Review: Fresco 212 Dominican Republic

Richard's Rating: 8.0

chocolate maker Fresco bar 212 region Dominican Republic plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 40g ~ 1.4oz cocoa solids 72% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium-light brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture lined, scoring, bubbles aroma earth, fruit (plum, raisin), roast (smoke, malt), sour, nut, wood snap medium hard taste roast (tea), sweet, fruit (berry, plum), earth, sour, tangy melt smooth length medium finish somewhat tannin, slightly sour

212 is one of two single origin prototype chocolate recipes still being made by Fresco with cacao from the Dominican Republic. Chocolate maker Rob Anderson used a light roast and subtle conche in making 212 (you can read more about his process on their website). In contrast, he used a dark roast and no conche to make 213 (here's our review from January).

His formulation for 212 contained 72% cocoa solids from cacao beans and added cocoa butter and 28% cane sugar. The chocolate was made in a nut-free facility.

The small 40 gram bar was scored into 10 pieces, each lined either vertically or horizontally. It came wrapped gold foil-sided wax paper inside a paper box. The bar reviewed here was created on November 22, 2011 (one of 437 bars in batch #11-024). The best before date was December 2013.

212 had a medium-light brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431) color. The bar had small bubbles in the corners of about half the pieces, but otherwise looked great. It had a medium-hard snap.

The chocolate had an aroma containing earth, fruit, roast, nut, and wood. The fruit included plum and raisin scents. The roast had scents of smoke and malt. 212 also smelled somewhat sour.

The taste began with a tea roast and then sweetness and fruit flavors were revealed in the form of berry and plum. An underlying earthiness was present. I experienced the taste as sour and interestingly tangy as well.

The melt was smooth. The length made it into medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was somewhat tannin and slightly sour.

In comparing the result of this recipe to that of 213 that we liked so much, I found I slightly preferred the brighter and more tangy flavors of 212 to the heavier roast of 213. 212 won a silver in the Americas semi-finals of the 2012 International Chocolate Awards.

You can purchase Fresco 212 online for $7.00 in the U.S. from Chocolopolis or Cocova.