70
by Oriol Balaguer
Impact
Pastry chef for Ferran Adriá (the matador-chef behind el Bulli) so right off this is highly credentialed with cult status & street cred. But with the bull comes the horns. In this bar’s case that means some straight charging chocolate hash that can dance on take off. Flying first class... you’ll never want to go back to coach again.
Appearance 5 / 5
| Color: | cocoa-rose dunga din |
| Surface: | impeccable |
| Temper: | hi-gloss almost vitrified shellac |
| Snap: | registers seismically; shears off in straight, undifferentiated lines |
Aroma 8.7 / 10
direct & uncomplicated; lots of bass notes at room volume - vanilla, banana, date & chocolate
Mouthfeel 13.1 / 15
| Texture: | uniform & silken til it powders out |
| Melt: | adoring as a full fat roll kiss |
Flavor 46.2 / 50
fairly linear: stays in the woods... wisp of tobacco, drop of coffeeberry -> cream tones -> mostly the heart of cacao, close to what it’s supposed to taste like... to what it actually is – chocolate -> finishes clean, nearly astringent back stroke & quick fade that hangs softly (again, on coffee)
Quality 18.8 / 20
Incredible balancing act – so much airborne mass equals aerodynamics. Masculine with grace & ferox (feral/foxy) ala Baryshnikov with a similar step to the celerity of Lindt's 85 but naturally lighter.