an old friend returns

(apparently i had nothing to say about this tasting)

domori sur del lago
look - a dark muddy brown, slight reddish hints. back a bit swirly, extremely tiny bubbling inside.
smell - cocoa, light spice, slight ferment (clean), almond biscuit, light sweet coffee, roasty tea, charred wood, sweet burnt soy, chalk 9 (light and clean)
taste - coffee up front, cocoa biscuit, slight roast, something fresh and lively, creamy, slight/faint cinammon spice, roasty and then coffee on finish. cuts off somewhat quickly. 8.5-9
balance - sweet, but not overpoweringly. very low acid levels, makes for a light and creamy choco. 8.5 (good balance for somehthing so lacking in acid)
texture - very nice. ultrafine powderfeel. 9

interpretation - a light "floaty" chocolate. even with all the coffee and roasty aromas, this one really feels like it just floats up there in the high/sweet/creamy regions of taste. a very light one in that sense. clean and simple. a nice expression of chocolate. 9
summary - light, creamy, floaty, coffee
-------------------------------------------------------------

michel cluizel - vila gracinda (sao tome)
look - a red/purple hinted clear and strong brown, some tiny swirling, 9
smell - sharp wood-like, fermenty, hidden vanilla, soil, slight wax, very strong with fermenty/wood, a little stinky (like fertilizer or like bay laurel), licorice?, a rich nut paste emerges, hidden spice (clove), reminds of horses, 9 - exciting and bright (now picking up woody mushrooms)
taste - pan-fried chicken, vanilla, slight touch of caramel, sweet, milky sweetness, acid begins to come in and make sweetness richer, heavy dry soil notes emerge, slightly mushroomy wood, pecans, cheeseburger, cocoa liquor, hazelnut, more fermenty, slight coffee emerges on finish, cuts out somewhat quickly. 9
balance - sweet, yet balanced with equally strong acid. the acid was a lighter, fresher type. very bright in those 2 areas. 9 (despite sweetness)
texture - so fine it feels like a liquid. melt is excellent. sweetness contributes to liquid feeling, but very fluid and maybe the finest in terms of powder texture. 9.5

interpretation - a very exciting, fluid chocolate. aromas are very intense, really heightens expecations. not that they're necessarily 100% pleasing or delicate, but they really seem to show that this chocolate has action. once actually tasting the chocolate, it probably has 4 key phases. the opening (a slight fermenty wood/meat + sweet), early (emergence of acid, transition to woody tastes), mid (change from woody to pecan/cheeseburger), end - clearing, slight coffee, remnants of fermentacious. 9
summary - exciting, fermenty, soily, cheeseburger, sweet/acid
-------------------------------------------------------------
(no picture, it was an old one)
pralus madagascar, old
look - dark brown. rather old so can't judge well
smell - burnt coffee, licorice, caramel, dried cherries, incense, slight cedary aspect. 9 - very exciting roast
taste - vegetal tastes, bitter, coffee emerging, whoa - really interesting intense herbal, roasted... leaves?, acid really high yet mature, inexplicable roasted yet acidic feeling, mre towards bread, bitter and smoky cocoa. very exciting. >9
balance - nice. acid was a big big player. outsines sweetness. bitter was a really good touch here. no astringency, so it really makes for a great accent. very exciting. 9
texture - good. hard to evaluate since sample was so old.

interpretation - an extremely unique chocolate. the roast is extreme, but somehow captures some very "characteristic" elements of the beans. the powerful acid, the slight dried fruit, the minty or licorice accent. the cleanliness of the whole thing after such a roast is impressive. very little noise. it's like a new smell was created; a lot of blending of roast and leaves and some fruit. exciting. >9
summary - acid, expressive roast, fruit
-------------------------------------------------------------

pralus papousie
look - fairly deep brown, decent clarity, slight orange hinting. some bubbling and swirling 8.5
smell - tea, light cocoa, light sweet spices, slight metallic roast, leafy roast, cookies 8 - light and clean, but not very expressive
taste - leafy, slight wateryness, faint roast, hazelnut comes in and out, a lot of cocoa, more leafyness, good texture, slight nutty, bready, more cocoa, slight white-wine oaky at end. 8.5 simple.
balance - very nice. close to ideal. each aspect was subtle. very harmonious. 9.5
texture - very good. rich but not oily. smooth. >9

interpretation - a simple choco in terms of flavors, but very refined and balanced. a lot of work seems to have gone into balance. all in all a very subtle and simple chocolate. all aspects of it represent a very low key, clean and pure chocolate. nice. 9
summary - balanced, subtle, soft.
-------------------------------------------------------------