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Darks

by Jordi's
Info Details
Country Czech Republic   
Type (Chocolate-covered Cacáo Seeds; Brut; Dark)
Strain CCN-51   
Source Ecuador   
Flavor Earthen   
Style Rustic      
lo
med
hi
CQ
Sweetness
Acidity
Bitterness
Roast
Intensity
Complexity
Structure
Length
Impact
Barsmiths… they're coming out of the woodwork from all corners of the Earth now.

Meet Jordi's, the Czech Republic's first modern-era artisan chocolate maker. Doubtful that it will be the last or the only.

Compared to the rest of the premium niche, Jordi's strikes out on an independent path. It currently eschews the "single-origin" fetish & just presents chocolate-based goods, including some blends.

Nothing fancy. Very workmanlike.

The following details a Chocolate Trifecta –- three reviews in one:

Kakaové boby v Tmavá Čokoláda (Chocolate-covered Cocoa Seeds)
Tmavá Čokoláda 100% Blend (Unsweetened 100% cacáo-content)
Tmavá Čokoláda Rustic (Rustic Dark)

the C-spot®still maintains its actual sampling policy of only ‘1-a-Day’ in order to obtain an accurate & thorough gauge on a chocolate; as well as to avoid inevitable palate fatigue which occurs with multiple samples in a compressed time session (no matter what "miracle palate cleanser" may be invoked). For the sake of publishing efficiency, they’re consolidated into this single review. The overall rating & metrics (upper right) reflect a composite average of each bar's individual measures.
Appearance   4.1 / 5
Color: Kakaové boby v Tmavá Čokoláda: golden brown
Tmavá Čokoláda 100% Blend: about as brown as it comes
Tmavá Čokoláda Rustic: pitch brown
Surface: Kakaové boby v Tmavá Čokoláda: dusted
Tmavá Čokoláda 100% Blend: signature mold that bleeds thru & ghosts on the backside
Tmavá Čokoláda Rustic: welted / pelted; grease splatter
Temper: Kakaové boby v Tmavá Čokoláda: super matte
Tmavá Čokoláda 100% Blend: minor albedo
Tmavá Čokoláda Rustic: uneven
Snap: Kakaové boby v Tmavá Čokoláda: n/a
Tmavá Čokoláda 100% Blend: full-throated as expected for an unsweetened
Tmavá Čokoláda Rustic: snub
Aroma   8.6 / 10
Kakaové boby v Tmavá Čokoláda:
plastic hangover probably from the packaging

Tmavá Čokoláda 100% Blend:
inky stalwart chocolate, of solid cocoa foundation, with leather & black fig overtones

Tmavá Čokoláda Rustic:
marshmallow rose & candied FXs ala Tahitian vanilla with its cherry component
at such a phenomenal level as though artificially scented
Mouthfeel   11.4 / 15
Texture: Kakaové boby v Tmavá Čokoláda: very pliable
Tmavá Čokoláda 100% Blend: medium paste with a stray Nib fragment or two
Tmavá Čokoláda Rustic: granulated
Melt: Kakaové boby v Tmavá Čokoláda: n/a but, due to soft consistency, hydrates well
Tmavá Čokoláda 100% Blend: forget setting the alarm clock
Tmavá Čokoláda Rustic: dissolves on contact
Flavor   40.2 / 50
Kakaové boby v Tmavá Čokoláda:
nuts & Nibs -> coffee -> grape gum -> watery flavors of all the above (strange) to a dilute fruit juice

Tmavá Čokoláda 100% Blend:
quick & brief marshmallow flees into unsweetened dry cocoa powder without disappearing completely -> fungi / soil / fertilizer all checked by a generous cocoa butter cuff -> rear minerals, light metal, just a dusting of rust -> back bitter (pretty tolerant) -> evasive chocolate impressions -> the marshmallow apparition continues to lurk (thankfully) along with dirty nuts (almonds, walnut, & ground nuts) -> coffee stemwinder

Tmavá Čokoláda Rustic:
instant orchid blossoms -> vanilla cookie -> vanilla with a cherry inflection
very little else
Quality   13.8 / 20
Kakaové boby v Tmavá Čokoláda:
Whereas Jordi's bars utilize Ecuadorian cacáo, these particular nuggets stem from Bertil Åkesson's Madagascar allotment which creates a marked difference. In fact, one of the recommendations to Jordi's during an in-person visit was to ditch the Ecuador for superior grade. Happily, the label had already begun to do so for upcoming batches.

Tmavá Čokoláda 100% Blend:
Pretty standard profile as far as unsweetened 100s go except the mid-intensity makes it quite tolerable for the percentage &, doubly so, that intermittent marshmallow adds interest, even eagerness, to continue on for more.

Tmavá Čokoláda Rustic:
1-dimensional: vanilla.

Coarsely ground in the Modica-Mexìcâ / Aztecâ tradition then crossed with the Mesoamerican-inspired inclusion. Sampled prior in Askinosie's El Rustico... supposedly a homage to the ancient people of the vanilla orchid – the Totonac from Veracruz, Mexico & their Pyramid of the Niches at El Tajín.

Fine, such as it.

Reviewed December 2, 2014

  

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