A fine exemplar of the Carenero Superior bean from the renowned Hacienda Concepcion. Cluizel has done a good job with it, yet somehow it doesn't inspire much passion - a bar that appeals more to the head than the heart. By any objective criterion this is excellent chocolate, yet one feels a vague disappointment, relative to the high expectations the origin generates - might it have been better?

This bar looks almost archetypally Carenero right from the start, with the dark red-brown colour typical of these beans. Finish is, as always, exemplary, glossy and mirror-smooth. Aroma continues to build expectations, a complex, masculine smell, with a lot of coffee and a meaty, iron depth. You could get lost in the aroma - it seems to engulf and surround you. It's also very powerful and strong, like being embraced by a wrestler.

Flavour, however, is somewhat monotone, starting out as raspberry and not moving much beyond that. There is a development towards a more neutral chocolatey flavour in the finish, and yet the bean feels tamed, controlled. One feels like Cluizel may have made the Carenero bean too much a slave to his process, ending up with a chocolate which is excellent from a flavour point of view but in a generic sort of way - something more appropriate to a blend. It's an artwork that has been made overly cerebral - technically perfect but with no spark of genius.

Texture, uncharacteristically, is a bit off - somewhat dry, and of only medium smoothness in comparison to the more commonly effortless smoothness which Cluizel achieves. It's particularly mystifying in light of the highly refined and controlled flavour, an anomaly that might better have been delivered in more flavour excitement. Overall, then, this is a bar of rather sterile perfection, yielding nothing to criticise but no interesting surprises either.

Afternote: In recent batches Cluizel has improved this bar considerably over early versions which were the most disappointingly sterile. There are hints of character now. However, there is still room for improvement. If he continues to refine this bar it could well become a great chocolate indeed.

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Very few air bubbles exact their toll on the surface, but otherwise, there are no flaws as Cluizel obviously accedes to perfection with appearance, including a color that approaches the red-brown side of things. Aroma has some spunk by way of a slight twang that seems pronounced by the grapey and raspberry character. It’s got the basic Carenero fruitiness and some nuttiness too that altogether push forward assertively without leeway for finesse.

The aggression from the aroma finds a home in an opening raspberry flavor that unfortunately fails to develop any further. One even senses some tropical urges flailing below but something is striding over them with greater authority, perhaps the honey sweetness and sweet spices that even give the allusion to earthiness. These subtleties in character cause a flavor that for now seems to be a whisper of what the bean can truly offer, since here one feels that the chocolate is holding something back.

Texture for Cluizel is uncharacteristic but not disconcerting. The smoothness and creaminess is customary, but the consistency splinters on occasion, making one feel that the chocolate as a whole could use some improvement here and there to bring it up to par. For sure the flavor is not what one would expect from Carenero; indeed, it seems aloof and monotone, without much of the bean’s character providing exceptional contributions to the flavor. It’s pretty much a level plane with only scratches in the surface rather than deep, revealing furrows.

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This bar has a very noticeable red-brown colour, warm and rich in tone with a dull snap and slightly fudgy texture.

It has a complex aroma that is difficult to define, but is rich and warm with notes of wood smoke, raisins and polished wood.

The melt is very smooth and slow, allowing the flavours to come out over time. There are smoky citrus top notes of candied fruit and spices, a rich robust middle flavour of actual cocoa, and a warm after taste of honey and almonds. The length brings out the citrus tones, and the aftertaste is warm and smooth.

This is a gorgeous bar, perfect comfort food for a cold winter’s afternoon.

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A good-looking chocolate with a red/brown colour and good, clean snap on breaking. The aroma is tart and promising with cheese and mould hints and light cherry and citrus top notes.

On tasting the flavour is quite mild, with hints of liquorice and ash and a mild earthiness - like damp wood. A lime top dissolves into a slight milkiness, leaving a pleasant chocolaty length as the high citrus notes gradually fade. There's also a hint of 'fried food' in the length.

Although of a fine pedigree, this bar is rather polite in flavour. While surely fitting into the higher end of the fine chocolate range, it's pleasant rather than striking – and rather like Valrhona's Chuao, doesn't quite live up to its own hype.

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