Republica Del Cacao El Oro 67% Chocolate Bar Review
It isn’t often that I spit out chocolate – or any food for that matter. I was brought up to choke it down like a lady. Ladies do not spit out their food – except in private.
Getting beyond my initial gag reflex and the intense desire to spit it out, I worked through the piece and found it difficult to enjoy. There was a lack of activation in my mouth and the flavour of the chocolate was flat. The first, most intense thing I tasted was a smoky flavour and a slightly odd flavour. The dry, almost chalky taste that overwhelms the chocolate isn’t tempered by the sugar, which is also quite extreme. The chocolate flavour is in there somewhere but it is difficult to detect.
This is a bit of a more challenging chocolate. It does develop with time but that initial dry, intense smoky flavour as though the beans were over roaser and too much cocoa butter removed is so overwhelming it will turn some people right off. I would suggest that this bar is more for those trying to be a bit more adventurous with their chocolate. The flavour is complex under the smokiness and there is a bite to it at the end. It is difficult to uncover this after your mouth is dried by the chocolate then assaulted by the smoke.
Only buy this if you are genuinely looking for a challenge. This is not for the meek!
Seriously – it makes me wonder about the taste panel…
Panellist 1: This tastes weird – kinda like chewing burnt chocolate chalk
Panellist 2: That means it’s good. Really good!
Panellist 1: Why?
Panellist 2: Because only milk chocolate tastes nice. For this to be good dark chocolate it has to taste bad. The dryer, chalkier and more burnt the flavour is, the higher quality the chocolate.
Panellist 1: so if I eat this people will know I’m eating good chocolate and think I’m a sophisticated, intelligent, eco-positive person who supports all the sort of good causes this bar does?
Panellist 2: Oh ya!
Panellist 1: I’m sold!
You’re right, it’s over roasted in my opinion. It’s also neither this nor that-blah, mediocre, middle of the road, doesn’t do much for me. Not great, not horrible, unremarkable.
There is far too much chocolate hitting the shelves from small producers that is over-roasted. I know they can’t afford to waste a batch but then do what most to – don’t leave the area!
Still – if they can address the burning I’ll bet once they get that then the refine & conch right they will start to have something much more robust & flavourful.