at Mon, 13 Dec 2004 17:08:51 GMT in <D0kvd.3231$Z%1.2159@trnddc03>,
(DPM) wrote :

>I just received a block of this from Chocosphere. Very fruity, with a
>cherry/almond/hazelnut profile; delicious, but idiosyncratic. I'm
>wondering what the other couverture blocs are like. Has anyone tried the
>others? Alex, any opinions?

Each of the varietals is different, distinctive, and generally IMHO sets
the reference standard for its varietal.

The Colombian is unbelievable - an exploration of subtle, floral taste in a
chocolate, one of the great chocolates in the world and a perfect chocolate
to pair with rosewater. This is the chocolate to buy for Valentine's Day -
it's so seductive, anyone tasting it will swoon.

Ecuador Nacional is powerful and bold. It's got all the Arriba signatures -
blackberry, tobacco, woody, with that bitter hint characteristic of Arriba.
It is excellent mixed with milk or cream - such as in a pudding or truffle.

Madagascar Criollo is a study in complementary components. There's flavours
of blueberry, spices, and cocoa in there, a complexity remarkable for a
varietal. This is a superb chocolate for cakes, cookies, and other baked
goods.

Then there's the Etienne blends.

Coucher du Soleil is somewhat like Sur Del Lago, but less fruity. There's
an initial fruity hit, then it quickly becomes more of a cocoa/coffee
flavour. There is a sharp bitterness to the finish, a characteristic that
knocks it down a notch in my book. It's still quite good, though.

L'Harmonie is the best of the blends. It's incredibly complex, reminding me
a lot of Valrhona's Gran Couva, with elements of just about every desirable
flavour component in it. However, this complexity is never jarring or
confusing. It makes for a superb, yet highly characterised, general-purpose
chocolate.

Lever du Soleil maintains Guittard's excellence in the 60-65% class. This
one is very dark and clearly contains components of the Ecuador Nacional in
it - a strong chocolate at its percentage, and one where with the dark
roast it receives minimises the bitterness.

La Nuit Noire, however, is a complete disappointment. It just tastes very
sugary, like candy. There might be hints of peach and strawberry in there,
but it's pretty faint. It's just not even in the same world as the other
chocolates.

Then finally, there are the 2 old standbys, the traditional blends.

Gourmet Bittersweet is a chocolate that, if you've read the NG in the past,
you already know my opinions on. Quite simply, the best chocolate in the
world. Need I say more?

French Vanilla is also very, very good. No, it doesn't have the power of
Gourmet bittersweet but it's a nice exercise in subtlety. The flavour has
an earthy, molasses cast to it, especially appropriate for chocolate mixed
with cinnamon and other such spices.

There's the rundown, at least for the dark chocolates. If you'd like my
opinion on the milks, as well, let me know.


--
Alex Rast

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