Thursday, February 24, 2011

Review: Mast Brothers Madagascar


This photo copied from web (not ours).

Richard's Rating: 6.0+ (previously **+)

chocolate makerMast Brothers
barMadagascar
regionMadagascar
plantationunnamed farm
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size70g ~ 2.5oz
cocoa solids72%
added fat(none)
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A

colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle
texturesmooth with scoring
aromafruit (red berry), spice, earth (moss)
snaphard
tasteearth, spice, citrus (lime), berry, hint of sweet
meltless smooth
lengthshort
finishdry
MORE RECENT REVIEW: Mast Brothers Madagascar

Madagascar is another bar by Brooklyn chocolate maker Mast Brothers.

Thanks to Lauren Adler of Chocolopolis for the opportunity to taste this chocolate. As I mentioned in yesterday's posting, the Mast Brothers bars that I tasted had been exposed to high heat, and thus were not at their best.

Madagascar was made from organic cacao beans of a single unnamed farm in the Sambirano Valley. This bar had a surface bloom, but the inside color was a medium-dark brown Fudgesickle.

A hard snap revealed a fruit aroma of mixed red berries, as well as a spicy scent I couldn't identify and an earthiness that reminded me of moss.

The taste of this chocolate was complex, with an earthiness and some sort of savory spice before I noticed citrus that seemed to be lime, some berry, and occasional hints of sweetness.

Madagascar had a melt that was a little less smooth than typical artisan chocolates. The flavor lasted only a short time after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was merely dry.

Overall, I rated this bar a high **, but added a + because I suspect that it would be better fresh. I preferred Madagascar to Grand Cru. In any case, these Mast Brothers chocolates deserve another review with fresh bars.

On the Mast Brothers website, there is a list of retailers where you can purchase their chocolate. You can purchase Madagascar online for $8.50 in the contiguous United States at French Broad Chocolates and for £8.95 in the UK at The Chocolate Society.

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