it's a battle of the low-intensity chocolates. i only realized that now. at least the low-key chocolates anyways.
bonnat chuao
look - nicely red-tinted. very smooth, no bubbling 9.5
smell - tart/sharp vegetative, slightly smoky woody, light minty berries, touch of cinnamon-like spice, soft slightly savory cocoa, peach pie, very slight pizza (oregano) smell, 9
taste - cocoa comes up first, slight pleasant bitter, smoky (somewhat like the theo), sweet desserty flavor (arg, caramel?), berries (blue), smoked salmon (more the smoky part, less the fishy), roasty flavor, sweet but backed up by weight, slight citrus zest, herbal cocoa, sharp tartness at finish, a bit smoky finish. coffee lingers in along with slight bitter. length very pleasant cocoa. quite long. 9
balance - very nice. a bit on the sweet side, with acid playing a very backstage role. base is very solid though, and is accentuated by some bitterness. 9
texture - very good. a slight powdery sensation 8.5
interpretation - a very mild, low key chocolate that really explores the range of what vanilla-free chocolates can taste like. while being subtle, still brings in a very wide range of flavors, makes it quite exciting to eat. a good chocolate when looking for a challenge (in terms of exploration). i like. 9 (maybe 9.5 on a good day)
summary - subtle, expressive, wide variety of smells.
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domori - sur del lago
look - earthy ashen brown. slight tiny bubbling. 9
smell - fresh, green, cedary, burnt wood, creme brulee, a high-toned sweet with low fruitiness (probably best described as a spice, maybe clove?), a crusty pie, slight chalky smell, blue cheese ketone, fragrant flowery soap, fresh bright sweet cocoa, nuttyness, 9
taste - nice glue-smelling cocoa, dry high peppery, creamy light, richer nutty taste coming in, sweet, low to no acid, slight fruitiness peeking in (cherry), creamy light, toasty, very light coffee, bitter comes in at finish, caramel, bready sensations, long somewhat smoky cocoa finish/length. 9
balance - a bit on the sweet side. there was definitely plenty of creamy "base" to back it up, but the complete lack of acid made it appear sweet. pleasant in its own way.
texture - very nice. creamy, smooth. (might have been a random nib chunk) 9
interpretation - a light, fresh and creamy chocolate. no vanilla means very easy to pick out the "high, sweet" smells that are sometimes obscured by vanilla. very interesting in that it was not very fruity. in some sense, i kinda feel like this is a very "one sided chocolate". i have this image in my mind of something all built up on one side with th other side open, but it's done very well. all light, creamy and sweet. the lack of acid sort of works to pronounce this. really interesting. 9
summary - light, creamy, sweet, low acid.
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pralus papousie
look - dark brown with slight red tints. fairly smooth, but some ugly bubbling 8
smell - somewhat pineapple, somewhat peanut, soft cocoa, slight brown butter, kind of a raspberry powder, other faint fruits, vanilla, extraordinarily faint. 8.5
taste - buttery sensations, slight roasty almond, cocoa, fish pan fried with butter, rich sensations, bright tropical sensation, really ultra riche and creamy, great acid level, slight fruity cocoa, senbei, slight bitterness creeping in, fruity cocoa and roast nuts finish it off. a sharper cocoa sensation on the length, slight burnt grain flavor, length evolving into cocoa. 9
balance - near perfect. everything was aligned to my preference. all elements present (sweet, acid, in equally strength, with a touch of bitter here and there. 9.5
texture - really nice. if it wasn't for slight astringency at end, my memory of the texture would be more positive. but it's very rich and creamy. 9
interpretation - true cocoa flavor only slightly accented by vanilla, but the real excitement with this chocolate is the balance. the balance and texture. it's just so well aligned. not necessarily a very expressive chocolate, but a very very tasty "eating chocolate". no need to think, only feel. a winner in that sense. 9~9.5
summary - cocoa, great balance/texture, rich
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pralus tanzanie
look - a dirty tea brown. some ugly white chunks, odd surface. 8
smell - plasticy, herbal, toasted english muffin, cocoa, fresh cut wood of some sort, slightly fruity, 8~8.5
taste - like uncooked pasta, astringency jumps in, berry sensation, kind of a gluey-cocoa, sweet, vanilla emerges then disappears, woody flavors, tartness emerges, tea?, bitter cocoa, some slight plasticy, powdery sensation, astringent cocoa finish, length is of roasty cocoa. 8
balance - decent. i felt some acid this time, but in general somewhat lacking in a "fullness" sense. 8
texture - ok, but astringency gives a more powdery sensation than expected. 8
interpretation - the uncooked pasta sensation is really quite interesting. in general a bit of a strange choco, with non-standard semi-savory elements. makes for a fun ride, but astringency makes it less than perfect. 8
summary - pasta, berries, astringent, herbal.
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it's a wonderful life
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