Chapon Vénézuela Chuao 74%
Chapon - Chocolat Noir - Vénézuela Chuao - 74% - Lot 13/21
Cacao origin/type:
Local cacao variety
Ingredients:
Cacao mass, organic cane sugar, cacao butter
Other facts:
Made in France (Chapon, Chelles), working together with local farmer cooperatives
Chapon's regular sizes can be found in absolutely gorgeous silver bags with an all-over print (except small silver border) of the same designs as the smaller sizes. This smaller one here is wrapped in copper aluminum foil, with a textured paper cover, beautifully printed with the design, including the number of the release in the range. The bar is not divided into segments, but has a nice 3D relief in a diamond pattern with only a small outer rim.
The colour is a red-tinted maroon, it breaks snapping hard and very straight, extremely fine pored.
Aroma:
Nosing you get a delicate but noticeable plum, dark, moist cocoa, chestnut and some raisins, black currants, leather, elegantly integrated, not as intense as a Domori, for example
Taste:
In the mouth delicately melting, creamy and balanced, licorice and beautiful, slightly dried plum, some roasted chestnuts, black currant and mocha, earthy-moist cocoa again, black cherry and some leather & almonds, overall dry-creamy-elegant
Finish:
Finishes with pureed chestnuts and earthy cocoa with a bit of plum and hazelnut, medium length, some slight roasted notes
Comment:
Chapon are somewhat the equivalent of the also French Valrhona brand, just as the latter it can sometimes be found in fancier French supermarkets too. Both are overall a bit more mainstream than absolute nerd chocolates from micro manufacturers, but they still have enough character for advanced aficionados depending on the variety. While Valrhona is the slightly more delicate, sweet, Chapon mostly works with a little more roast, but everything still blended into an elegant framework, as I mentioned mainstream-oriented for a more expensive chocolate. This one knows how to please friends of dark fruit.
