Review: Moonstruck Fortunato No. 4 Peru

Lindy's Rating: 8.0

Richard's Rating: 8.0

chocolate maker Felchlin bar Fortunato No. 4 region Peru plantation (blend) cacao trees Nacional year (unknown) size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 68% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $12.00

color medium-light brown PANTONE 18-1314 Acorn texture smooth with image imprints and scoring aroma floral, earth, fruit (citrus), tart, roast, hint of sweet snap medium hard taste sweet (honey), fruit (coconut, apricot, nectarine), roast (cocoa), nut melt more smooth length medium finish slightly tannin, very slightly acidic

Fortunato No. 4 has a fascinating history. In 2007, Dan Pearson and Brian Horsley rediscovered pure Nacional cacao trees in Peru. Even more surprising is that these trees were growing at extremely high elevations (for cacao) between 3500 and 4100 feet. This species was previously known only in Ecuador and thought extinct a few years after rampant diseases attacked those trees in 1916. Pure Nacional cacao has rare white beans like that of Porcelana from Venezuela.

As for the name, the number 4 came from the purest genetic sample, which came from the 4th of 14 analyzed by the USDA. Fortunato is the name of the cacao farmer on whose land in the Marañón Canyon of Peru where the purest mother tree was found. They founded Marañón Chocolate, consider themselves stewards of this cacao, and provide seeds and starts from their nursery to other local farmers to expand production.

Marañón Chocolate sells to a limited set of chocolatiers who retail products made using Fortunato No. 4. Moonstruck is one such chocolatier. The Swiss chocolate maker Felchlin produces Fortunato No. 4 bars and couverture for Moonstruck.

Moonstruck's Fortunato No. 4 was made with 68% cocoa solids (cocoa beans and cocoa butter) and 32% cane sugar. The two ounce bar was scored into 15 pieces, each with an imprint of the Moonstruck crescent moon and flute player. The bar was wrapped in silver foil and packaged inside a paper box with raised graphics. The best before date stamped on the box of the bar we reviewed was blurred, but it seemed to be February 2012.

The color of the chocolate was an unusual medium-light brown Acorn (PANTONE 18-1314). The bar had a medium hard snap.

Fortunato No. 4 had an aroma that included the floral typical of Ecuador cacao, earth, a tart citrus fruit, and some roast. I also smelled a suggestion of sweetness.

This chocolate tasted sweet, with the distinct flavor of honey. Fruit flavors ranged from a tropical coconut to tree fruits in the form of nectarine and apricot. We also tasted a cocoa roast and some nut.

The melt was more smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted 30 to 40 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a medium length. The finish was slightly tannin and very slightly acidic.

Fortunato No. 4 won a Bronze at the Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards.

You can purchase Moonstruck Fortunato No. 4 online directly from Moonstruck for $12.00 or in person at one of their chocolate cafés or from one of their retail partners.

Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards

The London Academy of Chocolate just published their full list of award winners for 2011.

Here are the winners in the bean to bar dark chocolate category:

GOLDEN BEAN
Duffy’s Honduras Indio Rojo 72%
Amedei 9

GOLD
Michel Cluizel Los Ancones 67%
Askinosie San Jose Del Tambo
Amedei Toscano Black 63%

SILVER
Askinosie Tenende Tanzania
Grenada 82%
Amano Dos Rios
Amano Chuao
Amedei Cru Madacascar
Soma Three Amigos 70%
Amedei Toscano Black 70%
Pralus Chuao 75%
Rózsavölgyi Trincheras 70%
Potomac Upala 70%
Olivia 76%

BRONZE
Duffy’s Corazon d’Equador 72%
Michel Cluizel 85%
Valrhona Manjari
Rózsavölgyi Porcelana 71%
Valrhona Alpaco
Valrhona Guanaja
Zokoko Tranquilidad Bolivia 72%


And in a separate category of "bean to bar" without processing the beans themselves...

GOLD
Idilio 2 Amiari Meridena
Åkesson's Brazil Fazenda Monte Alegre 75%

SILVER
Baruzzo Quinche 70%
Åkesson's Madacascar Ambolikapiky 75%
Friis Holm Nicaliso
Idilio 12 Finca Torres
Original Beans Beni Wild Harvest 66%
Demarquette Peru Pangoa 70%
Zokoko Alto Beni Bolivia 68%
Bojesen Oialla
Original Beans Cru Virunga 70%

BRONZE
Hotel Chocolat Rabot 65% (120 hour conch)
Hotel Chocolat Rabot 66%
Moonstruck Fortunato No. 4
Idilio 1 Porcelana
Konzept Barlovento

As you can see from the many names above without links, we've not yet reviewed most of the winners and look forward to doing so in the future.

Here's a link to the full lists of 2011 Award Winners in all of the categories.

Store: Kakao

Last month I ran across kakáo (pronounced kuh-key-oh) while on a walk in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle. I saw the sign in the window and felt compelled to check it out. I'm glad I did.

kakáo is a combination chocolate and coffee shop, with lots of bright, open space in which to hang out. In this converted warehouse, under 15' high wooden ceilings, they have ten tables with chairs, two loveseats, two lounge chairs, free Wi-Fi for internet access (wireless network 415: just ask them for the password), and lots of outlets around the walls and windows (to power your laptop, etc).

chocolate store	kakáo
website	http://www.kakaoseattle.com/
address	415 Westlake Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 United States
phone	(206) 388-5467
hours	Mon-Fri	7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
	Sat	8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
online shopping	no
shipping area	N/A
warm weather shipping	N/A
chocolate makers	Amedei Michel Cluizel Claudio Corallo Dagoba Fran's Green and Black's Guittard Kallari Komforte Lindt Madécasse Moonstruck François Pralus Republica del Cacao Scharffen Berger Taza Theo Valrhona Vosges
special deals & events	free Wi-Fi
last updated	February 24, 2012

With more than 50 different chocolate bars of more than a dozen different brands, kakáo has the second largest collection of quality chocolate in Seattle (including some not available at Chocolopolis).

At the espresso bar, they serve Valrhona Celaya drinking chocolate in addition to more traditional drip coffee and espresso. Their coffee is from local Seattle green coffee maker Herkimer. A small collection of pastries is also available.

The shop is officially open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but a barista let me know that they are usually open by 7:15 a.m. Their website is only a placeholder at present, but the owner, J.B., intends to add content and perhaps eventually sell chocolate online (I'll let you know if he does!)

kakáo has a side room that holds up to twenty people that is available for free, and can even be reserved. They also have a huge venue space for rent in back that has a capacity of 300 people (200 for a seated event). Call and talk to Jim if you're interested in more information about their venue space.

Review: Moonstruck Venezuela

Lindy's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

Richard's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker Felchlin bar Venezuela region Venezuela plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 74% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $7.50

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with image imprint and scoring aroma earthy (musty), floral, sweet snap medium hard taste initial tart, fruit (citrus), sweet, earth melt smooth length short finish slightly astringent

Moonstruck Venezuela is the second single origin bar we've reviewed by this chocolatier. The bar was wrapped in silver foil inside a paper box with raised graphics. The best before date was August, 2012. The chocolate was made from 74% cocoa solids plus cane sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla bean. The two ounce bar was scored into 15 pieces, each with an imprint of Moonstruck's crescent moon and flute player. The color of the chocolate was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The bar had a medium-hard snap.

Venezuela had a musty earthy aroma similar to that of their Dominican Republic bar, but it also had floral and sweet scents. The chocolate had an initial tart taste, and then gradually revealed a fruit in the form of citrus and sweetness.

The melt was smooth. The flavor after the chocolate was gone lasted about 10 to 15 seconds, a short length. The finish was slightly astringent.

This chocolate bar won a silver medal at the 2010 Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salon.

You can purchase Venezuela online directly from Moonstruck for $7.50 or in person at one of their chocolate cafés or from one of their retail partners.

Review: Moonstruck Dominican Republic

Lindy's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

Richard's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker Felchlin bar Dominican Republic region Dominican Republic plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 72% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $7.50

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 18-1314 Acorn texture smooth with image imprint and scoring aroma earthy (musty), hint of fruit snap medium hard taste initial cinnamon, sweet, fruit (berry, apple, melon, citrus, prune) melt less smooth length short finish slightly ashy, slightly acidic

Moonstruck Chocolatier is a small U.S. chocolatier in Portland, OR. In 2008, after 7 years at Barry Callebaut, Julian Rose joined the company as master chocolatier and head of research and development. Moonstruck makes a wide variety of chocolate products and has six chocolate cafés in the Portland area. They also sell a few chocolate bars, including four single-origin bars from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and the famous Fortunato No.4 from Peru.

I spoke with a company representative and discovered they are not a bean to bar chocolate maker. I was forwarded to one of their press representatives to find out their chocolate maker, and am awaiting an answer. I'll update this post once I hear back from them.

Dominican Republic is a single origin bar. The chocolate was made from 72% cocoa solids plus cane sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla bean. The bar was wrapped in silver foil inside a paper box with raised graphics. The best before date was August, 2012. The two ounce bar was scored into 15 pieces, each with an imprint of Moonstruck's crescent moon and flute player.

The color of the chocolate was a medium-dark brown Acorn (PANTONE 18-1314). The bar had a medium-hard snap that revealed an earthy aroma, which seemed primarily musty. I also smelled occasional hints of fruit.

Dominican Republic had an initial cinnamon flavor, followed by a sweetness and multiple fruit flavors. Lindy noticed berry and apple. I tasted berry, overripe melon, citrus, and prune.

The melt of this chocolate was less smooth. The length of the chocolate was the middle of short (with the flavor lasting roughly 15 seconds). The aftertaste was slightly ashy. I also found it slightly acidic, and Lindy described it as vaguely metallic.

In spite of the seemingly interesting flavors, neither Lindy nor I particularly liked the taste of this chocolate, and we both rated it **. Moonstruck Dominican Republic won a silver medal at the 2010 Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salon.

You can purchase Dominican Republic online directly from Moonstruck for $7.50 or in person at one of their chocolate cafés or from one of their retail partners.