The dark purple wrapper houses a bar of similar color, but the chocolate is much lighter, approaching a shade that could be mistaken for milk chocolate. Guittard as usual takes pride in a superb finish, and this is exactly what you get here; a brilliant reiteration of a standard for elegance. Aroma is light and complex, perhaps calm and collected, and definitely too reticent in its delivery since you must approach it patiently to deconstruct. Blueberries and prunes emerge first but further inhalations reveal an abundant spice cabinet constructed from cedar.

The flavor is very complacent and well-defined, as a blanket of blueberry bathes the tongue until a spice cabinet opens, revealing cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, which all merge and amalgamate into allspice. Orange joins the spiciness to convey a unified taste sensation of Lebkuchen, which is then matched by low notes of cedar for the remainder of the length. The chocolate never is aggressive or flamboyant in any way, just calm and dignified like a confident feline.

Texture is a perfect match for the flavor, being precise in its creaminess and smoothness, melting almost like cream. Everything about this chocolate exudes refinement and sophistication, which pretty much follows the pattern Guittard has laid out for all its bars. Not being a company for intensity or in-your-face flavors, Guittard has created the ultimate bar to express their philosophy in chocolate making. Low-key and nonchalant, this is also one of tamest Madagascans on the market.

Like the rest of the Guittard origin line, the finish on this bar is exemplary. It’s almost shimmering in its shininess, and of an appealing light-brown colour, which on first glance might be mistaken for a milk chocolate. Aroma is both prominent and complex, with a cherry and prune forwardness, underlain with cloves and with a vanilla note that emerges only after a time. It doesn’t have the pungency of Domori but it’s getting there.

The flavour opens with a blueberry explosion, reminiscent of Chuao but which soon changes to entirely different with that spicy body the aroma revealed, now more allspice in its composition. The finish then shifts into an earthy and cocoa tone, which makes for a complex progression very much like the aroma. The flavours don’t quite harmonise perfectly, but they don’t really clash, either, so it’s a chocolate that stays very edible.

Guittard definitely improves over their classic texture here, making a bar that is very smooth and creamy, a welcome change even if the reasons for it aren’t completely clear. What does seem clear, however, is that Guittard has tuned this bar for versatility – with so many flavours going on, flavours that won’t immediately be wiped out by baking or dilution but which don’t clash, you can combine the chocolate fearlessly with many other things, and end up with a good result. It’s a chocolate that manages a very good tradeoff between all-around versatility and individualistic character.