Éclat
Impact
From the Executive Provocateur / Devil's Advocate behind the Good & Evil chocolate bar duo Anthony Bourdain & Eric Ripert. Plus an acolyte of Pierre Marcolini whose influence can be tasted.
Christopher Curtin is Éclat.
Some crib pieces in the collection but several standouts too from this chocolatier who continues to up his game.
Christopher Curtin is Éclat.
Some crib pieces in the collection but several standouts too from this chocolatier who continues to up his game.
Presentation 4.5 / 5
round-globe truffles (a couple leakers among them) tucked in a smoked-brown box
Aromas 4.4 / 5
heady combo of cream-cocoa cuisine
Textures/Melt 7.8 / 10
| Shells: | snapping medium to heavy gauge that give fills a shellacing |
| Centers: | traditional cream ganache |
Flavor 44.3 / 50
some awkwardly shy; a few quite extroverted; & others of adroit balance
Quality 24.8 / 30
Mixed line (hi-, fine, middling, & only rarely scrapes the lower depths)
Selections
| Couverture: | Callebaut; Marañón Canyon Cacáo |
Peruvian Pure Nacional Truffle -- spotlighting Marañón Canyon cacáo; heavy on the cream to the point of a butter ball but with a dry tannic tickler at the finish; inconsequential
Shiraz -- Dark robe / Milk ganche; lots of black & brown notes to this well-proportioned yet potent combine (berry / fig) with tertiaries of vanilla & cask; all-pro
Milk Enrobed in White – cream-on-cream enticing & that’s that
Milk – Milk Choc cloud with cinnamon lining; subtle (almost anise-thetized) yet surprisingly clear & convincing
Static Caramel – firm & light in a Milk sack
Salted Caramel – fluid scotched-butter magnified by grey salt pellets framed in Milk; strong signature
Nougatine – traditional Milk & a classic Nib crunch verging on a self-destructing wafer
Twin Peak Gianduja – raw hazelnuts up-top interfere with the lower depths, creating top-heavy imbalance
Black Sesame Ginger – ginger right out of the box; extracted herbal strength; mildly warm & too surrounding
Champagne – hidden spirit in Dark ganache under powdery Milk robe; no bubbles, no misbehaving; just restrained & regal
Dark-on-Dark – a speakeasy berry-cream that gives good tannin in a roasted length
Honey – quick cut-thru & out; fabulous mouthfeel worth the sensation alone but flavor evanescent & leaves wanting
Raspberry – liqueur competing, clashing (the very definition of 'éclat'), seemingly conquering, then finally conforming to the Dark knight; drama without much song
Black Tea – winning contrast of cream, tea & Dark Choc that stretches against each other, though never pulls apart
Dark Caramel -- oozy center-filling runs out & away from the snappy, brittle shell until they finally merge in the meltdown for some toffee with lavender edge; accomplished
Reviewed Spring 2010
Revised December 10, 2012
Shiraz -- Dark robe / Milk ganche; lots of black & brown notes to this well-proportioned yet potent combine (berry / fig) with tertiaries of vanilla & cask; all-pro
Milk Enrobed in White – cream-on-cream enticing & that’s that
Milk – Milk Choc cloud with cinnamon lining; subtle (almost anise-thetized) yet surprisingly clear & convincing
Static Caramel – firm & light in a Milk sack
Salted Caramel – fluid scotched-butter magnified by grey salt pellets framed in Milk; strong signature
Nougatine – traditional Milk & a classic Nib crunch verging on a self-destructing wafer
Twin Peak Gianduja – raw hazelnuts up-top interfere with the lower depths, creating top-heavy imbalance
Black Sesame Ginger – ginger right out of the box; extracted herbal strength; mildly warm & too surrounding
Champagne – hidden spirit in Dark ganache under powdery Milk robe; no bubbles, no misbehaving; just restrained & regal
Dark-on-Dark – a speakeasy berry-cream that gives good tannin in a roasted length
Honey – quick cut-thru & out; fabulous mouthfeel worth the sensation alone but flavor evanescent & leaves wanting
Raspberry – liqueur competing, clashing (the very definition of 'éclat'), seemingly conquering, then finally conforming to the Dark knight; drama without much song
Black Tea – winning contrast of cream, tea & Dark Choc that stretches against each other, though never pulls apart
Dark Caramel -- oozy center-filling runs out & away from the snappy, brittle shell until they finally merge in the meltdown for some toffee with lavender edge; accomplished
Reviewed Spring 2010
Revised December 10, 2012