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.

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 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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high power tasting

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

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

interpretation - a very light but strongly flowery/vanilla-y chocolate. the headstrong sweetness seems to bring out those flavors even more in some sort of feedback loop. if it was that alone, it wouldn't be such an exciting chocolate, but the fruity/clean cocoa flavors (at times i felt like if i ignored the vanilla and other distractors, i could see the "essence" of pure cocoa at the center) really round it out and show off the fact that it's still chocolate. good for sweet moods. a very finessed chocolate. 9~9.5
summary - flowery cocoa, vanilla, sweet, clean and pretty
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amedei porcelana
look - a medium (chalky) brown, somewhat red touch. ultra smooth, no noticeable bubbles. 9
smell - grapes, tomato sauce, coffee, amazing savory aspect. this dark tomato/tobacco sense, roasted tea, mineral sense, fruit skins, amedei essence, [break open], powdery, dirt smell, somewhat like fertilizer on a lawn, cocoa soaked in good balsalmic. very complex. very deep. 9.5
taste - opens with savory, acidic, mushroom and tomato sauce feeling, moves to some pure cocoa, some deep dark fruit, pan fried something in butter, cocoa and undescribable herbal smell, vanilla creeps in for a moment, fades out, something very unique popped in (pine? savory?), black olives???, mature acid, coffee, depth, cocoa softening, amedei signature, balsalmic laced fruit cocoa on finish, goes on and on... 9.5
balance - very nice. really feel the "savory" aspects. weight/base of chocolate strongest, then acid, very slight astringency (after finish) seems to add to effect. 9~9.5
texture - very good. didn't really even notice it had "texture". 9

interpretation - this is a very different chocolate. most chocolates seem to have the taste of flavors "mixed in" with chocolate flavors. however, this one felt like these woody/balsalmic/savory tones were actually inherent to the chocolate flavors -- completele inseperable. it was like this was a special chocolate plant with different fundamental smells. this chocolate is definitely an experience. the way they suppress the fruity and flowery elements is commendable, because it really lets you understand how "savory" and atypical a chocolate can be. bringing out the true nature of it and not trying to hide it was a great move. amazing. 9.5
summary - savory (tomatosauce etc), deep, complex
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pralus venezuela
look - dark brown with orange hints. almost looks "roasty". some bubbling but smooth interior. 9
smell - buttery, cocoa, slightly minty or licorice, roasted almond, cocoa with a minty slant, chicken?, slight red fruit beneath. 9
taste - quick melt, cocoa, nutty, extreme roast, milk, vanilla, caramel candies, savory smells, pan sauteed chicken? (with garlic), more cocoa, silky melty texture, nice acid, cocoa with nutty hints, roast, metallic butter popcorn at end. caramelly length. very pleasant. 9~9.5
balance - excellent. great base, acid in the perfect spot (not shy but not bold), sweetness is held back, but texture seems to amplify a bit 9.5
texture - very buttery and rich feeling. possibly extra cocoa butter? very quick and easy melt, almost "luxurious". 9

interpretation - a roast heavy, savory focused chocolate, with high-temp-pasteurized-milk/browned butter being strong components. texturally very exciting, something i don't see much of in any other chocolates. very rich. great balance (very close to my ideal). a great chocolate to eat (it really was good, but i'm almost "depressed" since i just had "the peak of unique chocolate" before this one) >9
summary - rich, roasty, buttery
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pralus papousie
look - dark brown with ever so slight deep purple hints. some bubbling on surface, interior looks ok. 8
smell - very faint. slight tea, slight red fruit, some plastic-y (pick up from something?), light cocoa, possibly some pineapple (really a stretch here). 7 - (no intensity, not getting much enjoyment from smell)
taste - cocoa, slgith astringency, wax, more cocoa, slight bacony smell, some vanilla at finish, more cocoa. slightly astringent length. 8.5~9
balance - good. everything was present, nothing present in excess. 9
texture - nice. less buttery and rich than the last, almost like they reigned it in for this one. very nice. 9

interpretation - a bit too unexpressive for my tastes. it was like it was too timid to step away from its comfort zone of soft cocoa. not necessarily a bad thing, it's just that it didn't excite me. nothing really stood out. very well poised, but very dull chocolate. 8.5~9
summary - quiet, unexpressive, cocoa
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(quickie for finish)
pralus tanzanie
look - a nearly black brown, chalky (not translucent). some bubbling, odd white chunks. 8
smell - cedary, berry, mint, wood, sllight cocoa. 8.5
taste - uncooked pasta (or maybe it's the pasta water...), roasts, dried cranberries or raisins, acid, off-astringency, vanil, more berry, then cocoa, roasty. astringent length
balance - decent, just thrown out of harmony by astringency. good base, decent acid, sweetness. something just isn't mixing. 8
texture - good, nothing special or too off. 8.5

interpretation - same as the usual (i was tasting a tiny piece at the end of a long-ish tasting so wasn't paying that much attention). 8
summary - roasty, astringent, pasta water
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afterwards i ran thru a bunch of chocolates and had amazingly clear visions of each. hopefully i can record that into longer term memory. man, that porcelana is undeniably deep.

a new chocolate!!

today's conditions: very hungry, cool, cloudy. well slept and not overslept. focused.
i feel like opening a new choco. let's see what all the fuss is about. time to try amano's cuyagua


pralus papousie
look - a dark, rich brown with red-orange hints.some bubbling. 9
smell - cherries, cranberries, pomegranites (one of those 3), slight browned butter, metallic, a bit more roast, blueberry, slight bit of woodiness, 9
taste - lsight berry, roasty, bitter, vanilla, woody, smooth cocoa flavor, roasty elements, slight fruitiness, silky melty texture, roast nut at finish. slight vanilla, length of vanilla and cocoa with a very slight bitter element. 9
balance - very nice. everything was aligned. almost don't even notice that it has "aspects" that could possibly be out of balance. however, slight bitter at finish throws things of a tad. 9
texture - excellent. rich, velvety, smooth. great melt

interpretation - a balance focused "pure" chocolate. really not a lot to it other than chocolatey and roasted elements, with very slight hints at fruit. the balance is really the star here. excellent. 9
summary - balanced, cocoa, gentle, great texture
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amano cuyagua
look - a light, almost milky brown. slight light orange tint. slight bubbling, texture appears to be quite fine. 9
smell - incredibly smoky, peaty, tobacco, sharp green planty, a bit of a stink... mushroom?, smoked cedar (smells like a smoke shop), vanilla, a nutty element (roasted sunflower?), perhaps a tomato sauce element. 9 (very intense)
taste - some light tobacco, tomato plant leaves,sharper tobacco, light vanilla, spices, acid and sweet very balanced, base slightly lacking, developing more into vanilla and softer flavors, cocoa, baked goods, vanilla, crissp acid, great finish (clean and bright tobacco, coffee, slight caramel, vanilla). sweet touch at the end. lingers, continuing to show of tobacco. 9~9.5
balance - very nice. perhaps a tiny bit lacking in the "base" elements, it's really matched in terms of acidity and sugar. justwhere i like it to be. woud like a tiny bit more weight to it, but certainly not bad. 9
texture - very good. didn't notice anything off (wasn't paying much attention). 9

interpretation - feels like smoking a big fat (sweet) cigar. (not that i do that...). very intense. i was a bit worried that some of the sharper smells on the nose would interfere with the taste aspect, but they were much subtler when eating. the opening really speaks of tobacco and not much else, but in the middle, much softer elements seem to develop (somewhat strong on the vanilla). the finish was really excellent, a big explosion of sweet tobacco and other harmonious elements. a bit sweet, and very loud and showy, yet in a clean way i could really appreciate. there is a sense of purity that i like about it. maybe a point off here and there for too much vanilla, but on the right track. 9~9.5
summary - tobacco. great, harmonious finish. sweet.
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amedei toscano black 70%
look - a deep brown with ever so slight red tinting. tiny bubbling on interior. 9
smell - slightly smoky, very strongly tree-bark ish, soily, dark feel, scented wood, honey, red fruits lurk, clovey, cinammon?, acidic smells, balsalmic vinegary?, olives (the pickled kind, blACK), (refined and dark). 9
taste - reminds of middle eastern food, hummus, a woody and spicy feel, honey, very interesting "powdery" floral, very solid base, slight acid, sweet is stronger, like powdered dried red fruits (pomegranite), slight vanilla, nutty richness. exciting finish that switches from woody honey to a smoky cocoa, then lingers with vanilla and flowers (and cocoa). >9 (wow, amazingly long length)
balance - good. really enjoy the weight of this one. a very strong chocolatey presence. the sweetness slightly overpowered the acidity, but that's ok. still all within balance. perhaps u could say just a bit of a "sweeter" interpretation of the chocolate 9
texture - very nice, possibly a tiny bit "micrograiny". 8.5~9

interpretation - a really nice expression of dark with a lean towards woody and honey-like flavors. a sweetness prevents it from becoming too serious, and also helps to accentuate the honey aspects. tends to remind me of a california pinot with a "dark" lean. sweet, but with great complexity (although i guess you couldn't call this a fruit bomb). 9~9.5
summary - honey wood, dark, sweet (very long finish)
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pralus tanzanie
look - a fairly dark brown, hints of deep purple. lots of bubbling and swirling. 8
smell - cedary impact (citronellal?), lessens to some woody berries, a minty essence, lemony tartness, cocoa, a bit of roast, dryness (pasta), (wow, i've never smelled some of these before in this chocolate. maybe i'm a bit "creative" today) 8.5
taste - dried pasta, coffee?, papery or woody, bitter emerging, more pasta, somewhat vegetative, nutty, slight leafy (possibly citronellal), challah (jewish slightly eggy bread), dry finish, somewhat astringent. 8.5
balance - decent. astringent at finish seems to disturb my perception of a whole of it. however, i feel like it had strong base, and certainly an acidic element, but some how they didn't align properly. still, the weight was pleasing in that sense. too bad for the astringency. 8
texture - decent. powdery sensation. 8.5

interpretation - a dark and astringent chocolate, but much more rounded than something i might dislike. had good weight to it, plus acid which helped support weaknesses (like astringency). fairly cocoa oriented in flavor, but cedary and dried pasta smells accentuate. interesting, but not something you can fully "relax" to. 8
summary - dried pasta, cocoa, astringent
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to go on a bit of a tangent, i kind of feel like (the good) pralus chocolates really put you "at ease". really relaxing, easy to approach, fairly rich, easy to understand flavors. on the other hand, amedei has this "tension" about their chocolates. this winey aspect that makes you pay attention. all of the characteristics tend to be sharper and more in focus. i suppose each is suitable for a particular mood.
today's new chocolate (amano) was very exciting. it was certainly far from perfection, but it really opened my eyes and caused me to perceive subsequent chocolates slightly differently. i've heard so much praise about it, in reaction i somewhat lowered my expectations intentionally, which actually made for a pleasant surprise. much more intense than i would have imagined, the nose almost turning me off to the chocolate. but the taste proved me wrong for judging too soon. very cool.

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

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

two new chocolates!

slightly cloudy, fairly hungry. hopefully not so hungry as to interfere with tasting
two new chocolates!! this should be exciting...

pralus tanzanie
look - (same as usu) brown brown, bubbling, a bit of chunkiness 8
smell - berries, slight cocoa, nice berry jam, peach pie, slight vanil?, toasty leaves, (seem to be picking up a lot of the sweet, fruity aromas) 8.5
taste - biter, plain cocoa powder, fruity jam on choco pancakes, brownies, evolves to lighter and softer berries with cocoa, coffee emerges, roasty leaves, vanilla touch, coffee and bitter astringency continue, dark bread, finish mostly of cocoa and dried leaves, length is decent, but nothing new (same as tastes). a bit more astringency lingering at back of throat 8
balance - reasonable. astringency kind of throws things off, brings out sweet and bitter-astringent elements, hiding acidity. body is also somewhat subdued. feels a bit out of balance. 8
texture - seemed decent, a slight "powdery" sensation may have been due to astringency

interpretation - a decent chocolate with strong cocoa feeling. it's just that the astringency tends to throw things off. kind of feels incomplete in the sense that there are some nice powerful cocoa flavors, but the finnesse of a good finish is lacking 8
summary - roasty, cocoa, berry jam, astringency
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pralus papousie
look - dark brown, fine looking inside but backside has tons of ugly bubbling and swirling. 7.5
smell - faint flower, faint mint. somewhat of a doughy essence (very faint smell), strawberry?, reminds me of a tea cafe, very mild, a touch of cocoa, like a raspberry tea? 8~8.5 (too mild to really get any enjoyment)
taste - light vanil opening, cocoa, some bitter, tea flavors, fairly rich, vanilla and cocoa, very pleasant light combo, a little worried about stange bitter lurking in back, extremely balanced and round. vanilla and cocoa on length. gently fades. (still continuing!) 8.5
balance - very good. very harmonious. acid, sweet and base all seemed to be present in equal amounts. very soft, allows for enjoyment of extremely subtle tastes 9.5
texture - very nice. felt velvety and rich, but not as "overly rich" as pralus venezuela

interpretation - a bit too subtle on the flavors and aromas, but the taste balance was dead on. that is, except for the extraneous odd bitterness. not even sure if that was somehow carried over from the last one. either way, thatprevented this tasting from becoming a nine. 8.5
summary - very mild cocoa/vanil, great balance, soft
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amedei - toscano black 63%
look - brown, hinting on the lighter side. smooth, tiny tiny bubbling 9
smell - very fruity leather smell, wine, beany, vanilla, smoke, slight licorice possibly, sweet high note, (cracked choco open) very flowery fruit [sim to vanil + strawberry], olives, slight herbal touch, touch of pepper, powdered dried raspberry (if that existed). 9~9.5
taste - weet, soily-treelike, vanilla, flowery, touch of coffee? hazelnut?, red fruit, ambrosial honey, acid tucked away but present, slight breadiness, sweetness very powerful, a bit of smoky whiskey, finish continues with that flavor (along with a sweetness), length continues with long notes of vanilla-flowery-fruit (somewhat signature-ish of amedei) 9
balance - just a bit too sweet. made it tough to focus on the other flavors of the chocolate. everything was still somehow balanced, acid supporting in the background, with good base to hold it all up. 8.5
texture - nice, possibly a tiny bit powdery. 8.5

interpretation - a nice flowery and fruity chocolate. somewhat "simplified" (more subtle flavors lost) due to high level of sweetness. that's really my only complaint. i really would have liked to have seent the flavors i was getting on the nose when i was tasting it. regardless, very pleasant, and not too mild.
summary - sweet, vanilla/flowery/fruity, bold
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amedei - trinidad
look - slight orange-red tint. tiny bubbling. 9
smell - minty, somewhat "exotic smell" (clove, flowery trop fruit), a bit of vanilla, soil, kind of vegetative, a little bit sweaty leather. really kinda lost here. there's a dominating smell of something dry woody maybe? exotic spice? wet driftwood?, dried prunes, (cracked open at this point) lavender, sweet vanilla, pineapple?, honey, spice, 9
taste - interesting woody opening, dried prune, winey dark fruit, honey, sweetness emerges, woody, acid now developing, a little bit dry in this fruity sense, a bit soily, woody cocoa, slightly potpurri, slightly coffee and vanilla on finish, as well as original fruit. long length of dark things. 9
balance - felt a bit off the mark, but not bad. all of the elements were present, i just can't say it was harmonious. acid shooting out at times, other times sweetness overpowering. 8~8.5 (i'm only being harsh because amedei has a high standard)
texture - fairly powdery. 8

interpretation - very interesting with a lot of character. "mysterious" woody and dried prune flavors drift in and out, giving it a dark feeling without actually having any typical roasty dark chocolate aromas. if i associated a color with this, it'd be some sort of transparent black, if that makes any sense. black because of the "darkness" of the flavors, but transparent because it wasn't heavy or roasty chocolatey. 8.5~9
summary - dark, mysterious, dried fruit/wood
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(green one)
michel cluizel - los ancones (saint dominguez)
look - orange tinted wood-brown, very fine looking. 9
smell - the meat in mabo dofu, spice mix, slight sweet tone hiding, cinnamon?, one other smell i can't pin down (kind of minty kind of smoky kind of dill-like), [crack open], munster cheese, fermenacious cocoa, roasted peanut 9 (very lively)
taste - sweet, slight vanilla, spice, mabo tofu, slight nutty, flowers/fruit, more roast nut, slight caramel, a little bit pencil lead, really really nice smoky chestnut, blending to gentle cofee, (realy getting exciting now),sweet roasty nut, coffee caramel on length. very nice. 9.5
balance - very nice. a bit on the sweet side, but base really evens things out, and of course there is acid to spare (this being cluizel and all) 9
texture - very good. 9~9.5

interpretation - amazing. i really like this one. really fits my personality. savory spice character, roast nuts, chestnut. the ending was really superb. this is definitely my favorite cluizel. possibly my favorite of this tasting too. this one is wild and exciting like mangaro, but rather than a fruit bomb, it's very focused on aforementioned flavors. (if only he cut the sugar just a tad...) 9.5
summary - exciting, spice/nuts/creamy, a bit sweet
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wow, the ending of the michel cluizel (los ancones) was really an eye opener. i remember having liked that chocolate a long time ago, but now i know why. very enjoyable. i don't want to eat anything for a while...
as for the others, trinidad was fun and intersting, but not necessarily one you could relax to. toscano black was a bit mild in the sense that it felt like a generic amedei - pleasing but doesn't deviate from norm. pralus papousie was a bit soft and subtle for me. i'd like to give it another tasting before i rate it too harshly.