Review: Madre Hamakua pod-to-bar

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Madre bar Hamakua pod-to-bar region Hawaii plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year 2013 size 43g ~ 1.5oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $10.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1314 Seal Brown appearance smooth, raised shapes, image imprints, bubbles aroma sweet (marshmallow), roast (cocoa), vanilla, fruit (coconut, apricot) snap hard taste sweet (marshmallow), roast (cocoa), tropical fruit (pineapple), floral, nut, wood, mint melt more smooth length medium finish tannin, somewhat acidic

U.S. chocolate maker Madre crafts bean to bar chocolate from the island of Oahu in Hawaii. They make both unflavored and flavored chocolate bars and some other chocolate products with cacao from Hawaii and from the Dominican Republic.

Most chocolate makers begin with cacao beans shipped to them from far away, often several months after the cacao has been fermented and dried near where it was grown. Madre is actively involved in the fermentation of the cacao they purchase from local Hawaiian farmers.

The cacao for Hamakua pod-to-bar chocolate was grown on the northeast side of the Big Island. The other ingredients were organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, and Hawaiian whole vanilla.

The unscored bar weighed 1.5 ounces. I tasted this chocolate in early January. The best before date on the bar was August 19, 2014.

Hamakua had a medium brown Seal Brown (PANTONE 19-1314) color. The bar was smooth with raised shapes and image imprints. Some fine bubbles were present. The bar had a hard snap.

The aroma was a sweet marshmallow and cocoa roast. I smelled vanilla, coconut, and apricot scents.

The chocolate tasted sweet, fruity, and roasted. The fruit flavors were tropical, with a non-citrus pineapple being the strongest one. The sweetness seemed to be marshmallow, and the roast was primarily cocoa. More subtle flavors included floral, nut, wood, and a surprising hint of mint.

The melt of Hamakua was more smooth, almost creamy. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 30 to 35 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was tannin and somewhat acidic.

Unfortunately, this limited edition chocolate is not currently available for purchase.