed to be mostly prune. The sweetness smelled of molasses.

The chocolate initially tasted earthy, with a cocoa roast. As it melted, I experienced wood, fruit, and a hint of nut. Sweetness and a hint of sour were also present.

The melt was smooth. The length made it just into medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was somewhat bitter, with a slight sourness.

You can purchase Fresco 211 online for $7.00 in the U.S. from Chocolopolis or Cocova.