Impact
Appearance 5 / 5
Color: | brown-to-black |
Surface: | fab plaque |
Temper: | glistens |
Snap: | literal |
Aroma 7.4 / 10
dark blanket of vanilla musk, moss, soil, chestnut wood... digging in the dirt; roasted coffee grounds... throws down an herb or two - French ‘garrigue’ straight from Provence
Mouthfeel 12.3 / 15
Texture: | gum stick ultimately proves smooth |
Melt: | ponderous |
Flavor 39.2 / 50
instant coffee hit -> bitter butter -> red apparition (cherry) -> faint raspberry gently rasps against embittered buds like sandpaper on the tongue -> fierce tannic cocoa, hence long lifeline
Quality 15.4 / 20
Imbalanced, even out-of-whack. Bitter flat / fat divide crossed by an acid nip for shadowy red fruit relief. As with its 72%, Cluizel once more sacrifices flavor for texture at the expense of overall good taste & even slightly misses the mark there; CBS ~ 3:4:2. Proportions notwithstanding, this is a problematic blend coupled with questionable roasting technique.