Sambirano
by Malagasy
Impact
Straight & narrow & unredeeming except for ethically grown under Equitrade auspices (supporting important work in sustainable agriculture & economic justice). Moral on one level but, still, mortally deadening on another – flavor: gunpowder.
Appearance 2.3 / 5
genuine feel; looks humble overall
genuine feel; looks humble overall
| Color: | dark dusty alarm |
| Surface: | worn |
| Temper: | flat mat |
| Snap: | loud yet thin w/ grainy edge |
Aroma 6.1 / 10
travels far over flat terrain: cocoa, coffee & dried currant; nano-dot of ylang-ylang
Mouthfeel 9.2 / 15
| Texture: | ironically dry despite a butter swamp |
| Melt: | slow, uneven dispersion |
Flavor 32.5 / 50
closely shadows aroma: cold-cocked cocoa idles steady, almost perpetually -> bitter coffee -> rapid evolution to pecan -> turns back to coffee w/ a drop of cream... bitterness an unshakable constant companion -> tallow
Quality 8.7 / 20
Grisly, then tries to butter over the problem, a pound of which fails to sufficiently smother & cover-up bitter roast. A well-endowed varietal turned into a slacktivist that, in a blind-test, IDs as IC (Ivory Coast). Inconsistencies abound year-to-year with Madécasse/Malagasy & this edit shows the co-op flailing to get a grip. Cacáo genes in Sambirano Valley have amply proven their quality (e.g., Guittard’s Ambanja) so someone along the chain needs to put control back into the equation of ‘quality control’.