Review: Mast Brothers Dominican Republic

Lindy's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Mast Brothers bar Dominican Republic region Dominican Republic plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 71g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 74% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $7.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate texture smooth with scoring, uneven sheen aroma roast (tobacco, cocoa), fruit (cherry) snap hard taste roast (tobacco, cocoa), sweet, fruit (cherry, grapefruit), butter, hint of bitter melt smooth length medium finish slightly bitter

Mast Brothers made their Dominican Republic bar with cacao from the La Red de Guaconejo cooperative of the Dominican Republic. The chocolate was made from 74% cacao and 26% cane sugar. The 2.5 ounce bar was scored into 32 small pieces, wrapped in gold foil, and placed inside nice heavy craft paper. The production date of the bar we reviewed was 28 April 2011.

Dominican Republic had a medium brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317) color. As with other Mast Brothers bars, the surface was imperfect, with variations in sheen. The bar had a hard snap.

The aroma of the chocolate was primarily roast and fruit. We clarified the roast as both tobacco and cocoa. The fruit scent smelled like cherry.

The taste of Dominican Republic was just what you'd expect from the aroma: roast, including both tobacco and cocoa flavors, and a strong cherry fruit. However, there were also grapefruit, sweetness, and butter flavors. Finally, Lindy also detected a hint of bitterness.

The chocolate had a generally smooth melt. The flavor lasted 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone, a medium length. We were left with a slight bitterness as the final aftertaste.

Overall, we liked this chocolate best among the six Mast Brothers bars we reviewed, and both rated it ***. Thanks again to Michael for bringing them from Brooklyn.

You can purchase Mast Brothers Dominican Republic online for $8.50 in the contiguous U.S. from French Broad Chocolates or for £8.95 in the U.K. from The Chocolate Society.