Manufacturer: Domori
Cocoa Content: 75%
Location: Venezuela
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-

Today's tasting is the award-winning Domori Puertomar. The Puertomar is part of the same Criollo line as Domori's Puertofino and Porcelana. The bar is deep mahogany in color with purple highlights. The nose detects a deep chocolate aroma with cherry jam.

The immediate impression on the palate is rich chocolate with Domori's typical jamminess. Distinct notes of bread and caramel are here. There is a moderate level of acidity but lots of fruitiness. Red raspberries, pomegranate, Rainier cherries and orange are all here. There is a notable bitter espresso component, but the bitter kick is somewhat mitigated by all the fruitiness. The bitterness does seem to fade in and out in waves, and combines with the fruit to leave an impression of hops. Chewing the Puertomar opens up sweet cherries, mint and tobacco. The mouthfeel is smooth with a slight cooling sensation. The finish is jammy with cherries and shortbread cookies.

The Puertomar is instantly recognizable as Domori with the big fruitiness and jammy flavor. I find the overall flavor to be similar to their Porcelana, but the fruit tends to be a bit less "in your face". There are some big jam/fruit notes here, but the great thing is that the chocolate flavor never gets lost. Another classic from Domori here.

Manufacturer: Domori
Cocoa Content: 70%
Location: Madagascar
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-

Today's tasting is the Domori Sambirano. As the name implies, this is a single origin choolate made from cocoa beans sourced from the Sambirano Valley in Madagascar. My first impression on opening the package was a powerful aroma of acidic wininess that reminded me of popping the cork on the bottle of a big Red Zinfandel. The bar is a deep mahogany in color with a slight orange tint. It strikes me as being a bit darker in color than the typical 70% cacao Madagascan chocolate.

At first taste the Domori Sambirano has an immediate bright, berry jamminess. Strawberries are here in spades and red raspberry peeks through as well. The acidity level is very lively with sour berry and cherry notes. There is some lemon custard here, but the dominant citrus note common to Madagascan chocolate is outpaced by tart berries on this bar. Some herbal/grassy notes are present, as well as some hazelnut. Chewing the Domori Cacao Sambirano leads to strawberry creme and cherry cordial notes. The melt is perfect - smooth, thick and creamy. The finish has continuing sour cherry paired with some herbal notes.

Every chocolate I have tried to date from Domori has been amazing, and the Cacao Sambirano from their Single Origins line is no exception. Astute readers of this blog know that I'm a big fan of chocolate with a lively acidity, and the Sambirano cranks the acidity all the way to eleven. This bar is really quite sour, and seems to go all the way up to the limits of tartness for a dark chocolate. There is an interesting, and quite enjoyable, berry dominance here. If you told me that I was going to try an extremely acidic Madagascan chocolate, then I would be expecting lemonade, not strawberry jam. The texture here is fantastic as is typical of Domori. My only quibble with the Sambirano is that there is an herbal note that just doesn't seem to fit. Otherwise, this is another fantastic chocolate from Domori.

Manufacturer: Domori
Cocoa Content: 100%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A+

Today we review the ultimate in pure chocolate, Domori's IL 100% dark chocolate bar. The ingredient list has but one entry: unsweetened cocoa mass. There is no sugar, vanilla or lecithin added here - this is just pure, unadulterated chocolate. The bar is deep ebony red in color. The nose picks up rich cocoa notes along with espresso.

At first taste, my first impression is that there is much less bitterness than I expected. There are a wealth of fruity notes with pomegranate, orange peel and black cherry. Espresso, hazelnuts, cinnamon and a woody cedar note are all here. There is a lager/pilsner character that hints at European noble hops such as Saaz and Tettnang. There are rich chocolate notes, but only a moderate bitterness level considering this is an unsweetened chocolate. Chewing the IL 100% opens up notes of raspberry, wood and mushrooms. Chewing the chocolate does increase the level of bitterness by a fair amount. The finish has smoky, deep-roasted espresso notes along with berries.

The Domori IL 100% is pure, unadulterated cocoa at its finest. It is a wonderfully complex chocolate bar. At 100% cocoa, this is not for the faint of heart, but if you enjoy dark chocolate this is really a must-try. While I’ve always considered very high percentage chocolates to be niche products that I’d try just for the “unique factor”, the IL 100% is very enjoyable on its own merit. I will definitely be coming back for more on this one.

Manufacturer: Domori
Cocoa Content: 70%
Location: Venezuela
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-

Manufacturer: Domori
Cocoa Content: 70%
Location: Venezuela
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A