another quick(er) tasting

a little cold, but decently focused. a little bit rushed for time again.


bonnat chuao
look - a lighter woodry brown, decent clarity, dark orange hinting. extremely fine looking texture. 9.5
smell - fragrant wood, acidity, coffee dregs, beany element and tequila?, berries?, pineapple, (fruity, complex, light) 9+
taste - dry cocoa smell (opening)slight astringency, flower scented candles, meaty aspect, a lot of cocoa centering, sligt dried blueberries?, a bit of smoke, clean toasted coconut at finish. 8.5-9
balance - slightly leaning towards sweet. acidity is present but low. solid base, but feels slightly hollow. this is in part due to astringency which lingers thru entire taste.
texture - decent, but astringency gives it a perceived roughness 8.5

interpretation - in ways, a simple chocolate. simple enough that it allows for expression of very subtle flavors that aren't picked up normally when u have a strong roast or lots of vanilla. definitely an exploration. the astringency was disappointing tho, and really got in the way of full enjoyment. too bad. 8.5
summary - subtle, cocoa, wood, subtle fruit, astringency
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pralus papousie
look - (see previous entries)
smell - paper, soft cocoa, faint vanilla, sweet wood, slight sweet spice, coffee? (faint, but clean) 9
taste - round and full taste, toasted nut then cocoa, kind of a savory herby soup, strong cocoa, some roast, peanut shells, herbal touch, smoky, but realy a lot of "deep" cocoa. 9+
balance - very nice. had a rich fullness to it. acid was right where i like it -- playing a slight background role to the "base", connecting the sweetness. 9.5
texture - good. very fine texture, slightly oily but not unctious. feels like eating "true" chocolate. 9

interpretation - powerful simplicity. deep cocoa is the theme, but u get these variants spiralling off of it (the savory things, peanut shells). texture and balance are really well executed, so it makes it easy to enjoy and explore the other parts. not necessarily phenomenal flavors, just clean. 9+
summary - clean, pure choco, balanced, savory hint
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pralus colombie
look - (see earlier)
smell - waxy sharp crayon, slightly browned butter, (the waxy is very strong), faint vanilla sweetness, dried minty smell (faint). 9 (the waxy is strong, but it excites)
taste - powdery texture, toasted corn tortillas?, vegetative, apple skin (green), potato pancakes?, slight smoky, waxyness, plasticy coffee, dry, powdery, roasty eucalyptus?? at finish. 8
balance - fairly good. a touch of acid, sweetness is a bit more noticeable. 8.5
texture - pretty bad. powdery. dry. needs work. 6.5

interpretation - a really interesting chocolate. gives a lot of variety mixed in with its roastyness. a lot of non-typical "savory" (non-sweet/fruity) flavors. enjoyed that part. somewhat eccentric. it's just, texture - really needs improvement. this could really be up there if it wasn't so awful in that area. too bad. 8
summary - various planty smells, wax, bad texture, roasty
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pralus tanzanie
look - (see prev.)
smell - a spiced soup (cumin etc), grapey, lavendar, cedar, lemon, sharp berry smell, simple donut, touch of dirt. 8.5 (interesting, but not 100% pleasing)
taste - opens with so-so cocoa, sharp astringent kick, blueberry jam, raisins, fried taste, dried leaves, whiff of vanilla, touch of coffee, dry pasta powder taste, dry woody flavor, astringency and coffee at finish. 8
balance - ok. astringency skews things, but seemed to have decent acid present. just didn't "connect" with the base. sweetness not overpowering. 8.5
texture - again, interference from astringency. not the finest texture, but certainly passable. 8.5

interpretation - a fairly "wild" and expressive choco, untamed. astringency puts a big damper on things. i would say that the flavors are far from harmonious, but each is interesting in its own respect. hardly "chocolatey", which i think is good cause it makes u think. 8
summary - woody (cedar), fried tastes, jammy fruit, astringency
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return of the sun

nice and sunny after a few rainy days. a little chilly, but no problem. very ready for a good tasting.


bonnat chuao
look - a reddish waxy tinted brown. very smooth, negligible bubbling 9
smell - slightly fermenty but sweet aromas, maybe berry like, acidity, beans, spice (sweet like clove), like some srt of leather, a very high toned sweet, like fresh fruit, slight nut butter, faint touch of coffee, woody (clean) notes 9 (fairly light)
taste - rocky soil flavor,roast comes next, black tea, fruit jam (dark and red), cocoa begins to expres. failry clean but with some woody tones. berries with solid cocoa backdrop, mild and maple-y, some very soft coffee drifts in, back to woody cocoa, very light astringency. length of very honest cocoa
balance - nice. acid nicely complements sweet so that neither stands out too much, good satisfying amt of base. astringency at finish somewhat disappointing. 8.5-9
texture - excellent. sometimes a slightly "powdery" sensation. 9

interpretation - a soft and subtle choco that really expresses simple cocoa flavors in many ways. berries and tea kind of drift in and out, but woody cocoa tends to be the backdrop for the whole experience. well rounded, but so subtle it's prob best enjoyed when in a more sensitive mood. 9
summary - soft, woody cocoa, faint fruityness.
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amano cuyagua
look - also light and waxy, slightly more of an orange brown. very smooth texture. 9
smell - smoky, herbal, smoked meats?, a nutty fermentacious with dark soil, oregano, a toasted bready, tobacco, almost a plastic smell, a dark jam, smoke. >9
taste - tomato leaf, sweetness, vanilla, cocoa emerging, turns to acid and slight bitter, fine cigar, old wooden chest, more cocoa, a slight fermentacious hinted tobacco with a very interesting tongue sensation. sort of a mix of acid and tannin and spice. wood and spice and pecan. fades quickly, leaves a bit of astringency/dryness (could be residual from prev choco). soft vanilla drifts in on finish, also some tobacco >9 (excitement factor)
balance - very nice, a pleasant, rounded/mature acidity to match the savory tobacco, and to prevent the choco from feeling at all sweet. great base. 9
texture - also very good. not ultra creamy, but clean cut. 9

interpretation - a really strong and exciting chocolate. very powerful. smoky tobacco, complemented subtly by vanilla, lots of woody and even some fermentacious which seem to lean more towards "complete" fermentation (like a very mature compost heap). just exciting all around. lots of intsensity. there are of course areas to improve (making vanilla more subtle etc), but really fun to eat. lively. >9
summary - lively, tobacco, woody, vanilla
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amedei toscano black 70%
look - a fairly "pure" brown, darker than the prev 2, smooth. 9
smell - black and smoky wood, spice, ground sesame, grain, slight waxy, slight fermentacious honey, flowers, wood (esp wooden model airplanes), slight bitof spice, some bread. somewhat rem. of jamaica (amedei), sweet tone. >9
taste - honey spice, pure cocoa, savory bean, sauteed smells, more of the honey spce, back to cocoa again, a good aciddity, nicely scented wood, roasted nut, soupiness, wood and spice seem to close it off. deeper chocolate and faint red fruits on finish, continues. also a slight astringent feeling. more dry and woody than astringent. (again, could be passed on from earlier) >9
balance - similar to last one in that it has a lot of "mature" acid and not a lot of "sharp/cleansing" acid. really helps to merge the tastes of the base and the sweet. very good balance levels. 9.5
texture - good. i might have detected a little powderyness. 8.5-9

interpretation - a dark, yet clean and honey like chocolate. kind of reminds me of acidic honey with a bit of spice, cocoa. the "depth" of flavor/body is really what makes this chocolate. connectivity of the acid/base/sugar makes it very much a "sophisticated" seeming choco. excellent. 9~9.5
summary - balanced, dark, honey, spice
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pralus colombie
look - a dark and dull brown, very slightly purple-red tint. on this piece, surface looks good 9
smell - buttery, slightly caramel,fresh fruit, yogurt (on melted part), interesting herbal or dried grain, some interesting fruit (mixed in with yogurt), slight vanil, pencil, cocoa 8.5-9 (yogurt slightly strange)
taste - begin with cocoa, go to roast, astringency kicks in, delicious nutty roast, grain, crunchy crystalline texture (odd),roast and cocoa develop, slightly sweet, plain donut, cocoa with interesting fruity kick, kind of a spice or something, very interseting. roast really shows on length. 8.5-9
balance - nice, but a bit lacking in that mature acid that i had grown accustomed to in the prev 2. also a bit on the sweet side. base was there but wasn't fully "connected" due to low acid 8
texture - not good. the crunchy "microcrystal" feeling was not pleasant. had to try not to think about it to enjoy the choco. 7

interpretation - a roaster with a twist. these interesting butter/grain/unique fruit (kinda feels like a dried tropical one) smells keep the interest high. the roast is as always, quite pleasant. fixing the balance and the texture on this one would make into something very enjoyable, esp with that flavor profile. 8
summary - roast, butter, interesting fruit, sandy texture
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i think i might like chocolate. yes, it's certain.
not much to say about the tasting that i haven't already said. each chocolate really fits a particular mood. this chocolate stuff really is its own little universe.

sunny and late

it's late. nice and sunny tho, and i'm pretty hungry. might be a bit rushed on this one since trying to get work done today. let's see what happens


domori sur del lago
look - dull chalky brown, some orange hints, see some odd white speckles below surface, some bubbling
smell - a bit rubbery, some papery, ashy, nut, intersting creamy and woody overtone, smoky. 9
taste - fresh clean smell, slight astringency, roasty n ut, pepper (green?), very interesting woody combined with coffee smell, great txture, lowish acid, somewhat sweet, good base, slightlymaty?, continuation of soft cocoa character, intersting spice, cocoa strengthens on finish, a bit cola like in some way. long strong woody length. 9
balance - nice. a bit sweet, but base really helps to stabilize it. very slight but not strong acid. 8.5
texture - very nice. ultra smooth. a couple random chunks of something tho. minus points for that... 8.5

interpretation - a nice soft fresh and light choco. not a whole lot of weighty chocolatey flavors. particularly characteristic were the woody tastes. very unique. enjoyable overall 9
summary - light, clean smoky, fresh, sweet.
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domori pueromar?
look - lighter brown, slightly dirt looking. orange hints. bubbling.
smell - stewed meats, beans, fermenty, rich soil... kinda like a compost heap but cleaner, some sharp (plasticy) aroma, possibly some dark berries, deep tropical smell. overall a very deep, dark fermenty smell. somewhat fruity. 8.5 (a little sharp at times)
taste - fermenty woody opening, cocoa, soily notes (same fermentacious ones as in smell), really nce acid, amazing texture (ultrafine), good cocoa, some fruity hiding in back, tiny touch of smoky meaty, inexplicable delicous smell/taste combo, long finish of the woody fermentacious. >9
balance - very good. acid, weight, sweetness all in a very pleasant, lively combination, really showcasing the slightly "tart" acidity. 9.5
texture - amazing. one of the finest i've had. feels like eating a science experiment (in a good way). 9.5

interpretation - while strongly fermentacious, really brings out a lot of great "character". acid was really a good play here, and the texture really sells it. if the aromas were a little more delicate i'd be inclined to give it a higher score. however, it really makes u think about chocolate, and that it's a fermented product. kinda wild in a way. dark, extreme, but enjoyable. 9~9.5
summary - fermentacious, rich, balance, great texture
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bonnat chuao
look - rich brown with hints of red. little to no visual flaws
smell - fairly faint, soft light fruit, touch of clean smoky, maybe lemony, slightly citronellal? very very faint. maybe some tea. can't score it. too faint.
taste - ooh, very nice light fruit (fresh blueberries?), another sweet smell, drift to woody cocoa, light flowery natured flavors, nice texture, soft acid, more cocoa (clean and sweet), high toned sweet, slight beany, cinnamony flowery finish. very fresh and clean. lovely. lenght is of pleasant sweet aromas, cocoa. 9~9.5
balance - very good. slightly sweet, but gentle acid is present to give the overall image of a gentle chocolate (matches well wtih aromas). base is nice 9
texture - very nice. clean and fine. 9~9.5

interpretation - extremely faint on nose (i'm possibly a bit distracted), but tastes are delightful. light sweet character runnig around, makes for an interesting journey. good good. 9
summary - soft, faint, delicate, complex
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pralus tanzanie
look - deep dark brown, slightly orange tints. bubbling, odd chunky white things
smell - cedary/citronellal, berries, roasty, burnt woody, pancakes, roasty. 8.5~9
taste - bitter, astringent, sweet aroma (vanilla mixed with citronellal), woody deck (newly built), roasted almond (dark), uncooked dry pasta, dark roasty, vanil, sweet wood, astringent finish, vanilla and woody length. 8.5
balance - decent, a bit sweet, a bit acid. decent base. oddly out of balance tho. 8
texture - reasonable. a bit powdery feeling at times (possibly astringency) 8

interpretation - dark roast, but with some interesting bright spots of citronellal and cedar like wood. also uncooked pasta is very interesting. would like to see a reduction in astringency before rating higher. 8
summary - dark roast, citronellal, astringent
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kinda rushed thru the last one. i really liked the domori, but i may not have been paying close enough attention to pick out faults. either way, great texture and balance. an exciting and slightly wild choco.

the low-key showdown

today's conditions: pretty hungry. semi-cloudy. slight allergies to something. kinda tired.
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

saturday morning

somewhat overslept, fairly hungry, 940 start.

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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
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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
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(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
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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
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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.

the first official tasting

had a lot before this, but they wouldn't make good posts. my plan is to try to taste the choco, then after each taste, post a "review" of sorts, and then when i'm all finished with a bar (so not every day), compare to earlier tastings and give a more "averaged" review of ssavory, orts. this may be time consuming. oh well

also, note that the tags are the names of the chocolates -- i'll try to keep these consistent so the categories dealy can be used to find a choco and all of its tasting "episodes"

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pralus - venezuela
visual - very smooth outisde, after cracking notice some tiny bubbles, nice deep brown color. yep
snap - very nice.
smell - savory, browned butter, roasty, less intense->(mintish, something), reminds of pad thai with the peanut sauce, more savory, slight vanilla, slight slight caramelized, possibly some light hints of orange peel (fresh) but not sure. mostly dominated by savory/browned butter smell 8.5
taste - roast - dark roast nuts (almonds) comes first, slight popcorny, develops into extremely intense burnt butter popcorn, hints of soft cocoa in bckgd, caramel, really rich textures, slight acid, but thinckness much more intense, more roasty nuts and caramel, shiny metallic butter, pssibly some dried fruit at end but mostly dominating elements of roast. 9
balance - excellent. leaning towards sweet and rich, low but welcome bitterness, low acid supports structure. just has this wonderful full bodied feeling like the entire palate is being filled 9.5
texture - didn't notice any graininess. felt very smooth and rich. 9

interpretation - this really is a favorite of mine. the nose/smell could mislead you to thinking that it was an overly roasted, somewhat flat-character chocolate. nothing particularly sticks out except for the roasty aspects and some nuttiness.
however, upon eating, (past the early couple of seconds) it explodes into this burnt popcorn thing which blows my mind every time. how could it be chocolate? that then slowly gives way to nuttiness and some caramel aspects. not very complex, but the thing to keep in mind is that through the entire length, there's an incredible richness powering through all of the phases. it's not something i've seen in many chocolates. certainly makes this one stand out. 9~9.5

summary - rich roasty nutty

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bonnat - chuao
visual - surface clean and smooth, very few air bubbles, nice red-tinted wood brown. 9
snap - nice 8
smell - jammy berry, wooden cask, slight fresh green herbal, citronella candle, (posibly mistaken) some rootbeer?, frther smelling reveals soft, slightly stinky cocoa, citronella could be interpreted as some sort of light wood??. in general, complex, subtle and fairly low intensity - 9
taste - light cocoa, slight caramel, sharp wild berry, red wood, some minty, citronella, texture soft slightly grainy, reasonable acidity, chocolatey essence, fruit and wood mix, low bitter, somewhat rem of a choco cake, fades to cocoa and slight minty - 9
balance - very good. all 3 major axes (sweet, acid, bitter) seem to be aligned in a low intensity mix. bitter sticks out a little more at end. - 8.5
texture - slightly grainy feeling. but in general good. 8.5

interpretation - a mysterious and subtle chocolate. nose indicates that it will be complex and subtle (low intensity). berry and wood to begin with, then shifting towards cocoa and citronella candle shows that this choco is fairly wide in the range of smells it covers. tastes confirm what smells suggest, extremely complex. starting with gentle cocoa and caramel, chocolate shifts to sharp smells like blueberry and wood, even some mint, all the while maintaining a low-key presence in all 3 axes, bitter/cocoa-foundation being slightly more present than others. tends to waver back and forth between the tastes, then finishing to an interesting cocoa smell that i could only really describe as slightly minty. the only disappointment here was the texture which was a little more grainy than it could have been. balance was good, but maybe not 100% in my personal preference direction. 8~9

summary - subtle complex berry/sharp/wood/cocoa

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(upper left)
michel cluizel - maralumi (papua new guinea) 5g square
look - can see some swirly patterns. don't know what that means. inside is very uniform looking. lighter brown with some slight orange red tinting. 9
snap - nice . 8
smell - sharp smoky, toasty nut, coconut??, slight "exotic", somewhat rem of a choco balance bar, nuttyness, caramelization, acidity, burnt dry garlic chips, slight berry, cocoa depth. 8.5 (some smells are slightly "low class"). cedar
taste - same candy bar smell, nuttyness, very tart, sweet slightly over bitter/base, nutty praline, raspberry, slight vinegary, beautiful texture, more caramelly, wash out with more acid, nuttyness, caramel, fade to slight vanil plus nutty. wow, very intense. 8.5
balance - very high intensity tart and sweet, which end up being very well matched. base is present, but any "bitter" is overshadowed by powerful acid and sweetness. still, things seem fairly in check. 9 (personally think it's too sweet, but that's 64% for u)
texture - wonderful. ultra smooth, high rich sensation. 9 (pure enjoyment somewhat hampered by excessive acidity)

interpretation - a fairly intense, in-your-face experience. from the moment of opening wrapper, strong, characteristic "cluizel" smells waft up. the smell itself says that it will be a strong showing. smoky and toasty-nut to start, followed by a middle stage of more caramelly/nutty candybar-ness, possibly caused by raspberry essence lurking. also hints at acidity to come on palate.
nuttiness and the odd candybar smell dominate the start, all the while supported or "pushed up" by the intensity of the acid/sugar. shifts to praline-like tastes, something slightly savory, raspberry (possibly the source of the candybar smell) and caramel. finishes with nuttyness, slight caramel and vanilla. a very very intense experience due to acid. in general, it was a bit too intense, and some "slightly lower class" flavors/aromas were present, which kinda made me rethink a higher rating. still, the powerful showing of nuttyness and caramel can't be ignored, so points for that one. if i could, i'd tone down the acid/sugar and clean up some of the oddness in the "lower end" of the smells. 8~9

summary - acid sugar nutty caramel some fruit

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reflections - yep, 3 is definitely the limit when writing out these full descriptions. i just start to lose patience. regardless, we know which of the 3 is my favorite. not much in terms of source or other comments on manufacturer etc.
i guess i don't really care about that stuff. well, until next time!