Dominican Republic 68%
by twenty-four blackbirds
Impact
Like the girl who texts herself or calls her own voicemail to remind herself of something, this bar stresses the innate sweetness of D.R.'s cacáo by, what else, adding evermore sugar to it.
Message received, acted upon, & task accomplished.
Message received, acted upon, & task accomplished.
Appearance 4.1 / 5
| Color: | polychrome to reflect D.R.'s cacáo diversity |
| Surface: | signature bird-feather molding |
| Temper: | shimmering |
| Snap: | dainty |
Aroma 7.9 / 10
fun midway of fried donuts / waffles, taffy & sno-cones
Mouthfeel 10.6 / 15
| Texture: | pulverized dust in cocoa fat-paste |
| Melt: | bit hurried |
Flavor 42 / 50
comes out sweet chocolate cake -> sugar & fruit (papaya, then pretty full mango) lined in chalk & marshmallow root -> decocts a medicinal child's cough drop -> back brownie -> stringent evacuation
Quality 14.7 / 20
Teenage / jejune. As with twenty-four blackbird's Palos Blanco, relatively shallow depth, doubly so for a Dominican thanks to over-coddling with white sugar that surges above this island cacáo's already innate sweetness. Hence, the gushy fruit in this bar.
Under-refinement provides contrast to all that. The seams in the processing showing (such as sugar crystals which lack ultra-suspension / integration resulting in that Texture). Probable home-kitchen / cottage equipment set-up. Which amounts to the least of it considering the attendant chalk & astringency, the former common to both bars from twenty-four blackbirds reviewed so far to point to their handling more than the respective cocoas themselves.
A starter bar both for the company & consumers still adjusting to the Dark.
INGREDIENTS: cocoa mass, sugar
Reviewed June 12, 2014
Under-refinement provides contrast to all that. The seams in the processing showing (such as sugar crystals which lack ultra-suspension / integration resulting in that Texture). Probable home-kitchen / cottage equipment set-up. Which amounts to the least of it considering the attendant chalk & astringency, the former common to both bars from twenty-four blackbirds reviewed so far to point to their handling more than the respective cocoas themselves.
A starter bar both for the company & consumers still adjusting to the Dark.
INGREDIENTS: cocoa mass, sugar
Reviewed June 12, 2014