I won’t ruminate on the whole idea of Raw chocolate here as it has already been touched upon by a fellow reviewer, but instead get straight to the bar itself. The colour has more of a red tint than I would normally expect from the origin and the overall finish is a touch uneven, as we have come to expect from Pacari, with some swirls and the odd patch of light bubbling.
The aroma is just as distinctive and lively, with the typical winey, fermentation-like notes so often a key component of Pacari’s style. Some slightly wild citric elements sit alongside blackcurrant and a delicately woody, oak like presence.
The initial attack is beautifully sharp and acidic with immediate lemon rind and pink grapefruit notes. The fermentation-like flavours arrive with guava skin and added blackcurrant that almost fizzes with intensity .The woody qualities start to show themselves in an attempt to add a little balance to what is a highly uncompromising profile. The tannins are very firm indeed now but the texture is remarkable, the melt being even and surprisingly smooth with only the merest hint of graininess.
Unquestionably the finest “raw” chocolate I have tasted and while I am sure it will polarize opinion, anyone with a passion for fine chocolate should sample this. I personally enjoy this sort of profile, with its sheer boldness and intensity of flavour, and there is little doubt that Pacari have produced a wonderful display of what can be done with this treatment. What is particularly pleasing is that they have sacrificed little of their established house style and in many ways this feels very much like Pacari, only at full volume.
