another new chocolate

my mouth is dry again. it makes it really hard to taste astringency and sense texture (cause it's all weird on the inside). oh well.
sunny and nice


michel cluizel - mangaro (madagascar)
look - a reddish-orange tinted rich lighter woody brown. some tiny bubbling.
smell - acidic berry and soil, roasted tree branches, vanilla and dry spice, green tropical fruit, fertilizer, 9-9.5
taste - a touch of nice liquer (brandy?), a hot chocolate taste, piney, darker roast, sweetness and acidity pburst, slight vanil, fruit emerging, soil, acidic trop fruit (mangosteen?), nutty butter richness, banana, tree-like vegetation, like some dessert with lots of fruit, peaches?, finish of fruity, sweet. 9+
balance - fairly sweet. a lot of acid to back it up. in general this just results in a higher intensity chocolate. 8.5
texture - very good. rich and clean melt. extremely fine texture

interpretation - a fruity sweet masterpiece. very interesting fruit running thru the whole thing, all the while maintaining it's chocolatey grounded-ness with soily and woody flavors. acidity is notable. this one is very clean (compared to some of his others) which tend to lean a bit to the smoky or heavy side (usually with the soily components). light(er) and easy to enjoy 9+
summary - sweet, amazing fruit variety, soil
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(need pic)
valrhona araguani (venezuela)
look - a lighter orange-tinted brown. more opaque feeling. extremely smooth, no swirling
smell - flowery perfume, slight nutty, vanilla, orange peel, this hairspray, slight cocoa, frosting-y smell 8
taste - soft, sweet, powdery, nutty, smoky, candied orange peel, more smoky nut, low acid, bitterness of orange peel, slight touch of coffee, nuttyness (possibly hazelnut), 8.5 (lacks vigor)
balance - sweet. not much at all in terms of acid. nice base tho. 8
texture - nice, but slightly powdery feeling. 8.5

interpretation - a simple chocolate in a way. an interesting bitterness, with some extra "dark" tastes that i'm not used to (i cheated afterwards and looked at the label to find that there was brown sugar). pleasant flavors, but just don't seem to carry the life that i'm looking for. maybe it's the lack of acid. they also don't seem to be as clearly defined, as though there's some sort of averaging going on. not bad, but not that exciting. 8
summary - sweet, flat, smoky touch, orange, dark
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pralus - colombie
look - black-leaning brown. fair amount of swirling
smell - impression of bread and crackers, buttery, wax (crayons), slight roasty, more crayon, slight base-y cocoa character
taste - appleskin (green),nuts, paint thinner, fruit, cocoa, roast, nutty, cocoa cookie, dryness, astringency, more cocoa cookie. 8
balance - a bit low on acid to match my preference. however wasn't too sweet. lots of base on this one, but astringency messes things up. 8.5
texture - powdery. not so great. 7.5

interpretation - some rather interesting non-chocolatey aromas (waxy stuff, green apples), but not very well "cared for". astringency and odd texture don't make it more pleasant. has a lot of character and uniqueness, but the fundamentals could use some fine tuning. 7.5-8
summary - wax, cocoa, powdery, astringent
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pralus tanzanie
look - dark brown, slight purplish tinting, lots of bubbling
smell - low intensity fruit (red, skin), sake, cocoa, dried dates, grapefruit skin, dry stuff 8-8.5
taste - nutty, astringent, banana?, tea?, sweet wax, toasty, more astringent, base stuff, dry pasta. 8
balance - ok. all elements are present, but not in harmony. astringency disturbs balance
texture - ok. slight micro-grain feel


interpretation - in some ways this chocolate can be enjoyed for its astringency, because it's kind of centered around it (where as the last one it seemed to be just getting in the way). intersting low key-fruity things, sort of reminds me of a dry (non-californian) red wine. good when u want something to "straighten you up" rather than relax you or wow you. 8
summary - astringent, dry fruit, roasty
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kinda got this nasty feeling in my throat by the end. might ahve something to do with the dryness of the air. not sure, but i don't like it. hopefully it won't happen again

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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adventures with pralus

it's been a little while. had an amedei 4 square tasing but didn't take notes, just tried to commit to memory. worked ok i think. today i'm not that hungry, but a bit pressured for time. we'll see how it turns out.
conditions: semi-sunny, warm (for winter)
let's do a pralus tasting.


columbia
look - dark somewhat cloudy brown, slight orange. surface is smooth on this piece. 9
smell - cocoa with a subdued minty, caramel, possibly banana, a lot of roast, some hidden fruityness, tea leaves 8.5
taste - 1st impresssion is roast, tomato pasta sauce, slight honey over coffee roast, full toasty effect, fair acidity, slightly odd element (coincides with roast), soy milk, green fruits, toasted leaves (some similarities to madagascar), some astringency and planty elements at finish. 8.5
balance - quite decent. a bit on the hollow-sweet side, but still some acid to make connections. astringency is a minus. 8.5
texture - not so great. kinda micro-powdery. 7.5

interpretation - a fairly plant-like chocolate that explores a bit in the fruity area. roast is very strong. astringency doesn't help. yeah, it's nice it's just nothing special. nothing i'd buy again. 8~8.5
summary - roasty, planty, astringent, powdery
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pralus venezuela
look - a lighter brown with more orange hues. some bubbling. 8.5
smell - bready and vanilla, butter (sligty stinky), cocoa, red fruit (cranberry) juice, 9
taste - opening of rich melty cocoa, caramel hint, smooth vanilla, pecan roast, charred fish skin, roasty and rich, nice acid, burnt popcorn. coffee caramel (clean) lingers on length. 9
balance - very ncie. on the acid side. acid is somewhat sharp and fresh. very good weight to it. 9
texture - really good. rich and creamy and melty. almost too rich! 9~9.5

interpretation - a true enjoyment/luxuriation chocolate. so rich, so smooth, so satisfying. yet acid keeps it from being overly heavy by really giving it this bright kick. a keeper for sure. 9+
summary - rich, burnt roast, acid, smooth melt
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pralus papousie
look - a reddish brown with good shine. somewhere in between the first 2. ugly bubbling. 8
smell - chocolate, sweet aroma (caramel?), powdery milk?, raspberry, more simple cocoa, faint vanilla (very faint) 9
taste - tea-like feeling at start, sweet, some macaroni butter thing, cocoa powder, high oned sweetness, not very distinct, very slight buttery, slight tree bark, tiny hint of cinnamon, waffles, straight and pure cocoa. 9
balance - on the sweet side, lacking "strong" acid, but still hidden in there. good weight 9
texture - quite nice. smooth, fairly rich, less so than venezuela but very satisfying. 9~9.5

interpretation - a good, simple, "pure" chocolate. really pleasant. its simplicity is the appeal. the purity and cleanliness of the chocolate taste is almost an exploration in what i think of when i tihnk of "plain chocolate". a tad sweet, but very pleasant. 9
summary - pure cocoa, clean, simple, nice texture, sweet-heavy balance
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pralus tanzanie
look - closest in color to columbia. this piece is fairly smooth. 9
smell - waxy crayon, roasty smell, cocoa butter, slightly berry, touch of caramel sweet, 8.5-9
taste - sweet, dry peppery (without the pepper taste), slight cinnamon, a bit of apple, roasted walnuts, slightly odd texture, roasty fish, astringent finish, some chocolatey aspects. 8.5
balance - so so. kinda sweet with a hole in the middle. some acid but didn't "connect" sweet with base. 8
texture - not great. very slightly powdery. 8

interpretation - waxy, a bit of spice, fruit, some tannin, this thing is kinda all over the place. a bit discombobulated. i'd like to see it have more focus. still, it's interesting. astringency kills any hopes of making it a decent chocolate tho. 8
summary - wide flavor variety, roasty, astringent, slightly powdery texture
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not bad for a quick tasting. got to get to know the praluses in my stock right now.

a little post-drinking chocolate

a little cold but nice and sunny. excited about today. did some drinking yesterday


amedei toscano black 63%
look - a light cloudy brown. very very slight orange hinting, extremely smooth 9
smell - grahm crackers, berry jam, slight touch of coffee, some caramel. smoky wood chips, mashed strawberries, slight bay laurel hint, vanilla. like the air fresheners people put in cars (the paper ones), 9 (delicious smelling, somewhat simple)
taste - a bit smoky, sweetness, tree bark, smoky cocoa, fruity elements, kind of tart-honey. slight acid comes in, grahm cracker with roasty bean element, purer "cocoa" with vanilla, some sort of custard, fruit jam, fruity and vanilla aftertaste quite strong, though fades somewhat quickly. 9
balance - sweet, but not overly so. (63%) pretty impressive for that cocoa level. acid is secondary, but supportive. base is present in solid amt. 9
texture - good, if not slightly powdery. 9

interpretation - this is a solid 9 chocolate. very good in every respect. simple, clean, fruity. expresses the excitement of good cocoa and vanilla. easy to understand. 9
summary - fruity, vanilla, smoky wood
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amano cuyagua
look - a very "clear" orange-brown. quite light. very good back, some slight bubbles inside 9
smell - dry peppery (nutmeg?) tobacco, skunk, clove, vanilla, dried citrus skin, 9 (excitement)
taste - smoky tobacco, some clean bitter, vanilla coasting in, sweet perception, more tobacco, vegetative, spice (clove etc), a sim. smell from sharffenberger jamaica (the crunchy one), medicinal plant, slight astringency (was lurking thru the whole thing) appears at end, more tobacco and woody flavors. 9
balance - quite good. not so aware of acidity, but certainly inside the range of "well balanced". somewhat sweet feeling at times, possibly amplified by vanilla. 9
texture - very nice. rich yet not oily, and still has a foundation of cocoa to "feel". 9~9.5

interpretation - a very interesting and plant-feeling chocolate. a lot of tobacco, smokyness, vegetative and spice flavors. quite exciting. a little dampened by astringency at finish, but otherwise a great time. very bright and expressive of flavors. 9
summary - tobacco, spice, planty, slight sweet
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pralus papousie
look - average brown, slightly dull in color but good shine, fair amt of bubbling. 8.5
smell - peaches, dried citrus skin/peppery aspect, papery, glue-cocoa, very faint 9
taste - cocoa and minty expession, more cocoa ( a bit "impure"?), banana, roasted nut, slight bitter, roasted elements, cocoa and the odd pralus herbal tea sheen. that lingers on fiinish. 8.5
balance - nice, everything's in check. acid present in slight amts, base very fulfilling, sweetness never overpowers or comes into spotlight.
texture - good, a good balance between rich and weighted super-fine powder. 9

interpretation - definitely a very "cocoa" chocolate. it just seems that the pralus roast overcompensates in some cases, and tnds to stretch flavors in directions they weren't intended to be sent in. little "blips" appearing here and there that are really more a result of roasted cacao than they are a result of the individuality of the chocolate. it also seems to give it these little "sharp edges" (that's what i see in my head anyways) regardless, this chocolate was enjoyable, just simple. 8.5
summary - simple cocoa, subtl, soft roast
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pralus colombie
look - dark brown, slight ashyness. no noticeable bubbling. 9
smell - white pepper (not sharp), dried meats, waxy crayon, toasted bun, herbal (oregano?), woody aspect, very slight yuzu, something savory. nice, interesting, exciting. 9
taste - off pwderyness, astringency, a candylike nutmeg, mcdonalds hamburger, more spices, toastyness, spice (nutmeg), vanilla spice and roast combination at finish. 8
balance - a bit hollow feeling. sweet and base present (with astringency) but no acid to give it more life. 8
texture - grainy-powdery. 7

interpretation - again, an interesting attempt. aromas were very enticing, but texture and balance just couldn't follow thru. spices and savory elements really made for a "different" kind of chocolte, but unfortunately the rest wasn't up to par.8
summary - unique white pepper, spice, bad texture, balance a bit off.
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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.

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.