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Madre Chocolates 70% Hawaiian Dark

By October 24, 2011Chocolate Review

Madre Chocolate LogoWhile I have not yet had the pleasure of visiting Hawai’i I am certainly enjoying chocolate made from there through Madre Chocolate.

Madre Chocolate, a trip to the American Tropics

Madre was started with Dave Elliot and Dr. Nat Bletter.  These guys are awesome, well traveled, educated, knowledgeable, and more.  They’ve put their energy into producing some very delectable chocolates both with an eye on tradition and on simply good palate choices.

This chocolate is made with cacao purchased directly from an organic farm cooperatives in Central America and Hawaii and crafted from bean to bar in small batches. Our processing preserves a high level of healthy antioxidants and provides a rich delightful flavor.

At Madre Chocolate we use a selection of traditional fruits and spices of the Aztec, Maya, Olmec, and Barra tribes of Central America that invented chocolate, to both celebrate their cultural heritage and bring you delicious original flavors that few have had the privilege of tasting…until now.

Madre Hawaii Dark ChocolateMadre 70% Hawaiian Dark Chocolate

Madre has a bevy of chocolates to choose from and in our shop we’re hosting quite an array of them.  From comfortable to tangy and tart they go all over the flavor spectrum and I’m excited to review more in the future.  Especially when they get their Triple Cacao back in.

For this review I really wanted to highlight something that they make as local as they can and that’s chocolates from their own backyard, ala US soil.

  • Decor
    • Each item is well packaged and described as to origin and flavor expectations/profiles.
    • The chocolate bar itself is molded with a Mayan/Aztec relief which is pretty neat to just look at.
  • Temper
    • Snap goes the chocolate.  Always an enjoyable sound.
  • Aroma
    • Very clean
    • Reminiscent of a cacao powder, maybe milk chocolate like
  • Taste
    • Nutty
    • Distant hint of mint
    • Dark milk chocolate characteristics
    • Pops of acidity, bright notes
  • Body
    • Creamy
    • Smooth
  • Aftertaste
    • Mild tart cherry
    • I keep being reminded of a childhood swiss miss memory.  I could be off but that creamy milk chocolateyness just keeps sticking in my head.
  • Notes
    • Overall a very simple, very clean chocolate
    • Not too dark so it’s not a challenge
    • Enjoyed slowly one might be reminded of a grandmothers hot cocoa
    • Very approachable
At The Secret Chocolatier we see a lot of different people.  Some have fine palates and like to be challenged, some just want something they can curl up to.  This is a great chocolate for those wanting a bit of comfort food.  It has a lot of keystone moments for me which must mean I have some childhood memories attached to the profile.  Maybe others will too.  Don’t take any of this as a discount, it’s great to have variety and Madre has plenty of adventures to be had.
If you’re looking for another great American chocolate maker check out Hawaii’s all-star Madre.  I’m sure you’ll make a new friend and enjoy it as much as I have.
Andy

Andy is a jack-of-all trades. Technologist, designer, super palate enabled crazy individual. He is like a madman helping The Secret Chocolatier reach new heights and when he's not doing that, or entertaining his new son, he might be falling out of nearly perfect airplanes.