Manufacturer: Pralus
Cocoa Content: 75%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B+

Up for review today is "Papouasie" from the French chocolatier Pralus. This is a 75% cocoa chocolate bar made exclusively from Trinitario cacao beans from Papua New Guinea.

The Papouasie is a reddish mahogany in color. The flavor leads with a bitter kick along with a nice chocolate flavor. Acidity slowly builds to a moderate level that reminds me a bit of the tart bite of a New York-style cheesecake. There are citrus and plum notes as well. There are nutty notes of almond, marzipan and a hint of hazelnut. A sweet caramel note is also detectable.

Chewing the bar brings forward fruity notes of cherries and plums, as well as an acidic black coffee note. The finish has acidity and nuts and is fairly long and chocolatey. The Papouasie does have a slightly course texture, but it does smooth a bit as it melts.

The Papouasie has a pretty nice flavor profile, but it seems like something is missing that I can't put my finger on. The texture is a bit off as well. This bar seems like it's just on the edge of being great, but in its current form it's just "pretty good".