Setsuko
Impact
Oh My Goddess. Japan improved cars & guitars, & now boxed chocolates & bars. The Belldandy of cacáo (for those familiar with manga) – involuntary rapture, strangely alluring... beguiling & sublime – but with a non-flopped twist: instead of Seinen, more grown-up like Josei. Ja ne.
Presentation 5 / 5
rich & austere; beautifully boxed & presented w/ a precision & sensitivity carried forward from centuries of design - echoing Japanese lacquer ware; shiny black paper sleeve wrapped around sturdy burgundy wood set to a tone-on-tone logo pattern; even the bottom has flair - matte black; pieces inside sealed using brown glassine-type paper... adding another layer to the slow reveal of... agile, bejeweled shapes rising impossibly light yet imperially above mere earthlings
Aromas 4.6 / 5
strong chocolate w/ cherry overtones
Textures/Melt 8.4 / 10
| Shells: | molded shells range from thin to fortified thickness |
| Centers: | thick, stiff-bodied like bean paste, w/ tooth to the bite but melts as easily as snowflakes in warm hands; shockingly buttery / smooth; crisp & sharp, the darks extra snap |
Flavor 45.2 / 50
celestial flights that take a moment (sometimes two) to develop - plums, wasabi, green tea; petals flecked w/ liqueur warmth & floral top-notes (e.g., Lilly - dark chocolate in apple cognac)... all from an achingly subtle, soft hand
Quality 28.1 / 30
Deft hand-eye, & measure throughout
Selections
| Couverture: | Callebaut (testament to what can be achieved w/ generic couverture) |
Darjeeling - triple homicide: Dark Choc ganache spiked w/ cognac, enclosed in Darker then topped w/ Milk Choc
Cognac – thick enclosure; stiff texture but soft melt to super-subtle warmth
Truffle au Vin - not wine per se, but the mellow sweetness it imparts as enharmonics
Thé Vert d’Uji - green tea leaf roasted to a smoke hit; aligns well w/ its choc, adding another layer of the good earth
Gianduja aux Noisettes - thick hazelnut cream-ganache in milky White Choc
Noix de Pecan - dense & soft coated in Milk Choc; unexceptional
Sesame – another dense fill but this dressed in a thicker Milk Choc coat
Champagne – rare balance
Cognac – thick enclosure; stiff texture but soft melt to super-subtle warmth
Truffle au Vin - not wine per se, but the mellow sweetness it imparts as enharmonics
Thé Vert d’Uji - green tea leaf roasted to a smoke hit; aligns well w/ its choc, adding another layer of the good earth
Gianduja aux Noisettes - thick hazelnut cream-ganache in milky White Choc
Noix de Pecan - dense & soft coated in Milk Choc; unexceptional
Sesame – another dense fill but this dressed in a thicker Milk Choc coat
Champagne – rare balance