Review: Taza Cacao Puro 70% Chocolate Mexicano

Lindy's Rating: 6.0

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker Taza bar Cacao Puro 70% region Dominican Republic plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 77g ~ 2.7oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $4.50

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring and letter imprints aroma earth, fruit (berry, citrus, lime), wine, spice, roast snap hard taste sweet, fruit (berry), earth melt grainy length medium finish slightly sweet

Taza crafted its Chocolate Mexicano line with cacao beans and cane sugar. Cacao Puro had no other ingredients. (The other nine chocolates in this line were flavored, mostly with spices). Cacao Puro was a single origin chocolate from the Dominican Republic.

The chocolate was made with 70% cocoa beans and 30% cane sugar. Cacao Puro was USDA certified organic. Taza had a direct trade arrangement with La Red in the Dominican Republic where they sourced the beans. The cacao beans were stone ground once by themselves and then a second time with the sugar.

The bars of Taza's Chocolate Mexicano line were formed into round discs (as pictured above), and two were included in the package. Each disc was scored into 8 pieces and each piece had an imprint of one letter of the Taza name. The bar came wrapped only in wax paper that was held closed with an informational sticker (ingredients, bar code, etc.). In addition to being an eating chocolate, Chocolate Mexicano can also be made into drinking chocolate by whisking it into hot liquid. There was neither a production date nor a best before date on the wrapper or sticker.

Cacao Puro had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. Its surface was smooth (and had no bubbles, unlike the Stone Ground line). The disc had a hard snap.

The chocolate had aromas of earth, fruit, and spice. We experienced the fruit as berry and citrus, and Lindy was able to clarify the citrus scent as lime. She also smelled some wine. A roast aroma was also present for me.

The taste of Cacao Puro was relatively simple: sweet and berry fruit. I also tasted some earth, but it was secondary to the pleasant sweet berry flavor.

The melt was grainy, as expected from a stone grind. The chocolate had a medium length, with the flavor lasting between 20 and 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was slightly sweet.

You can purchase Taza Cacao Puro 70% online for $4.50 directly from Taza.