Dandelion India Anamalai 70% cacao

This review covers two bars created from cacao from Anamalai, India: the 2018 harvest and the 2019 harvest with nutmeg fermentation.

The 2018 harvest is fairly bitter, with flavors of toffee and lemon curds. The aftertaste is lengthy, carrying on the bitter note. 8.4

The 2019 harvest with nutmeg fermentation is less bitter. The lemon flavor is stronger and it is accompanied by an element of cherry. The aftertaste is also less bitter, resulting in a shorter duration. 9.5

All cacao undergoes fermentation as part of the post-harvest preparation of the beans. The label reports that the nutmeg fermentation is "spiced" from the use of that ingredient as part of the fermentation. However I did not taste any hint of nutmeg, and the bar was not at all spicy. The nutmeg fermentation seemed to moderate the bitterness of the other bar, though it is a different harvest year.