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
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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
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(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
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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.
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a faster session

conditions: a little bit tired (possibly overslept? or just that i slept late), nice and sunny

pralus tanzanie
look - dark dull brown, fair amt of swirling. some bubbles. 8.5
smell - a clean, woody smell, a bit of roast, buttery smell, slight cedary smell, slight planty smell. reminds me of astringent (possibly my association with the smell is directly connected to the taste now), 8.5
taste - astringent, papery, roasty, buttery, jammy, roast cocoa, coffee,a sweetness, a toasted white bread smell, acidity rolls in, nuttyness withastringent bckgd, coffee and dry pasta water finish, stronger roast comes in at end, strong finish, astringency. 8
balance - can't help but say it's a bit strange. esp due to astringency. appropriate levels of acid, sweet and base. just don't match up for somereason 8
texture - good, no big noticeable problems, just seems a bit powdery. 8.5

interpretation - a powerful chocolate in someways, but strange in others. strong roast and astringency really dominate at times, making it seem like a "blindingly" dark chocolte. but at the same time, there are interesting tastes of jam, bread, pasta, etc that don't really seem to match the previously mentioned aspect of the choco. could use some more cohesiveness. 8
summary - roast, astringent, jammy, woody
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domori sur del lago
look - heavily orange tinted. lots of tiny bubbling.
smell - aromatic spice dry exotic (completely my own terms...), deep cocoa, fresh and sharp green note - like leaves of... something, touch of orange liquer, some slight coffee, baked bread, a bit of nuttyness, some slight fermentacious. something that reminds me of cream. 8.5
taste - sweet, gentle, creamy to open, high sweet tones, clear cocoa, roast of coffee, slight breadiness, then this thing.... no what is it...? reminds of coconut but isn't. some astringency comes thru, strawberry?, gentle roasted nut (almond?), strong cocoa finish, cream feeling persists. texture is great. 9
balance - good, i experienced a little acid at the end that really kind of rounded things out. otherwise it as a bit on the sweet side. 8.5
texture - very nice. very "heavy" cocoa sense, but extremely smooth. not like pralus venez that feels a bit unctious. this one is all about the microscopic cocoa. 9

interpretation - a chocolate that's rather "true" to chocolate, but is very light and creamy. texture is great, sweetness is a bit high, but i could be influenced by the presence of a large amt of "sweet" aromas. a little bit of coffee, a little bit of bread, but really felt like rich smooth cocoa wth these somewhat un-identifyable sweet tones. nice. 9
summary - creamy, sweet, cocoa, pure
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valrhona - manjari
look - a cloudy red-orange tinted brown. some tiny bubbling
smell - raspberry, coffee, california pinot, some smoky aspects, something slightly sharp - maybe a fermentacious note, peppery, dried orange peel, sweet vanilla touch. 8.5 (the sharpness dropped the score a bit)
taste - very tart, slight tomato leaf/tobacco, more towards a smoky taste, a characteristic smell of caramelly hard dessert candies, berries and coffee, minty business, sweet, a bit rough ocoa, roasty crackers, slight citrus smell?, hummus, sweet flavors of vanilla and berry and acidic cocoa come thru at end, some "air freshener" sense lingering. 9
balance - sweet. but it is only 63%, so that's to be expected. it's balanced decently for a 60s class choco - a lot of acid to back it up. the base seems to be a bit lacking, but again this might be because of the relatively low cacao percentage. 8
texture - nice. a bit powdery though. 8

interpretation - a bright, action-packed choco. in some areas i feel like there's some "rounding" and mellowing of certain flavors going on, and that some lesser quality elements also sneak in (sort of like this choco was a big "overview" of a couple individual flavor profiles). regardless, the end result is nice, vibrant, and a pleasure to eat in general. 8.5-9
summary - bright acid, bright fruit, smoky, action packed
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theo ivory coast
look - a dull brown, slight reddish purplish tinting, smooth, very little if any bubbling 9
smell - "dry" chalky, sweet cocoa, sharper but low intensity tobacco, sweet and light coffee-ish, reminds a bit of some soap smells, apple skins or soemthing. 8.5
taste - sweet, cocoa essence, savory nutmeg, toasty bread w/slight cinammon?, more light and sweet woody/spice tones, fairly "high pitched", astringency begins to show, getting stronger, soily, cocoa, cinam, astringent finish. dry woody sweet cocoa flavor persists. 8
balance - sweet. barely anything in terms of acid. would have been nice wth a touch of acid, a large drop in astringency and a slight boost in "base". felt somewhat "flat" and sweet. 7
texture - fine powdery sensation. not terrible, but still powdery. 8

interpretation - a sweet and simple chocolate, appealing to the very basic taste of forastero. similar to the domori in some ways, but nowhere near as elegant. astringency, lack of acid, lack of depth keep it from being a much better chocolate. somewhat one-sided in the sweet-spice-woody cocoa flavors. would be nice to have some flavor "twists" in there. 7.5
summary - astringent, sweet, simple cocoa
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tht was a bit of a rushed tasting, but it turned out well. in some ways the time pressure forces me to focus more rather than get absorbed in sniffing something and trying to get every last little aroma out of it. as a "treat", i'm giving myself some pralus venez.

the beginning of winter

cold an rainy. i can really feel "the winter" coming. i'm actually wearing a shirt today!
i'm excited, and i wanna taste some newer chocolates. this is bad though. it means that i won't have many "new" and exciting treats to look forward to (if i've already tried everything...)


domori sur del lago
look - a dull deep brown. slight swirling, but good internal texture. 9
smell - light smoky, somewhat fermentacious, roasty nuts, chalky smell, somewhat perfumy, cocoa, dried coffee, 8.5
taste - slight bitter element, cocoa opening, begins to give off creaminess, sweet smelling coffee, sweetness, nuttyness, a fermenty (cleanish) taste, toasty bread, cocoa and coffee finish. a sweetness thru the whole thing. 8,5
balance - ok. a bit on the sweet side, with not much acid to round it out. base was present, so no problems there. 8
texture - very nice. (except for a random crunchy nib-bit) 9

interpretation - a mild one for domori. no outrageous smells. a lot of clean and sweet. some coffee, maybe nut. a very fresh feeling chocolate. sweet as well. kind of cream-like in a sense. easy eating. 8.5
summary - cream-like, sweet, coffee, fresh
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pralus colombie
look - a deep blackish brown. very slight swirling. no noticeable bubbling. 9
smell - faint, slightly citrus peel, tea-like, butter, tangerine, slight twiggy smell. 9
taste - powdery, fresh citrus, develop into nuttier cocoa, very interesting fruit (can't name it), interesting sweetness, toasted tortilla, vanilla, fresh fruity cocoa, roast lingering in back, slight astringency, more sweet flavors at finish, 8.5
balance - ok, a bit on the sweet side as well. not so much in terms of acid, fairly "open" (not so much base feeling) 8
texture - powdery. no doubt. very distracting. had a "watery" feeling as well where things weren't really holding together well. 7

interpretation - fruity and bright, but texture and balance are disappointing. had some very interesting, unique flavors i haven't seen before, but it was just overshadowed by the wateryness, the sweetness and especially the powderyness. i don't remember this from the last time i had it. too bad. 7.5~8
summary - fruity, fresh, sweet, powdery, watery
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amano cuyagua
look - a very light brown, some whitish tinting. very smooth looking. 9
smell - tobacco, fermentacious, rem of scharffen berger (the chunky one), smoky, rubbery, birdseed, styrofoam packing "s", hardware store. honestly a bit odd... 8.5
taste - sweet liquer aroma, eases into slightyl fermenty tobacco, vanilla, more tobacco, kind of savory essensce, black tea, more tobacco on finish. 9
balance - quite nice. i'm perceiving the sweet strongly today, but there was a subtle acidity that supported the choco. 9
texture - very nice. 9

interpretation - a very character-filled choco. a lot of tobacco, some "fermentacious". really interesting. would like to explore momre with larger piece. 9
summary - tobacco, fermenty, character
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pralus tanzanie
look - dark blackish brown with purple hinting. some odd white chunkyness... 8
smell - slight woody, baked spice cookie, cocoa, astringency hint, orange, 8.5
taste - the pasta, tea, astringency, raisiny-wine character, no, more like a sticky balsalmic, flat cocoa, milky oddness, astringency. 8
balance - not bad, but astringent and somewhat disconnected. 8
texture - reasonable. 8.5

interpretation - another interesting one. a lot of uniqueness, but lacks any sort of finesse or harmony. needs work to be "good". 7.5-8
summary - astringent, fruit, spice, woody, pasta
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today was problably one of my worst days for focus, so i wouldn't recommend taking any of the reviews i did today very seriously.

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

saturdays make good tastings

conditions: a little rainy, not too cold. dark. hungry.


domori sur del lago
look - a dull dark brown. some tiny bubbling. 9
smell - mild cocoa, mild soil, slight fruit (maybe strawberry), coffee touch, some "creamy" smell, very very faint meaty smell, 8.5
taste - opening of dry dirt, fresh tropical note hiding, fresh wasabi smell, nuts clean light cocoa, slight fresh pepper, good texture, fair acid, a bit woody, high "creamy" taste, possibly a "dry" trop fruit,finish of cocoa, hidden candied lemon peel, 9
balance - good. base is supportive all the way, sweet never really seems to overpower. acid seems slightly lacking, but it gives it a "dryness" that goes very well with the "creamy" high notes. 9
texture - very nice. has this "micropowder" feel to it. 9

interpretation - a fresh, light and clean choco. doesn't really dip down into the typical darker chocolate flavors, making it very interesting to coast thru those high notes (without vanilla to get in the way). 8.5~9
summary - light, fresh, "creamy"
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amedei ecuador
look - a deep brown with very slight hints of redness. some tiny bubbling 9
smell - a bit of wine, some balsamic, rather acidic, slightly fermentacious, dried fig, blackberry, woody/honey at tail, tart fruit impression, slight wax, spicy wood - like a live plant u might find in a garden, [cracked in half] this herb... rosemary but softer (maybe actally eucalyptus), blueberry, (something slightly off too like rotting fruit) 8.5~9
taste - cocoa and soft vanil opening, sweet at first, move to the herby, posibly eucaluptus, slight fermentacious, wet wood, some fruit and vanilla, amedei smell (kinda boquet like), slight acid, quick whiff of mustard, soft cake-like smells, more of the woody, amedei like finish, slight ly caramelized, a touch of coffee, add a nutty element for a long finish. 8.5~9
balance - i liked it. good acid to back up sweetness (which was a little strong at first). base is present to support. 9
texture - very nice, no noticeable problems, possibly a tiny bit powdery if i think hard about it. 9

interpretation - a very "interesting" chocolate. not 100% in my "like zone" in terms of flavors. some fermentaciousness, herbal characters show that this choco is willing to deviate from the ultra-flowery/vanilla standard of amedei. kind of untamed in a sense. still, those are put in their place by firm wood, dark red fruit and vanilla flavors. kind of a battle between the two. 8.5~9
summary - dark fruit, woody, fermentacious. (long finish)
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(orange)
michel cluizel - conception (venezuela)
look - a softer brown, with very slight orange tints. slight bubbling on surface. 9
smell - piney, caramelly, sweet fruit, mexican food, mint, slight reminder of bacon at tail, potpurri, cinnamon, [crack open] soap, some szechwan spice, slight acid, some vanilla 9
taste - cocoa, sweetness, acid all open, cruise into a rich nutty flavor, some dry cocoa, vanilla, caramel popcorn, milky sweetness, sight wood amongst caramel, vanilla creeps back in, some smoky now appears, nutty (like pecan maybe) slight touch of coffee as nearing end, sweet/tart/base clean finish. coffee and slight planty smell linger on finish. 9
balance - a bit on the sweet side (66%), but base almost manages to hold it up. almost. acid present is very pleasant. 8.5
texture - very very smooth and rich. 9~9.5

interpretation - not as complex or explosive as i would have expected from the smells. really an enjoyable journey thru all that caramelized action, fruit, cocoa and vanilla. acid is really appropriate. makes for a very "full" experience. that's the feeling i often get from cluizel. a very full, well rounded experience. this one in particular had a nice acid edge that expressed itself in the flavors as well. 9
summary - acid, caramelly, cocoa, rich, rounded.
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valrhona - manjari
look - a "chalky" brown. i guess it has some white tone to it. some very tiny bubbling. 9
smell - chocolate, slight berry, vanilla, sweet metallic smell, raspberry?, croissant, orange liquer, faint incense, waxy 8.5
taste - nice acidity, a bit of some sharp smoky cocoa, settles into a sharp caramel with possibly orange peel influence, frosting-like orange liquer, minty interjection, round, red fruit (from acid), vanilla too, tart cocoa powder, more sharp caramel, then coffee, a dry toasty cocoa length. ever so slightly astringent at finish. (addendum - some "potato" tastes, goes together with smoky) 8.5
balance - nice. despite low cocoa content does not seem to be all that sweet, possibly due to acid, but possibly due to slight bitterness. 9
texture - good. slight powdery feel at times. 8.5

interpretation - acidic, from the start, really expresses fruit and cocoa well. caramelly things drift in and out thru the whole thing. orange and red fruit kind of go back and forth. has a lot of character for a choco produced at this scale. a bit rought in the smoky/slightly bitter aspects, but can be overlooked. feels very "smoothed" the same way a river pebble is smooth. maybe not any particularly astounding or "new" elements, but what's there is balanced and pleasant. 8.5~9
summary - polished, fruity, acidic, slight smokyness.
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pralus tanzanie
look - dark brown, black tints. some ugly bubbling, chunkiness. 8
smell - berries (jam),light coffee, something herbal..., possibly pickled ginger,
taste - bitter, the pasta taste, dry cocoa smell, herbal, slight slight charred almon, plain cocoa powder, lighter minty herbal smell, kinda green planty, more cocoa and planty smells, richness to texture, blance decent a bit astringent, woody, more of the woody pasta, a kind of offensively simple cocoa, continues on for astringent finish. 8
balance - not so hot. a bit sweet, a bit bitter. sort of like it has two very strong poles, but not much in the middle. 8
texture - pretty good minus the astringency. also there was some random distracting chunk of something in there. 8

interpretation - astringent, roasty and fairly plain choco. simple in a sense. kind of herbal/plant-like in it's cocoa smell. not the soft sweet stuff of the domori, or the fruitiness of the cluizel. wish it wasn't so astringent. 7.5~8
summary - roasty, herbal cocoa, astringent.
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that was a very enlightening tasting. i found a way that helps me focus my sense of smell. sensitivity is slowly increasing, and that makes enjoyable chocolates all the more enjoyable. if i were to give a favorite for this tasting, it'd prob be the cluizel. it was fiery to the smell but performed solidly on the taste. i would usually lean towards an amedei, but ecuador is particularly fermenty and medicinal, and i wasn't exactly happy with that. domori would be up there too (possibly #2), i just think it's a bit too soft and a bit too gentle to make a strong enough impression to beat out cluizel. but a fresh and clean vanilla-free chocolate is always welcome.... i was also surprised at manjari's quality for the price level. a good, enjoyable eating chocolate.

simple variety

conditions: hungry. nice and cool, sunny morning. a little bit rushed, had some difficulty concentrating

pralus tanzanie
look - dark roasty brown. bubbling and chunkiness. 8
smell - chocolate wafer cookie, slight berry, some light coffee, more berry, slight mintiness, fruit tea
taste - cocoa and some sharp bitter tastes at opening, roasted pleasant smells, vanilla creep in, richer tastes, pasta like smell, slight tobacco for a moment, reminds of a pumpkin custard, acidity kicking in, dry astringent roast takes over at finish,length of that and cocoa, a bit of peaty whisky. 8.5
balance - reasonable, but astringency throws things off. it's as though all the proper elements are present (acid, sweet, base) but the astringency and occasional bitterness kind of throw everything out of whack and make it imbalanced. 7.5
texture - decent, but a bit grainy. 8

interpretation - a very roast centered pralus. astringency can be considered interesting, but ends up just seeming like a flaw, esp when it distracts and throws things out of balance. 8
summary - roasty, astringent, dark berries on nose only.
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pralus papousie
look - brown with slight orange tint. lots of ugly bubbling/swirling/lumpiness 8
smell - vegetative - kabocha with skin, tea, vanil, some musky flower, roasted seed, very cocoa-y. roast, buttery, cocoa, sweet kabocha smell.
taste - slight sweet, good base, cocoa, vanila, tiny bit ofmushromy, cocoa, some kabocha with skin, buttery, rich, some roast nut (maybe pecan), onderfully rich and balanced, not over-buttery, long enjoyable cocoa, extraordinarily clean and focused. 9
balance - near perfect. weight really sells this choco. almost like eating nothing at all. 9.5~.... 10??
texture - very nice. rich and smooth with a lightness not present in venezuela

interpretation - a very simple choco. very simple. mostly just cocoa for aromas. but the balance and the "stability" of it a are really remarkable. eating it is a long drawn-out experience in straight chocolate with no interference. very interesting (in the way it has no variety or development!). 9
summary - balanced, smooth, cocoa. pure.
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pralus java (couverture)
look - rich dark brown, swirling, tiny bubbles 8.5
smell - slightly woody, meaty, some mint, touch of cumin?, buttery choco,
taste - coffee like, roasted twigs, blendy, very even acid, some fruit notes pop up (dark, pruney kind of), metallic butter pralusroast, butter pastry, end of roasted burnt popcorn, slight sweet. mild coffee with mostly roasty blend on finish. 9
balance - nice. sliggghtly sweet. other than that, very balanced. 9
texture - very smooth, felt somewhat rich. 9

interpretation - somewhat lacking in intensity and character, but some very nice balance and texture. a good, easy chocolate. 9
summary - simple, blendy, roast.
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theo ivory coast
look - chalky brick brown. fine looking, some tiny bubbling 9
smell - beans, sharp smell, chalk, slight roasty, dry smell, light with some fruit elements, maybe a bit of blue cheese element,
taste - sweet, bpowdery, chalky, indian spice, roasty, vegetative, bitter, somewhat like a deodorant, some more spice, something starchy. 7.5~8
balance - not so great, acidity not found, base is low, astringent and bitter quite noticeable. also a bit sweet. 7.5
texture - so so. a bit powdery 8

interpretation - feels "real" in some sense, but just no finesse or balance. a lot of dry sensations, a bit strong in certain spice or vegetal smells. not so great. 7.5~8
summary - dry, imbalance, spice
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domori sur del lago
look - tree-bark brown. lots of tiny bubbling, no major surface probs tho 9
smell - roasted sunflower seed, mild cocoa, slight woodyness, dry smell, creamy (coconut?) smell, bread crust, slight soil, 8.5~9
taste - light creamy aromas, cocoa nibs, fruit - maybe pineapple, rich cooa, back to light and creamy, blue cheese, creamy texture, good balance with slight acid, feels light, possibly a tiny bit dry in some sense, (not unpleasant), very light touch of coffee, mild/clean cocoa, slight soilyness at end, more creamy sensations/aromas. not properly identifyingthem, but very light and pleasant 9
balance - nice. a bit on the sweet side, possibly lacking some base. acid plays nice background role, but not quite up to the sweetness level 8.5
texture - very smooth. in an odd way, a bit "dry" preventing it from having the "richness" of the pralus (esp venez/papousie) 9

interpretation - very pleasant, creamy and light experience. any cocoa present was very clean. a tiny bit of soil-factor adds interest to the cocoa. all in all, very light and slightly fresh. a bit lacking in "roundness", but very nice considering just cocoa and sugar. 9
summary - light, creamy, fresh
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i'm finding the pralus papousie very impressive in that it's so simple, yet so well executed. i'm also becoming a big fan of the domori. if it was only a little rounder. although, maybe that's what makes it so attractive -- that it has its own unique personality

after a 107 mile bike ride

the next day. a little sleepy (from all that good sleeping). sun is shining, makes me feel great. like it's california or something.

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guittard - ambanja
look - light chestnut brown, no bubbles, smooth 9
smell - dried papery smell, kind of beany, a little nutmeg, slight smoky, some vanilla, like the sweet potatoes at the soul food place, more vanil, 8.5
taste - milky vanilla, sweet cocoa, slight coffee, develops stronger, blakcberry, woody, mild, sweet, lowish acid, some uncleaninliness at the back of throat, finish also somewhat bitter, faint, length cuts out. 8
balance - ok. sweet, slight acid to back up, decent weight. i guess my feeling is that a chocolate this sweet deserves a litte "weightier" acid 8
texture - very nice. smooth and rich melt

interpretation - a good mild chocolate, fairly sweet. clean in most senses, just a bit odd on the back of the throat. enjoyable gentle smells, although vanilla seems to dominate. good. 8~8.5
summary - mild, sweet, vanilla
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pralus - tanzanie
look - blackish brown, heavy bubbling, odd little chunks
smell - fruitstand, particularly grapes and berries, herbal candles, dried raspberry, choco, slight coffee. fairly faint. wax. 8
taste - dried pasta, cocoa, bitter, develops to cofe, fruit (berries), bitter, tea l(dark, cocoa, slight mint, roasty, roasty length. cuts out after a bit to leave bitter taste behind. 7.5~8
balance - on the bitter side. decent weight, but low acid. sweetness not too evident due to bitter. just seems a bit confused. 7.5
texture - decent. a bit powdery feeling, but the random chunk gives it minus points. 7

interpretation - a fairly roasty approach to a so-so quality cocoa. i think it was managed well, and negative elements were subdued, but couldn't be eliminated. bitter was a bit strong, but variations on bitter and roasty theme kept it interesing, as well as the occasional fruit. balance was off. 7.5
summary - roasty, bitter, imbalanced, slight fruit
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pralus - venezuela
look - a very "straight" brown. minimal bubbling, smooth texture. 9
smell - brown butter, slight sesame, minty or dill, like pasteurized milk, apricots, slight vanil, some herbal?, roast, 9
taste - rich and smooth, roast, the butter smell, slight minty, dark roast nuts, toasty, acid comes in , slight fruity, mettalic sheen (minty?), roasty finish, slight pleasant bitter at end some vanil, good lenghth of roast and slight vanil, milk. 9
balance - very good, acid playing a background supporting role to the sweetness. good solid weight. bitter present in avery pleasant form. fairly harmonious. 9
texture - excellent. rich and smooth. so rich, really. 9.5

interpretation - a rich and smooth texture for a very roast-focused chocolate. but the roast isn't some plain old harsh burnt feeling, but a very pleasant butter/milk sensation. texture really really adds to the enjoyment. the only thing more i could ask for from this chocolate is a bit of variety on the taste. otherwise excellent. 9
summary - rich, butter roasty, very smooth
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domori - sur del lago
look - kind of a chalky brown, decent bubbling, swirling. 8
smell - light fresh green, coconut?, toasty, piney? no, a bit of swimming pool, a nice nut, 8.5
taste - fresh green bitter, (interesting contrast), somewhat creamy, cocoa, slightly meaty, a bit of soily mushrooms, slight fruit on finish, a bit dry. length is a bit odd. 8
balance - good, but seems a bit low on acid. a bit of a "light and dusty" chocolate due to that. 8
texture - chunkiness. other than that extremely fine. 8

interpretation - interesting chocolate. a lot of fresh tastes which were enjoyable. creaminess too. was a shame the texture was ruined by the chunks
summary - creamy, fresh, lightweight
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i have no idea why i have such a bias for the pralus venezuela. it's not necessarily the most delicate or complex chocolate. maybe it's that it's so "soothing". plus those really "unique" flavors of browned butter. maybe that's what i really want in a chocolate, or at least it's a flavor i strongly associate with something of that color, so when it fits my expectations, i'm pleased.

all across the world

nicely hungry, a slight bit tired. sun is shining. good conditions overall for tasting.
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pralus - tanzanie
look - dark brown - significant bubbling, bad texture, odd white things (like little sugar crystals?)
smell - flowery with a bit of berry, like some good oolong, slight herbal or plantyness, a bit of meaty cocoa, malt ball smell, cranberry, blueberry jam, 8.5
taste - light cocoa astringent start, some roasty, watery pasta, slight caramel, coffee, fruity with meaty component, nutty roast, slight acidity peeks out, bitterness hangs in, woody and roasty length, seems to fade somewhat quickly. 8
balance - reasonable. sweet and bitter + astringent tend to dominate, but with a slight acidity that sort of gives it this "hollowed out" feeling. interesting. 8
texture - ok, a bit rough 7.5

interpretation - decent chocolate, just a bit hollow. also doesn't relly come thru on the promises that the smell gives off. where is the fruit? i guess it's in there, but it's not nearly as pleasant as the smell, probably due to excessive roasting and astringency. 7.5~8
summary - roasty, hollow, astringent, berry smells
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amedei - toscano black 66%
look - a medium brown with a purple-red tinge. fine looking texture, tiny bubbling 9
smell - very woody up front, somewhat... winey or grapey, some sharp aroma - possibly fermentacious, vanilla, beeswax lies beneath, a bit of hazelnut, kind of milk chocolatey, some raspberry, slight soil beneath. 8.5~9
taste - sweetness, cocoa and vanilla opening, slight honeyed accent, shifting into acidic phase, some red berry fruit, toasty coffee, woody cask, gentle honey-like tastes, nice level of acid, sweetness also prevailing, a bit of toasty, a vanilla and woody length, turns slightly bitter. perfumy length really lingering 8.5~9
balance - a bit on the sweet side. base was present to support sweet > acid balance. pleasant
texture - very good, possibly a tiny bit of powdery feel

interpretation - this one loses a few points for not being bold enough. i feel like it was pretty timid, never really ventured out to show anything off. i guess that's the point of these blends tho. still, i could have used more excitement. regardless, winey/woody tastes complimented by honey/perfume is hardly something to complain about. amazing lenght. 8.5~9
summary - mild, sweet, woody/fruity, slight honey/perfume
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michel cluizel - mangaro (madagascar)
look - a lightish brown, not much in terms of red. some slight bubbling 9
smell - (smelling loads of fruit after opening the wrapper) rich fruity, cocoa and meaty smells. smoke, red fruit, vanilla, fertilizer, peanutty, tropical fruits, somewhat of a plasticy, orange, significant acid, the woody peel of some fruit-- what is it??, slight minty hiding in back, cherries? 9
taste - sweet and tart, caramel and fruit at opening, develops cocoa, nuts, fruit, fairly tart, guava, pineapple, meaty cocoa, more pineapple, slight dustiness in cocoa, more caramel, fudge tasting, tart, vanilla, red fruit on finish. also some interesting nutty(pistachio?), some whisky. very intersting finish, lingers for some time. 9
balance - sweet and tart. very lively. a good base as well. 9
texture - very good. 9.5

interpretation - an intense experience with loads of "high intensity" fruit. really gets in your face with it. acidity, fruit (esp tropical) and meaty cocoa are all very strongly imprinted in memory. really powerful. not much finesse, but i guess u can't have both. personally, if it was a tiny bit less sweet, this would be up in my favorites. a really fun-filled, exciting chocolate 9
summary - intense, exciting, acidic, tropical fruit, meaty cocoa
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lindt - ecuador
look - dark brown withreddish tinge, some tiny bubbling 9
smell - strong perfumy, woody, vanilla, cinnamon, a very blendy smell, apple cinnamon cake, possibly cloves, vanilla, green tropical fruit, very intense, somewht simple in that way 8.5
taste - significant bitter, roasty and spice smells, slightly burnt feeling, strong nutty wood sense, kind of nutmegggy, a bit flat (sweet and bitter only), more nutmeg, bitter/astringent roasty touched finish. 6.5-7
balance - so so. no acid for support. lots of bitter. 7
texture - not really any problems. 9

interpretation - this choco is wack. from teh smells you'd expect something smooth and round, but that's not the case at all. loads of bitterness and astringency await in the mouth. not to mention the flavors are far less refined when actually eating it. very strange. not a big fan, despite interesting smells. 6.5~7
summary - nice spice aromas, off taste.
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(this tasting may be a bit rushed, not to mention awful bitter left behind by prev choco)
domori - sur del lago (venezuela)
look - dark brown with slight red tint. tiny bubbling present in large amt. quite an appetizing color actually 9
smell - nutty, roasty smells, slight fermentacious, very interesting... marker?, pretty low intensity, a little bit of stink, some leathery tree branches, peppery maybe, 8
taste - peppery, blue cheese, bitter, fermenty sweet, coffee, pineapple? odd cocoa nib, creamy, interesting fruit, amazing texture, like a gently cheese, light sweet cocoa finish. 9
balance - quite nice. a little bit of acidity, mostly sweet countered well with base. 9
texture - amazing. perhaps my favorite. however, the random crunchy bit of cocoa nib is a big minus. if it wasn't for that, this texture would be in the 9.5~10 range

interpretation - very interesting. i like it. development all over, especially the light slightly fruity and fermenty flavors. creamy as well. texture is really great. i have no idea what the random woody nibs are doing in there. a thoughtful choco, and a refreshing change from vanilla and fruit heavy chocolates. 9
summary - interesting fruit/fermenty, very nice texture, random cocoa nibs.
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i was very impressed this time by domori. glad i picked up 2 from chocosphere's bargain basement! lindt was disappointing. amedei... was a gentle one. cluizel was firey. a very "all over the board" tasting