has anyone here heard of gobino?
what i know: italian bars with 70%+ cocoa content from different regions.
i’ve only read captions and seen a pic. has anyone tried any?

just found their website:

http://www.guidogobino.it/

the bars are under ‘what’ and from there ‘tavolette dama’ and ‘modern art’. only in italian though…

he..he… this will make you smile about arriba!
Arriba means arriving, therefore when traditionally the buyers asked the merchants in south america where the beans are, the merchants say Arriba Arriba!! (i.e. they are arriving)
Therefore Arriba does not exist as a region
i have seen it as a denomination for a type of bean grown in a certain region but I think Arriba beans are a little …. mischevious…
;-)))
Chocolatero

nice story. but i find bars labeled arriba have all had a similar taste. don’t you think the name has been tagged to a certain genotype?
btw, there’s a new organic arriba bar out here in germany by vivani. well worth a try if you can get it.

no, vivani is a german make: http://www.vivani.de/index_englisch.html

hmm, how would i describe arriba? first off, you can tell it’s not criollo because it’s not as complex and smooth. the taste to me is straightforward and chocolatey with a hint of spice. maybe leaning a bit towards lebkuchen. but i would have to go back for a taste to describe it closer. i’m sure montegrano can nail it better ;)

what other arriba’s have you tried? i can’t remember whether there’s a list floating around here somewhere.
i find criollo/trinitario to be more intense and less fleeting in taste than arriba.

Thank you, sound quite exiting. So it must be National type of bean, then? The trees crossover easily as far as i know ( though how – pollination?) so wud not be surprised with all that confusion. So, how did u find Gobino, any good?

Arriba is also called Nacional, which as we should all know by now, is believed to be a separate (fourth) “subgroup” of cacao. Although it’s not a region itself, it is, however, associated with certain growing areas such as Ecuador and Colombia, and chances are that any cacao coming from predominantly Arriba-growing regions will be Arriba (but no guarantees, of course).

Typically, Arriba cacao has a pure cocoa flavor with notes of spice, vanilla, soft red fruits, nuts, and coffee. It’s a very relaxing flavor, imo, with very agreeable flavors. Also, I tend to find that most Arriba has a dark tone and isn’t as “vibrant” and sharp as other cacao. It’s not like a typical Forastero because it lacks the bitterness and has a much more subtle character, but it’s not quite as delicate or fine as Criollos. Also, it’s more like a Criollo because of its susceptibility to disease, but more like a Forastero because of it’s heartier flavor than Criollo.

I recommended this to you, Ellie, because of your past reactions to other chocolates. You have to find a good Arriba to really appreciate it fully, and that means you have select a brand that can properly select and process the beans, such as Domori. Sur del Lago cacao shares similar properties to Arriba, imo, so check that out too.

Just remember, Ellie, not to taste them expecting the best chocolate in the world. I’m not saying that it isn’t, but this frame of mind always leads to disappointment regardless of chocolate. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, try them with a neutral frame of mind without any expectations. And try them multiple times before forming a final opinion.

If you don’t start with good beans, then you won’t have good chocolate. Type of bean is just as important as manufacturing processes; it is, after all, half of the equation to arrive at the best possible outcome, i.e. good chocolate. This is quite obvious, otherwise we would not be having this discussion. And I would advise against pairing chocolate with food because the residual flavors in your mouth will affect the chocolate’s flavors, intensity level, etc. So try to wait at least 30 minutes after a meal before eating chocolate in order to experience the true flavor profile. Also, wine and chocolate pairing is a bad idea because the tannins will mute all the flavors, so you’ll only be experiencing a sharp chocolatiness that might even taste bitter or too sweet. Same with tea. I note that all these foods are inherently “bitter,” that is to say, they all contain tannins that overwhelm other flavors and taste bitter to most people, especially at extreme levels of potency.

Valrhona’s Porcelana is fabulous, and so smooth.. I even found i miss fudgy meit of Amedei’s Porcelana. Sertanly i meant only good beans to start with, – still possible to spoil in the process? With the rest of the tasting puzzles mooving to tasting topic.

whoa! sorry, guys. i think i took this thread off topic. can we move the discussion on arriba, vivani and tasting to other threads?