Review: Fresco 220 Papua New Guinea

Richard's Rating: 7.5

chocolate maker Fresco bar 220 region Papua New Guinea plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2012 size 45g ~ 1.6oz cocoa solids 69% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture lined, scoring, bubbles aroma fruit, wood, dairy, earth, roast, hint of vinegar snap medium hard taste earth, fruit (blackberry, lime), nut, roast, sweet, acidic melt smooth length medium finish acidic, slightly sour

This year Rob Anderson experimented with dozens of variations and settled on four recipes for crafting his newest chocolate from Papua New Guinea cacao. Each of them (219, 220, 221, and 222) varies based on roast and conche. Fresco makes their chocolate in a nut-free environment.

All four recipes used 69% cacao beans and 31% cane sugar, with no other ingredients. 219 and 222 were made with a light roast, 220 with a medium roast, and 221 with a heavy roast. The first three went through a medium conche; 222 was made with no conching.

The 220 bar came in Fresco's new 45 gram size, wrapped in silver foil-sided wax paper inside a paper box. It was scored into 10 pieces, each lined either horizontally or vertically. The production date was September 10, 2012 (bar 192 in batch #220-12-038). The best before date was October 2014.

220 had a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431) color nearly identical to 219. The bar had small bubbles in the corners of some pieces, but otherwise looked great. The snap was medium-hard.

The aroma contained scents similar to 219, with fruit, wood, dairy, earth, and vinegar. However, not only was a roast scent clearly present, but the overall aroma smelled more strongly woody and the vinegar was merely a hint.

After an initial earthiness, the chocolate tasted of blackberry, strong lime, nut, and roast. 220 tasted substantially sweeter than 219 even though the sugar content was identical. I also experienced acidity.

The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor didn't last quite as long after the chocolate was gone, roughly 20 to 25 seconds, though it remained in the medium range. The final aftertaste was acidic and again slightly sour.

Although I prefer the lighter roast of 219 to 220, this bar was yet another great chocolate from Fresco. You cannot yet purchase Fresco 220 online, but look for it soon at Chocolopolis.