Impact
Appearance 4.1 / 5
| Color: | pitch brown w/ just a splash of burgundy |
| Surface: | smooth brushstrokes; pinholes at the corners of the mold |
| Temper: | hi-gloss thanks to plastic wrapper transfer |
| Snap: | well-tempered in any event; nicely uniform / sanded edge |
Aroma 8 / 10
spice-city: probable suspects incl nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, cardamom, vanilla & pepper -> otherwise shows peanut butter beneath
Mouthfeel 12.7 / 15
| Texture: | paste |
| Melt: | time-lapsed taste |
Flavor 43.4 / 50
cloves lead out & in... to some cinnamon, wrapping around a peanut -> undertow of cocoa for fancy-grade peanut butter cup -> gingerbread components emblazoned in hot chilis sneak up from the rear
Quality 16.6 / 20
Soma ups its 61% Carenero bar by 5 degrees to mirror Cluizel’s Concepcion percentage, then layers on a modified French 4 (or 5) spice mix to this varietal’s already inherent spiced tone (making this almost superfluous) which accentuates the peanut notes, a similar approach to its aligning DR with PNG for complementary rather than contrastive effects.
The real surprise element arrives in the long-in-coming pepper catch at the very finish, held back by generous butter (copiously felt in the Texture, a spherical roundness rare at this level of cacáo-content).
As a chocolate bar this will disappoint most chocoscenti; as a confection, it hits the C-spot™.
ING: cocoa beans, sugar, spices
Reviewed Autumn 2009
The real surprise element arrives in the long-in-coming pepper catch at the very finish, held back by generous butter (copiously felt in the Texture, a spherical roundness rare at this level of cacáo-content).
As a chocolate bar this will disappoint most chocoscenti; as a confection, it hits the C-spot™.
ING: cocoa beans, sugar, spices
Reviewed Autumn 2009