Seventy% » Reviews – dark bars

The Chocolate Tree – Madagascar Raw 70%

Alex Rast — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:16:57 +0000

The Chocolate Tree ventures boldly into territory formerly almost the exclusive domain of Pacari with a raw chocolate that one has reason to believe may be classified as “fine”. It’s even more refreshing to see an exciting origin: Madagascar, whose bright fruitiness might indeed be shown to the fore in a raw interpretation. This will be an interesting experiment, given that raw Madagascar is heretofore unknown and a very daring venture indeed for a new manufacturer still very much in the early days of chocolate-making. The potential is enormous: with a wide-open field they have the ability to reveal entirely new possibilities in chocolate flavour. But the proof will be in the pudding; theory is nice, but taste is everything. One couldn’t get much closer to a bar that defines the concept of a “must-try”.

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The Chocolate Tree – Ecuador 82%

Alex Rast — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 01:03:46 +0000

Scotland joins the club of bean-to-bar countries with this (and other) chocolates from interesting micro-producer The Chocolate Tree in Edinburgh. This is a new experiment for a company previously involved in confectionery and who also sell other-branded bars in their shop. With such small production and so early on in the experiment, one expects inevitably the results might be somewhat uneven, and thus maybe any early reviews will be preliminary. However, by their choices of percentages, origins, and processes, it’s already clear that the Chocolate Tree isn’t producing another “me-too” clone of other manufacturers, so whatever the results may be, they’re providing variety. With its high 82% cocoa content, this chocolate will, almost inevitably, invite comparison to Pacari’s 85%, but again, by varying both percentage and process, they make sure they’re offering a different experience. What will the Chocolate Tree contribute? There’s no substitute for trying and finding out.

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Friis-Holm – Chuno Double Turned

Alex Rast — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 23:48:20 +0000

The other half of the Chuno pair from Friis-Holm, which plays the very interesting game of asking by way of practical experimentation what differences in fermentation might do. Like the Triple Turned, this explores an entirely new space in chocolate tasting and for similar reasons is one to try at least once, if not more. Previous experience with Friis-Holm does suggest that “more” will definitely be the operative word in this case. It must be said, though, that it demands an intelligent consumer, one who on the one hand isn’t going simply to much it (or even savour it uncritically), but one with an evaluative frame of mind, sufficiently confident likewise to send their comments back to Mikkel – after all, in this chocolate it’s all about the feedback.

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Red Star Chocolate – Ocumare 72%

Alex Rast — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 01:32:19 +0000

After a long hiatus, during which Red Star was apparently tinkering with their process, Duffy returns with a revised Ocumare dark. A well-known but highly-reputed origin is an obvious place to start after process changes, and this one will suggest comparisons to their earlier version as well as to other bars in the field, even if comparison with the earlier Red Star rendition is only possible for the fortunate few to have an archival bar stored away safely. However, the stunning success of the milk chocolate version is already promising, and here we will see the base chocolate in its unadorned glory – at least we hope! Equally interesting is the examination of style upon bean; Ocumare, for all its fine qualities, has suffered from rather erratic interpretations in the past by several manufacturers and if Red Star’s obsession with process has paid off, perhaps this bar will be a standard-bearer for the bean.

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Menakao – Dark Chocolate 72%

Alex Rast — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 20:51:00 +0000

Madagascar keeps on throwing up local chocolate manufacturers…with a reputation for inconsistency. Here we go with another one whose long-term results will have to be tested in time but who show that the Madagascans are determined to try to get it right. As usual the questions focus around the processing choices at manufacture; no one doubts the ultimate potential quality of the beans and so this is very much a presentation of the state of development of chocolate production in the country. With the 72% Menakao presents a classic percentage that should suit a broad variety of tastes – and an ideal reference test case for their products.

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Pacari Piura 70%

George Gensler — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 21:41:06 +0000

A possible first for a growing country chocolate maker, Pacari release their first bar made with cacao from outside their home country of Ecuador. Piura is fast becoming famous as an origin for its white-beaned local cacao in the north or Peru and here Pacari take a giant leap forward as they begin to widen their origin palette.

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Pralus – Cuyagua

Alex Rast — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 23:59:23 +0000

In the third of their “prestigious vintages” series, Pralus ventures into a bean/origin not so heavily promoted as Porcelana or Chuao: Cuyagua. Indeed, only one other specific instance of this origin has appeared in the past, so in many ways this is a completely new experience. With Pralus’ make-or-break style, the real question is whether the bean is suitable. Certainly Pralus’ own information on the bar suggests so, but here is a bar nonetheless aimed at the adventurous experimentalist rather than the cautious conservative.

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Pralus – Porcelana

Alex Rast — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 01:07:29 +0000

Pralus jumps onto the Porcelana bandwagon with another offering in what is becoming a crowded field. In many respects, it’s difficult to imagine what Pralus can bring to this party, given that Porcelana’s mild, retreating nature would seem to clash with Pralus’ assertive, robust style. However, at least one useful potential contribution is to serve as a reference for certain stylistic process points. The past record from previous manufacturers is not encouraging, if we look at number of genuine successes vs. number of attempts. At the end of the day, the proof will be in the pudding; if Pralus can deliver, regardless of suspected incompatibilities, then the point will have been made.

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Domori – Guasare

Alex Rast — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 20:35:49 +0000

Perhaps one of the most eagerly-awaited chocolates ever, Domori’s long-rumoured (seemingly forever!) Guasare finally arrives. Ever since Maricel Presilla’s original New Taste of Chocolate mentioned it, this bean has probably drawn higher expectations than any other save, perhaps, the original Porcelana. Thus the big question: Can Domori possibly live up to the hype (as they did with the Porcelana)?

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L’Amourette Chocolatier Carenero Superior 75%

George Gensler — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:54:55 +0000

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