Impact
Profiles in cacáo seldom combine both warm & cool spice notes together; add yet more contrastive endo/exothermic citrus florals, all interlaced into a latticework of flavor for some kind of wizardry from another century communicating in strange chocolate riddles.
Appearance 3.7 / 5
| Color: | saturated ferric brown |
| Surface: | diminutive but chunky 50g bar in rectangular shape rather than Domori's thinly spread 50g squares; bubbles, divots, & air-pockets display poor vibration technique |
| Temper: | uneven sheen w/ a fudge gloss to it |
| Snap: | limp & impotent, even for a 65%; horrendous crumble & more air-holes along the edge |
Aroma 7.1 / 10
toned-back: laurel wood grain at the bottom but also cereal grains too, topped w/ dull spice; stiff butter rubdown shows sunflower seeds; aerates nicely to a pink citrus blossom
Mouthfeel 12.2 / 15
| Texture: | dry start hydrates to mouthwatering soft fudge |
| Melt: | well-paced & even |
Flavor 43.9 / 50
sugar unleashes grape... stuck in a fudge core -> minor grapevine ash -> eucalyptus uplift -> cardamom -> pink grapefruit blossom the bursting pt to... -> beautifully subtle wintergreen -> orange blossom refresh (crossing over from grapefruit) -> currant (backtrack to earlier grape) -> light coffee -> sweet cocoa treacle tail
Quality 17.4 / 20
The peripherals (Appearance, Aroma, etc) are suspect & the flavor has some off-centered chocolate amnesia in the base (tilted by the use of sunflower for lecithin & no vanilla) but overall taste rather rare & involved. Very carefully husbanded. Really mild roast applied to beans of slightly longer than avg ferment & gentle conche. Big for a 65%... notwithstanding the obvious sugar content.