Fresco Dominican Republic Öko Caribe Recipes 212 2017 and 2019 Harvests

Fresco's product strategy makes it easy to compare recipe variations across different cacao origins. Chococheck has recently checked out several of these mixes with Fresco Dominican Republic Öko Caribe Recipes 212 and 224 and Fresco Guatemala Polochic Valley Recipes 250, 251 and 252. The subject of this post is a comparison of the same origin and the same recipe across different harvests of cacao. The 2017 bar was reviewed as part of the first review mentioned above. Now it can be compared to the 2019 harvest.

 

2017 Harvest

In my prior review I wrote: "This bar has a sharper edge, with a bitter taste at the front. The flavor leans to the earthy side of the palette due to a toasty note, but there is also an element of fig in the mix." While the flavor comments match my current experience of the bar, I do not notice the sharp, bitter taste on initial tasting.  The experience is smoother and the aftertaste is cleaner. 8.5

2019 Harvest

I notice a spicier note on initial tasting of the 2019 bar. It is slightly peppery, not at all dominant but enough to be interesting. The fig flavor is present, but fainter. I am not noticing the toasty nature as strongly. The bitterness is moderate and the aftertaste matches this. 8.2

Dick Taylor Jamaica Bachelor's Hall 75% cacao

The bar has a high cacao percentage, which results in a dry initial taste which is mildly astringent. There is a note of apricot and clove. There is a lengthy aftertaste which is also dry but mild. 7.8

Potomac Columbia Tumaco 70% cacao

This bar has a fruity first impression. The fruitiness has some raspberry and strawberry taste. The bar's texture is smooth and the finish is clean. 9.3

This completes my tastings of a trio of single-origin bars from Potomac Chocolate. The packaging has come a long way from when I reviewed bars made as a result of a successful Kickstarter campaign to purchase a tempering device. The chocolate molds have also advanced. Previously the mold was a simple block with horizontal cuts to assist in snapping off a piece. The improved mold builds on the design of the label with the fish school theme.