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

farewell to chuchuri

time to finish up a chocolate.
nice and sunny, dry, cool. typical tokyo winter weather. my mouth is a bit dry. a tiny bit overslept


amedei - toscano black 66%
look - a nice muddy brown with good reddish orange hints. very smooth 9.5
smell - toasty spice cake, nuts, slight fermentacious, flower touch, bean smokiness, cherry, charred bread, dried mixed fruits, slight perfume. 9+
taste - bit of hazelnut? sweetness, some chestnut feel, sweet, chocolate, dried apricots, slight touch of barbecue, grahm cracker, more roasty nut, nutty mild cocoa finish, touch of coffee 9 (sesame paste lingers)
balance - sweet. low on acid. but not bad. still, could use a little more weight (by dropping sweet and connecting with acid)
texture - nice. possibly a tiny bit powdery

interpretation - a fairly rich choco with gently roasted nutty flavors. also some dried fruit action, possibly flowery. gentle, with a specific type of soft, "old" acid. rich feeling as well. 9
summary - nutty, dried fruit, sweet
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guittard chuchuri
look - a dull cloudy brown, some gray hinting. also slight orange. smooth. 9
smell - BRIGHT cake frosting, vanilla, poppyseed paste, hazeltut?, piney, choco hidden beneath, (incredibly intense), green apple candy. 8.5 (intereting but overpowering)
taste - an apple hint to start, clovey, candy like, roasted, more apple, poppyseed paste with cinnamon, sweet sweet, very nice melt, odd... something green. more apple, a bit sickeningly sweet, more crazy apple, slight hint of cocoa at end. 7.5
balance - off. too sweet. nothing else. possibly some astringency rolling around in there. 7
texture - excellent. extremely smooth melt. rich. (sweetness screws up balance tho)

interpretation - this is a very wacky chocolate. very out of balance. extraordinarily intense atypical chocolate flavors (poppyseed, apple), but they're just too much. can't handle it. not to mention sweetness is thru the roof. very weird chocolate. more to come below. 7
summary - sweet candylike, poppyseed/apple, way out of balance
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pralus tanzanie
look - a dark brown with purple-brown "stain". some bubbling. 8
smell - woody, dry, cedary, roasty, waxy, dried wine, cranberries 8.5 faint and a little weird
taste - dried pasta, coffee roast, dried cranberry, choco cake, more roasty, chocolatey finish. 8 sort of plain, dry
balance - interesting dry feel. kind of had acid but was more dominated by this slightly sweet base-dry feel. 8
texture - seemed ok, but was a little dry feeling. 8

interpretation - fruity yet fairly astringent and dry. decent amount of roast involved. sort of remindds me of madagascar but almost like a failed attempt. 8
summary - dry, roasty, fruity
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As i promised myself, anytime i finish a chocolate, i'll write a full review on it.


E. Guittard - Chuchuri Bittersweet - 65%
(columbian trinitario)

First, the physical characteristics.
The look - This chocolate has a very pleasant lustrous brown-orange. It's extremely smooth - almost no bubbling visible on back or inside. Has the looks of something exciting (as though a lot of care was put into the texture)
The smell - On first whiff, I am immediately told of the incredible intensity of this chocolate. The most obvious is an extraordinarily intense/sharp aroma of something I've described as a combination nutmeg, (american) cake frosting, poppyseed paste and candied fruit. It really wakes me up. To be honest, it's a nice surprise (flavors I don't normally encounter), but it's way too intense for me to appreciate slowly. After getting past the first blast, I'm sometimes able to pick up aromas of vanilla, green apples, an artificial candy smell, lemon peel, cocoa and mild, sweet spice.
Just from the smell, I can tell that this chocolate will be a wild ride (and I'm not sure if I'm ready for it).
The taste - From the start, this chocolate comes on strong. Similar flavors that were in the aromas attack from the start. On top of that, the chocolate feels extremely sweet. Having eaten a 66% right before this (at least one tasting), I know that it has nothing to do with the percentage. The flavors almost exactly match the aromas, but in general (due to the high apparent sweetness), things have this "artificial candy" feel added on. It's a very weird experience. As the flavors develop (moving from high intensity nutmeg/apple/poppyseed to slightly more low key cocoa, apples and spice), I notice the excellent texture. It's extremely smooth, with a richness that's very pleasant (if it was in isolation). However, in context of the flavors, it's somewhat repulsive. Throughout a strange bitterness is also quite prominent, and an unpleasant astringency sweeps in at the end.
The finish brings relief - the intensity finally dies down. Faint cocoa flavors linger for a moment (floating above weird sweet/bitter aftertaste)
Balance and texture - Extremely sweet. The sweetness overwhelms everything and makes the chocolate somewhat nauseating. The texture is great. It's rich and extremely smooth. This chocolate is confusing.

My overall interpretation -
This chocolate is insane. It's just way too intense, with no sense of balance. Personally, i get a bit nauseous if I eat too much. I'd only recommend this chocolate to someone who's just being introduced to single origin chocolates because it has such a different profile than typical supermarket-dark. It really expresses the extremes that chocolates can go to. However, for someone looking for a serious, harmonious chocolate, this is about as far as you can get from what you want. The intensity, the aftertaste and the nauseating candy-sweetness are not recommended. Among the chocolates that I currently have in store that I picked up from Chocosphere, this is clearly the most unpleasant. (Not exactly a nice review, huh?)

a very lively tasting

nice and sunny after a cloudy day. slightly overslept. decent focus. hungry.


pralus venezuela
look - a fair brown with orange tinting. good smoothness, some small bubbling. 9
smell - nutty butter, slight vanilla, grahm cracker and slight fruit (berry), slight bay leaf, touch of raisin, maple. cedary touch. i feel like i'm smelling different things than usual. 9+
taste - sweet soft melt, roasty peanuts, cocoa, nice hot chocolate (all very early impressions), after the hot choco, some caramel-type burny, then metallic butter, amazing texture, roasty thing, tree bark, faint vanilla, smoky finish (possibly sometoasted sesame mixed in with pure cocoa) 9+
balance - very nice. sweetness is perceived strongly, but a fair amount of acid to back it up. base is nice. 9
texture - so rich. depending on your preference this can be good or bad. i really like it. so fine, so smooth. the richness really makes this chocolate stand out. 9.5

interpretation - a rich and pure chocolate. very expressive of pure cocoa tones. roasting is fairly strong. the way the richness and sweetness counterbalance the roast is 'masterful'. makes for an eye opening experience instead of being a one-sided roaster. really fun to eat. i need a truck full of this stuff. 9+
summary - rich, roasty, pure cocoa, buttery
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amano cuyagua
look - very light brown - heavy red-orange hue-ing. smooth on the whole, some tiny bubbling
smell - sharp red lumber, tobacco, slight fermentacious, dried blackberries, incense, leather (another interpretation for the fresh tobacco smell), vanilly-potato, 'forest fresh' soap, peach? 9+ very exciting (a little bit off with fermentacious, but still ok)
taste - tomato plant, sharp geen leafy taste, different fruit, incense, black tea, cigar, fragrant... trop fruit, woody (fresh lumber), more tobacco heavy cocoa at finish. very faint astringency. 9
balance - quite nice. a bit on the sweet side, acid was not prominent enough to take attention away from sweetness. good base. 9
texture - very nice. smooth, slight rich feeling. clean and light in some ways. 9

interpretation - a strong, character-filled chocolate. really exciting plant-characteristics that makes one remember that chocolate comes from plants. in some ways it's one sided because the tobacco flavor dominates, but my perception of that flavor changed again and again thru the whole experience. definitely a chocolate to get you "pumped". very slight flaws (faint fermentacious, astringency), but easy to overlook because of the power and character of the choco. 9+
summary - powerful, tobacco, slight sweet, character-filled
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michel cluizel - maralumi
look - a light, dull brown with orange hues. fairly smooth 5g square.
smell - sharp bright curry, raisins, vanilla. cumin and... red chile?, cinammon?, (it was like the sweet smelling curry powder i have), plums, roasted nut, light caramel toffee. 9+ very exciting
taste - dry roasted nut, smoky, peanut-sugar-rice-cracker, dried fruit, acid, caramel, more trees, cocoa, red tart fruit, savory (spicy) flavors at finish. 9 (intense)
balance - sweet as expected (for a 64%), but with a lot of mature acid to back things up, it really makes it feel rounded. base is kind of drawn out by acid and sweet, makes the whole experience intense. 9
texture - very very nice. fine, clean, smooth, rich. not as oily as venezuela (then again, not much is...) 9.5

interpretation - a fiery chocolate. a lot of sharp, spicy flavors mixed with fruits. just a lot of excitement. barely feels like chocolate. a very intense exploration of extra-fragrant cocoa. makes u feel the "tropical" nature of the cacao plant. 9
summary - spice, fruit, excitement, sweet, acid
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pralus - tanzanie
look - a deep brown with slight purplish tinting. fair amount of bubbling
smell - faint fruit, light woody (cedar) smell, relatively faint (compared to others in this tasting), dry leaves, slight cocoa, mushroom? 8 (fairly faint, nothing that clean and exciting)
taste - donut, dried red fruit, very interesting tea smell, cocoa, tainted by astringency, plantiness, burnt leaves, more donut, choco, roast. dry finish. 8 (it's a shame that the astringency comes at the end since it skews my perception of it as a whole)
balance - decent. slight acid, sugar is felt but doesn't feel rounded, base is disconnected and astringent 7.5
texture - slightly grainy. 8

interpretation - sort of a 'drab' chocolate. shows some interesting character, but doesn't have life. like it's not really that "into it". lower the astringency (most impt) and step up the brightness or boldness of one of the flavor components, and it would be a very exciting chocolate (like the others) 8
summary - faint, asringent, slight fruit, tea, cedar
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a very lively tasting. the tanzanie at the end kinda threw cold water on the whole thing, but it was good because it helped put the excitement brought by the other 3 into perspective. they each bring their own excitement in very different ways. the pralus (ven) via texture and very powerful yet controlled roast, the amano with its wild-plant and tobacco smells, the cluizel with its spice and fruit and roast and acid. what an incredibly diverse world chocolate is...

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.

the 5 choco tasting

fairly cool morning. it's the day after a long bike ride, so i have that layer of sleepiness on top of everything. not bad tho

amedei ecuador
look - medium brown with purple-red slight hints. a tiny bubble on the back of the 5g square. 9
smell - cranberry juice and fermenty, meatloafy, wood and spice, vanilla, incense, slight cocoa, more vanilla 9
taste - vanilla, cocoa, raisins, more dried fruit development, touch of sweet spice like clove, slight dried ornge peel, more raisiny and vanilla, slight coffee emerging, some bitter showing, soft in general, more earthy flavors developing, cocoa powder and caramel on finish. 9
balance - quite good. acid doesn't come to foreground, but plays key role in connecting base to sweetness. sweetness is also not very apparent 9
texture - good, but maybe a bit of powderyness

interpretation - a simple chcolate with an elegant finish. the flavors individually are not that intense or exotic, mostly sticking to dried fruit, soft sweet spice, vanilla and cocoa powder. but there is this "elegant touch" that makes everything feel light and sweet. indeed, a very long finish. 9
summary - soft, simple, dried fruit cocoa
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amedei grenada
look - red-purple meaty brown. ultra smooth. 9
smell - very sweet vanilla, slight hidden savory soup smell, planty tobacco, stronger... coffee?, a sort of plasticy smell, 8.5
taste - odd kinda astringent, dry woody flavor, astringence with sweetness, vanilla comes in, plummy fruit, dried leaves, browned onions??, cocoa powder (cheap kind), sharp bean, cocoa like finish 8.5
balance - a bit on the sweet side. low acidity, but most conspicuous is the astringency. uncommon for amedei. 8
texture - nice. 9

interpretation - a bit out of character for amedei. astringency being the biggest off-putting element. lack of finesse is also quite obvious. a simple sweetness is present (vanilla, plums) but it's really all about a rather "common" cocoa powder taste, along with odd wood-like and plant like flavors. despite similar coloring, completely different from soft and gentle ecuador. 8
summary - basic cocoa, vanilla, sweet, astringency
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pralus papousie
look - a blackish brown with slight hint of dark red. small bubbling. 9
smell - buttery caramel, fruit, sligth vanilla, woody essence, fruit is kinda red-berry like, a bit of oolong tea, -- in general a faint, light sweet aroma profile. 9
taste - roasty cocoa powder, fried crumbs from a japanese croqette, dark roast almond, savory butter element, slight caramel, nice bitter touch (just a touch), nice simple cocoa, like the croissant from accrs the street, baked breads, wood fire, roasty elements on finish. pleasant and roasty. 9
balance - good. sweet acid and base all aligned well, (sometimes noticing the 'mature' acid's intensity) plus a touch of pleasant bitterness. no astringency keeps this one happy. 9
texture - very nice. rich but not overpowering. a balance between ultrafine cocoa and rich butteryness. 9

interpretation - a simple roast chocolate, but very "fine tuned". balance is great, flavors are all soft and of the same intensity. never offensive. a slight bitter touch really matches well with the slight roasty elements. a happy simple roaster. 9
summary - balanced, roasty, clean cocoa, faint fruit hint.
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michel cluizel - maralumi
look - a lighter brown, almost milky looking with orange hints. some small bubbling. 9
smell - ground beef wtih scezwan spice, cinnamon, roasty elements, pecans, burnt soy, roast pumpkin. (extremely intense and bright flavors), heavily toasted bread, pie crust, repetition of earlier aromas. 9 (this one has some life!!)
taste - sweet, burnt soy, some mushrooms, other roasty elements, some sweeter aspects (vanil, fruit), slight nut paste, strong acidity, somewhat sharp, roasted fish (the burning fat), more roasty elements, slight coffee hidden behind burnt soy. in general a repetition of teh aromas with high sweetness and acidity. 9
balance - on the sweet side, but matched by equally strong acidity. acidity is slightly sharp. 8.5
texture - very good. ultra smooth yet not oily. 9.5

interpretation - a very exciting chocolate. vibrant flavors of burnt soy really persist. explores lots of roasty elements (without being excessively dark), nuts, breads. but sharp acidity keeps it from ever becoming a dull tour of the "same old roasty" stuff. gives it a fruity aspect despite lack of any real fruit elements. exciting and lively, but lacks a delicateness or elegance to its flavors. 9
summary - bright, acid, roasty, nutty, burnt soy.
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pralus tanzanie
look - dark brown with blackish purple hints, small bubbling, random chunkiness. 8
smell - lemony cedary smel, donut (the lemon one from across the street), slight fruity element, kind of tea like, heaver stinky cocoa, light spice 9
taste - dried pasta water, caramelly roast, more roasty elements, berry, donut, a roasty tree like cocoa, cocoa, dark fruit elements, astringency, faint vanilla, coffee then astringent finish. more donut. fairly astringent at end. slightly medicinal. 8
balance - not bad until finish. acid present in fair amt, no heavy sweetness. however finish releases a lot of astringency and skews my perception of the chcooate as a whole. 7.5-8
texture - ok, slightly powdery. 8-8.5

interpretation - i was having a great time until the finish. nice roasty elements, a strong parallel to the lemon donut, some darker cocoa, possibly some red fruit. then all of a sudden the astringency sweeps in and ruins it. too bad. 8
summary - roasty, donut, ASTRINGENCY
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not bad for a tasting of 5! i felt like i really got to get a solid grip on who is who in this tasting. hopefully i'll still remember tomorrow...

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.

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.

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.

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