Review: Dandelion Patanemo, Venezuela

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Dandelion bar Patanemo region Venezuela plantation blend cacao trees unknown year 2013 size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken appearance smooth, scoring, imprints aroma roast (malt), earth, spice (nutmeg), dairy snap medium hard taste roast (malt), spice (cinnamon), fruit (cherry), nut, earth, sweet melt smooth length short finish tannin, slightly tart

Patanemo is a less well-known cacao growing region of Venezuela. This bar came from the fourth batch of chocolate made by Dandelion from cacao beans of the 2012 harvest.

As with all of their chocolate, Dandelion crafted Patanemo in their nut-free facility with only two ingredients: 70% cacao beans and 30% cane sugar.

The bar was scored into 18 pieces, each with an imprint of five parallel squiggles. Inside thick cream-colored craft paper, the two ounce bar came wrapped in heavy gold foil. The best before date was August 2014.

Patanemo had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and a great overall appearance. The snap on the scoring was medium hard, but nicely hard in breaking an individual piece.

The aroma contained scents of malt roast, earth, and nutmeg spice. I also noticed a hint of dairy.

The taste began with malt roast and some underlying earthiness. A cinnamon spice quickly developed, along with flavors of cherry, nuttiness, and sweetness.

Dandelion described the taste on the wrapper: "This rich chocolate bar has a roasty flavor reminiscent of peanuts."

The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted about 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a short length. The final aftertaste was tannin and slightly tart.

I've only reviewed one other chocolate made from Patanemo cacao, Mast Brothers Grand Cru. I'd like to compare the two, but unfortunately, that review was biased as the chocolate had partially bloomed.

Dandelion Patanemo, Venezuela, is not currently available for purchase online directly from Dandelion or from The Meadow.