Impact
Extra-Bitter in name only; no alarm whatsoever. Resembles Dark-Milk Chocolate in - if it were available then - the late-Renaissance. Inspired & intricate, keeps giving in unexpected turns & in some novel ways, covering so much territory (or ‘terroir’ for hob snobs) without ever losing sight of core chocolate value. A veritable Titian - to match its color of burnished orange-brown. And the sun amongst small stars, as Dante put it in Paradiso, of Maglio’s constellation.
Appearance 4.4 / 5
wrapper’s adhesive so heavy to imprint on the bar’s face
wrapper’s adhesive so heavy to imprint on the bar’s face
| Color: | orange-brown rust + a drop of violet red |
| Surface: | (other than the glue spots) flawless |
| Temper: | dusted matte w/ thin-coat shine |
| Snap: | clean crunch |
Aroma 7.2 / 10
quiet confidence: dusty & musty cacáo counters caramelized nuts, forest wood & ozone cut by big vanilla punctuated w/ rose otter-potpourri
Mouthfeel 14.7 / 15
| Texture: | massively voluptuous |
| Melt: | planetary |
Flavor 46.3 / 50
choco-khan burst reverberates w/ milk chocolate (monsterous vanilla-cream) -> light bitter counter -> quick violet -> hazelnut... goes gianduja... round & round ‘round cream -> one blueberry spill catches a speck of ash, falls into the coffee grinder for blueberry café... draws out spices: vanilla re-enters mix w/ cardamom & cinnamon that altogether mash-up toward Garam Masala... still more like an encore -> streaking notes (mint / lime) build to a final nut stroke
Quality 18.8 / 20
Vanilla monster at full finesse (though too much make-up for many). Premium roast, or perhaps roasts, as each bean in the blend seems precisely calibrated to coax a broad range for max contrast, from flash acid to ash fleck, for tonal depth. Polychromatic... luminous yet shadowy, vivid but subtle.