amedei 5g square tour

cool sunny morning, tried to up my focus by staring at a yuzu for 20 minutes. i think it worked. haha
all are 5g squares today

amedei venezuela
look - brick-tinted brown. swirly from molding. smooth.
smell - smoky vanilla fermentacious, red winey fruit, a flower, extremely faint rosemary, cocoa and flower (something kinda fruity but sweet), candle wax, maybe some apple skin,
taste - impresion of chocolate, sweet and watery, flower, cocoa dust, vanilla, beany winey thing, some kind of powder (like raw flour),ight clean cocoa, vanilla, liquory touch near end, burny cocoa savory and bean-like, long lasting tail of fresh and clean cocoa.
balance - on the sweeter side. slight acidity, but doesn't really match up. very satisfying base. not bad at all
texture - very nice. possibly some slight powdery feel

interpretation - a real voyage through mildness. mild cocoa, but sort of offset with this smoky thing that kind of acts as a natural balance. maybe a weight. keeps it from floating away. keeps the chcocolate feel. havent figuredout what that flower is, but it's very pleasant.
summary - light, clean, flower, smoky, cocoa
-------------------------------------------------------------

amedei madagascar
look - vibrant meaty orange tinted brown. swirling. smooth
smell - red wine's woody character, cocoa, slight cinnamon, vanilla, peachy, a planty spicy licorice, cake-like, a sharp herbal citrus smell
taste - milky chcoco memories, baked grahm craker, acidity (bright and clean), various fruits, baked?, rich cocoa, toasted almonds, more acid, cooked fruits, lingering finish of choco cake, nuts
balance - nice. very sharp, bright, clean acid. makes for great connection between sweet and base. a bit too bright at some points tho.
texture - very nice, similar to last one.

interpretation - a very "deep" chocolate, but without the usual "overdarkness" of a chocolate with this character. no bitter, just clean tastes. the bright acid wakes me up. really has a lot of action, but is extraordinarily "clean". round, full.
summary - deep, clean, grahm cracker, clean acid
-------------------------------------------------------------

amedei chuao
look - slightly cloudy orange meaty. amazingly free from any swirling or bubbles. copletely smooth.
smell - soft and sweet opening, dried pine needles, fresh bright green piney, citronella, slight grahm cracker, asphalty, vanilla, wooden pencil shavings
taste - round acid (low), candy taste, cranberry, slight bitter, raisin, tiny rubber, plummy fruit, richness, vanilla, cocoa, acid, matured toffee taste, wood and other fruits, grape skins, more fruit juice, slight beany cocoa, extremely pleasant cocoa aftertaste, mixed with fruit. like an icewine. yes. that's in there. riesling?
balance - very good. everything rounded into this nice clean bowl. harmonious. acid levels appropriate. very good
texture - nice. possibly powdery (like others)

interpretation - the clarity of the expression of the fruit was amazing. the candy-like tastes were also very surprising. where do they come from? maybe some of it was vanilla. the candy part was very sweet and pure, and the fruit was extraordinarily clear and expressive. really an adventure, this choco.
summary - detailed, fruits, sweet pure taste, balance. a lot of fun.
-------------------------------------------------------------

amedei porcelana
look - slightly puplish tinted milky brown. very smooth, bu 2 tiny ridges of swirling noticeable. still very minor.
smell - smoky, dried fruit, rosemary, powdered dates, herbal, some tea?, chlorinated pool (not unpleasant), slight fermentacious,
taste - beany dry paper, mapley, sweet, vanilla, flower, dried fruit, dried meats, pear skin, darker deep woody, cocoa, herbal, clean fried bread, woody, wine casks
balance - great. not noticeable. acid is present, nicely connected. harmonious
texture - nice, similar to others.

interpretation - a fairly "dark" interpretation. interesting tastes not often found in choco. a lot of papery and "dried" smells. the depth of the body of the chocolate was really something to appreciate. so solid yet so clean.
summary - dark (dried/herbal), deep, clean
-------------------------------------------------------------

very revealing.

high power tasting

(i think my senses were fairly sharp today)
fairly hungry. cold, drank a bit of tea (some oolong that david gave me). cloudy and slightly rainy.
today is a good day for a favorite - amedei porcelana

amedei venezuela
look - purply red tinted brown, slight swirling on back, no bubbling. 9
smell - 1st - fruits, grahm cracker, vanil, then light sweet spice, dark dried fruits, slight woody tone, vanilla and baked goods, touch of rubbery, pear, light and clean "soil", [break open], sharper burnt twigs, deeper spice (more towards cumin), onions (browned), powdered dried fruits (is the only thing i can come up with for that smell), maybe roasted tea. 9~9.5
taste - opens with a woody and vanilla tone, red berries, bitterness enteres, banana, slight coffee, sweetness strong, flowery cocoa combo, slightly grahm cracker, sweet and vanilla dominate, then kind of a "flower sandwich", plummy cocoa, woody with oast, slight peaty whisky, extremely "clean" cocoa, vanilla and flowers on finish, develops into sweet clean length. very long. 9.5
balance - sweetness is a bit strong, but everything is definitely harmonious. very solid yet un-heavy base. bitterness was pleasant (only really noticed it at start). acidity played a backstage role to sweetness, but it was definitely there. 9
texture - great, perhaps a very light powderyness. 9

interpretation - a very light but strongly flowery/vanilla-y chocolate. the headstrong sweetness seems to bring out those flavors even more in some sort of feedback loop. if it was that alone, it wouldn't be such an exciting chocolate, but the fruity/clean cocoa flavors (at times i felt like if i ignored the vanilla and other distractors, i could see the "essence" of pure cocoa at the center) really round it out and show off the fact that it's still chocolate. good for sweet moods. a very finessed chocolate. 9~9.5
summary - flowery cocoa, vanilla, sweet, clean and pretty
-------------------------------------------------------------

amedei porcelana
look - a medium (chalky) brown, somewhat red touch. ultra smooth, no noticeable bubbles. 9
smell - grapes, tomato sauce, coffee, amazing savory aspect. this dark tomato/tobacco sense, roasted tea, mineral sense, fruit skins, amedei essence, [break open], powdery, dirt smell, somewhat like fertilizer on a lawn, cocoa soaked in good balsalmic. very complex. very deep. 9.5
taste - opens with savory, acidic, mushroom and tomato sauce feeling, moves to some pure cocoa, some deep dark fruit, pan fried something in butter, cocoa and undescribable herbal smell, vanilla creeps in for a moment, fades out, something very unique popped in (pine? savory?), black olives???, mature acid, coffee, depth, cocoa softening, amedei signature, balsalmic laced fruit cocoa on finish, goes on and on... 9.5
balance - very nice. really feel the "savory" aspects. weight/base of chocolate strongest, then acid, very slight astringency (after finish) seems to add to effect. 9~9.5
texture - very good. didn't really even notice it had "texture". 9

interpretation - this is a very different chocolate. most chocolates seem to have the taste of flavors "mixed in" with chocolate flavors. however, this one felt like these woody/balsalmic/savory tones were actually inherent to the chocolate flavors -- completele inseperable. it was like this was a special chocolate plant with different fundamental smells. this chocolate is definitely an experience. the way they suppress the fruity and flowery elements is commendable, because it really lets you understand how "savory" and atypical a chocolate can be. bringing out the true nature of it and not trying to hide it was a great move. amazing. 9.5
summary - savory (tomatosauce etc), deep, complex
-------------------------------------------------------------

pralus venezuela
look - dark brown with orange hints. almost looks "roasty". some bubbling but smooth interior. 9
smell - buttery, cocoa, slightly minty or licorice, roasted almond, cocoa with a minty slant, chicken?, slight red fruit beneath. 9
taste - quick melt, cocoa, nutty, extreme roast, milk, vanilla, caramel candies, savory smells, pan sauteed chicken? (with garlic), more cocoa, silky melty texture, nice acid, cocoa with nutty hints, roast, metallic butter popcorn at end. caramelly length. very pleasant. 9~9.5
balance - excellent. great base, acid in the perfect spot (not shy but not bold), sweetness is held back, but texture seems to amplify a bit 9.5
texture - very buttery and rich feeling. possibly extra cocoa butter? very quick and easy melt, almost "luxurious". 9

interpretation - a roast heavy, savory focused chocolate, with high-temp-pasteurized-milk/browned butter being strong components. texturally very exciting, something i don't see much of in any other chocolates. very rich. great balance (very close to my ideal). a great chocolate to eat (it really was good, but i'm almost "depressed" since i just had "the peak of unique chocolate" before this one) >9
summary - rich, roasty, buttery
-------------------------------------------------------------

pralus papousie
look - dark brown with ever so slight deep purple hints. some bubbling on surface, interior looks ok. 8
smell - very faint. slight tea, slight red fruit, some plastic-y (pick up from something?), light cocoa, possibly some pineapple (really a stretch here). 7 - (no intensity, not getting much enjoyment from smell)
taste - cocoa, slgith astringency, wax, more cocoa, slight bacony smell, some vanilla at finish, more cocoa. slightly astringent length. 8.5~9
balance - good. everything was present, nothing present in excess. 9
texture - nice. less buttery and rich than the last, almost like they reigned it in for this one. very nice. 9

interpretation - a bit too unexpressive for my tastes. it was like it was too timid to step away from its comfort zone of soft cocoa. not necessarily a bad thing, it's just that it didn't excite me. nothing really stood out. very well poised, but very dull chocolate. 8.5~9
summary - quiet, unexpressive, cocoa
-------------------------------------------------------------

(quickie for finish)
pralus tanzanie
look - a nearly black brown, chalky (not translucent). some bubbling, odd white chunks. 8
smell - cedary, berry, mint, wood, sllight cocoa. 8.5
taste - uncooked pasta (or maybe it's the pasta water...), roasts, dried cranberries or raisins, acid, off-astringency, vanil, more berry, then cocoa, roasty. astringent length
balance - decent, just thrown out of harmony by astringency. good base, decent acid, sweetness. something just isn't mixing. 8
texture - good, nothing special or too off. 8.5

interpretation - same as the usual (i was tasting a tiny piece at the end of a long-ish tasting so wasn't paying that much attention). 8
summary - roasty, astringent, pasta water
-------------------------------------------------------------

afterwards i ran thru a bunch of chocolates and had amazingly clear visions of each. hopefully i can record that into longer term memory. man, that porcelana is undeniably deep.

saturday morning

somewhat overslept, fairly hungry, 940 start.

---------------------------------------------

pralus - tanzanie
look - dark brown, some bubbling, some weird white thing 7.5~8
smell - somewhat corned beef, slight mushroom, blue/blackberry jam, slight woody/cedary, slight flowery, 8
taste - watery pasta, cocoa, astringency, slight meaty, roasty nut, more cocoa, some bitter, ending of coffee with slight caramel hint, length fades relatively quickly, but has pleasant toasty cocoa 8
balance - sweetness and back of the throat astringency dominate. a bit odd. acidity underplayed 7
texture - ok, felt like may have been slightly larger grains than usual 7.5

interpretation - a bit bitter/astringent, roasty but no exciting or fine characteristics. 7.5~8
summary - roasty, astringent, some fruit
--------------------------------------------

pralus - venezuela
look - a brown brown. smooth, some bubbling inside 8.5
smell - stinky, butter, cumin like tacos, popcorn, meaty, slight soapy element, 8.5~9
taste - caramelly? minty? swift change to raost, popcorn, mettalic butter popcorn, some roastd nut behind the ig roast,buttery, thick melty delicious, in balance, toasty bread, some meaty tastes, so rich, rich cocoa and roasty finish. good length of roasty butter. still going with nuttiness 9~9.5
balance - very nice. fairly harmonious. perhaps on sweet side if anything, but hardly noticeable. bitter somewhat present 9
texture - excellent. so smooth and rich. one of my favorites 9.5

interpretation - a simple chocolate in that it doesn't have a wide range of flavors, mostly intense roast and those flavors that offshoot from that. however, still very enjoyable, not to mention that the texture really really sells this choco. pure simple enjoyment 9~9.5
summary - roast, nutty/butter, rich, great texture
---------------------------------------------------------------

(upper mid)
amedei - venezuela
look - very dark brown, minuscule bubbles. reddish tint. 9
smell - flowers, base soil smell, fermentacious, vanilla, wood, grape-skin thing, fruity flowers, like plums, slight incense 9.5
taste - sweet, flowers (chrysanthemum?), wow spiced woody, vanil, sweet, light pretty cocoa, more very light aromas, acidity in back, some woody elements again, powdery mouthfeel at end, clean cocoa mocha taste, sweet finish length. faint length of light sweet vanil, etc 9~9.5
balance - good, a bit on the sweet side, but i suppose that was intentional considering the floweriness of the choco 8.5~9
texture - nice. a bit powdery at the end, but other than that great 8.5~9

interpretation - sweet and flowers, some spiced refreshing woodyness. really exciting light choco. there's certainly a weight or a body anchoring it, which makes for a well rounded experience. really nice. really pleasant. not what comes to mind when u think dark chocolate 9~9.5
summary - light, sweet, flowery, rounded
---------------------------------------------------------------

bonnat - chuao
look - a brownish brown with very slight redness. slight bubbles, smooth 9
smell - a light peppery, very faint mushroomy (could be imagined), slight vegetative, light nutty, slight coconut, pine coney, slight slight flower, 8.5
taste - cocoa, slight bitter, slight fermentacious, acetic kinda smell, berry, toasty, more bitter, light glue like sensation, slight sweet nutty,good and weighty, slight bittery, some dried herbs or maybe chinese tea, more cocoa, slight frutiness, cocoa lenght, bitter sensation somewhat unpleasant, tea like. long finish, but bitter or something is messing it up 8
balance - good. very subtle and low key. nothing really stands out much, except for some slight unpleasant bitterness 8
texture - good. no problems really 9

interpretation - bitter aftertaste is killing it. a very subtle, non-commital choco. every time u think it's going to open up in a direction, it corrects itself and centers around soft cocoa. nice in that way, if only bitter wasn't lingering. 8~8.5
summary - very faint, subtle choco, bitter
---------------------------------------------------------------

all in all, this wasn't such a "sensitive" tasting. too bad, esp since i tasted some truly great chocolates. i really got a new appreciation for amedei venezuela's floweryness.