Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Review: Fresco 226 Peru

Richard's Rating: 6.5
chocolate makerFresco
bar226
regionPeru
plantationblend
cacao treesunknown
year2013
size45g ~ 1.6oz
cocoa solids70%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price$8.00
colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1317
Bitter Chocolate
appearancelined, scoring, smooth
aromaroast (coffee), fruit (blackberry), wood, sweet
snapmedium hard
tasteroast (coffee), earth, fruit (blackberry, lemon, cranberry), sweet, nut, acidic
meltsmooth
lengthmedium
finishtannin, somewhat acidic
Crafting different chocolates from the same beans using the same proportions of ingredients, Rob Anderson of Fresco demonstrates the remarkably different flavors that can be produced from even a single batch of beans.

226 was made from the same cacao from Peru as 225. The beans used in 226 were given a much heavier roast. Both were conched moderately.

Cocoa solids (cacao beans plus added cocoa butter) were 70% of the ingredients (same as in 225). The remaining 30% was cane sugar. The chocolate was produced in Fresco's nut-free facility.

Inside a paper box, the 45 gram bar came wrapped in silver foil-sided wax paper. The bar reviewed here was number 0121 from batch 226-13-060, and was created on May 29, 2013 with a best before date of June 2015.

The bar was scored into 10 pieces, each of which was alternately lined either vertically or horizontally. The chocolate had a smooth surface and no bubbles, even in the corners.

The color was a medium brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317). The snap was medium-hard.

226 had a strong roast coffee aroma. Other scents included blackberry, wood, and sweetness.

That same strong roast coffee from the aroma came forth in the taste. Fruit flavors of blackberry, lemon and cranberry were present, along with earth, nut, and sweetness. The taste was slightly acidic.

The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted 30 to 40 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a medium length. The final aftertaste was tannin and somewhat acidic.

You can purchase 226 Peru online for $8.00 directly from Fresco or for $7.00 from Chocolopolis.

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