Review: Fresco 224 Dominican Republic

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Fresco bar 224 region Dominican Republic plantation blend cacao trees unknown year 2013 size 45g ~ 1.6oz cocoa solids 72% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken appearance lined, scoring, smooth aroma earth, astringent, roast (smoke, toast), fruit (prune) snap medium hard taste roast (cocoa, malt), earth, fruit (plum, lime, berry) melt smooth length medium finish slightly tannin, slightly acidic

Fresco 224 is the second of Rob Anderson's 2013 formulations made from an identical harvest of Dominican Republic cacao. The recipes were nearly identical, differing primarily in their conching time. 224 was conched for a medium duration while 223 was conched only a short time.

Both chocolates were crafted in Fresco's nut-free facility from 72% cocoa solids (cacao beans plus added cocoa butter) and 28% cane sugar.

224 came wrapped in silver foil-sided wax paper inside a paper box. The bar reviewed here was number 0158 from batch 224-13-061, and was created on June 10, 2013. The best before date was July 2015.

As you can see above, the 45 gram bar was scored into 10 pieces, each of which was alternately lined either vertically or horizontally. The chocolate had a smooth appearance with minute bubbles in some of the corners that I probably wouldn't notice if I wasn't looking for them.

The color of 224 was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The snap was medium hard.

The aroma contained earth, roast with smoke and toast, and a prune fruit scent. There was also an unexpected astringency in the aroma.

This chocolate tasted initially of roast cocoa and some earthiness. Fruit flavors similar to those in 223 developed, including plum, lime, and berry. Near the end, the roast flavor transitioned from primarily cocoa to primarily malt.

224 had a smooth melt. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was slightly tannin and slightly acidic.

Overall, I slightly preferred the sharper flavors of 223, even with its strong tea and tannin, but other palates may feel 224's more refined nature results in a better chocolate.

You can purchase 224 Dominican Republic online for $8.00 directly from Fresco or for $7.00 from Chocolopolis.

Review: Fresco 223 Dominican Republic

Richard's Rating: 7.5

chocolate maker Fresco bar 223 region Dominican Republic plantation blend cacao trees unknown year 2013 size 45g ~ 1.6oz cocoa solids 72% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown appearance lined, scoring, smooth aroma earth, roast (smoke, tea, malt), sweet (caramel), fruit (raisin, berry) snap medium hard taste earth, roast (tea, cocoa), fruit (plum, lime, berry), sweet (caramel), tannin melt smooth length medium finish tannin, slightly acidic

One of the things I appreciate about chocolate from Fresco is tasting multiple formulations made not only from the same origin, but also from the same cacao beans (fermented and dried in the same harvest). Last year, Rob Anderson released two new formulations made from Dominican Republic cacao.

The recipes for 223 and 224 were nearly identical, both with 72% cocoa solids (with the same amount of added cocoa butter) and 28% cane sugar. The same Dominican Republic cacao beans for both were given a medium roast.

The process differed in conching: 223 experienced only a short, subtle conche, while 224 was conched for a medium duration. Without making chocolate, one rarely gets the opportunity to taste variations to experience the effects of different processing.

In any case, both chocolates were made in Fresco's nut-free facility. 223 came wrapped in gold foil-sided wax paper inside a paper box. This particular bar did not have a production or best before date.

The 45 gram bar was scored into 10 pieces, each of which was alternately lined either horizontally or vertically. The chocolate appeared smooth and only had a few tiny bubbles in the corners of some of the pieces.

223 had a medium brown Dark Brown (PANTONE 19-1012) color. The bar had a medium hard snap.

The chocolate gave off an aroma of earth, roast, sweetness, and fruit. The roast scent included smoke tea, and malt. The sweetness smelled of caramel. I noticed fruit scents of raisin and berry.

An initial earthy fruity taste soon revealed plum, lime, and berry flavors. Roast in the form of tea and cocoa as well as caramel sweetness joined shortly afterward. The taste was also tannin.

The melt was smooth, perhaps slightly less than average. The length lasted to the far end of medium, with the chocolate flavor dissipating only after about 35 to 40 seconds. The final aftertaste was tannin and slightly acidic.

You can purchase 223 Dominican Republic online for $8.00 directly from Fresco or for $7.00 from Chocolopolis.

International Chocolate Awards 2014 Americas Semi-Final Winners

Last night the International Chocolate Awards published the 2014 winners of the Americas semi-finals. Here are the unflavored dark chocolate bar winners. There were many winners "due to the exceptionally high number of entries and overall standard". National awards were given "where there were a significant number of entries from one country within the category".

Americas
GOLD: Pacari Tangara 70%
SILVER: Pacari Piura 70%
SILVER: Pacari Raw 70%
SILVER: SOMA Peru Nacional
SILVER: Franceschi Rio Caribe 60% 2014 crop
SILVER: Cacaosuyo Lakuna
SILVER: It's Chocolate Venezuelan Chuao 70%
SILVER: Franceschi Ocumare 70% 2014 crop
SILVER: Pacari Lacumbia 70%
SILVER: Pacari Montubia 70%
SILVER: Madre Healani Orchards, Hawi, Hawaii, Criollo
SILVER: Pacari Nube 70%
BRONZE: Franceschi Sur Del Lago 60% 2014 crop
BRONZE: Amano Chuao
BRONZE: Hummingbird Hispaniola
BRONZE: Pacari Garua 70%
BRONZE: Chocolat Madagascar Fine Dark 65%
BRONZE: Amano Montanya
BRONZE: Potomac Upala, Costa Rica 70%

High Percentage
GOLD: Marou Tan Phu Dong 85% La Grande Epicerie de Paris
SILVER: Pacari Raw 85%
SILVER: Chocolat Madagascar Fine Dark 85%
BRONZE: Pacari Raw 100%
BRONZE: Cicada 99% Madagascan

Rough Ground
GOLD: Taza Cacao Puro
SILVER: SOMA Old School

National
CANADA GOLD: SOMA Peru Nacional
UNITED STATES GOLD: It's Chocolate Venezuelan Chuao 70%
VENEZUELA GOLD: Franceschi Rio Caribe 60% 2014 crop
UNITED STATES SILVER: Madre Healani Orchards, Hawi, Hawaii, Criollo
UNITED STATES SILVER: Amano Chuao
UNITED STATES SILVER: Amano Montanya
UNITED STATES SILVER: Potomac Upala, Costa Rica 70%
UNITED STATES SILVER: Dandelion Ambanja, Madagascar 70%

National Rough Ground
UNITED STATES GOLD: Taza Cacao Puro

Sale: Free Shipping at World Wide Chocolate

UPDATE October 19, 2014: free shipping using this offer was extended through the end of the month.

World Wide Chocolate is offering free shipping through October 17th with no minimum purchase. This is a great opportunity if you only want a few chocolate bars.

Use coupon code FREESHIPPING during checkout.

World Wide Chocolate ships to U.S., APO (military), and FPO (diplomatic) addresses. Please see their shipping policies for additional information.

Northwest Chocolate Festival Awards

The awards were announced Friday night for the 2014 Northwest Chocolate Festival. There were three judged categories (Single Origin, Milk Chocolate and Inclusions) and three non-judged awards.

In the judged Single Origin category, the winners were:

• BEST OVERALL: Marou Lam Dong 74% (Vietnam)
• BEST OVERALL: Marou Treasure Island 3/4 Cacao (Vietnam)
• GOLD: French Broad Nicaragua 68%
• SILVER: Dandelion Butuo, Liberia 70%
• BRONZE: Lillie Belle Farms Perfect Illusion 65% (Peru)

In the judged Milk Chocolate category, the winner was:

• GOLD: Fruition Marañón 68%

In the judged Inclusions (flavored chocolate) category, the winners were:

• GOLD: Madre Coconut Milk and Carmelized Ginger 55%
• SILVER: Manoa Breakfast Bar 60%
• BRONZE: Chocolate Naive Tahini and Sesame

They also gave out non-judged awards:

• Lifetime Achievement: Chloe Doutre-Roussel of Chloe Chocolat
• Mott Green Sustainability: Gillian Goddard of Sun Eaters Organics
• Innovation in Flavor: Chocolate Naive for their Dark Chocolate with Forest Honey

You can still buy tickets at the door for this weekend ($30 for a day pass) at Pier 66 (the Bell Harbor Center) in Seattle.