A very good, archetypal semisweet from Guittard, undisputed champions in the mid percentages. It’s hard to argue with the basic flavour, although there is something slightly disappointing to it. Might it not be lively enough? Is it missing character? This is one of those chocolates whose objective credentials are impeccable but yet which fails to thrill. None of this means the chocolate is unworthy, however – this is a semisweet any manufacturer should be proud of. If in the end it’s a tad bit generic that’s not enough to overcome the chocolate’s many positives.
Compared to most of Guittard’s chocolates, the appearance of this one, while exhibiting excellent finish, isn’t perhaps quite so appealing. It’s considerably darker, and bears some hint of purple. Forastero beans, perhaps? All will be revealed…
The aroma with this one mirrors the appearance – it’s very dark, with a strong, roasty characteristic. Coffee is the predominant note, along with earthy suggestions. Guittard is definitely setting this one up as though it’s a relatively cheap-grade Forastero chocolate. However, for all the ominous setup, the flavour itself is magnificent. At first there’s a mild taste of sweet blackberries, which fall back to reveal a brief hint of woodiness. Then powerful waves of driving, intense chocolatey flavour take over everything and last through the finish. It’s a bit sweet, relative to what might have been ideal, but the intensity of the flavour mitigates any tendency to sugariness. It’s pretty definitive for a semisweet class.
Texture is very smooth, indeed, above Guittard’s usual average, although it is somewhat waxy. Normally this suggests high cocoa butter but the strength of flavour provides evidence that this is not the case here. Its profile clearly reveals where the Forastero-like traits are coming from: without doubt this chocolate is heavy on the Ecuador Arriba. There might be a little Madagascar thrown in there but it seems as though there’s some other cocoa not part of the Guittard varietal line, in the mix. And this is probably the source of any lingering discontent – that third source which just doesn’t quite work. It’d be easy enough to change – just add some Sur Del Lago. However, then you end up with L’Harmonie, which is every bit as great as the suggested modifications to this one imply it would be.
