Richard's Rating: 7.0
|
|
Best Prices Online
$12.00 directly from Bar au Chocolat
Showing posts with label Criollo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Criollo. Show all posts
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Review: Bar au Chocolat Chiapas Mexico
Best Prices Online
$12.00 directly from Bar au Chocolat
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Review: Domori Il 100% Criollo
Richard's Rating: 8.0
|
|
Prior Reviews
2013 Review
Best Prices Online
€4,00 directly from Domori
£4.10 at Chocolate Trading Co
$6.79 at Chocosphere
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Review: Rogue Porcelana
Richard's Rating: 7.5
|
|
Best Prices Online
$18.00 directly from Rogue (sold out)
$20.00 at The Meadow
$20.00 at Cocova
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Review: Domori Porcelana
Richard's Rating: 8.5
|
|
Prior Reviews
2010 Review
Best Prices Online
€4,00 directly from Domori
$5.45 at Chocosphere
$5.50 at Caputo's
£3.95 at Chocolate Trading Co
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Review: Amedei Porcelana
Richard's Rating: 9.0
|
|
Prior Reviews
2011 Review
2010 Review
Best Prices Online
$16.50 at World Wide Chocolate
$18.50 at Amedei Store (NYC)
$18.50 at Caputo's
$18.50 at Chocosphere
£8.00 at Chocolate Ocean
€11,25 to €11,99 on Amazon.de
€14,70 at Amedei
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Review: Valrhona El Pedregal
Richard's Rating: 8.0
|
|
Cocoa solids made up 64% of El Pedregal, including added cocoa butter. The sweetener for this chocolate was a surprising brown sugar. Soy lecithin was added as an emulsifier. There was also a small amount of vanilla.
The 70 gram bar reviewed here was produced on July 9, 2013, with a best before date of December 2014.
Valrhona scored the bar into 20 uneven pieces. The bar had imprints of the Valrhona logo and name. The surface of the chocolate was impressive, with only minuscule bubbles in some corners.
The chocolate had a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431) color. The bar had a medium hard snap.
El Pedregal gave off a spicy roast aroma. Scents included pepper, nut, coffee, cocoa, raisin, and vanilla.
Beginning with a cocoa roast, the taste revealed that peppery spice and some clove. Other flavors included a berry fruit, almond nuttiness, and a molasses sweetness. I also tasted vanilla and a little acidity.
The melt was smooth. The length was long, with the chocolate flavor lasting 40 to 45 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was tannin and somewhat acidic.
Overall, while not as marvelous as some other Porcelana chocolates and sweeter than I'd prefer, I found El Pedregal to be excellent, certainly among the best chocolates with this much sugar.
You can purchase El Pedregal online for $9.99 directly from Valrhona, for $8.95 from World Wide Chocolate, and for $8.99 from Caputo's.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Review: Madre Hawi, Hawai'i criollo
Richard's Rating: 8.0
|
|
Hawi contained 70% cocoa solids (organic cacao beans and added organic cocoa butter). The other ingredients were organic sugar and Mexican whole vanilla.
The 1.5 ounce bar was unscored, with raised shapes and imprints of Mayan glyphs interpreted as "ka-ka-u-wa" for cacao. You can read more about these glyphs in The History of Chocolate in Our Logo section of Madre's About Us page.
The bar came wrapped in foil inside a paper sleeve. The best before date on the bar was September 14, 2014.
This chocolate had a remarkably light brown Tortoise Shell (PANTONE 19-1241) color. This is the first time I've seen this particular color of chocolate. The snap was slightly less crisp than most other bars, just into the medium hard range.
Hawi's aroma had both familiar scents of marshmallow sweetness and cocoa roast and uncommon ones of tropical fruit and dates. I also smelled nut and some spice that included clove.
The taste was much sweeter than I expected from 70% cocoa solids. The flavor categories I noticed were roast, fruit, and spice. The roast tasted primarily of cocoa. The fruit was a mix of dried fruits: mostly fig, with some raisin and date. The spices included mint, vanilla, and anise.
The melt was on the boundary between more smooth and creamy. The chocolate had incredible length, with the chocolate flavor consistently lasting more than 60 seconds after the chocolate was gone. Only five of the chocolates in my chocolate review database (of nearly 300 bars) have a length of 60 seconds or longer. The finish was somewhat acidic and slightly tannin.
Overall, this was a great chocolate, with interesting secondary flavors, excellent mouthfeel, and superb length, earning a place on our Best Chocolates Overall. UPDATE: You can again purchase Hawi online for $11.00 directly from Madre's Square shopping site.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Review: Rogue Sambirano
Richard's Rating: 9.0
|
|
The cacao beans for this chocolate came from Bertil Åkesson's plantation in the Sambirano Valley of Madagascar. The bar was hand-crafted in the United States at Rogue's nut-free facility in Three Rivers, Massachusetts.
The 60 gram bar came sealed in cellophane inside a paper envelope. The best before date was October 2013.
Rogue created an incredible surface sheen (apologies for not having a photo, but that top surface was simply too reflective :). The bar was unscored and without any imprints or bubbles. Except for an oval from the pour where the sheen was uneven and some tiny adhered bits of chocolate, the bar appeared nearly perfect.
The chocolate was a medium brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317) color. The bar had a hard snap.
The aroma contained fruit, roast, earth and wood scents. The fruit was mostly prune. The roast contained a hint of coffee. The wood seemed to be cedar.
Sambirano tasted fruity, with citrus flavors of orange and lime. Raisin and cherry came forth shortly thereafter. Roast was also present. The wrapper described the flavor profile as "citrus, rum raisin, toast".
The melt was creamy, with just a suggestion of fudge in the mouthfeel. The length was remarkably long, with the chocolate flavor lasting 50 to 60 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was acidic.
Overall, this was a superb chocolate, and is now among my favorites.
You can purchase Sambirano online for $7.99 directly from Rogue or for $8.00 from Chocolopolis.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Review: Domori Il 100% Criollo
Richard's Rating: 8.5
|
|
Italian bean to bar chocolate maker Domori makes two 100% chocolate bars, Il 100% and Il 100% Criollo. This is a review of the latter.
Il 100% Criollo was made from 100% cocoa mass and nothing else. The tiny 25 gram bar came enclosed in a sealed plastic wrapper inside a paper box. It was scored into four pieces, each with an imprint of the Domori name and symbol. The best before date was August 31, 2015.
This chocolate had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The bar looked good, with a smooth surface, sharp imprints, and no sign of bubbles. There was some scuffing, an uneven sheen, and just a few adhered bits.
The bar had a hard snap. The aroma contained scents of a cocoa roast, sweetness, a dried fruit that seemed best described as raisin, and spice.
Il 100% Criollo initially tasted of roast, with both tobacco and coffee flavors. Sweetness and then a nutty flavor came forth, following by a strong taste of peanut.
The melt was remarkably creamy, one of the best I've experienced. The chocolate flavor lasted over 40 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a long length. The finish was nutty and tannin.
Even though I didn't personally love the flavor, this was an excellent 100% bar, succeeding in nearly every dimension. I place it at the top of our current ranking of 100% chocolates. Too bad it's so expensive.
You can purchase Domori Il 100% Criollo online for $6.25 from Chocosphere.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Review: Francois Pralus Le 100%
Richard's Rating: 6.5
|
|
In addition to added cocoa butter, this chocolate included soy lecithin (unlike the previous formulation of Le 100% that we reviewed in 2010). The best before date for this bar was May 11, 2015.
Pralus still sells their chocolate in large 100 gram bars from the same nice molds they have used for many years. Wrapped in gold-sided foil, Le 100% came enclosed inside a paper wrapper. The bar was scored into 24 small pieces and one large piece containing the Pralus imprint.
The color was a little different than earlier version of this chocolate, a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015. The bar had an overall good appearance and a smooth surface, but the sheen was uneven and there were a few bits of adhered chocolate.
Le 100% had a roast aroma of coffee and cocoa. There were additional scents of a berry fruit, earthiness, and spices. The bar had a somewhat softer than typical medium-hard snap
The taste was a heavy roast, with flavors of coffee, burnt, and malt. Other flavors included wood and fruit, the latter of which contained some citrus.
The melt was almost creamy, but still in the more smooth category. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting 35 to 40 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was somewhat tannin and slightly sour.
Until recently, Le 100% had been my favorite 100% bar. Unfortunately, Pralus changed the recipe and used a roast that tastes excessive to me. It is still a good chocolate, but no longer near the top of our ranking of 100% chocolate bars (which you can see in the second list from the bottom on the Chocolate Rankings page).
Pralus Le 100% is available for purchase online for $8.35 from Chocosphere or for $8.50 from Chocolopolis. You can also purchase it for £4.85 from Chocolate Trading Co.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Review: Åkesson's Madagascar Ambolikapiky 75%
Richard's Rating: 6.5
|
|
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.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Review: Cacao Sampaka La Joya
Richard's Rating: 8.0
|
|
The cacao beans for La Joya are not merely single origin, but also come from a single plantation, La Joya, in Tabasco Mexico. The beans are labelled Criollo Blanco, suggestive of a porcelana variety with white cacao beans.
Made with 70% cocoa solids (cocoa mass and added cocoa butter), the chocolate also contained sugar and soy lecithin. The paper box included two unscored 50 gram bars sealed in plastic and had an opening through which you could see the chocolate inside. The bars were separated with a thin sheet. The batch number was 110506 and the best before date was October 2013.
The color of La Joya was a medium light brown Madder Brown (PANTONE 19-1331). The top surface of each bar was smooth and semi-glossy, with a text imprint of "CACAO SAMPAKA". The sheen was uneven, with just a few tiny bits of adhered chocolate. The snap was hard.
The chocolate gave off an aroma of spice, fruit, and some roast. The spice included a scent of cinnamon. The fruit was a combination of a raisin, prune and berry.
La Joya's taste began with some spice and sweetness. The spice flavor included chili pepper. Fruit then came forth, with flavors of citrus, raspberry, and lime. I also tasted a tobacco roast and some sourness.
The melt was smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted about 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone, reaching a medium length. The final aftertaste was somewhat sour and slightly acidic.
You can purchase La Joya online directly from Cacao Sampaka for €9.30 in Spain, or from Caputo's for $13.99 in the United States.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Review: Cacao Sampaka Xoconusco
Richard's Rating: 7.5
|
|
This chocolate contained 70% cocoa solids. Added ingredients were sugar, cocoa butter, and soy lecithin. Two unscored 50 gram bars were sealed in plastic inside a paper box (with an opening through which you could see the contents). The bars were separated with a thin sheet. The batch number was 110390 and the best before date was September 2013.
Xoconusco had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The top surface of each bar was smooth and semi-glossy, with a text imprint of "CACAO SAMPAKA". The sheen was uneven, and there were a few adhered bits of chocolate and a tiny bit of scuffing. The snap was hard.
Opening the sealed plastic unleashed a rich aroma of roast in the form of cocoa, along with spice, fruit, nut and sweetness. The fruit scent contained date and berry.
The taste began with a blackberry fruit flavor that soon dissipated behind a cocoa roast. A nutty flavor, with hazelnut in particular, developed, along with a marshmallow sweetness.
The melt was more smooth. The length was medium, with chocolate flavor lasting about 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was somewhat tannin, somewhat acidic, and slightly sour.
You can purchase Xoconusco online directly from Cacao Sampaka for €6.75 in Spain, or from Caputo's for $11.99 in the United States.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Review: Amedei Toscano Black 66
Richard's Rating: 6.5
|
|
This is another bar in Amedei's Toscano Black line, made using blends of Criollo and Trinitario cacao beans from plantations with which Amedei has exclusive relationships. Others in the line include Toscano Black 63 and Toscano Black 70.
Toscano Black 66 was made from cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla, with a total of 66% cocoa solids. The 50 gram bar came scored into 10 pieces, each with a text imprint and some parallel lines. It came sealed in yellow-sided silver foil inside a textured green paper envelope. The best before date was 30 December 2012.
The chocolate had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The surface was smooth, but had an uneven sheen and some tiny bubbles. The bar had a medium hard snap.
The aroma contained an interesting roast, a blend of cocoa, tobacco, and malt. Earth, wood, and sweet scents were also present.
The roast in the aroma transformed in the taste to that of burnt and coffee flavors. 66 was sweet, with both honey and molasses. There was a berry fruit I didn't identify more specifically, along with woodiness, and a dairy flavor that tasted like butter to me.
This chocolate had a melt that was more smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted about 25 to 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving 66 a medium length. The finish was tannin and sour, with slight bitterness and acidity.
Overall, Toscano Black 66 had the potential to be a very good chocolate, but with its unpleasant aftertaste, I rated this release to be a 6.5, closer to 70 than the marvelous 63 we reviewed last year.
You can purchase Amedei Toscano Black 66 online for $6.99 in the U.S. from Chocolopolis, or for £3.95 in the U.K. from Chocolate Trading Co.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Review: Valrhona Le Noir Amer 71%
Richard's Rating: 5.5
|
|
According to the wrapper, Le Noir Amer was made from a blend of Trinitario and Criollo cacao beans. The ingredients were cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and vanilla extract. The chocolate contained 71% cocoa solids (the beans plus added cocoa butter).
The large 100 gram bar was scored into eight big pieces, each imprinted with diagonal parallel lines. There was also a Valrhona imprint shared among four of the pieces. The bar came wrapped in brass-colored foil inside a paper wrapper. The lot number of the chocolate reviewed here was 11073 and the best before date was August 2012.
The chocolate had a color slightly redder than a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface was smooth, with just a little scuffing. The bar had a hard snap.
Le Noir Amer gave off a roast and earthy aroma, with scents of coffee, cocoa, vanilla, fruit, and a hint of nut.
The taste was similarly full of roast and earthy, and the roast had cocoa and coffee flavors. It tasted sweet, with a fruit flavor that I struggled to identify. The fruit seemed to include a non-citrus orange.
The chocolate had a smooth melt. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was tannin.
Although there isn't a list price for this chocolate, I purchased Valrhona Le Noir Amer at Trader Joe's for $2.99. As you can see on our Best Chocolate Values page, it's one of the better bars for under $1.25 per ounce.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Review: Stirs the Soul Origins Ecuador
Richard's Rating: 6.0
|
|
Daren uses only organic or wild ingredients in his chocolate, and buys his cacao beans at fair trade or higher prices from those using sustainable practices. He avoids cane sugar, uses alternative low glycemic sweeteners (agave, date, honey, and coconut palm), and produces his chocolate in a nut, gluten, soy, and dairy free environment, which he finds helpful for those with food sensitivities. Stirs the Soul makes two single origin chocolates, three unflavored chocolates, many flavored chocolates, as well as chocolate confections and other cacao products. Origins Ecuador is one of the two single origin bars.
Origins Ecuador contained 88% cocoa solids and was made from Criollo cacao beans, cocoa butter, agave, and salt. The cacao beans were purchased from an individual farmer in Ecuador and the cocoa butter was made from those same beans. All of the ingredients were raw other than the salt. Although the bar was not certified, the ingredients were all organic. The 1.65 ounce bar was unscored, had raised areas, and was imprinted with a design of cacao pods. It came wrapped in two layers, wax paper under purple foil, inside a paper sleeve. The bar we reviewed was made on 20 October 2011, and had a best before date of 20 April 2012.
The chocolate had color similar to that of the other raw Ecuador chocolate we've reviewed: a medium-dark brown close to Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015), but with some added red. The surface of the bar was smooth, but had several bubbles. The snap was medium hard.
Origins Ecuador smelled of the familiar floral, musty earth, spice, and cocoa scents, but I also noticed a berry fruit in the aroma.
The taste, though, was somewhat different. The same earth and floral flavors were present, but I also tasted citrus and coffee. It was acidic, but had only a hint of sourness (much less than in Pacari's raw chocolates).
The chocolate had a smooth melt. The chocolate flavor lasted about 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a short length. The sourness grew a little in the aftertaste, giving a finish that was somewhat sour and slightly acidic.
This was another raw chocolate that breaks the stereotype of raw chocolate having poor taste. Origins Ecuador was as good as many roasted chocolates. Even compared against other single origin Ecuador chocolate we've reviewed, it ranked only a little below the median.
You can purchase Origins Ecuador bars in packs of two for $12.50 in the U.S. directly from Stirs the Soul, or internationally if you phone them at 503-774-4903.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Review: E. Guittard Sur del Lago
Richard's Rating: 6.0
|
|
This bean to bar chocolate was made with 65% cocoa solids (including added cocoa butter) and had other ingredients of cane sugar, soy lecithin, and vanilla beans. The two ounce bar was scored into 12 pieces, each with an E. Guittard signature imprint. It came enclosed in brass-sided foil inside a paper wrapper. The best before date on the bar I reviewed was August 2012.
Sur del Lago had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The surface was smooth, but had substantial scuffing and several tiny bubbles. The snap was closer to hard than medium hard.
The aroma of this chocolate consisted of roast, sweet, vanilla, and floral scents. The roast was a mix of mostly cocoa with a little coffee.
I tasted roast and sweet flavors, with some dairy, occasional spice, and fruit. The fruit flavor, which included red berry, was relatively subdued behind the strong sweet roast.
The melt of Sur del Lago was right on the cusp between smooth and more smooth. The flavor lasted 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a short length. The finish was slightly sour.
You can purchase Sur del Lago for $3.89 online directly from Guittard, or for $3.25 from Chocosphere.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Review: Taza Stone Ground 60%
Lindy's Rating: 6.5
Richard's Rating: 6.5
|
|
The chocolate was made with 60% cocoa solids (cacao beans plus some cocoa butter made from the same beans), Wholesome Sweeteners cane sugar from Sertãozinho, Brazil, and Villa Vanilla Spice Plantation vanilla beans from Villanueva, Costa Rica. Taza ground the beans using granite stone mills and did not conch the chocolate. The bar was certified organic by the USDA. Taza has a direct trade relationship with La Red.
The three ounce bar was scored into 16 pieces, each imprinted with three parallel lines, in the same form as the rest of Taza's Stone Ground line. It came wrapped in silver foil-sided paper inside a textured paper sleeve. The sleeve of the bar we reviewed had a large orange sticker labeled with batch number 475. There was no best before date, but by entering batch number 475 on their home page, you can see information about how that batch of chocolate was made. For example, the beans were roasted within two months after they were received, for a total of 46 minutes at a maximum temperature of 239°F. The bars of this batch of chocolate were wrapped on 30 August 2011.
The color of Stone Ground 60% was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). Its surface was mostly smooth, with several bubbles. The bar had a medium hard snap.
Stone Ground 60% had aromas of a dry earthy must, fruit in the forms of berry and tropical fruit, and a cocoa roast. I also smelled a bit of coffee in the roast.
In addition to the obvious sweet flavor that Lindy identified as caramel, we tasted strong tropical fruit and berry flavors. I also experienced some roast.
The melt was grainy, as you would expect from a stone grind. The flavor lasted between 20 and 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The final aftertaste was slightly sweet.
You can purchase Taza Stone Ground 60% online for $6.50 directly from Taza.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Review: Taza Stone Ground 70%
Lindy's Rating: 8.5
Richard's Rating: 8.0
|
|
The chocolate was made with 70% cocoa solids (cacao beans plus some cocoa butter made from the same beans), Zucc cane sugar from Sertãozinho, Brazil, and vanilla beans from Villa Vanilla Spice Plantation in Villanueva, Costa Rica. Taza ground the beans using granite stone mills and did not conch the chocolate. The bar was certified organic by the USDA. Taza has a direct trade relationship with La Red.
The three ounce bar was scored into 16 pieces, each imprinted with three parallel lines, in the same form as the rest of Taza's Stone Ground line. It came wrapped in silver foil-sided paper inside a textured paper sleeve. The sleeve of the bar we reviewed had a large orange sticker labeled with batch number 484. There was no best before date, but by entering batch number 484 on their home page, you can see information about how that batch of chocolate was made. For example, the beans were roasted within three months after they were received, for a total of 47 minutes at a maximum temperature of 238°F. The bars of this batch of chocolate were wrapped on 23 September 2011.
Stone Ground 70% had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. Its surface was mostly smooth, with several bubbles. The bar had a medium hard snap.
The aroma of this chocolate was interesting, with scents of earth, an orange fruit with berry or cherry, bubblegum -- yes, bubblegum, roast, and sweet. Lindy also noticed a floral scent.
We tasted the same sweet bubblegum that we experienced in the aroma. Other flavors included wine and fruit, or as Lindy described it: a flavor midway between the two. She also tasted something floral.
The melt was grainy, as you would expect from a stone grind. The flavor lasted between 20 and 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The final aftertaste was very slightly sweet, almost minimal.
You can purchase Taza Stone Ground 70% online for $6.50 directly from Taza.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Review: Taza Stone Ground 80%
Lindy's Rating: 6.0
Richard's Rating: 6.0
|
|
As with all of the bars in their Stone Ground line, this three ounce bar was scored into 16 pieces, each imprinted with three parallel lines. Stone Ground 80% came wrapped in silver foil-sided paper inside a textured paper sleeve. The sleeve of the bar we reviewed had a large orange sticker labeled with batch number 487. There was no best before date, but by entering batch number 487 on their home page, you can see information about how that batch of chocolate was made. For example, the beans were roasted within three months after they were received, for a total of 48 minutes at 237°F. The bars of this batch of chocolate were wrapped on 28 September 2011.
Stone Ground 80% had a medium-dark brown Bracken color (PANTONE 19-1015). Its surface was mostly smooth, with slight scuffing and several bubbles (much less substantial than on Stone Ground 87%). The bar had a medium hard snap.
Initially after breaking the chocolate, we received a sour aroma, quickly followed by scents of roast, earth, and fruit. The roast was cocoa and the fruit was a combination of citrus and berry. Lindy identified some blueberry in addition to the generic berry scent. We also smelled sweet and spice.
The taste of Stone ground 80% was sweet with a berry fruit flavor. I tasted a red wine flavor and Lindy tasted port. We also both experienced some sourness, which was a good contrast to the sweetness.
This chocolate had the expected grainy melt from a stone grind. The flavor lasted about 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a short length. The final aftertaste was slightly sour and very slightly acidic.
You can purchase Taza Stone Ground 80% online for $6.50 directly from Taza.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)