u/prugnecotte

generally think the not-rough-neither-smooth texture doesn't do them a favour (although it is their schtick...), but this bar has surprised me for its complexity and pleasantness. the Costa Rica from the same drop was already very good.

this bar pretty much tastes exactly the way the wrapper defines it. deep raisin/rum chocolatey flavours, with a long buttery and citrusy (like bergamot - with slight pleasant bitterness). the buttery note is particularly intense and indulging, this does really taste of panettone in a chocolate bar. it's amazing to perceive complexity in a grainy and crunchy bar as well, e.g. Orfève is a great example.

Ruvido mentions the beans undergo a 7-days fermentation in Tabebuia Rosea wood boxes, with following drying in artificial gas-powered machines + cement patio finish. I don't think I've hard of this farm before but I'm interested in more.

I just appreciate how you can pick any random bar from them and it's going to be so good. chocolatey and round with so much clarity in the tasting notes. the fact that they don't do milk chocolate and only have inclusions with very high cocoa percentage tells you a lot about how much they care. you can tell the study behind each origin, especially their efforts to pick origins that are undervalued. take El Salvador - hard to find at bigger chocolate makers.

this is a very pleasant floral and fruity chocolate, with intense notes of apricot, orange zest, rose and blueberry, not cloying at all despite the sweetness. t's just like a good red tea.

the chocolate scene in Central and Eastern Europe has been growing steadily! these brands sadly go unnoticed unless one visits locally or purchases from stores like Cocoa Runners that really care.

picture two is the entire loot. I found Misina Cokolada randomly sold by a specialty coffee in Prague. the lady behind the brand is based in Prague as well, but she doesn't have a shop in town. very curious to try it out, especially since I haven't had Solomon Islands outside of Firetree.

I wanted to purchase Jordi's as well through local distributors, but unfortunately I had no time :( I was very curious about the blends!

my goal was obviously to visit Ajala in Brno as I had been really enjoying the chocolates I bought from Choco Dealer, and so I did. what a bummer to learn that the owner doesn't really speak English 😭 I love chatting with the people behind the business! the shop is in the city centre and wonderful. you can taste most of their bars and confections! despite mainly stocking (nice) filled chocolates, the single origin bars are peak as well. I had the Ecuador and Uganda before and both were so nice; here I purchased a rose vanilla bar, a pistachio raspberry one (already gone), a Tanzania Kokoa Kamili (the chunk I ate in shop had incredible white wine flavours) and a Madagascar Akesson's. I was blown away by a filled milk chocolate with nuts, poppy seeds, cherries and honey inspired by a local dessert, but did not purchase it.

the true highlight, however, was Kakaw Co+. it's sort of a specialty coffee, but with specialty drinking chocolate at the center. they have one shop in Prague and two in Bratislava. I had planned to visit this chain and was curious of course, but it just exceeded my expectations.

you can get flavoured drinking chocolates as well (I had a fantastic chocolate with chestnut purée in Bratislava!), although the shots and drinks are too good to miss. the weather in Prague was horrible and the shop was a bit far from the centre, but we still spent an hour there. the presentation is superb - with every drink you get a card that lists the name of the farmers, the farm, the flavour profile, the cocoa variety, etc. you can tell the woman behind the business is REALLY invested in traceability and ethical sourcing. you also get to taste a bean from the origin that you pick (or a praline with the bean, as in Bratislava).

the origin list is strictly focused on Central and South America. wish there was a bit more geographical variety, but I understand. in Prague I had a fantastic water-based 100% drinking chocolate from "Las Productivas" cooperative in Dominican Republic, full on deep fresh tropical fruit and boozy aromas. after that, I've had a shot from Finca Quya, very fruity as well and caramel-like. what I loved the most about Finca Quya though was the taste of the cocoa bean!! so so close to a raspberry flavoured candy, and obviously no acidity.

in Bratislava, I've had the water-based 100% Morumbi drinking chocolate, very smooth classic flavour profile. I ended up preferring the Caquetà one, though, for complexity. aaaand of course... I've bought everything. but I'm interested in experimenting with these cocoa masses during the summer, maybe making iced shots?

this is the first time that I try a chocolate bar with "tangy" floral notes. truly tastes like a cranberry-hibiscus infusion (which I hate! lol) with a roasted nutty/chocolatey body. having tried a few Manoa bars, they definitely seem to lean towards a medium roast, not much acidity (except for the Ninole bar perhaps) if that's not your thing.

I'm not the biggest fan of Dongfang Meiren, but I'm a huge fan of Yunnanese red teas. therefore, buying a sample of bug-bitten Dian Hong (from Meetea studio in Prague), I did not have very high expectations. it surprised me a lot! brewed 4 g~ in my gaiwan at 90°C. the tea session lasted VERY long, more than an hour, as the leaves yield at least ten infusions.

at first (30 s) the liquor had intense peach, berry and floral aromas. they boom - an intense rose tasting notes kicks in by the third steep, with balanced fruitiness. then the fruitiness turns into the classic Dian Hong maltiness, with persistent rose flavours (also in the aftertaste). super velvety and mellow liquor. some steeps enhance orange/mandarin peel aromas, too. by the end of the session, the classic Dian Hong chocolatey flavour also comes out.

it is certainly not a daily drinker, but if you find some, definitely buy it. this is a superb tea for special occasions

basically chocolate biscuits in the form of tea. I got three robust steeps with intense cocoa and woody aromas, there is a slight vegetal note that mellows out as the tea gets tepid. the following steeps reveal cremy honey notes and a looong aftertaste. pre-boiling water worked fine without astringency. honestly I just wish more people got into "naturally chocolatey" teas rather than chocolate-flavoured ones, I find that natural chocolate aromas can be hit or miss (cocoa husk has a much softer taste imo) but that's just my preference.