Ecuador
by DeBondt
Impact
No flash in the pan but a true cosmic power: majestic chocolate royale from Ecuador cacáo of yore (when it was so much, as Dylan says, older back then - instead of the new clones).
In some ways simple & direct... hits with the Jedi warrior force - & that’s an understatement.
In some ways simple & direct... hits with the Jedi warrior force - & that’s an understatement.
Appearance 5 / 5
| Color: | beautifully multi-hued - orange, brown & purple |
| Surface: | visually magnetic; even the whorls on the back appear perfect by design |
| Temper: | flashes back |
| Snap: | Jurassic |
Aroma 9 / 10
forget the fruits & flowers - among the deepest Arriba allures ever (the normal tertiaries are the primaries, almost expected at this %, yet so muscular, defined & walloping there’s no cause for alarm): leather / wood / espresso -> humus / mushroom forest & nuts; just screams ‘bring it all’
Mouthfeel 14.7 / 15
| Texture: | super heavyweight |
| Melt: | everlast |
Flavor 48 / 50
brandishes a recoiling double espresso right off the busy -> calms the waters w/ fulsome pecan pie -> quick bitter streaks across, calling attention to huge mass forming the body of the under-bar... then BANG, chocolate explosion rocks the foundations -> blackberry unbelievably peaks thru &, somehow, in the very inner recesses, geranium -> Criollo-like pasta element (butter at work from a very identifiable source) -> returns to the forest floor for a takedown on wood ear mushroom -> vanishes over slightly astringent berry
Quality 2 / 20
Sensational & for good reason: the mold appears to be Vintage Plantations & the couverture... easy to jump to conclusions thinking this is re-melted Slitti Super Nova Tropicale (both also 90% Ecuadors). deBondt knows better: Domori – an astute choice - generally consistent to Plantations’ & Slitti’s erratic. Where the original master deals to the public at 70% with the stellar Arriba & the gift of the gods Ecuador, deBondt ups the ante to 90% by downshifting from Domori’s Arriba 100% crash site, & delivers ultra-premium high-octane performance, cutting in both strength & finesse. Add a deBondt label & ciao... Domori better than even... Domori (if that’s possible).