Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Solstice Chocolate - Madagascar 70% Sambirano (bar) - Mar. 17, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Solstice Chocolate, Inc.
Madagascar 70% Sambirano (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 (+ shipping) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Solstice Chocolate, online order

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Madagascar Theme Week.

Today's gluten-free, vegan Madagascar 70% Sambirano (bar) was from Solstice Chocolate, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT).

The cacao that the Solstice team used to make this bar came from the Bejofo Estate, an organic cacao plantation in the Sambirano Valley in northwest Madagascar. The maker's description: "...Cacao grown here has notes of citrus and berries, which gives our chocolate its bright, fruity quality." 

This region and this cacao flavor profile will sound familiar to those who have been reading about other Madagascar bars featured this week.

Today's three-ingredient* Solstice dark bar had an aroma with bright, warm chocolate notes: grape/raisin, brown sugar/light caramel, rum when the sealed package was first opened. (After being opened for an hour, there was a slight shift that included mild red berry (goji berry) and light, fragrant oolong tea notes.)

The texture was smooth, with an almost creamy mouthfeel. 

The flavor overall was full of the expected tart, tangy-sweet, acidic fruit (Vitamin C) brightness that one often finds with Madagascar single origin bars. The sunny, natural sweetness lingered, along with cream and very faint earth notes, into the finish. 

As noted with some other 70%+ cacao Madagascar bars this week, this characteristic bright,  fruity sweet, warm flavor profile may fool you into thinking you're eating a chocolate with more sugar (that is, a 60% or 65% cacao bar). I even found myself double checking the packaging. (Yes, it did contain 70% cacao.)

*Ingredients: "Cacao bean, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter"

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