Review: Åkesson's Madagascar Ambolikapiky 75%

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker (unknown) bar Madagascar region Madagascar plantation Ambolikapiky cacao trees Criollo year 2011 size 60g ~ 2.1oz cocoa solids 75% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1012 Dark Brown texture smooth, relief, scoring, uneven sheen aroma earth (grass, hay), roast (cocoa, smoke), fruit snap hard taste roast (smoke, cocoa), fruit (berry, citrus, raisin), sweet melt smooth length medium finish somewhat acidic, slightly sour

The Åkesson family has been growing cacao and spices since the 1970s. For decades, they have been supplying fine cacao beans to chocolate makers. Recently Bertil Åkesson launched the Åkesson's line of chocolate and other exotic foods. The first bars were produced in 2009 and Åkesson's currently makes three unflavored plantation chocolate bars: Bali, Brazil, and Madagascar.

One of their plantations is Ambolikapiky in the Sambirano Valley of Madagascar. It currently produces about 300 tons per year of Trinitario cacao beans and 2 tons per year of separately harvested Criollo cacao beans. The beans used in making Åkesson's Madagascar bar come from the Criollo cacao of that plantation.

The ingredients of this chocolate were organic cacao, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, and soy lecithin. Cocoa solids made up 75% of the chocolate. It was certified organic by bio.inspecta. Åkesson's chocolate is made by a company in France, but I have not confirmed who they are.

Inside a black paper box, the bar came sealed in a clear cellophane wrapper. The 60 gram bar had the relief of a large "Å" in the center and was scored into 9 pieces of three difference sizes. The best before date was June 6, 2013. Based on its appearance and two years since production, it's likely that this chocolate experienced a period outside of ideal storage conditions.

Madagascar Ambolikapiky had a medium brown Dark Brown (PANTONE 19-1012) color. The surface was smooth, with an uneven grayish sheen. The bar had a hard (almost very hard) snap.

The aroma had a strong earthy scent of mostly grass with a touch of hay. Roast and fruit were also present. The roast contained cocoa and smoke scents. During one review pass, I thought the fruit included peach.

The chocolate tasted of roast and fruit. The roast was smoke and cocoa, like the aroma, but with the smoke stronger than the cocoa. The fruit flavors I tasted were berry, citrus, and raisin. It was also sweet.

The melt was smooth. The flavor lasted 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a medium length. The finish was somewhat acidic and slightly sour.

This chocolate won a silver in the category of "involved in the bean to bar process yet don’t own their own factory" at the Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards.

You can purchase Åkesson's Madagascar Ambolikapiky 75% online for $7.95 from The Meadow.