Extra-Bitter 75%
by Gobino
Impact
Welcome to “dry conching” chocolate.
When asked exactly what’s so “particular” about this special technique made note-worthy on the bar's wrapper that would distinguish it from any other kind of conching, Guido Gobino sent a very detailed explanation -- without citing the source -- that was cut ‘n pasted verbatim from the Britannia Food Encyclopedia. Turns out, in any event, that there's nothing special about this “dry conching” at all. It’s... well, conching... the same as practically all conching in the chocolate processing world.
Skeptics can take solace that no one has been misled by Gobino's hyper-technical usage of the word “particular” since conching involves the coating of cocoa "particles".
Smart ‘n clever.
Yet another instance of cocoa myth-information.
That aside, a chocolate that tastes “dry-humped”. Dunno what that is? Oh, c’mon man.
When asked exactly what’s so “particular” about this special technique made note-worthy on the bar's wrapper that would distinguish it from any other kind of conching, Guido Gobino sent a very detailed explanation -- without citing the source -- that was cut ‘n pasted verbatim from the Britannia Food Encyclopedia. Turns out, in any event, that there's nothing special about this “dry conching” at all. It’s... well, conching... the same as practically all conching in the chocolate processing world.
Skeptics can take solace that no one has been misled by Gobino's hyper-technical usage of the word “particular” since conching involves the coating of cocoa "particles".
Smart ‘n clever.
Yet another instance of cocoa myth-information.
That aside, a chocolate that tastes “dry-humped”. Dunno what that is? Oh, c’mon man.
Appearance 4.6 / 5
| Color: | pitch brown |
| Surface: | computer motherboard-circuit mold; backside features perfectly rippling swirls of sonar waves bouncing off the surface (sensational Italian designer FXs) |
| Temper: | drastic plastic-wrapper transfer |
| Snap: | solid basso; smooth straight edge |
Aroma 8.2 / 10
global mash-up: tops notes very S America (leguminous vines of Ecuadorian CCN-51) w/ some fermented Caribbean tang thrown in the midsection (Trinidad) & hammy Java cocoa at bottom -> aerates decidedly to Venezuela (specifically a Chuao-like blueberried-butter) -> & then pepino melon
Mouthfeel 13.1 / 15
| Texture: | super fine |
| Melt: | requires just a little effort / push; stringent finish (tell-tale Ecuador) |
Flavor 37.4 / 50
chocolate hard on the heels of commingling cherry ‘n blueberry-inflected cocoa-dusting -> spritzes up slight acid for acerola... & rising expectations -> minor bittering announces CCN-51 (flat bean empanada) that rides out the length -> closes off peanut
Quality 14.9 / 20
A well-crafted, smoothly tailored “secret” blend if rather ill-conceived. Why? Because the opening promises a bounty only to be scuttled by probably the cheapest bean in the batch -- CCN-51 – scrapping all the good flavors in the works from other origins, irreparably flattening the roundness found early on in those opening fruit frames.
ING: cocoa mass, sugar, cacáo butter
Reviewed Autumn 2010
ING: cocoa mass, sugar, cacáo butter
Reviewed Autumn 2010