Description
Mikkel Friis Holm makes special bars for advanced chocolate lovers. With great attention to every step in the process from bean to chocolate bar. His bars are pricey, as you can see. But they are more than worth it – for the advanced chocolate fanatics. They also score overwhelmingly in the International Chocolate Awards.
And he goes far in his attention for good chocolate. Where the chocolate maker always focuses on the grinding, conching, roasting of the cocoa – his bars are also about the fermentation of the cocoa. And so his ‘Bad Fermentation’ chocolate was born. A bar of cocoa that is fermented according to normal wisdom … Friis Holm tells us about this:
A small provocation towards the prevailing unknowledge
Fermentation and when it is good should be judged on taste. But in bean country and at most chocolate makers – it’s judged on color (change). This goes back to mass production methodology and a so called “good fermentation” is mostly a mild, flavorless version of the beans potential.
So this version of the Rugoso – The bath fermentation. Is very low on the so called mild and flavored “well fermented” beans. Only about 25% – which would lead many chocolate makers to dismiss these beans as “bad”.
The taste
Taste note of the maker: Rugoso is a phenotype that is specific to Nicaragua. In this style of fermentation, it breaks all the old rules. Very little fermentation, but tasty, full of tannins and notes of unripe plums and green banana. Like a good red wine, this chocolate will become richer in time. Adult is the bar 18 months after production. With ripe plums and a pleasant spiciness.
The ingredients
Cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter
Allergy note: may contain traces of milk.
The creator
Mikkel Friis Holm from Denmark. We found a nice introductory article about him here. Or visit his website for more background.
Awards
Silver medal at the International Chocolate Awards EU 2017.
Caspar –
Een beetje een gok vanwege het bijbehorende verhaal, maar dit is heerlijke chocolade die zijn geheimen zeer geleidelijk prijsgeeft en aan het eind zijn volle, in mijn ogen enigszins rokerige, smaakbalans bereikt. Zeker niet alleen voor gevorderden!