Review: Coppeneur Chuao

Lindy's Rating: 8.5 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 8.5 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Coppeneur bar Chuao year (unknown) cacao trees Criollo & Trinitario region Venezuela size 50g ~ 1.8oz plantation (blend) cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $7.95

color medium brown texture smooth surface, pleasant crunch aroma fruit (plum, berry), sweet, earth snap medium hard taste plum, hint of ginger, tart melt creamy length short finish tart

Yesterday we tasted two bars with cocoa from Venezuela: the Coppeneur Chuao and the Amedei Chuao. Chuao is a village in Venezuela renown for its quality cacao plantations, including many Criollo trees.

The Coppeneur Chuao comes in a black package sealed with a bit of gray wax stamped with the Coppeneur icon. Inside the package is a small 40-page informative booklet about cacao trees, planting regions, the plantations used by Coppeneur, and their chocolates. The bar is wrapped in plastic and has a pretty design with an opened cacao pod in relief on the surface.

Lindy and I both liked this simplest of chocolate bars, made only of cocoa solids and cane sugar. The flavors within this creamy cocoa were somewhat elusive, and we had trouble finding good descriptions, even with a reference list of potential flavors. Plum seemed closest, but not quite right. The pleasant finish was not at all bitter, but was still somewhat sharp, so tart seemed the best word to describe it.

I'll post about the Amedei bar next.

UPDATE: As of 17 April 2013, Coppeneur is not selling the Chuao bar.