Impact
Sequined like Lasirèn –the mystical Haitian mermaid - thanks to all that coral under the Caribbean Sea
Appearance 4.8 / 5
another center-fold from Castelain
another center-fold from Castelain
| Color: | mahogany umber… dangerously close to black |
| Surface: | clean imprint of a cocoa bean mold |
| Temper: | soft & inviting sheen on the finish |
| Snap: | sharp & resistant... fights back trying to snap a piece off, tell-tale sign of over-use of soy or just damn good milling & conching (fortunately the latter in this case) |
Aroma 7.7 / 10
a complex & mingling of scents (almost muddled): cinnamon, warm Caribbean musk, persimmon & primordially aged vanilla waft off when the foil opens
Mouthfeel 11.9 / 15
| Texture: | odd hybrid of techno-smooth w/ nib specks… |
| Melt: | ... gives an off kilter feel; otherwise by-the-book ‘even’ |
Flavor 40.2 / 50
runs a deep route chocolate -> all the right notes of earth, hibiscus, citron, & calcium back (RE: coral) -> icy chill w/ slight nut in the sinuses
Quality 17.3 / 20
Castelain restores every aspect of this to its near-optimum state given what he has to start with working as a re-melter of Cacao Barry in all likelihood. Pretty site-specific; bold, surefooted, & long-lasting Caribbean chocolate.