Chocolate of the Day
Guido Gobino
Guatemala - 3050 70% Single origin Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: .95 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.9 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $14.50 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Bar & Cocoa, online order
Welcome to Day #14 of Chocolate & Central America Theme Week.
Today's Guatemala - "3050 70% Single origin Chocolate bar" was made by Guido Gobino Srl (Torino, Italy), using cacao grown in Guatemala. (The geographic (GPS) coordinates of the cacao origin were included on the packaging: 15 degrees 49' 24.9" N - 90 degrees 42' 51.9" W.*)
The cacao from Paso Cocodrilo cacao farm/estate* in Guatemala (near the border with Laguna Lachua National Park) is known for its pleasant, sweet, cooked fruit and warm spice notes.
Aroma notes for this bar included a subtle and smooth blend of: dark chocolate, sweet dried fruits (fig, date, mixed tropical fruits), warm earth/clay, very faint buttery nut, gentle wood and sweet green (green walnuts in syrup).
Texture: smooth and buttery with a satisfying melt.
Flavor notes included: very smooth dark chocolate; diffuse sweet dried fruits (mixed fruit, fig and very light citrus (lemon, tangerine), the faintest hints of sweet ripe pineapple and cacao fruit); and brief flickers of gentle warm spice (cinnamon) sweet-green herbal and nut.
I enjoyed the beautiful range of subtle, gentle aroma and flavor notes. This chocolate was very light on bitterness (almost none), and rich in very subtle fruit and other flavors mentioned above.
I appreciated the company's sourcing information; gentle (criollo-like) cacao flavors; the short list of three ingredients; and the choice of the brightly colored packaging that featured a water color design of a rainbow-hued parrot flying above a misty green stroke of lush forest. It was a cheery bar, in more ways than one.
Maker's Tasting Notes: "Distinct bitter notes and marked astringency are balanced by sweetness, which adds complexity and balance. Intense cocoa aromas, accompanied by spicy nuances, emerge on the nose and palette."
Ingredients: "cocoa mass from Guatemala, sugar, cocoa butter."
Allergen-related information: "Gluten Free". "It may contain Hazelnut, Almond, Milk and Soy."
*Guido Gobino description: "Il Cacao Paso Cocodrilo nasce nel cuore di una foresta rigoliosa, coltivato con cura dalle comunita indigene. Un'eccellenza della nature che diventa emblema di regenerazione del territorio e custodes della sua biodiversita."
*My translation into English: (The) Paso Cocodrilo Cacao was grown in the heart of a lush forest, carefully cultivated by indigenous communities. It is a natural treasure that has become a symbol of regeneration for the region and a guardian of its biodiversity.