David Bacco
Impact
Some seriously ostentatious language accompanies this boxed assortment to think that chocolate may be 'the food of the gods' but David Bacco is the God of chocolate.
With lots of pedigree -- the understudy to Jean-Pierre Wybau, Frank Kestener (a Croquers Club favorite & slated for a C-spot® review but melted down in transit), Oriol Balaguerr, & Stephan LeRoux -- Bacco might be a chosen one after all, which puts him in the same family as Moses, Jesus, Mohammad &, cacáo-wise for more direct chocolate lineage, all the Mesoamerican spirit figures: the quetzal (bird) deities, K'awil (the god of sustenance) & Ek Chuah (every cacáo merchants' patron).
Several modern chocolatiers however turn out to be false chocolate prophets, especially the self-anointed 'chocolate popes'... their pods falling far from the tree.
No such heresy here. Bacco sits closely beneath... an understudy in the understory that is cacáo's natural habitat -- the rainforested cathedrals.
With lots of pedigree -- the understudy to Jean-Pierre Wybau, Frank Kestener (a Croquers Club favorite & slated for a C-spot® review but melted down in transit), Oriol Balaguerr, & Stephan LeRoux -- Bacco might be a chosen one after all, which puts him in the same family as Moses, Jesus, Mohammad &, cacáo-wise for more direct chocolate lineage, all the Mesoamerican spirit figures: the quetzal (bird) deities, K'awil (the god of sustenance) & Ek Chuah (every cacáo merchants' patron).
Several modern chocolatiers however turn out to be false chocolate prophets, especially the self-anointed 'chocolate popes'... their pods falling far from the tree.
No such heresy here. Bacco sits closely beneath... an understudy in the understory that is cacáo's natural habitat -- the rainforested cathedrals.
Presentation 4.2 / 5
decidedly dark affair.... generally hushed color tones recede into black-box chocolate; enrobed & molded pieces with pretty clean feet & soles, plus nicely understated patterns & emblems
Aromas 4.6 / 5
good range: cream, dough, wafers, mulling spices, nuts & cherry cordial
Textures/Melt 8.4 / 10
| Shells: | no resistance; nearly melds with the ganache |
| Centers: | good physicality / body mass |
Flavor 43.5 / 50
true &, like its Appearance, clear
just slightly cool to the touch (perhaps sorbital?)
just slightly cool to the touch (perhaps sorbital?)
Quality 24.1 / 30
Textbook, & technically competent / professional from a predominantly, but by no means exclusively, classical orientation. Spending all that time with Euro pastry chefs bends the arc that way.
A box of solid craftsmanship that occasionally misses fusion points & a few inspirational ones too.
All in all, however, some very considerable goods.
A box of solid craftsmanship that occasionally misses fusion points & a few inspirational ones too.
All in all, however, some very considerable goods.
Selections
Pure -- Bacco's version of a Palet d'Or embossed with a gold signature seal; thick ganache interlined with cocoa powder & light acidic edge; generally true
Cremello - caramel in Milk Choc, mixing dark vanilla with pale dairy fat for some butterscotching of tender tooth; a flavorful sweet horse
Incantato - passion fruit charms the caramel out of Milk Chocolate until this brassy-tart swoons in their joint presence; spellbinding
Joyeux - a mealy mash of lemon extract, marzipan gruel & what seems of shredded coconut... mon dieu, patisserie fare
Toscano - very fast progression but clear definition as lemon goes high on the basil which in turn subdues it, the 2 settling into an herbal-citrus móle of brooding intensity in the finish; a sharp brawl
Ceylon - trad 4 or 5-Spice aromatic blend in a Milk-over-Dark combo; nondescript / indistinct though still good, especially the commingling twixt spice 'n Milk Choc
Montserrat - a one-two punch of allspice, then smoked chili burns a trail to a bitter choc skid mark
Crescendo - an expert study in this all-Milk affair of smooth layer of gianduia finished by a percussive crunch of chopped almonds on top; all bravo
Citral - the "subtleness of lemongrass" treats chocolate like dirt to suds up a soap dish
Reviewed July 17, 2012