What is to tell. American Craft chocolate made by French Broad Chocolates… Now gimme gimme gimme!
Oh, I’ll hold my horses for a moment and push aside my love for the US chocolate scene and put on a more objective suit.
French Broad still creates its products in North Carolina. Search my other review on their chocolate to read more about their history. How many can state they went from the US to Costa Rica, fell in love with the cacao way of life and returned to the States to start-up their own chocolate company.
This time around, I get to sample a bar made from Peruvian cacao, harvested by the Tumpis Cooperative. Tumbes is situated in the northwestern part of the country.
Tucked in its stylish wrapper, this time a deep red band accentuates the bar. Almost as if stating this will be an intense piece of chocolate. Almost French as their name states, this bar oozes with a luxurious vibe.
Inside, French Broad’s delicate scored bar strikes me as great looking once more. but how does it taste?
Bean: Not mentioned
Origin: Tumpis Cooperative – Tumbes, Perú
Production: French Broad Chocolates – Ashville, North Carolina, USA
Price: Unknown – 60 g send to me by Cococlectic.com
Color: Dark ebbony
Aroma: Cacao, woody tannins, earthy with an illusive touch of berry fruits and ever so slightly spiced. An enticing dark aroma.
Taste: Starting slow, the bar opens up with an immediate black fruity acidity (blackcurrant and black berries) and a distinct coffee bitterness. Somehow those two flavors enhance each other and start of a slow waltz dance going back and forth. A while later, the aroma reveals a sort of added tartness, reminding me of fresh cheesecake with an almost creamy texture adding a fresh note of sweet and sour aromas. The chocolate has a really nice texture and wonderful looooooong melt. The aftertaste takes over swift, but not before the chocolate reveals a last note of woody chocolate. What remains in your mouth after the melt flows with the same flavor style of bitter/sour/sweet and keeps rolling and rolling on for ages.
I’m baffled. In some bars I would state this bitter note a bit too strong. But the powerful fruit flavor circles it constantly and tries to take the lead without ever succeeding. This makes for a very exciting taste profile that keeps you paying attention as the flavor develops. This bar might be a bit different in nature, more powerful and more pronounced than other chocolate bars, but if this doesn’t show you clearly how diverse chocolate can be, if you compare it to, let us say Original Beans light and roasty Porcelana bar, or Akesson’s tropical flavored Bali bar, I simply don’t know anymore!
Good job Jael and Dan!
Perú is slowly becoming my second favorite origin, next to Madagascar. Peruvian chocolate sure can deliver some amazing fruits combined with a deeper, more robust earthy tone. Can’t wait to try the next one!
