Review: Mast Brothers Madagascar

This photo copied from web (not ours).

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

chocolate maker Mast Brothers bar Madagascar region Madagascar plantation unnamed farm cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 72% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture smooth with scoring aroma fruit (red berry), spice, earth (moss) snap hard taste earth, spice, citrus (lime), berry, hint of sweet melt less smooth length short finish dry

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.