Sao Tome
by Hershey’s
Impact
A cheap shot to describe this as ‘tatty twee’ just because it bears the label Hershey’s (really now, it’s like... is this a roast - beef or bean?). Where the Chocolatetown USA conglomerate is in over its conching machine trying to integrate
San Domingo‘s manifold flavors, São Tomé presents no such problem on account of its intrinsic non-complexity.
Simple & easy does it + a few surprises. Coyly robust - a decent mass-production piece.
Simple & easy does it + a few surprises. Coyly robust - a decent mass-production piece.
Appearance 4.1 / 5
| Color: | pale & opaque, moonlit grey ghosting inside brown (despite relatively moderate butter content; read on...) |
| Surface: | |
| Temper: | perfect matte |
| Snap: | high treble audio; sheared edge |
Aroma 6.9 / 10
fresh direct: coffee, cocoa, cheese funk, damp wood, red fruit spot -> aerates to cardboard
Mouthfeel 11 / 15
| Texture: | fractures into gripping, almost pasty-thick wads ala milk fat?? |
| Melt: | viscous |
Flavor 41.4 / 50
hits w/ soft wood upfront -> weak coffee -> cocoa spice (buttered cinnamon) -> white bread & butter tone (whoa – dairy??) stripped of all heft, makes for cinnabon -> carmelizes to churro dipped in strengthened coffee + more spice (coriander & vanilla) -> distant currant & red apple so over yonder it requires binoculars -> chocolate whimper; minutely metallic after-length
Quality 17.6 / 20
Profile rounded down perhaps thru selective Dutching on a portion of the batch & a suspicious night raid, of sorts, to abduct some of the dark, replacing it with dairy. The origin’s usual forward assertiveness almost nowhere to be found & a few unusuals show up (are they conching 24/7/365). Authenticating this was questionable until reading the label closely: last among the listed ingredients: ‘milk’. Whatever the formula, a decently constructed bar. CBS ~3:4:3.