301113 Mon Nov 14 00:39:42 -0800 2005 8 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1677668 * Domori Cru (8g) different single origin chocolates. descriptions of these varietals here: http://www.domori.com/index.php?app=domori&domoriID=68fbd9bf32e4ae17a91a34cc7e726c89&lng_code=eng&mod=pages_details&page_id=38 Impeccable temper, brillant snap to all the pieces, thick on the tongue, rather sticky texture at the end, which I found a tad unusual. Fairly robust complex flavours. As can happen with single varietal chocolates, these were quite intense and some felt rather unbalanced, exhibiting quite an overwhelming bit of acidity in the finish. My favourite of the lot was probably the Esmeraldas, with a tangy finish that reminded me a bit of soursop. * Domori Blend No. 1 http://www.domori.com/index.php?app=domori&domoriID=68fbd9bf32e4ae17a91a34cc7e726c89&lng_code=eng&mod=pages_details&page_id=40 Great temper as above. A heavily hitter, wielding all sorts of woodsy, smoky, and mild leathery notes with a good undercurrent of fruit. Perhaps a chocolate equivalent of a barolo. Very complex and powerful. The finish I found on the rough side, displaying more acidity than I would have liked. I think this might have its fans, but I personally prefer the smooth elegance of the Pierre Marcolini's Grand Cru Fleur de Cacao 85% chocolate or the honest woodsy nature of the Ecuadorian chocolates from Arriba Plantations. * Chuao Caracas dark A good snacking bar, huge bright fruitty notes as expected from a 100% Venezuelan chocolate. Sharp crunchy nuts (pistacchio, almonds, hazelnuts) with very clean flavour, moderately good temper. Mon Nov 14 00:39:42 -0800 2005 0 Limster 1 1677698 Thanks, Limster! Elegant and nuanced, per usual. Is this a follow-up to David Kahn's post on Scharffen Berger from back in July (linked below) where he mentions Domori? It was an eye-opening thread. In it, yourself as well as nja and David tipped me off to single-origin and other exquisite chocolates. Just wondering- what do you think of the Michel Cluizel's? Do they compare to these Domori Crus? Currently I'm comparing the Los Ancones (Santo Domingo) to the Mangaro (Madagascar). The former I find a little under-tempered but with a rounded, well-roasted flavor. The latter is nice and crisp, with more acid (which I don't mind) and fruit. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/300616#1671830 Mon Nov 14 15:31:42 -0800 2005 1677668 0 Spoony Bard 2 1677714 Wasn't exactly a follow-up, the Domori was recommended at a local shop and I decided to give it a whirl. I like the single origin chocs from Michel Cluizel (had them maybe 6 months ago, might have posted about them, but google doesn't give anything), less powerful and complex perhaps, but more suave and harmonious in comparison to the Domori Crus; on average the MCs are definitely less acidic and more balanced. Mon Nov 14 18:55:52 -0800 2005 1677698 0 Limster 1 1677699 Thanks, interesting notes. Not being a chocolate aficionado, can you elaborate on the differences btwn. a bad to moderately good to impeccable temper? I love that word "temper"...makes me think of chocolate as having a personality. Mon Nov 14 15:39:38 -0800 2005 1677668 0 Carb Lover 2 1677713 Well tempered chocolate should be shiny/glossy, will break with a hard, audible snap, is smooth on the palate. Poorly tempered chocolate can be dull, soft, grainy. Mon Nov 14 18:46:29 -0800 2005 1677699 0 Limster 3 1677784 ahhhh, like Hershey's? It has such a chalky texture. I imagine chocolate lovers from abroad must think we're crazy to eat this stuff. Can you show/tell us more about chocolate? It'd be great to learn more about this popular food. Tue Nov 15 22:54:17 -0800 2005 1677713 0 toodie jane 4 1677786 I don't really know that much more about chocolates than the next hound, just that there certain characteristics that I like and look for in a chocolate. For me personally, it's not that different from foods in general -- aroma, flavour and texture -- and the certainty that different folks will have different preferences. Several websites from chocolate producers will provide background information about chocolate, cultivation, bean processing etc... www.guittard.com for example. I can tell about my personal preferences, and hope that other hounds will chime in with theirs. I'm very fond of Pierre Marcolini's chocolates, the bars are exemplerary, and the flavoured bon bons are also exquisite. Michael Recchiutti gets my vote for elegance and refinement for flavoured chocs. I totally dig Ecuadorian chocs for their woodsy, smokey flavours. (Most folks, including many with very refined palates, will tend to choose Venezuelan ones, for their fruiity qualities.) Picks for these so far include the Arriba Plantations bars, a fair trade chocolate that shows the characteristics of Ecudaorian chocs very well. Not flavoured with vanilla, so all the pure flavours are there to taste. For day to day snacking, I love the Guaranda from Chocovic. The Edcuadorian chocolate from Michael Recchiutti is another excellent showcase of the complexity of this varietal. Tue Nov 15 23:34:51 -0800 2005 1677784 0 Limster 1 1677752 Really nice, interesting post. About a year back, I bought a fairly large quantity of the Domori Blend No. 1 from Chocosphere.com, and really fell in love with it. Then, a couple of months back, I ran out and reordered, and the more recent batch has a noticeably more acidic finish, which, like you, I don't much like. I guess this sort of thing is to be expected, but still, I'm bothered by the lack of consistency. (Otherwise, what's the point of it being a blend?) Since then, I've been looking for a good (and hopefully more consistent) replacement to stock up on. Btw, you might give the Santander 70% bar (link below) a try. Really lousy temper, but nice, warm, toasty flavor. Less complex than the Domori stuff you posted about, but sort of comforting, if you know what I mean. Link: http://chocosphere.com/Html/Products/santander.html Tue Nov 15 14:43:41 -0800 2005 1677668 0 David Kahn 2 1677781 Thanks for the tip re:: santander - really appreciate it -- will try to look for a local source first. Was looking at the Domori website, and the No.1 blend varies in the type of beans from year to year, so that might be one reason for the inconsistency. I suppose some of these chocolate makers blend beans to achieve a balance of flavours, but I guess that folks like Domori might aim for different balance points based on how they feel about the starting material. Tue Nov 15 21:19:21 -0800 2005 1677752 0 Limster