DISTINGUISHED BEANS
Reviewing the best in craft chocolate
Soma
Based in Toronto, Canada, Soma makes stunningly molded and packaged single origin bars (with harder to find origins like Fiji and Haiti), inclusion bars, and other fun chocolate treats like truffles, toffee, and spreads.
Fiji Vanua 70%
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Aroma: slightly astringent, goat’s milk, eucalyptus
Flavor: Honey, a little creaminess like some Bolivia bars, graham crackers, wood, some soft herbal notes like menthol, a lingering grapefruit bitterness, cornstarch, slight grassiness, marzipan, almond skin, very faint ash notes but not burnt – more minerally.
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Recommendation: Recommended with reservations. It's unusual but pleasant, so it makes a great addition to a tasting flight, but I wouldn't necessarily give this as a gift unless it was for someone with an adventurous palette. That being said, several people with whom I shared it enjoyed it and liked its unique flavor profile.
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Mr. Salazar – Ecuador 70%
Aroma: floral, grapes, a hint of smoke and leather, rich cocoa, fresh grass, cocoa shells
Flavor: Starts out with soft cocoa and bread flavors with a little bit of bitterness and some vegetal notes accompanied by very slight astringency. Then an intense but pleasant tanginess builds: a burst of lemon and lime, orange lemonade, dried cherries, a bit of red wine, even a hint of pepper. The tanginess fades and a rich cocoa powder flavor lingers at the end, along with some vanilla creaminess that combines for a moment with the acidity for an orange creamsicle flavor. A rich cocoa powder flavor lingers at the end.
Recommendation: Highly recommended. This is one of the best Ecuador bars I have had. The variety of flavor types make it complex and interesting. The flavor development is quite pronounced, and it is unexpectedly tangy with a nice bite. I liked this bar more each time I tasted it.
Batch info: FW-CES-80627, June 2018
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Haiti Creole Gardens 70%
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Aroma: deep cocoa, floral, grapes, some kind of alternative sugar like coconut sugar, lemongrass, peanuts, dry soil
Flavor: grape jelly, roasted peanut butter, roasted almonds, dark roast flavors, bread, woody, dusty cocoa powder, some damp soil earthiness, a little bit of sourness – lemon, sour cherry.
Recommendation: Recommended. It’s an interesting flavor profile with subtle chocolate flavors – they brought out more of the green and fruity flavors.
Batch info: Batch no. fw-Hat-80808, Produced August 2018
Soma
Madagascar Bejofo
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Aroma: licorice, mild, cocoa powder
Flavor: super tangy and fruity, like fruity candy. Slightly starchy, almost like sweettarts candy! Creamy and fruity, like cherimoya, almost butterscotch. When I first tried it, it was super tangy and fruity, after a few weeks it had mellowed out slightly and more of the creamy fruit and caramels notes were apparent. Sweet peanut butter? But very mild, not at all a peanut flavor.
Recommendation: Recommended. Pleasant and interesting.
Batch info: Batch no. 3839-MAD201030; Best by October 30, 2022
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