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Alex Rast

at Sun, 25 Jun 2006 01:01:14 GMT in >,
(Eddie Grove) wrote :

(Alex Rast) writes:
>
>> at Wed, 29 Mar 2006 17:32:38 GMT in
>> >,
>> (Eddie Grove) wrote :
>>
>I've been buying Dolfin 88% at a Whole Foods Market recently. It
>doesn't quite fall into the 89-95 range, but maybe it is close
>enough. It is good enough to recommend. I haven't tried the Slitti,
>so I cannot compare the two, but at less than half the price it
>is not clear it is fair to compare them.

I don't think there's anything wrong about comparing 2 chocolates with
radically different price points. In the first place, it's not a given that
the more expensive chocolate is the better one (Lindt's 85% for example is
better than the much more expensive Cluizel 85% - not that either one of
them is short of superb), and in the second one needs to understand where
relative chocolate quality really counts and one of the only ways to do
that is to compare chocolates with different market positions side-by-side.

Back to Dolfin. It's quite suitable for a high-intensity near-90%
chocolate. My impression is that it was considerably stronger that most
other chocolates in the same percentage class. It's good, although I think
somewhat overroasted (coffee flavours predominate).

I also note that German market preferences favour very mild flavour even at
high percentage. For example, Hachez' 88% is actually very mild - closer to
a 60% in intensity. The texture is the best in the business - which appears
to be the main criterion for the German market - but it's not got the punch
you expect at this percentage. Actually, Slitti chocolates usually lean a
little on the mild side but the Arriba bean is particularly strong and I
think this is what makes the Tropicale so exceptional.

--
Alex Rast

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