| Founded: | 2006 |
| Headquarters: | Orem, UT (USA) |
| Style: | Retro-American with a nod to Classic |
| Characteristics: | Trad Euro (balance, moderation, & hi-craft from bean selection to formulations) while a little rough-hewn around the edges like a suede tassel-fringed jacket exuding the spirit of its Rocky Mt base. Bean selection slightly off-the-beaten-path, a sub-roast, & granite-stone grinding (all smoothed over with vanilla) characterize this ‘cowboy cacáo’ or ‘gaucho chocolate’ in Spanish (‘gauchocolate’ for short) for ’supercritical chocolate’ of purity, potency, & panoramic range. |
| Ferment: | full |
| Roast: | variable… trends toward medium-lo |
| Conche: | medium-lo |
| Impact: | Just as Amedei started out by mimicking Valrhona for its ascent toward the chocolate summit, Amano began life as an Amedei protege – from a distance – the name (loosely meaning ‘love hand’ in Italian), the packaging (initially a direct knock-off), the generalized approach (very respectable). It wisely copied from a good model. A leading light, among the better technique & most zealous of the New American bar-smiths in tracking down vintage equipment to jerryrig for its purposes. Creative too in sourcing cacáo just off the beaten paths of popularly prized varietals, delivering a venturous mix similar to Domori’s quest for premium, special & rare breeds. |
