Various Bars
by Middlebury Chocolates
Impact
After crawling, then taking baby steps, Middlebury Chocolate now makes significant strides.
This bundle of bars the proof in the chocolate.
The following details a Chocolate Blast– 4 reviews in 1. 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 multi-samples in a compressed time session. 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.
This bundle of bars the proof in the chocolate.
Appearance 3.8 / 5
| Color: | on the "dark side", especially the White (that's right, the "Dark-White") |
| Surface: | whorly backs |
| Temper: | fudged glazes |
| Snap: | generally sound |
Aroma 7.4 / 10
100 Percent
dazzling cinnamon-flintstone… sets first into bluestone & next a white pavement (stone grinding, folks) -> ash, good ash like hash
Dominican Republic (Elvesia; Öko Caribe) 75%
pork pie
Nicaragua (Matagalpa) 70%
super fine pipe tobacco
Nicaragua (Matagalpa) White
tobacco lite (low tar 'n nicotine)
dazzling cinnamon-flintstone… sets first into bluestone & next a white pavement (stone grinding, folks) -> ash, good ash like hash
Dominican Republic (Elvesia; Öko Caribe) 75%
pork pie
Nicaragua (Matagalpa) 70%
super fine pipe tobacco
Nicaragua (Matagalpa) White
tobacco lite (low tar 'n nicotine)
Mouthfeel 11.6 / 15
| Texture: | clumpy |
| Melt: | above average lengths |
Flavor 42.9 / 50
100 Percent
first impression of the Aroma holds pretty faithful but very briefly as the the second just blands & practically blanks out into cocoa butter; even so, it hides the underlying bitter only so much
Dominican Republic (Elvesia; Öko Caribe) 75%
fleeting fruit (prune) -> treacle to sweet mol-ashes in the best sense (smoked sap) -> that black sugar carries the flavor into a black mission fig -> rum-kola finish -> walnut wood after-impression
Nicaragua (Matagalpa) 70%
mulberry-caramel the dominant flavor presiding over red fruit at the fringes -> light sweet spice -> date -> that pipe sense in the Aroma closes out along with vanilla
Nicaragua (Matagalpa) White
another bland, even blank piece… nothing really but tactile slickness… until the last trimester when a faint baby formula Milk Chocolate secretes from the fat globules followed by a tannic tobacco leaf; nice wrap
first impression of the Aroma holds pretty faithful but very briefly as the the second just blands & practically blanks out into cocoa butter; even so, it hides the underlying bitter only so much
Dominican Republic (Elvesia; Öko Caribe) 75%
fleeting fruit (prune) -> treacle to sweet mol-ashes in the best sense (smoked sap) -> that black sugar carries the flavor into a black mission fig -> rum-kola finish -> walnut wood after-impression
Nicaragua (Matagalpa) 70%
mulberry-caramel the dominant flavor presiding over red fruit at the fringes -> light sweet spice -> date -> that pipe sense in the Aroma closes out along with vanilla
Nicaragua (Matagalpa) White
another bland, even blank piece… nothing really but tactile slickness… until the last trimester when a faint baby formula Milk Chocolate secretes from the fat globules followed by a tannic tobacco leaf; nice wrap
Quality 16 / 20
100 Percent
Unremarkable. Harkens back to the 100%s of the 20th century -- grimy & gruff.
OVERALL RATING: 7.10
Dominican Republic (Elvesia; Öko Caribe) 75%
Wobbles about some in the beginning & even threatens to disintegrate but just the opposite occurs -- the bar gains strength as it progresses thru the meltdown.
Where Fruition's sweeter 68% edition of Öko Caribe furnishes greater range &, oddly, swaps out the molasses here for coffee, this owes much of its character to Middlebury's wood-roasting that imparts depth charges & smoky contrails without burning a cacáo that evidently can take ample heat. A good companion bar to the other Middlebury D.R. -- La Red.
OVERALL RATING: 8.38
Nicaragua (Matagalpa) 70%
Simple, clean & very good. NIcaraguan chocolate can be spotty / dicey. This one clearly a good seed lot (Giff Laube's CBN popularized by French Broad's success). Nothing glam or sexed, just one of Middlebury's best.
OVERALL RATING: 8.69
Nicaragua (Matagalpa) White
The swarthiest cocoa butter ever, well beyond even Vestri's shade, the erstwhile standard.
A browner hue than many Milk Chocolates. Unfiltered / unclarified / unsweetened. The equivalent of extra-virgin first-pressing.
Despite the color, flavor proves weak, at least initially, as high anticipation produces an equally deep letdown for all but the final stanza. Warmer roasting might coax these compounds out a bit stronger / longer.
OVERALL RATING: 8.50
INGREDIENTS: cocoa mass, sugar (except 100 Percent), cocoa butter; Nicaragua (Matagalpa) White -- cocoa butter only
Reviewed January 13, 2015
Unremarkable. Harkens back to the 100%s of the 20th century -- grimy & gruff.
OVERALL RATING: 7.10
Dominican Republic (Elvesia; Öko Caribe) 75%
Wobbles about some in the beginning & even threatens to disintegrate but just the opposite occurs -- the bar gains strength as it progresses thru the meltdown.
Where Fruition's sweeter 68% edition of Öko Caribe furnishes greater range &, oddly, swaps out the molasses here for coffee, this owes much of its character to Middlebury's wood-roasting that imparts depth charges & smoky contrails without burning a cacáo that evidently can take ample heat. A good companion bar to the other Middlebury D.R. -- La Red.
OVERALL RATING: 8.38
Nicaragua (Matagalpa) 70%
Simple, clean & very good. NIcaraguan chocolate can be spotty / dicey. This one clearly a good seed lot (Giff Laube's CBN popularized by French Broad's success). Nothing glam or sexed, just one of Middlebury's best.
OVERALL RATING: 8.69
Nicaragua (Matagalpa) White
The swarthiest cocoa butter ever, well beyond even Vestri's shade, the erstwhile standard.
A browner hue than many Milk Chocolates. Unfiltered / unclarified / unsweetened. The equivalent of extra-virgin first-pressing.
Despite the color, flavor proves weak, at least initially, as high anticipation produces an equally deep letdown for all but the final stanza. Warmer roasting might coax these compounds out a bit stronger / longer.
OVERALL RATING: 8.50
INGREDIENTS: cocoa mass, sugar (except 100 Percent), cocoa butter; Nicaragua (Matagalpa) White -- cocoa butter only
Reviewed January 13, 2015