Guylian Solitaires – Asian, Aztec, African dark
May 14, 2009 - chocolate
An assortment of solitaire-sized chocolates, this Guylian assortment presented many challenges, not the least of which was which one to try, in what order. As the anal, compulsive, chocoholics that we are, it seemed the most logical to ascertain these in ascending cocoa percentages – that is, from lightest to darkest. And so:
Asian dark – 56% cocoa, this emerged as the crowd favorite. It’s been our experience that the 50-60% cocoa range generally has the best mouthfeel and usually the best chocolate flavor experience. The Asian dark mixes Criollo and Forastero beans and the package describes these as having “…a hint of herbs.” It is fruity, not as intense as the others. It possesses a nice complexity of flavor, but not too overwhelming.
Aztec Gold – 65% cocoa. In my humble opinion, this mix of Caribbean and South American beans – Columbian and Santo Domingo – was not nearly as flavorful as I would have expected. It definitely bodes more bitter, but not necessarily more complex. This was a bit of a downer. Of course, remember that when we see ‘Aztec’ we immediately expect more cinnamon and kick.
African Ebony – 70% cocoa. Visually, the darkest. This noir closely matches its description: “…full powerful chocolate.” This tastes like 70%. Again, like the Aztec, it’s a bit – no, a lot – less than what I had hoped. Recalling the Kallari 75% (and to a lesser extent the 85%) we recently tried – these were no where near in the same league.
So, the consensus for this collection? This is a tough one – it boils down to the Asian dark, really. If we can find this on it’s own, we would buy it. But the other two? Meh. (Sorry if this is a bit harsh, but that’s why you read these, dear reader, for a clear, concise opinion, no?)