Review: Fresco 216 Madagascar

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Fresco bar 216 region Madagascar plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2011 size 40g ~ 1.4oz cocoa solids 74% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture lined with scoring, bubbles aroma earth, fruit, spice, roast snap hard taste earth, roast, nut, fruit (berry, citrus, lime) melt smooth length medium finish very slightly tannin, very slightly sour

Fresco made 216 with the same batch of cacao beans from Madagascar that it used for its 214 and 215 chocolate bars. Fresco altered its recipe for each of these chocolates, but used identical ingredients. All three were made with 74% cocoa solids (including cocoa butter made from the same cacao beans) and 26% cane sugar. 216 had a medium roast and long conche.

The small 40 gram bar was scored into 10 pieces and wrapped in gold foil-sided wax paper. The outer paper package was stamped with a production date of March 18, 2011, and a best before date of April 2013.

216 had a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431) color. (It appears lighter brown in the photo because I used a flash on this overcast rainy morning in Seattle). The surface was smooth, and each piece was lined either horizontally or vertically. There were bubbles in the top corners of several pieces. The bar had a hard snap.

The chocolate revealed aromas of earth, fruit, spice, and roast. As it was in the 215, the earth scent was strongest. However, the fruit scent was stronger in this chocolate than in the 215.

The taste of 216 had early flavors of earth, roast, and nut. When the fruit emerged, I first tasted berry, then general citrus, and finally a non-acidic lime flavor for the last of the chocolate.

This chocolate melted smoothly. The length just made it to medium, with the flavor after the chocolate was gone lasting about 20 seconds. The finish was very slightly tannin and very slightly sour.

All three are good chocolates, but I prefer the lighter roast and tart flavor of 214 to that of 215 and 216.

You can purchase Fresco 216 online for $6.95 from The Meadow.