Madagascar 64%
by Cravve
Impact
Due to poor post-harvest methods &/or processing techniques, Cravve of Australia works the brilliant if not arguably the brightest cacáo origin on Earth -- Madagascar -- into a drongo (Australian for 'dimwit').
No ordinary drongo though, but a luvable one.
No ordinary drongo though, but a luvable one.
Appearance 3.1 / 5
| Color: | a new hue on the scene -- burnt cream |
| Surface: | never a beauty pageant with Cravve (corduroy brush strokes; huge swales; pimples; pre-melted corners) |
| Temper: | hideous |
| Snap: | tinsel |
Aroma 6.9 / 10
coffee grounds & cereal grains atop an ash-phalt slab -> tarred raisin
Mouthfeel 10.7 / 15
| Texture: | ropey (a house characteristic) |
| Melt: | a real slacker |
Flavor 42.3 / 50
that tar-baby raisin from the Aroma sacrificed in a mix of brown sugar, carob, chicory, tamarind & cocoa -> vanilla, frangi-pani & chicle (the latter uncommon for Madagascar) -> coffee & ginger announce separately a) gingerbread & b) coffee pound cake -> dismantles into breadfruit, then wintergreen
Quality 15.5 / 20
Damnedest Madagascar around.
Nary a trace of the bright fruit acids so customary for this origin. And quite distinct from other semi-sweets of equal 64% cacáo-content from here (Valrhona Manjari; and Vestri's).
The uncontrolled-smoke of these seeds, far more detectable in this bar's 77% sib, ameliorated substantially here by much greater sugar that translates into many browned fruit tones.
Beyond that, this hints at a different kind of Madagascan being harvested by Pralus on Nosy Bé (a tiny island right off the coast) compared to the more prevalent bars out of Sambirano Valley (on the main island).
Either way, another great mistake from Cravve.
INGREDIENTS: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla
Reviewed January 17, 2013
Nary a trace of the bright fruit acids so customary for this origin. And quite distinct from other semi-sweets of equal 64% cacáo-content from here (Valrhona Manjari; and Vestri's).
The uncontrolled-smoke of these seeds, far more detectable in this bar's 77% sib, ameliorated substantially here by much greater sugar that translates into many browned fruit tones.
Beyond that, this hints at a different kind of Madagascan being harvested by Pralus on Nosy Bé (a tiny island right off the coast) compared to the more prevalent bars out of Sambirano Valley (on the main island).
Either way, another great mistake from Cravve.
INGREDIENTS: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla
Reviewed January 17, 2013