Bernard Callebaut
Impact
BC professes 3 guiding lights: Style, Simplicity, & Flavor. The first 2 abound throughout. The 3rd? Well, in the world of mass marketing, image counts more than substance & 2 out of 3 = profit.
Presentation 5 / 5
style points easily maxed w/ gold-champagne aura
Aromas 3.3 / 5
pastry cream
Textures/Melt 7.6 / 10
| Shells: | |
| Centers: | trends big cream |
Flavor 40.4 / 50
decent line w/ highs, mediums & lows that needs work to even out the averages: a) pieces w/ hazelnuts blend masterfully (its muscular strong suit) as do alcohols; b) other higher taste frontiers incl middle “B” group listed below; c) past these pillars, BC squanders & trifles away
Quality 23.7 / 30
Good for mass production.
Selections
| Couverture: | what else but the family stock – Callebaut / thick shells |
A Carre Cognac – especially well-defined yet mild Grand Marnier - liqueur quietly tucks under some fierce dark choc Sambuca White - long winning finish Rum – wasted; only failure in this category B Bernard – the eponymous one; oreo buttercream Caraque 62% Dark - life’s simple pleasure Hazelnut Seashell - scores repeatedly C Crème Praline - rises slowly, sputters then falls Toffee Caramel - gummy Karamel - soft & overly butterscotched Trio – faint Chestnut – indistinguishable Gilberte - accented w/ crisp texture & evaporated taste lines Mochacinno - firm gianduja / shy mocha Caraque Milk - tastes right out of the bottle Cinnamon/Ginger - little bit of this / little bit of that, neither here nor there Truffle - pods sunk to shallow bottoms