Thursday, July 17, 2014

Review: Madre Kona, Hawai'i, Likao Kula Farm


Richard's Rating: 7.0
chocolate makerMadre
barKona
regionHawaii
plantationLikao Kula
cacao treesunknown
year2013
size43g ~ 1.5oz
cocoa solids70%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list price$11.00
colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1012
Dark Brown
appearancesmooth, raised shapes, image imprints, uneven sheen
aromafruit (berry, orange), roast (cocoa, tea, tobacco), spice (vanilla), sweet (honey)
snapmedium hard
tastefruit (mango, orange), sweet (butterscotch), earth
meltmore smooth
lengthlong
finishacidic, slightly tart
Kona is another limited edition bar from Madre. It is a plantation bar, with the cacao coming from the Likao Kula farm on the Big Island of Hawaii. The cacao trees at Likao Kula are primarily Trinitario, but there are a few Forastero and Criollo as well.

The ingredients of this chocolate were cacao beans, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, and Hawaiian whole vanilla. Cocoa solids were 70%.

The bar was formed in Madre's standard mold: an unscored 1.5 ounces of chocolate, with raised shapes and Mayan glyph imprints.

It came wrapped in silver foil inside a paper sleeve. The best before date was September 17, 2014.

The color of Kona was medium-dark Dark Brown (PANTONE 19-1012). The surface of the bar had an uneven sheen, but the appearance was much better than the photo suggests. The snap was medium hard.

The chocolate had an aroma containing fruit, roast, a vanilla spice, and sweetness. The fruit scents included both berry and orange. The roast seemed to be a mix of cocoa, tea, and tobacco. The sweetness smelled of honey.

A brief initial taste of earth quickly transitioned into mixed fruit flavors and a butterscotch sweetness. Mango and orange were the strongest of the fruit flavors I noticed.

Kona had a more smooth melt. The chocolate flavor lasted 60 to 70 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a long length. The final aftertaste was acidic and slightly tart.

Limited edition Kona, Hawai'i, Likao Kula Farm was another great chocolate from Madre. You can purchase it online for $11.00 directly from Madre's Square shopping site.

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