Amma

I was very excited to try this Amma chocolate, what with the potential and relatively good vibes that Frederick Schilling had added to some of the earliest Dagoba selections – well, I mean, for its time, you know, long, long ago, when fine chocolate's horizon was yet relatively uncluttered. But now that even your next door neighbor is applying himself to the art of home brewing chocolate in his basement, you will have to use your other next neighbor's common basement experiment, the time machine, to even understand what I am talking about.

So I was interested to see how Frederick's talent would show itself in this new collaboration with Brazilian plantation owner and chocolate maker Diego Badaro, who has himself collaborated with the likes of Claudio Corallo and Pralus. These two formed their own label in Brazil a few years ago, their tree to bar operation Amma Chocolate. So, sounds great so far, right?

But.

Very hard to say exactly how much either one of these fellows is really involved in formulating the recipes at this point, and there seem to be conflicting views, or just too many chefs in the kitchen, because of a rather odd brand of inconsistency.

It's an interesting mystery that the lower percentages work out better, and I do not mean this in the sense of flawed beans masked by more sugar, no, it isn't that type of problem, so what's the deal? With the 30% milk somehow managing to join the top milk chocolates I've tried, this almost seems darker and more complex than some of the so labeled dark milks, normally over 45% cacao. The 50% semisweet is also offering quite a lot on the palate, for its class.

The 60% & 75% were sort of boring, it's like you feel maybe a bit ripped off after buying this high end product for $9 USD per 100g, and the quality feels more like your $5 grocery store brand. They have an industrial tone glossing over something more artistic, like somebody changed their mind in the middle of a project, deciding half way through to scratch the plan and appeal to as many as possible instead, just to be sure to offend no one. Or is it that, as I wondered, another chef suddenly appeared in the kitchen?

Although through careful searching some of the origin's distinction does show up with the 60 & 75, overall they come off as boring, industrial, candy store, lacking in character. While some of the other Amma selections seem distinguished by plenty of character.

And for the in betweeners, the 45% milk was good and it grew on me after a few tastings, but is not really quite worthy of the better attempts in the same class of milk chocolate. The high percentage 85% is again one of Amma's better, but really not a standout as the 50% and 30% are for their classes.

After the first years of playing hard to get, this stuff is now available stateside via At the Meadow.

You can read a fun article about Schilling's history and the beginnings of Amma in this 2007 issue of The New Yorker.

Since, according to that same article, Fredrick is personal confidant to the goddess Xocolatl herself, or at least they are friends on Facebook, I have wanted to support his blog, so it's in my links section. However, he really hasn't done much with this, it seems, but there is the occasional technical nugget, charming meandering, or interesting cacao travelogue.

But there does exist on his site some video proof of the cacao ferment diving, and okay, all right, so they do this with wine and hold festivals around it, but what about that guy's chest hair, man? Ah, but don't worry, all the chocolate made from those beans has long since been consumed. The beans were sourced by some home brewing dude, who co-hosted a party with his time traveling neighbor. Oh, you were at that party? Sorry.

60%
rating: 8

aroma: raspberry, turnip, seaweed, grenadine, peanut butter, yam, mango, cashew butter, watermelon, anise, candied apple, rye, wine

flavor: strawberry, sap, grape, plum pit, earth, gin, pear, peach, wine, almond, amaranth

finish: cognac, ginseng, jasmine, mildew, lilac, olive, banana bread, yogurt, nutmeg, asphalt, honey

50%
rating: 9

I'm going to say that this is the best 50% semisweet chocolate I've yet tasted. It doesn't seem as sweet, and makes the perfect case for the new adage, you can't judge a chocolate by its percentage.

aroma: gardenia, cardamom, plum, paper, mold, quail eggs, tuna, cinnamon, coconut, whiskey, clay, must, tobacco, burlap, Milk Duds candy, sour cream

flavor: powdered sugar, doughnut, almond, milk, caramel, lime, orange, coffee, smoke, mist, green tea, mint, strawberry, anise, caraway

finish: cherry, lava stone, sourdough, tangerine, raspberry, licorice, yam, banana, chocolate cupcake

30% milk
rating: 8.5

aroma: sheep milk, smoke, burlap, caramel, ribbon, banana, papaya, vanilla, mango, malt, chestnut, pussy willow, leather, honey, brandy, walnut, plum wine, cognac

flavor:orange juice, pistachio, yam, bread, walnut, doughnut, Limoncello, flambé custard, cream, blackberry

finish: caramel pudding, carrot, cake batter, oatmeal, lemon meringue, dessert wine, BBQ, Raisinettes candy, clove, garlic, mildew, papaya, yogurt, rum, rose

45% milk
rating: 8

aroma: raspberry pulp, grenadine, molasses, Play Dough, leather, plastic, candy cane, apricot, honey, anise, mushroom, cantaloupe, cinnamon stick, bread dough

flavor: coffee, malted milk balls, carob sauce, artichoke, apple, nougat, daisy, strawberry jam

finish: cashew, candied yam, tree bark, orange, mint, banana, lilac, Whatchamacallit candy bar, wax, kerosene, mildew, olive oil, palm oil

75%
rating: 8

aroma: cherry juice, strawberry gelato, coffee, anise, lime, grass, cigar, turtle, turpentine, guava, sand, olive

flavor: cocoa pudding, grenadine, molasses, almond, plum, popcorn, rum, Starburst Fruit Chews candy, tree bark, leather, dirt, sugar cube, Kool Aid

finish: coffee cake, metal, vanilla, paper, caraway, mint, carrot, walnut

85%
rating: 8.5

aroma: raspberry wine, blackberry juice, pineapple, nectarine, cardamom, coffee, pistachio, grenadine, grapefruit, potentilla, cardboard, mist, marmalade, green grape, almond, chewing tobacco

flavor: mango, sea water, barn, cayenne, leather boots, molasses, fig, hay, reptile skin, clove, paper

finish: spirulina, tree bark, caraway, tile, leather, vodka, licorice, strawberry

Piura

The significance of cacao growing in the Piura region in Northern Peru is that there can be plenty of white beans in the mix. Zotter claims 40%, Rogue talks about 70%, Bonnat is saying 80%. Rogue also made theirs from one "nano lot" of four bags from the same farm, same drying/ferment cycles, where Zotter, Original Beans, and Bonnat seem to have just gotten some beans from a regular old multi farmer co-op, super old fashioned, I know.

I can see the future, forget about origin or even plantation, but it's about one acre, and eventually only one tree from this acre, the one closest to the stream, and on the west side, and the pod harvested should be only that facing west, nearest the north root of the tree, and that pod comes back only every other year.

I usually get a kick out of the notes on the labels. Makers generally emphasize the "raspberry" character typical of the Piura, and that is in there. But can I just point out that I got chive/onion and yogurt, on every single one of these? Now why isn't "yogurt 'n green onion dip" on on these packages?! Ha ha. No, okay, I'm not really saying that it is the dominant characteristic of this chocolate, just a little piece of trivia for you tasting nerds out there. These were tasted at quite different times, and with no plan in mind to bring them together until that last one, so I didn't even notice that I'd had some chip dip with each chocolate until I put all my notes together. I'm looking for Rogue to hone in on the potato chip tree for their next batch, to complete the ensemble.

Rogue
rating: 9

This was a limited edition of 4000 bars, and quite popular, therefore it looks like it will be coming back again at some point, as the chocolate maker is working on sourcing more beans from that one tree over by the shed. These things take time.

Another chocolate of relaxed elegance, which would seem to be the signature stamp of Rogue.

aroma: tobacco, honey, earth, cantaloupe, tamarind, reptile skin, coconut, animal fur, wheat crackers, ginger, pepper, almond, cigar, caramel, golden raspberry, Asiatic lily, mango, Amazon basin, nutmeg, currant, green pea

flavor: honey, nutmeg, mint leaves, jasmine, plum syrup, molasses, brownie, candy cane, Certs candy, lime rind, Oreo cookie

finish: almond, mango, hazelnut cream pie, salt, orange, cookie dough, hay, spirulina, green onion, yogurt, wood, olive, lemon juice, cherry bark, grapefruit rind, butter, cherry

Zotter
rating: 8.5

aroma: patchouli, mango, canvas, coconut, leather, magnolia, champagne brut, honey, tangerine, Gorgonzola

flavor: raspberry, sourdough, yeasty beer, honey, melon liqueur, jasmine, rye bread, olive oil, plum, lilac, cinnamon toast, pineapple yogurt, cognac, rice wine vinegar

finish: sap, banana peel, avocado, lime, sand, clay, strawberry lemonade, carob, pumpkin, chives, coffee, dirt, cardamom, licorice, fig, plantain

Original Beans

Wasn't all that happy with their launch products, or with their company's ways. But now that their prices have come way back down to earth and they've had some to time to develop, and with changes in the company and what with hearing around the vine they've improved, I gave OB one more whirl and a coupla bucks so I could make this article a quartet.

Well, there is an improvement, in that there are not as many of those weird industrial overlays as with their first, or I mean, their original beans. And I like this chocolate. It's good, I mean, I'm not going out to buy it again or anything, but... Hey, I still don't think that Felchlin is the right choice for this type of bean, as I already pointed out with the Fortunato #4, this is a similarly gentle and subtle cacao, and that is a quality that the Felch just never does seem to handle properly.

rating: 8.5

I like it, it's tasty and good, it's nice. It comes out just a a bit wimpy and boring, instead of somewhat more like subtly distinguished, which seems to be the implied character of this cacao. Though it is rather interestingly limey.

aroma: piña colada, pistachio, carrot, white wine, peanut butter, cashew, seashell, pine nut, yam, apricot jam, palm oil, star fruit

flavor: PB & J on toast, lime, corn syrup, peach, dust, sea salt, red licorice, oak, burnt caramel, fig, bread dough, unripe melon

finish: yogurt, onion, coriander, cinnamon, leather, paper bag, lilac, goji berry, tobacco, pretzel dough, green tea leaves, coral

Bonnat
rating: 9.5

This chocolate packs a chocolaty wallop, yet has a sweetness and plenty going on, it's like a warm summer breeze. The flavor holds bursts of the raspberry and many other fruits and jams, along with a floral bouquet. Persistent aftertaste, the finish of milk and honey, and the wonderful lingering note of raspberry.

aroma: peanut, yam, hazelnut, ginseng, gingko tea, dirt, plum, blackberry, cypress, dew, caramel, banana, raisin, black currant, cherry, fresh grass

flavor: juniper, lilac, sand, cinnamon bark, coffee, Nutella, green clay, chives, chrysanthemum, raspberry

finish: café latté, onion, milk, honey, moss, seaweed, fur, poppy seed, tobacco, leather, Vaseline, Oreo cookie, molasses, white wine, goose liver, smoked turkey

All the hype

So, there's some ultra rare, ultra wild, ultra exotic, ultra exclusive and ultra cool shit goin' down in the chocolate world, so of course there is some ultra hype, and then guess what, it's ultra expensive. So is it worth it, ultrawise, I mean?

Well, Friis Holm, for example, can only be bought at this one shop in the UK, Chocolate and Love, which can also send you some Duffy's while you're at it. But the thing is, it's going to arrive broken and battered, and quite possibly melted several times, in an underpacked slim envelope which takes two to four weeks to reach any of you overseas from there. (Though I have to admit, this Friis Holm bar does kind of make a fun sort of an abstract face thing, now doesn't it?)

Well that sort of abstract art being not up your alley might not affect the desire to buy it, for we are sincere chocophiles, and love our chocolate, we're freaking serious about this stuff, c'mon, man. Oh, did I mention that it costs $20 USD for a 100g bar of the Friis Holm, and then a minimum of 25 big ones to ship your little packie off to the United States, anyhow. Oh.

So, not worth it, then? Probably not.

Unless, of course, the ultra hype is ultra true, which it ultra rarely is, and it blows your superhuman mind mind totally off the planet, well then it is worth it. Her majesty's ultra secretly the world's most expensive yet slowest mail service. But socialized medicine Rawks, it does! Yes, send me some broken chocolate, and then replace my heart valve for free, once I drop from the price tag. But that's only for a British heart...

Friis Holm

So here is the lay of the land. Friis Holm is made by god. Well, it's almost true, I mean, nature anyway had something to do with it. Somewhere in the Nicaraguan forest, there are little elves foraging around, harvesting your cacao beans, and these creatures have told the makers of Friis Holm that they could only make 250 bars of each of these super select creations, and that they couldn't tell anyone on earth who indeed makes their chocolate for them, because it's elves, and they live in secret.

Or maybe it's, um, lemme think here, Bonnat?

I really don't understand why Bonnat doesn't just make their own dang version of the swiftly becoming ultra hip origin of Nicaraguan chocolates, rather than shove it in this package and then be all uber (or ultra) hush hush. Come on, it's freaking obvious. I mean, the Friis Holm website expressly states that the chocolate is made by a family owned maker in the south of France. Then the chocolate slides out of the pack in what is clearly a Bonnat mold, only the Bonnat logo is missing. Well, duh. But let's bring on the James Bond vibe, oh international chocolate of mystery.

After learning that it was Rob Stenberg's (of Scharffen Berger) original project and idea, that he and SB were on a mission to source these beans, that all that has finally come down now to Xoco, the international mystery is what in the hell Friis Holm has got to do with any of it. And then where does Chocolate and Love come in as the sole distributor? Doubtless the reason you've got to pay so much for it, is not because it's so rare and there are some stiff elf fees to be considered, but because there are fifteen companies in charge of "making" it.

Nicaliso 70%
rating: 9

A pleasant eat-ability factor is a hallmark of both chocolates, and a very interesting evolution of flavor on the palate. The Nicaliso can boast about its rather long and delightful tangerine caramel aftertaste.

aroma: pork chop, lemon meringue, burlap, lime and red wine sangria, robust coffee, green tobacco, mist, smoke, candied apple, iron, clove, unripe papaya, strawberry wine, granite, green melon

flavor: raisin, mango, coconut, banana, rhubarb pie filling, plum wine, butter, tamarind, caramel, whiskey sauce, ginger, guava, yogurt

finish: dried leaves, fog, tomato, rust, grapefruit, carob sundae, oak, moss, tangerine, honey, marshmallow, green grape jam

Chuno 70%
rating: 9

Again a tangerine factor. The Chuno is of a soft and gentle sort, and with a candy vibe, in a good way, like a very good candy.

aroma: grape must, peach Schnapps, champagne soaked raisin, lime, lavender, coconut, octopus, caramel, cotton, pasture, meadow, carob, mango, hay, cherry, cardamom, stones

flavor: coffee, banana, earth, nutmeg, candy, leather, pistachio, tangerine tart, plum wine

finish: bread and butter, tree bark, strawberry limeade, ginger snap, soft leather, cantaloupe, sand, deer meat, bee pollen, clove, fish, eucalyptus, licorice, rubber band

Fortunato #4

So it's onto that other most rare chocolate on god's green earth, the Fortunato Mark IV.

I don't know why, when the Marañón Chocolate people went for a walk, and ended up finding out that there were some trees, which had the same genetics as the thought to be extinct "Pure" Nacional – that they put on their thinking caps, then they tried to discern which chocolate company in the world could help to figure out what to do with such a treasure as they had found, that they then came up with – Moonstruck?!? Oh well, however moonstruck dumb this might make you, in the end the chocolate is made by Felchlin anyhow. That's a reputable chocolate maker indeed, there isn't any bad chocolate going on there, but...

But, but, this really needs to be in the hands of some different smaller batch crafters and masters of the small scale production, Pralus, Bonnat, you know what I'm talking about. A couple of Americans maybe.

Here is some diatribe and a few fun factoids and hype, and contra hype stuff for you to gaze upon at some point, I am not going much further into all the intricacies surrounding this particular hype anymore. Let's just stay on point, which is of course that the world's best chocolate comes from the cacao growing in the wilds of the Marañón canyon, in Peru. There is no better tasting or more rare cacao ever to be had.

So somewhere in the Marañón canyon, there must live yet another band of elves. I might think it could be goblins or else some gnomes, who might be more suited to canyon living, I know. But I thought that considering this is Moonstruck we are dealing with here, they must be elves, since without doubt this has to be Clan Keebler.

But, enough about all of them, let's talk about me for a minute, and my little old opinion of this chocolate.

Plenty of potential here, and though Felchlin is not the one for this chocolate, it does not mean they have done a bad job. Not sure that I have encountered such a thing as a "bad" Felchlin, well, except the result of that unholy marriage of this larger scale confectioner with Original Beans, perhaps.

I would compare this in ways to the Hawaiian chocolate Waiaulua Estates from Dole via Guittard. Lots of implied potential and exciting things, but not realized, again not in the hands of the right party. It's still good, but when the implied class, subtly, and loveliness underneath the current sort of superficial and candy like veneer can become more realized, then we'll be talking.

The innate characteristics here remind me a little bit of some of the Porcelana, and this chocolate does have a mellow sweet character. There is something light and refreshing about this delicate, gentle chocolate.

As to value, when Willy Wonka rolls out his Oompah Loompahs to do the harvesting, then maybe we really ought to think about paying the fee of $12 USD for 56 grams of this "special" stuff. In the meantime, "Violet, you're turning Violet, Violet." As violet as the glittery, glowing purple lettering of the package, as bloated and puffed out as one giant blueberry girl, or as inflated and puffed up as all this hype.

rating: 8.5

aroma: passion fruit, dried currant, parsley, spinach, butter, coconut, marshmallow, vanilla custard, olive oil, sandalwood, Creme de Menthe, green onion, water chestnut, nutmeg

flavor: goat milk, coconut, orange, lemonade, onion soup, molasses, cacao pulp, apricot jam, asparagus, hibiscus, paper pulp, green beans, canned tomato soup, metal

finish: butterscotch candy, cinnamon, alcohol, coffee, almond, peppermint sticks, banana, Burgundy, sand, white wine vinegar, Nutella, yogurt, cardamom spice cake

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate wants to be the Mast Brothers. No, I mean, they really, really do.

Here is a quote from their own mouths, as a reply on their own Facebook page to a question from a blogger named Melody:

We saw a little vimeo video about the Mast Brothers and their chocolate company in Brooklyn. Adam and I were very inspired by the look and feel of their operation, and decided to look into what it takes to make chocolate. After a little research, we began buying and building the tools needed to start making single origin bean-to-bar chocolate. We are having a lot of fun crafting the chocolate, and creating this little business.

"The look and feel," well, they've got that part down, all right. The most obvious example, their package design is practically identical, from the wallpaper wrappers, to the labels on the back, and even the mold and size of the bar is exactly the same, the plain old square mold chocolate. There is even a picture (below, top) on the DT website, which shows them striking poses in black and white, similar in fashion to some of the oft circulated MB photos (below, bottom.) So MB can staring calling DT "Mini me" any time now.

So I'm thinking, when I first saw all of this, "I am not going to like this chocolate very much, it's just going to be another chocolate where 'there is no there there.'" Well, that's not true. It is actually good chocolate, it just isn't great, or even quite as good as the Mast Brothers, who only border on greatness themselves. The chocolate itself does seem very MB influenced also, and MB in turn are very Scharffen Berger influenced, I find. Nothing wrong with that, as long as it's Ye Olde Scharffene Bergere from days of yore, and that is pretty much what we are talking about.

Now these are good chocolates. They certainly are not bad, and they are getting pretty close to being as good as their idol Mast Brothers, and that's a compliment, I think. They are not good enough as of yet, however, to be playing quite on the same field. So they are in the second tier of American b2b makers, but let's say they are at the bottom of that tier, while MB sits at the top of the second tier. The issue with some chocolates in the second tier is, that there are a few chocolates on your usual grocery store shelves which supply better, or at least as good, chocolate experience as you get with these "artisan crafters," and you spend less money. No matter how cool the package, and whether it's more hand made, is this worth it?

In the end, it's not really worth it to be paying $8 per bar for this chocolate, and if you are not local, you've got to order online, and they only send packs of two bars. So $16 and shipping, definitely not worth it. Even if I were local, and could buy one single bar with no shipping charge, I would not pay $8 for this chocolate. I would pay $6 for it, and could see myself buying the 80% every once in while. But even at $6 with shipping, I would probably pass on it at the moment. The chocolates just don't have enough personality for now, and there's lots for DT to learn. But there is promise, and I look forward to checking back in couple of years to see how it's going.

Dick Taylor is into the organic and fair trade certification game, lest you take them for less than certifiable. Their only ingredients so far are the cacao and the sugar. Their current plain origin chocolate offerings come from Sambirano Valley (Madagascar,) and Mantuano (Venezuela.) The Mantuano was not out yet when I ordered these chocolates just a couple of weeks ago, so I went with the two percentages of Sambirano only.

Dick Taylor also likes the look and feel of only offering you your exact choice if it's in stock, like the Mast Brothers do. I told them in the order comments that I want one of each Sambirano or hold the order until available, which is what you'll have to do if you want to be very exact, or you might end up with some flavored bars, or who knows what.

Sambirano 72%
rating: 8

Now when I say the chocolates don't have enough personality, you may think it contradictory that I have so many notes, at least in the finish, here. Well, it took me some searching to find them out, and the orchestration with these chocolates is somehow not yet very sophisticated. In fact, there was something a tiny bit flat and lacking here, I liked the 80% better. With both chocolates, I really don't like the texture.

"Oh, snap! You usually don't go talking about the texture of chocolates, I thought you didn't give a damn about that–" you say? That's true, and I usually don't, but this texture actually bothers me, they've really got to work on that. If I'm complaining, then I hate to Ebertize, but "Your Texture Sucks."

aroma: cigar, sap, plastic, wheat, grass, toffee, licorice, anise, coffee, pineapple, leather, aspirin, banana bread, tangerine, rubber, milk

flavor: rhubarb, green grape, ice cream sandwich, tobacco, goat, hay, barn, plum, lemon, mango, apple, sweet milk, tamale, Swiss Miss pudding

finish: dried fig, lavender, honey, bee pollen, oyster on the half shell, coconut, swamp/marsh, almond, caraway, wood, carrot, paper, tomato paste, paste, glue, clove, cinnamon, wax, mashed potato, pinto bean, lime jelly, rotten egg, surplus store, plastic, fuel, must, oak, bugs, raspberry, orange, ginger snap

Sambirano 80%
rating: 8

As can often be the case with Madagascar origin, a very citrusy chocolate. What I got from this one as distinct from other Madagascar chocolate I have tasted, was a lovely little bit of a mossy character. There were also various fruit seeds in the mix. Otherwise very limey, and with very fresh tobacco tastes during the flavor. The pleasantly lime/coffee aftertaste has a good staying power. If there is one thing I'll miss, in not buying this chocolate again for two years, it will be that moss. Still, it's not enough to make me change my mind about it.

aroma: coffee, moss, raspberry, clay, brown sugar, caramel, malt, corn syrup, dung, cinnamon, mango, papaya, oregano, black pepper, mace, plum, cigarette ash, spirulina, honey, oak, Midori, cement, paper, lilac, juniper, lemon, leather, hot cocoa

flavor: tobacco, pomegranate, vanilla, cantaloupe, sand, granite, pumpkin custard, watermelon seed, orange, rhubarb pie, graham cracker crust, lime, ash, strawberry

finish: sumac, hibiscus, oil paint, chocolate chip cookie, mollusk, lava stone, ginger snap, eucalyptus, sour cream cookie dough, Grape Nuts cereal, vodka on the rocks, burnt orange, brass

Amano Cuyagua

So this is my new favorite chocolate. I am more interested in this origin than I am in Chuao or Porcelana for some reason, I suppose that puts me in a very small minority. An extremely rich chocolate experience.

There was always something wild and exciting about this origin. Okay, "always" means I've tried a whole two different versions. It seems there was a Pralus somewhere but I missed that one, darn it. I had the Scharffen Berger, and the other was earlier version from Amano.

Well, I thought that both of these spoke of an evocative, unique origin. After that Amano one a few years back, I kept missing that limited edition, which has been gone awhile. So now it's finally back out, and better than ever, I feel. My top choice among Amano chocolates, and a top choice among most chocolates, for me at the moment. I'd also be very interested in seeing some other makers try their hand at this fascinating origin.

rating: 9.5

The one tiny flaw seems to be that the aftertaste doesn't quite live up to the aroma and taste experience.

aroma: grenadine, almond, black cherry, seashell, metal, black licorice, hot cocoa, caraway, leather, tangerine, oak, feather, lime, banana bread, black sands, smelting iron, bread pudding, seaweed, apricot, raisin, cotton candy, turpentine, olive, honey, macadamia, molasses, mandarin

flavor: rum, olive oil, sassafras, melon, pasta, cardamom, 7UP soda, lavender, yam, marshmallow, coriander, coffee, must, roasted plum, baby's breath flower, yogurt, watermelon candy, tobacco

finish: margarita, walnut, barn, wood floor, slightly flat champagne, mango, tulip, leather, green melon, whiskey, candied apple, mist, cologne, duck, fig, anise, lemon balm tea

Madécasse duo

Well, all right, so I had to revisit this chocolate maker, since I was so struck the weirdness of the last chocolates I had from them. Or else it was because their name kept popping up all over. Actually, it was because Chocosphere put a free sample in my chocolate box, yeah. I wasn't given a choice in the matter. But when I first picked up this small square, I made a little face, but then I did taste it, and found I rather liked it.

So, finding they had a couple of newer products, an 80% and a milk, I thought I'd give Madécasse a try again with those two. That little square was the 70%, and I also found that better than what I'd had before. Well, something's changed over there at Madécasse HQ, or what? New chocolate maker, perhaps? Or maybe those were just some strange batches I got. But I ended up liking this stuff quite a bit, actually.

Hey, I've said it before, I'll say it again, things can change. Why even Green & Black's has gotten a bit better lately, a fact I only noticed in an emergency. A chocolate emergency is when you go out of town for three days, and end up staying for three weeks. Only the fact the you are going to be rotating between just two outfits over a three week period, and they are not even your best colors, is no consideration at all, when you compare it to life's most important things, like the fact that you did not bring any Askinosie. And you are in a small town. Oh boy. Well, I had to grab whatever was available at the local co-op, and once I got sick of Theo, it was Green & Black's being the only remotely decent thing left on the shelves. But I digress, find out how the G&B turned out better than barely decent in a later blog.

80%
rating: 8.5

This chocolate is overall very peachy, and has a long peachy ginseng tea aftertaste.

aroma: blackberry, plum, orchid, sand paper, caramel, leather, skin, old shoe, almond oil, lemon grove, clove, patchouli, dried reeds, anise, oil lamp, watermelon, honey, peanut

flavor: raspberry, peach syrup, autumn breeze, spring rain, coral, chestnut, cinnamon, orange, grapefruit, buttermilk pancake, ash, rubber, tar, strawberry

finish: hibiscus, nectarine, oak leaves, sand, molasses, maple syrup, lime juice, tangerine rind, ginseng, cardamom, peach, poppy seed, lipstick, chives, lilac, walnut, tequila

milk 44%
rating: 8.5

Has a rather sophisticated personality. Mellow and subtle, creamy and candy, yet dark and rich. Late finish reveals plenty of spice. I think I'd place this one in my top 10 milk chocolates. Reminds me of a rich, creamy coffee with spiced brandy, a little citrus zest grated on top, with a little carrot cupcake on the side.

aroma: dry white wine, tropical storm, red licorice, leather, smoke, cream, horse, wet leather, coffee, doughnut, orange, horehound (herb)

flavor: sangria, coconut, cheese, milk, lime rind, orange zest, piña colada, Whoppers candy, onion, olive, lemon, cardamom, paper, tobacco

finish: pistachio gelato, vanilla custard, dry sherry, almond flour, black licorice, beer, salt, whole wheat bread dough, raspberry sorbet, grenadine syrup, grapefruit, pine nut, nutmeg, carrot cupcake, walnut pudding, basil infused lemonade, cardamom, allspice, clove

Artisan du Chocolat

UK chocolate maker Artisan du Chocolate creates chocolates from liquor to bar, that is, they have somebody else roasting the dried fermented beans for them, and processing them into liquor, and the beans are then shipped to their factory in the UK, and made into chocolate from there. So it's not bean to bar, but one step removed from it. So Artisan does not control their roast, but does manage the recipe blending and conching from there.

So I tried out three of their origins, two of which are more uncommon, Vietnam and Bali. Amano has also tried Bali, reviewed here, and I've also had one recently from Bittersweet, also enjoyable. The third origin was Jamaica, an origin I've generally been excited about, and I've been waiting for some chocolate maker to really create something truly great with it. Did Artisan du Chocolat succeed?


A little background on the unique origin of Vietnam.
Here are some articles about Vietnam Cacao from the World Cocoa Foundation. Vietnam wants to compete on the world market as a major exporter of cacao, and as such will be focusing on high yielding strains. Probable widespread lack of proper farming and fermentation techniques increases the likelihood that the amount of quality cacao exported will be quite tiny, at least for some years. Read about the industrial efforts of Vietnam's rapidly growing cacao industry that are underway here and here.




Vietnam
rating: 8

So , this isn't the only Vietnam origin on the market. There is a Scharffen Berger Vietnam origin, which I will probably have to taste now for comparison, even though I've been sort of boycotting SB ever since they finally sold off the original factory and moved to Industrial Park, USA (via Hershey.) This is unique chocolate which throughout the aroma, flavor and finish, has some flavors that are not easy to pin down precisely.

If I were a tea connoisseur, perhaps, I could name a few of those things in the finish. Instead, I would describe it as a very interesting, earthy ambrosial mix of sort of dark teas with some kind of essential oils of mint and something not quite lemongrass, it's earthier than that. Maybe it's like a honeyed stick tea, or well, I don't know, but it's fascinating. There are some distant fruity/syrupy notes, and something floral, in the aroma that I can't quite name either. That makes for an exciting chocolate for me. Any time you get to have a new experience in chocolate, and with this origin, it's one I've never quite had before.

I'm doing my best to describe in the notes, the taste experiences that I have never had before. Beyond the novelty of the experience of a new origin, and its different and exciting new taste in chocolate, I am not sure how to qualify this chocolate. As can often be the case with a rare origin, is it really that great, or is it just so exciting to get these new flavors, to express this new terroir? So I've done my best to reflect that with the rating. I certainly do think that everyone should try this one, it's unique, and enjoyable. But some of this is a somewhat subtle undercurrent, you might have to take time and have patience to get to know this bar, if it doesn't immediately speak to you, try again. Yes, there can be a few candy notes and some coconut dominance, either of which might be typical of a more simple, mass market product. But do take the time to get beyond this and don't be too quick to judge.

There is a distinctive mint oil sensation that tickles the throat in an almost menthol sensation, in the finish. When I say dried apricot, I mean the bitter/tart part of the apricot without much of the sweetness. The best metaphor I can come up with for some of the unique characteristics of this chocolate is that it is a little bit like eating incense, not in a bad way, in an interesting way.


aroma: coconut, palm oil, orange, jasmine, lilac, macadamia, cherry, gasoline, pear wine, malted milk, pomegranate, red Jello, Hershey, pine cone, maple syrup, leather, red pepper jam, toasted marshmallow, Milky Way candy, caramel, river water, cognac, sunshine, smoked thyme

flavor: beetle, lemongrass, beer, coconut, peach, yogurt, tequila, wintergreen, caramel, hibiscus punch, grape must, Cinnamon, curry, pimento, caraway, cashew, mineral spirits, unripe fruit

finish: birch bark, vanilla ice cream, burnt pistachio, margarine, peppermint oil, smoky black teas, honey, wool, wheat, salt, earth, burnt nuts, burnt teas, maple syrup, corn syrup, vodka, ivory, fire/sparks, menthol, soy sauce, dried leaves, ash, dried unsulphured apricot, cayenne



Jamaica
rating: 9

It's all about an incredible balance. It's all about deliciousness, elegance, and orchestration. It just has a complexity and a loveliness.

aroma: orchid, plum, paper, dried flowers, chamomile, clove, patchouli, ocean, peach, yam, coffee, espresso bean, earth, clay, sand, hazelnut paste, honey, milk, mint, lilac, currant, rose, pine nut, lime, cinnamon, allspice, cocoa pudding, pesto, pistachio, salt, marjoram mace, fruity red wine, caramel apple

flavor: strawberry jam, mango, cashew butter, almond butter, peanut butter, coconut, cotton, squid, seashell, lamb, chives, honey, bee pollen, white wine, pistachio

finish: orange marmalade, honey, banana puree, pear, fig, almond, salt, mayonnaise, quail, shark fin soup, nutmeg, earth, snail, coffee, taffy, angel food cake, gin, crusty bread, must, dirt, mustard, melon, grapefruit, daikon radish, green onion, mint meltaway, orange blossom, sangria




Bali
rating: 8.5

Aroma is very floral, fruit syrupy, and alcoholic, with a hint of the smoky/woodsy. Perhaps that's why it calls to mind that this chocolate, while it may not be near a masterwork of any kind, is very pleasantly candy in a good way, and should make a delightful companion to some outdoor hiking trip, for a refreshing snack. Flavor is not complex, but quite nice. The finish is desserty but a little earthy, and with a tiny hint of spice. Overall, a strong rice wine character to this chocolate, which also has some flowers that rarely get to make an appearance (tulip, daffodil, plus their bulbs.)

aroma: coconut, mango, cinnamon, barley, rice wine, orchid, lily of the valley, espresso, home brew wine, daffodil, tulip, onion skin, honey, potpourri, doughnut, dry mustard, grenadine, honeysuckle, canoe wood, avocado, mint, hot cocoa, grapefruit, tree bark, rust, metal, lavender, peach syrup, lemon-lime granita

flavor: steak sauce, lime oil, green grape, plum, maple syrup ,tree bark, alpine snow, wet stones, banana, toasted almond, thyme oil, caramel, licorice

finish: apricot, rich garden soil, flowering almond, BBQ, cayenne, mace, spring rain, corn kernels, salt, milk, flan, fig pudding, paper towel, cardboard, sesame oil, coffee, anise, straw, mist, green onion