Dark w/ Spices
by ki’Xocolatl
Impact
The holy trinity of the Mexìcâ: cacáo, vanilla, & pepper. Add some Euro-style sugar too for a modern adaptation of the Mayan quincunx symbolizing the 4 cardinal points... then put yourself at the center for the vertical dimension & this acquires the power of a personal pyramid of which every brick you’ll need since the chocolate in this bar more than once dangles from the hangman’s branch of the chili pepper plant.
Fear not, however; as Warhol proved, death can make you can look like a star.
Fear not, however; as Warhol proved, death can make you can look like a star.
Appearance 3.9 / 5
| Color: | pale sienna brown |
| Surface: | thick fudge-like pour |
| Temper: | semi-flat |
| Snap: | mealy plunk |
Aroma 7.7 / 10
sparkling mace & cinnamon flints fire-up chili pepper -> cocoa & lavender the distant underbelly
Mouthfeel 11.4 / 15
| Texture: | powdered dry micro-crunch |
| Melt: | soft collapse w/ grit & particulate in contrast to a swollen lecithin ending |
Flavor 42.8 / 50
cocoa struggles against spice attack -> Nibs to the rescue to reinforce -> runs a nebulous concourse for awhile -> unexpected sweetness summoning cherry & chicle but blocked by heat rising from red chili pepper... eventually spraying fire on the concourse -> grim vanilla smoldering -> cocoa, choking for air, manages to re-assert bringing its own red spots w/o ever losing the side-effects from pepper spray -> hot cocoa syrup curls w/ whipped bubble yum cherry -> lavender in the aft-recess
Quality 16.6 / 20
Ill-defined sweet-heat, the elements fighting each other more than successfully integrating.
And sumthin’s not adding up on the percentages either: the listed CBS (Cocoa-Butter-Sugar ratio) equals 4:7:9 falling well short of the 72% advertised.
Leaving that aside, the cacáo in this bar possesses startling staying power, a stamina unforseen in its base -- both in an ability to withstand the spiced onslaught as well as a remarkable 2nd wind / resurrection. Obviously Nibs help & may account for the discrepancy in the cacáo-content but nonetheless improbable for a Criollo, provoking a reconsideration of long-held beliefs.
ING: cocoa mass, sugar, cacáo butter, vanilla, soy lecithin; cacáo nibs, spices
Reviewed Autumn 2009
And sumthin’s not adding up on the percentages either: the listed CBS (Cocoa-Butter-Sugar ratio) equals 4:7:9 falling well short of the 72% advertised.
Leaving that aside, the cacáo in this bar possesses startling staying power, a stamina unforseen in its base -- both in an ability to withstand the spiced onslaught as well as a remarkable 2nd wind / resurrection. Obviously Nibs help & may account for the discrepancy in the cacáo-content but nonetheless improbable for a Criollo, provoking a reconsideration of long-held beliefs.
ING: cocoa mass, sugar, cacáo butter, vanilla, soy lecithin; cacáo nibs, spices
Reviewed Autumn 2009