Very flavorful and smooth. Citrus and berry flavors are noticeable, with a gentle tartness. Very low bitterness in the aftertaste, with these flavors persisting. 9.0
This is one of those now rare bars that does not have the company's web link on the label. But a quick search turned up:
www.pumpstreetbakery.com
I usually put the label comments in the post comments, but I'll note them here:
From the label: "A rosy, light cloured dark chocolate with a smooth creamy mouthfeel. Bright forward flavours of raspberry and membrillo with hints of grassiness."
Membrillo? Had to look that one up:
Quince
I concur with the rest of the label notes, though the "grassiness" is still a flavor description that I have problems with. Maybe I need to chew on more grass.
I picked up this bar at my local go-to chocolate store, which now has a web page:
www.chocolatecoveredsf.com
However, when I chatted with the store owner about the web page he was quick to point out: 1) he has no interest in selling bars or anything else through the web; and 2) he did not create the page, it was created and is maintained by a fan of the store. I just tried accessing it while composing this post and the page would not load. So caveat emptor on that.
I stocked up on 14 bars during this trip, which will keep me posting over the next several months. Chocolate Covered never fails to give me something to taste. During our chat, the owner mentioned he had just gotten back from a trip to Seattle where there was a
chocolate makers gathering.
An item he picked up on that trip was an impressive reference text that does a professional job of what I try to do here: review chocolates and give ratings. The book is
Chocolate - The Reference Standard by Georg Bernardini. It is an impressive text, with reviews of many of the new generation of craft and artisan chocolate makers. It appears that this book is too new for Amazon (published October 2015) -- there are links to the book on amazon.co.uk and
amazon.de, but not amazon.com.
It is not surprising that this bar is bitter, given its cacao percentage. The bitter edge carries through from first taste to aftertaste. The label refers to hints of "honey, vanilla and pineapple." While I am not tasting the honey I do notice the other two. The flavors are subtle but present. 8.1
Strong caramel flavor can be tasted with a fairly bitter overlay. Nicely tempered, with a clean, sharp snap when broken. 8.0
Smooth and semi-sweet taste. Honey and cherry notes may be noticed. Clean aftertaste. 8.1
Very flavorful and smooth. Citrus and berry flavors are noticeable, with a gentle tartness. Very low bitterness in the aftertaste, with these flavors persisting. 9.0
An item he picked up on that trip was an impressive reference text that does a professional job of what I try to do here: review chocolates and give ratings. The book is Chocolate - The Reference Standard by Georg Bernardini. It is an impressive text, with reviews of many of the new generation of craft and artisan chocolate makers. It appears that this book is too new for Amazon (published October 2015) -- there are links to the book on amazon.co.uk and amazon.de, but not amazon.com.
I bought this bar to compare to the 2012 harvest from the same plantation. See:
Smooth and rich chocolate taste. Caramel flavor is the most noticeable side flavor. Aftertaste is clean and short. 8.0