More and more of Amano’s bars lately have taken on a distinct fermented twang, accented by purplish-red fruits such as cherries or prunes. And while Guayas is certainly no exception, it lacks anything else to differentiate itself from Amano’s small but strong roster of bars. With the exception of heady raisins and low blueberry the aroma is, by comparison, too average and even too mild to impart any positive impressions.
Starting bold and deep like many Ecuadorians do, the chocolate is actually off to a great start, enriching its tone with cream, a subtle acidity, and a slight undertone of raisin and blackberry the entire length. As rich and pleasing as it is, though, the flavor has a serene, passive feel due to its relative lack of vigor and distinct highs and lows in the profile.
Not building upon its base flavors makes Guayas very much an inert chocolate as well, which isn’t always a negative trait but serves as one here since—as mentioned—the flavor is fairly level and tame overall. Amano is usually good at hitting the mark on most origins, but it is a bit off-kilter on Ecuadorian turf. The origin can be tough to consistently produce good results with, and Guayas has certainly furnished several challenges the company needs to overcome to make Ecuador a capable option in its roster of bars.
