Amano Jembrana

70% cacao
Origin: Bali

Amano Jembrana

Appearance:  Reddish brown, nice gloss.  Well protected within its cardboard wrapper.

Snap: On the thick side, snaps crisply

Aroma:  It should be noted that it iscold outside so it’s a bit difficult to get a full reading on the smell.  From what I could gather, it is distinctively beany, like raw cacao with notes of brown sugar.

Mouthfeel: Silky smooth with the slightest hint of graininess. Astonishingly clean finish.

Taste: a subtle taste of coffee and caramel– tastes a lot like Columbian chocolate, which is interesting because both regions are better known for their coffee than chocolate.

Overall: a very mild and enjoyable chocolate. Great texture and very approachable for anyone who thinks they don’t like dark chocolate. Strikingly different from Javanese cacao–this is the yin to Java’s yang. Yum!

E. Guittard Nocturne

E. Guittard Nocturne chocolate

91% Cacao
Origin: Blend

Appearance:  Reddish brown & slightly foggy. Looks like it got a little scuffed and bloomed. Not severely, though.

Snap: Very crisp. Took some muscle to break!

Aroma: even though it’s 91%, the sugar is perceptible. Again, it’s cold outside so the odor molecules aren’t as active as they could be.

Mouthfeel: Silky smooth. Particles are imperceptible. Remarkably clean finish with a slight hint of astringency

Taste: mild coffee, black cherries, a slight tang at the edges of the tongue.  My guess is the blend is heavy in Columbian, Venezuelan, and Malagasy cacao. Almost no bitterness whatsoever.

Overall: An incredible chocolate! If you think 91% is too dark, try this. It is perfectly edible, not at all bitter, and has some character to it . And for $3 per bar, this quality is unheard of.

Claudio Corallo Dark Chocolate with crystalized orange peel

75% cacao
Origin: Sao Thome

Appearance:
Peeling open the silver foil pouch reveals rustic chunks of chocolate, the color of damp soil. There are three hand- poured slabs stacked on top of one another. Crystalline bits of candied orange peel stud the surface.

Snap:
Thick and well tempered, the chocolate produces a crisp deep snap

Aroma:
aggressive and pungent. Slightly automotive and toxic/headachey… Goes straight to the brain. Once the initial burst subsides, there is a scent of cedar and toasted nuts.

Mouthfeel:
Rustic texture. The chocolate itself does not melt easily; instead it dissolves slowly. It’s quite dry. The crystalline matrix around the candied orange peel gives way to gummy bits.

Taste:
At first pungent and heady, like a shot of grappa. This is quite unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. The aroma overwhelms you as you open the bag and paints a masculine image in your head. As that first bite dissolves, a sweetness and mild chocolatiness emerges. It’s surprising how mellow the taste is, considering the initial strength of the smell. The orange peel adds a burst of flavor here and there.

Overall: A challenging and pungent chocolate. Not my personal preference, but an interesting experience nonetheless.