Review: Fresco 225 Peru

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Fresco bar 225 region Peru plantation blend cacao trees unknown year 2013 size 45g ~ 1.6oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle appearance lined, scoring, smooth, bubbles aroma earth, fruit (citrus, banana), dairy (cheese), spice snap medium hard taste earth, fruit (citrus, banana, berry, fig), wood, roast, sour, sweet (butterscotch) melt smooth length medium finish acidic, tannin

Fresco 225 is the first of two recipes from an identical harvest of cacao from Peru. The primary difference between the two recipes was that the beans were given a light roast in 225 and a heavy roast in 226.

All of Fresco's chocolate is made in their nut-free facility. Rob Anderson uses only three ingredients: cacao beans, cocoa butter, and cane sugar. 225 had 70% cocoa solids and 30% cane sugar.

The bar came wrapped in gold foil-sided wax paper inside a paper box. The bar number we reviewed was 0143 from batch 225-13-065, and was created on August 5, 2013. The best before date was September 2015.

The 45 gram bar was scored into 10 pieces, each of which was alternately lined either vertically or horizontally. The chocolate had a smooth surface, but there were bubbles in some of the corners.

225 had a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431) color and a medium-hard snap.

The chocolate gave off an aroma of earth, fruit, dairy, and spice. The fruit scent contained both citrus and banana. The dairy smell was reminiscent of an aromatic cheese.

An initial earthy flavor soon expanded into citrus and banana. The taste also included wood, roast, and sour flavors, and additional fruit flavors of berry and fig. A butterscotch sweetness was present in the background much of time.

Although the melt reached the smooth range, it leaned toward less smooth. The length was at the short end of medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was acidic and tannin.

You can purchase 225 Peru online for $8.00 directly from Fresco or for $7.00 from Chocolopolis.