Manufacturer: Domori

Cocoa Content: 70%

Location: Venezuela

Rating: A

Today I have the pleasure of tasting Domori's Chuao dark chocolate bar. Legend has it that the cocoa from the Chuao region was once reserved solely for kings. It's not hard to see why. Domori's Chuao bar looks to be an equal mix of clay-red and light brown in color. The nose has rich chocolate aromas with honey and caramel.

On the palate the initial impression is deep chocolate with strawberry jam. There are highlights of almond aromatics here. Along with the strawberry jam, a fruit note of gooseberries is here as well. Complex sweet notes of honey and caramel are notable, along with coffee, mint and a faint butterscotch note. Chewing the Domori Chuao brings forward notes of almond extract, raspberries, pomegranate and caramel. The bar melts with a superb thick, coating mouthfeel. The finish has butterscotch, caramel and jammy notes all fading in harmony.

Domori has once again impressed me with their take on the legendary Chuao cacao. The end result is wonderfully complex, but unmistakably Domori. The finish and complex caramel and honey undertones are reminiscent of a milk chocolate, while the jamminess is signature Domori. This is great stuff and well worth searching out if you don't have easy access to it in your local area.