Impact
Theo likes to be the Mr. Natural of the chocolate world, that mystic guru in R. Crumb’s cartoon with a cult following who spouts that salvation can be found in living naturally. A combination of dark magic & cosmic light, wisdom & chicanery, Mr. Natural sez ‘use the right tool for the job’.
Start with good cacáo seeds, for instance, which this bar fails to do. Instead, these are ‘vita-beans’ that go Up in Flames.
Start with good cacáo seeds, for instance, which this bar fails to do. Instead, these are ‘vita-beans’ that go Up in Flames.
Appearance 5 / 5
another Theo bombshell
another Theo bombshell
| Color: | light auburn brown |
| Surface: | A-list beauty |
| Temper: | soft-gloss |
| Snap: | good snarl; cliff drop on the edge wall |
Aroma 7.3 / 10
the atypical dark side of Mad-ness: leather, loam, & louvelli palm -> tobacco-clove ionized by ocean breeze & a drop of sour sorrel before sticky green & white fruits drift thru for a balsamic sweet-spot
Mouthfeel 9.1 / 15
| Texture: | dry grit & zaftig |
| Melt: | staggers; astringent grip |
Flavor 30.7 / 50
sweet Cab to Port Sherry -> stringent minerality the valve that controls the flow toward amorphous fruit-bearing acids -> a drunk alcoholic & hits further bottom... fleeting vanilla disguised as chocolate -> vitamins + talc the capstone... juniper berry in the after math, followed by white currants
Quality 11.2 / 20
Poor definition. Belongs to that class that hews Madagascar with a firm, occassionally inauspicious roast (Pralus, Chocovic, Marcolini) vs. the dainty types who caress it lightly (Amedei, Domori, & Patric).
Similar to Soma’s M.O., a dark roast compensated by moderate conche, but here a lackluster crop plus a ferment cycle of evidently short sweatings hastens all those exaggerated effects of alcohol & astringency that suppress the alert clarity in Theo’s Mad 65, making this at 9% less sugar, ironically more bowdlerized.
ING: cocoa mass, sugar, cacáo butter, vanilla; CBS (Cocoa mass / Butter / Sugar) 14:17:11
Reviewed 8/4/09
Similar to Soma’s M.O., a dark roast compensated by moderate conche, but here a lackluster crop plus a ferment cycle of evidently short sweatings hastens all those exaggerated effects of alcohol & astringency that suppress the alert clarity in Theo’s Mad 65, making this at 9% less sugar, ironically more bowdlerized.
ING: cocoa mass, sugar, cacáo butter, vanilla; CBS (Cocoa mass / Butter / Sugar) 14:17:11
Reviewed 8/4/09