Review: Madécasse 75%

Richard's Rating: 6.0

chocolate maker Madécasse bar 75% region Madagascar plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 75g ~ 2.6oz cocoa solids 75% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $5.99

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture smooth with stylized cacao bean imprints, scoring, bubbles aroma floral, roast (burnt, smoky), fruit, acidic, spice snap medium hard taste fruit (citrus, berry, cherry), roast (burnt), earth, sweet, tannin melt smooth length short finish slightly acidic, slightly tannin

Madécasse makes single origin Madagascar chocolate locally in Madagascar! They work closely with the nearby Ezaka Cooperative of cacao farmers from whom they purchase beans at well above fair trade prices.

As with their 70% bar, Madécasse 75% was made from cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and vanilla. The 75 gram bar was scored into 24 pieces, each with a stylized cacao imprint. It was wrapped in gold-sided foil and put inside a paper envelope. The best before date on the wrapper of the bar was December 2011, so this chocolate, too, was not at its best for the review.

The chocolate had a medium brown color close to Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431). The surface of the bar was smooth, with a few small bubbles. Signs of a flaw can be seen in the bottom right of the photo above. Some air remained in the chocolate as it cooled, and that left minor gaps in two of the pieces and some bubbles throughout. The snap was medium hard.

The aroma of 75% was similar to that of 70%. The acidity seemed a bit stronger and the spice weaker. Otherwise it smelled much the same: initial floral, a burnt and smoky roast, with fruit, acidity, and spice.

Flavors included fruits in the form of citrus, berry and cherry, a burnt roast, earth, sweetness and tannin. Compared with the 70%, the citrus was stronger and the burnt roast more in the background. It was less sweet and had tannin that I didn't notice in the 70%

75% had a smooth melt. The length was short, with flavor after the chocolate was gone lasting about 15 seconds. The finish was slightly acidic and slightly tannin.

Overall, while quite similar to the 70%, I preferred the flavor and aftertaste of 75%.

You can purchase 75% online for $5.99 directly from Madécasse. As with the 70% bar, Chocosphere is currently running a sale on 75% bars with a best before date of June 2012 for only $4.15 (30% off).