Friday, June 21, 2013

Review: Lillie Belle Farms Purple Haze 75%

Richard's Rating: 6.0
chocolate makerLillie Belle Farms
barPurple Haze 75%
regionDominican Republic, Venezuela
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year2012
size77g ~ 2.7oz
cocoa solids75%
added fat(none)
sweetenersugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price$8.00
colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1015
Bracken
texturesmooth, relief, bubbles
aromaroast (smoke), wood, earth (yeast), dairy, spice
snaphard
tasteearth, sour, roast (cocoa, malt), sweet, fruit (apple, cantaloupe), spice, astringent, tannin
meltsmooth
lengthmedium
finishacidic, somewhat sour, somewhat tannin
Purple Haze 75%, named for the Jimi Hendrix song, is another unflavored bean to bar chocolate made by Jeff Shephard of Lillie Belle Farms. You can also read our reviews of other bars: Perfect Illusion 65% and Dark Star 80%.

This chocolate was crafted with a blend of cacao from different origins, in this case the Dominican Republic and the Sur del Lago region of Venezuela. It was made from only two ingredients: cacao beans and sugar.

The 2.7 ounce bar came wrapped in gold-sided foil inside a paper wrapper. As with the Dark Star bar, I purchased this Purple Haze bar at the Northwest Chocolate Festival. There was no production or best before date on the wrapper.

The color of Purple Haze was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The top surface had a relief of "Lillie Belle Farms" and two flowers on a matte finish; the bottom was generally smooth. The relief had several small bubbles, particularly in the "FARMS" text. The bar had a hard snap.

The chocolate gave off a roast, woody and earthy aroma. The roast was smoky and the earth was yeasty. I also smelled scents of dairy and spice, but was unable to further clarify them.

Purple Haze started off tasting of earth and roast as well: a sour earthiness along with cocoa and malt roast flavors. Along with a building sweetness, I tasted a subtle fruit flavor that seemed to be mostly apple with a touch of cantaloupe. A spice flavor was also present, along with some astringency and tannin.

The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted about 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a medium length. The finish was acidic, somewhat sour, and somewhat tannin.

You can purchase Purple Haze 75% online directly from Lillie Belle Farms for $8.00.

1 comment:

  1. richard,

    the batch of the purple haze you got the nw chocolate festival was, indeed, a blend. As of january this year the label and formula were changed to a 100% Venezuelan. Its a whole 'nuther ball game now.

    ReplyDelete