At a whopping 100%, Dagoba has finally produced a genuinely attractive bar. The sheen on this one is adequate, and no manufacture flaws are present, although the bar as a whole retains a distinct rugged look that could be explained by the nature of the mold itself. Continuing, both color and aroma are lighter than expected for a 100%, both pinkish-red and highly delicate overall. The aroma, though, delves further, presenting mainly raspberries, then mild spice and blueberries, a surprisingly complex (and sweet natured) blend that echoes Madagascar in every way but not with power, rather finesse.
And in flavor, that is pretty much what the chocolate offers, but not in overly aggressive ways, rather with as much finesse that a 100% can possibly muster. Simply put, the chocolate is remarkably easy to eat. The flavor starts off ungracefully (tannic and bitter), however, but mellows out quickly, sending a wonderfully crisp and “tingling†raspberry overtone to which is added spice, then blueberries, and finally lighter shades of wood and coffee, all of which are subtle but obvious enough in the background to lend an elegant edge to an otherwise crisp, refreshing, and fruity flavor.
Texture is exactly what one would expect for an unsweetened: pasty and satisfyingly thick without any flaw whatsoever, the chocolate continues to surpass expectations at every turn. Yet, with a length as short as this, Madagascar again fits into the context of what has just elapsed. And who would think it, when at 65% the chocolate operated on a framework of darkness but here shows much lighter intentions, diverging from the typical Dagoba style in very positive ways. Needless to say, this is one of the company’s better efforts and with unsweetened organic chocolate in short supply, Dagoba has risen to the challenge and put forth a bar that arguably will be difficult to top for quite some time, even for Domori, the peerless master of the unsweetened.
