Manufacturer: Amano
Cocoa Content: 70%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B+

Today's tasting is the Amano Ocumare, a 70% dark chocolate bar made with cacao from the Ocumare Valley in Venezuela. The Ocumare bar is mahogany in color with a reddish-purple tint. The palate finds roasted chocolate notes up front along with some smokiness and a pleasant bitter kick. The acidity builds, opening up flavors of blackberry, blueberry and plum. Spice notes of black pepper, bell pepper and mint sit in the background with some earth and floral notes.

Chewing the Ocumare brings forward mint, vanilla, earth and a cedary wood note. The mouthfeel is very smooth and creamy, leaving a slight cooling sensation on the tongue. The finish has lingering bitter and roast flavors over juicy acid/fruit notes.

The Ocumare is a very good showing from Amano. This is a complex, well-balanced dark chocolate. The only fault I find is that no one feature stands out. The Ocumare is almost too balanced and complex for its own good. And as far as chocolate goes, that's not such a bad problem to have.