Adsense

Vietnam

by Shunsuke Saugusa
Info Details
Country Japan   
Type Semi-Dark   (66%)
Strain Hybrid   (T Clonal Series)
Source Vietnam   
Flavor Crossover   
Style Mainstream      
lo
med
hi
CQ
Sweetness
Acidity
Bitterness
Roast
Intensity
Complexity
Structure
Length
Impact
Bushido stands for the ‘way of the warrior’ -- a code of conduct governing the Japanese samurai class. Along with self-discipline, honor, & austerity, the code emphasized the samurai's obligation to his lord, which superseded even familial ties. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868 effectively ended feudalism & returned power to the emperor, the samurai's obligation of loyalty & sacrifice shifted, becoming the basis for the cult of emperor worship.

The way in which Shunsuke Saugusa exacts flavor in this deftly calibrated 66% bar rivals bushido… dedicated solely to chocolate.
Appearance   4 / 5
Color: sugared light
Surface: flakes, chips, & dust
Temper: bright without blinding
Snap: lilting
Aroma   8.3 / 10
alive & dynamic
muddy (Mekong) delta foliage right after the onset of the dry season
Mouthfeel   13.6 / 15
Texture: terrific spread & coat...
Melt: … into gelée
Flavor   46.8 / 50
cashews inflected to milkish chocolate (vanilla & caramel included)… -> candy element (longan) rimmed in a sour Starburst® fringe centered around guava -> citric-caramel roll (real fine), almost salted too (double fine) + a spice -spike (triple fine) -> riverine / sea vegetable moment furnishes some exquisite savory -> nut-jelly gel
Quality   18.1 / 20
66% cacáo-content relatively low for Vietnam which suppresses its heady, intoxicating spice-censers, & curbs in this bar its acidity. No worries, Shunsuke Saugusa still conveys a very distinguished chocolate, both for this origin & beyond...

Tastes of taking the middle route in the roaster & the conche, shaping the distinct outcome via the sugar variable.

Special.

Given Vietnam's unique cacáo stock, & in the studious hands of a Japanese barsmith, it all feels so easy… deceptively easy.

A bar of quiet, undulating wows 'n flutters.

Reviewed July 28, 2015

  

Pin It on Pinterest