On deck today is another chocolate from Ecuadorean bean-to-bar chocolate maker Republica del Cacao. The El Oro is a deep mahogany-red in color. The nose has hazelnut/walnut notes along with floral (jasmine) notes.

On the palate I first pick up orange juice flavors. Next come mint and sweet woody spice of cinnamon. The sweet spice turns to cardamom which becomes a full-blown floral/perfume note. The acidity level is on the mild side with some banana showing through. Chewing the El Oro brings forward notes of cardamom, cookie dough and blueberries. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy, and just slightly course. The finish has sweet notes and floral aromatics. Nuttiness creeps in as the floral notes fade.

Republica del Cacao has quite a unique chocolate here in the El Oro. It is a bit too much on the floral side for my tastes, but this is a true showcase of someplace unexpected that you can take a dark chocolate. Well worth a try.

Manufacturer: Republica Del Cacao
Cocoa Content: 75%
Location: Ecuador
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

We're following up on our recent tasting of the excellent Pacari Los Rios with another take on these beans. Today's tasting is from Ecuadorian bean-to-bar chocolate maker Republica Del Cacao. Their take on the Los Rios chocolate is a 75% bar that is deep brown in color, bordering on ebony, with ruby and purple highlights. The nose has a deep, powerful chocolate aroma, with highlights of marshmallow and cinnamon.

The Republica Del Cacao Los Rios hits the palate with a distinct note of tobacco/leather. Herbal and sweet spice notes abound with cinnamon, mint and some grassiness. There is a bite of black coffee bitterness here. Banana, hazelnut and cream are here as well. Chewing the Los Rios brings forward notes of mint, honey, toffee and some cinnamon/nutmeg. The melt is perfectly smooth with a slight cooling sensation. On the finish, some chocolate finally sets in along with spearmint as a strong highlight.

I am quite torn over the Republica Del Cacao Los Rios. On one hand, the construction of this bar is absolutely flawless. The bar is divided into four large rectangles with pristine embossing and a lustrous shine. The nose has a wonderful chocolate note that is rich and fudgy like brownie batter. But once the chocolate hit my palate I found myself searching for this powerful chocolate note that the nose alluded to. It takes seemingly forever for any of the chocolate flavor to show up. Overall, the flavor is quite complex, interesting and bold with dominant notes of mint and tobacco/leather highlighted by sweet spice and herbs, but the chocolate flavor is conspicuously missing until the tail end. Still, the attention to detail is promising and I'm looking forward to trying some of Republica Del Cacao's other chocolates quite soon.

Manufacturer: Pacari
Cocoa Content: 72%
Location: Ecuador
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A

Today's review is Pacari's Los Rios 72% dark chocolate bar. The bar is made from beans originating in the Los Rios region is west-central Ecuador. The bar is a deep, purplish-brown color.

On the palate, the Los Rios leads with a rich chocolate note. There are some herbal/floral and grassy notes up front as well. The acidity starts at a moderate level then builds from there. Key lime is the most notable fruit flavor, and there are some blackberries here as well. There is a nice evolution from a bit of an herbal bitter note that develops into Key lime along with a hint of lemongrass as the acidity licks in. Some woody notes and cinnamon are here along with a touch of cream as well. Chewing the Los Rios highlights lime zest and chestnuts. The melt is fairly smooth with a slight cooling sensation. On the tail end the fruit simmers down revealing nutty notes over some lingering Key Lime.

The bars from Pacari have been a bit of a mixed bag for me up to this point. The Los Rios totally solves the issues I've seen with construction issues and flavor near-misses from Pacari in the past. This really shows the amazing potential of the Ecuadorian Arriba Nacional cacao beans. There is a nice, distinct Key lime flavor here with herbal and berry undertones that compliment it nicely. The flavor reminds me of some of the top-end Madagascan Sambirano Valley dark chocolates. Outside of the Waialua Estate, this is the best single-country bean-to-bar chocolate I've come across. If you're looking to sample Ecuadorian chocolate, or are interested in the potential of bean-to-bar chocolate, then this is the bar to try.

Manufacturer: Pacari
Cocoa Content: 100%
Location: Ecuador
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Today we kick off our theme week of 100% chocolates with Pacari's Raw Chocolate 100%. Raw chocolate refers to chocolate that is minimally processed and has few (or no) additional ingredients added. And you can't get more raw than 100% unsweetened cocoa. The Pacari Raw 100% is deep ebony in color with purplish red undertones.

The first impression of the Pacari 100% on the palate is that this is a very bitter chocolate. There is a brief off note of sulfur/egg but that dissipates rather quickly. There is a very light acidity that has notes of currant, cranberry and a touch of grapefruit. Espresso and chestnuts are here as well. It does seem to me that the more complex undertones seem to be muted by the strong alkaline bitter bite. Chewing the Pacari Raw 100% brings forward wood, mushrooms, red wine and a "barnyard" note. The melt is thick and creamy. I find it interesting that the 100% cocoa raw chocolate seems to be smoother in texture then the other bars I've tried from Pacari. The finish is lingering bitterness with espresso and faint berry notes.

Pacari's Raw Chocolate 100% bar is well-constructed and has a lot of potential. My main issue is that the bitterness of this chocolate is so potent that many of the other flavors are overwhelmed. As you will see later on this week, the key for an unsweetened chocolate is to have enough acidity to cut through the bitterness. The Pacari Raw 100% just doesn't have enough acidity to counterbalance the bitterness of this bar. All-in-all this is a decent showing for a 100% chocolate, but there is definitely room for improvement.

Manufacturer: Pacari
Cocoa Content: 60%
Location: Ecuador
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Today's tasting is the Esmeraldas, a 60% dark chocolate bar from Pacari. The Esmeraldas cocoa comes from the rainforest on the North coast of Ecuador. The chocolate bar is notably dark for only being a 60% cocoa, and has highlights of purples and reds.

The initial impression on the palate is a rich, sweet chocolate. There are notes of bread, sunflower kernels, earth and mint. The sweetness also leads to notes of caramel, toffee and "cream & sugar" coffee. The acidity level on this chocolate is fairly light. Chewing the Esmeraldas brings forward caramel as well as a faint berry note. The mouthfeel does have a slight graininess and waxiness to it. At the tail end the finish has cocoa and caramel that fades slowly and lingers for longer than I expected, given that this is a fairly mellow tasting chocolate.

The Pacari Esmeraldas is a decent tasting chocolate that seems to fall just a bit short. At 60% I find that the sweetness tends to mask some other flavors that want to peek out. There are some construction issues as well. Despite these caveats, this would be a good chocolate for those who are graduating from milk chocolates up to darker territories, especially with the notable caramel and toffee undertones.

Manufacturer: Pacari
Cocoa Content: 65%
Location: Ecuador
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Today's tasting is the Manabi 65% dark chocolate bar from Pacari. Pacari produces single-source organic chocolates bean-to-bar exclusively from Ecuador. Manabi is located in southwestern coastal Ecuador, and the beans used in this bar are from that region. The bar itself is a ruddy brown color.

The Manabi hits the palate with roast coffee and hot cocoa notes. Floral and herbal flavors are notable as well. The acidity level starts off rather mild, but then slowly builds to a rather lively level with notes of ripe strawberries and raspberries. Undertones of black pepper are detectable as well. Chewing the Manabi brings forward notes of currants and a faint cashew nuttiness. The texture of the Manabi bar is slightly coarse with some grittiness. The finish has green bananas, floral notes, hot cocoa and some spice. There is also a faint herbal bitterness.

I have some mixed feelings about the Manabi dark chocolate. I really like how the flavor develops over time. There is an herbal bitter note that seems a bit off to me, and there are definitely some construction issues. Still, I like what I see so far in this bar from Pacari. I'm looking forward to trying some of their other dark chocolates.

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

Manufacturer: Pralus
Cocoa Content: 75%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-

Today we wrap up our tastings from Pralus's "Pyramide des Tropiques" with the Equateur. This Ecuadorean 75% cocoa dark chocolate bar is deep brown in color with ruby highlights. The Equateur hits the palate with a bitter cocoa/espresso note up front that has a nice bitter kick. Acidity builds leading to notes of lemon and raisins. Some buttery notes are here as well as some caramel. Peanut butter nuttiness and black pepper spice are present as well.

Chewing the Equateur brings forward notes of vanilla, caramel and honey. The mouthfeel is pleasantly smooth and creamy. On the finish the bitterness fades leaving a flavor akin to peanut butter and jelly with some lingering spiciness. This is another great bar from Pralus. It has a well-rounded flavor balanced between a bitter kick and acid undertones. There is some nice complexity that develops in this dark chocolate bar.

If you're looking for a sampler of high-end chocolate, then the Pralus Pyramide is a great choice. You can really see the regional differences between various chocolates. All of the chocolates are very good, with a few real gems like the Ghana that really stand out.

Manufacturer: Hachez
Cocoa Content: 77%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Up for tasting today is the Cocoa D'Arriba Classic bar from German Chocolatier Hachez. This is a 77% dark chocolate bar made from Ecuadorian cocoa. The bar is mahogany brown in color, with highlights of deep clay-red.

The Cocoa D'Arriba has a bitter espresso note that takes the lead. There is a very mild acidity that leads to flavors of cherries and blackberries. Some nutty notes of hazelnut and almond are present along with a bit of woodiness. A distinct pepper spice makes itself known after a bit and starts to build. Chewing the Cocoa D'Arriba bar opens up fruity flavors of cherry and pomegranate as well as some vanilla. The finish has bitter espresso, marshmallow and peppery spice notes.

The Hachez Cocoa D'Arriba dark chocolate bar has an interesting bitter/spicy flavor profile with hints of fruit, but something seems missing to me. The Hachez website does indicate that their chocolate is "processed to neutralize the acidity often found in other cocoa-rich chocolates". A touch more acidity seems like it would enhance the fruitiness and really open up the flavor here. All in all, this is still a good bar that is worth checking out.

Manufacturer: Guittard Chocolate Company
Cocoa Content: 65%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Today's tasting is the "Quevedo" from US chocolate maker Guittard. The Quevedo is a 65% cacao chocolate bar whose beans originate from Ecuador. The bar is deep mahogany in color with orange highlights.

The bar has a distinct herbal/floral chocolate flavor. There are notes of hazelnut, marshmallow and earth along with a touch of spice. There is a slight acidity that builds as the chocolate melts on the tongue. Chewing the chocolate brings forward more herbal and floral notes along with leather, plantains and a hint of cucumber. The finish has cocoa, banana, bitter herbs and an earthy note. The Quevedo has a smooth, slightly thin mouthfeel.

The Quevedo chocolate bar has a unique flavor, which is characteristic of Ecuadorean "Nacional" cocoa beans. In this case I did find that the floral/herbal notes combined with the bitter chocolate flavors to leave a faint "medicine" taste that seemed a bit off. Despite that, this is a pretty good chocolate with a very distinct flavor.

Manufacturer: Kilwin's
Cocoa Content: 65%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: C+

Up next from Kilwin's Authentic Origin Collection is their 65% cocoa chocolate bar from Ecuador. This bar is dark brown in color with a hint of purple-red. On the palate the dominant flavor is sweet cocoa. There are notes of cherries, graham cracker, and hazelnuts. Chewing the chocolate brings forward stronger hazelnut flavors along with cherries and almonds. The mouthfeel is smooth, but rather thin and slightly waxy.

Unfortunately, this is strike two for Kilwin's in my book. While there is some flavor complexity present, I still find this chocolate to be thin, watered-down and just overall "blah" tasting much like the 70% Tanzanian bar from Kilwin's that I tasted recently. I was really tempted to buy one of each of their bars when I first saw them, and now I am rather happy that I didn't.