20°N & 20°S

L.A. Burdick ~ Bolivia 68%

 

 

**Archived notes.

 

A single origin bar from Burdick's but not bean-to-bar. They source from a Swiss chocolate company. 

This is a bit of a different review. This is a chocolate that survived, marginally, through the changing seasons of a cooler spring to summer. Though these are archived notes, I wanted to show you what happens when it's my fault that the appearance is a mess. This won't be taken out on Burdick's in the review. There are some surface issues that can be scored, but I will note that in the review. Again, this is what happens when temperatures are not controlled. I write about that often when I get chocolate that hasn't been handled properly. Usually it's not my fault. But in this case it is. And for reviewing purposes I will always make a note of conditions, circumstances of travel, or longevity in my reviews. 

 

L.A. Burdick Bolivia 68%

Type: Bittersweet, 68%

Bean Varietal: Unknown, probably Trinitario

Ingredients: Cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter.

Sample Size: 100g or 3.5oz

 

Appearance: Dark chocolate brown color, it was shiny on the surface but had a few plastic matted marks on the surface from it's plastic covering and some chocolate particles on the surface. Standard square patterned molding, non-monogrammed. (Ashy, dusty, sugary appearance comes from the heat damage. This is what makes it look matted and dull. It was very shiny.)

Score: 89

Snap: Firm snap, with low and dull snap sound. Clean break lines. 

Score: 89

Aroma: Big aroma of soft roasted cacao and oak wood. Mildly astringent and tart, deep dark fruits. 

Score: 92

Taste: Soft roasted cacao, berries, pen ink, a little tangy, oak wood, sweet but balanced sugars, and a little bit of char on the lingering finish. 

Score: 93

Texture: Smooth, a little hard and waxy at first, then opens up to a nice silky texture with a medium melt time and creamy texture. 

Score: 92

 

This is interesting chocolate. It's very subdued and mild. This is a good midway chocolate for the milk to dark fans. It has a big roasted nose of deep berries and rich oak wood, but it's flavor comes off as soft roasted cacao, balanced sugars, mellow fruits and berries, and a slight hint of lingering char on the finish. Some mild pen ink and hints of bitter astringency, but not enough to over power. 

This could have been a much more dynamic bar, but I kind of like it's subdued quality. You don't always need kick-you-in-face robust flavors to have a worthy bar of chocolate. 

 

Final Score: 91

   score
 B+

Zotter ~ Labooko Soya & Green Tea

 

Artist: Andreas H. Gratze

 

** Archived notes. 

 

 

Zotter

Labooko Duo bars Lactose Free Soya and Green Tea

Duo flavor bars from Zotter with soy and green tea flavors. Both lactose free for those with special dietary needs.

As mentioned on the packaging, both bars are soy bars with soy powders replacing the milk powders. This would otherwise, qualify as milk chocolate with the lower cocoa percentages and balance of milk solids. And as promised by the Zotter brand, these are organic bars with organic and fair trade ingredients and non-genetically modified soy products. 

 

 

Green Tea

Type: Soy, 30%

Bean Varietal: Unknown

Ingredients: Cocoa butter, raw cane sugar, soy milk powder, whole cane sugar, sesame, green tea powder, vanilla, salt, cocoa mass, soy lecithin.

Sample Size: 35g or 1.23oz

 

Appearance: Creamy soft green color, monogrammed molding with signature blown dry ripples on the surface, *broken piece*, small flecks of green tea or matcha mixed in, large chocolate particle pieces on the surface. 

Score: 91

Snap: Light crisp snap, clean break lines, decent snap sound. 

Score: 93

Aroma: Cream and matcha, earthy, dirt, and copper.

Score: 94

Taste: Green tea, matcha, creamy, milky, earthy and dirty, fresh tea, lingering soy flavors, sweet, fruit flavors, possibly strawberries, no cocoa flavors. 

Score: 94

Texture: Hard, long melt time, waxy. 

Score: 82

Tastes like a creamy, milky cup of sweetened green tea. Delicious and not one ounce of real milk in this bar. A little bit of lingering soy on the finish. Clean finish despite the robust matcha and cream flavors upfront. Sweet but not sugary, an excellent balance. And a little bit fruity. I can't tell what kind of fruit I am tasting, but it's got that fruity vibe making an appearance at the finish. Almost like strawberries. 

The texture is the only issue with this bar. It's not soft, it's fairly hard and waxy and doesn't really open up to a quick melt or softer center. It's full flavored, but not silky or creamy in texture. The nose gives off an impression that it might be creamy, soft. 

I recommend this to people who may not be fans of white chocolate. It has all of the hallmarks of delicious white chocolate, the creamy aroma and milky taste without the lingering milk aftertaste. The soy helps make the creamy flavor pop, but also keep it's in check on the finish. It tastes like full earthy green tea and cream and not loaded with sugar. This would make a great introduction to white chocolates despite not being actual white chocolate. A starter chocolate or gateway chocolate if you will.  

**I am not deducting from the appearance based on the broken bit. This chocolate has travel quite a way to get to me and anything could have happened. I noted the broken bit but again, points weren't taken off for that. 

 

Final Score: 90.8

  score
B+

 

 

 

Soya

Type: Soy, 40%

Bean Varietal: Unknown

Ingredients: Raw cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy milk powder, cocoa mass, sesame, whole cane sugar, vanilla, salt, soy lecithin. 

Sample Size: 35g or 1.23oz

 

Appearance: Soft milk chocolate color, up close it's a bit like lightly creamed coffee and a touch translucent, monogrammed logo with signature blown dry ripple marks on the surface, a little ashy, and chocolate particles on the surface. 

Score: 91

Snap: Very firm snap, clearly audible, clean break lines.

Score: 96

Aroma: Soy, tiny hint of astringency, slight hints of nuts, cream, mildly smoky tobacco, and black licorice. 

Score: 94

Taste: Soft cocoa, cinnamon and licorice up front, creamy soy in the middle mixed with the spiciness of the licorice and cinnamon. Soy milk finish. 

Score: 93

Texture: Hard, waxy, a bit drying on the palate, and slightly chalky, long melt time.

Score: 84

 

There is a lot going on with this chocolate. Insanely good snap quality, interesting coffee like color, and the complexity of the nose and flavor make this an odd yet delightful bar. 

The nose smelled like soy and had a tiny bit of tartness or astringency up front, that goes away once the bar has breathed a bit. The cream, tobacco, and licorice dominate giving it a unique aroma. The taste is all cocoa and licorice with cinnamon and cream. Soy completely dominates and rounds out the finish with tiny hints of lingering cinnamon and licorice. 

Once again the texture is the worst part of this. Of all the crazy good things happening with the aroma and taste, the texture doesn't match. It's hard and waxy and a bit chalky. It does open a bit creamier than the Green Tea, but still in the same boat, too hard. 

But what a surprise this turned out to be? So many interesting flavors. I wish I knew which origin or blend of cacao Zotter decided to use for these bars. If they could just manage the texture better, these make for some very good tasting bars. A bit heavy on the soy taste for the Soya bar, but with everything else going on in the flavor, it balances nicely. I do think some milk purists might take issue with that especially on the Soya bar, but not so much the Green Tea bar. It's creamy and milky. As a milk lover and purist myself, I rather enjoyed these. And besides these aren't for the milk lovers anyway. These are for the lactose intolerant. 

Final Score: 91.6

 score
B+