Amano

I bought these bars at Cali Rosina Tea and Chocolate in La Quinta, California. If you’re ever within 50 miles of the place and like either chocolate, tea, or honey, you should definitely visit. Their collections are marvelous, they’re extremely friendly, and they offer samples. They get very excited when a connoisseur comes in; I’ve rarely felt so appreciated by a vendor. I recommend their lavender coconut lemonade.

Macorís Dominican Republic 70%

Smells heavenly. Sweet, fruity, cinnamon. Very sweet right away on my tongue. I'm imagining a little league baseball game. Fruit trees. Mango leather. A little sharp. Slightly cool and florid as I chew it. This is a beautiful chocolate. It reminds me of festivity, street parades and hot summer nights. A woman with a peacock skirt twirling.

Dos Rios Dominican Republic 70%

Whoa, it smells so different from the last one, even though they're both from the Dominican Republic! This one has pink flowers everywhere, though still fruity. Orange blossoms, maybe? Oh I'm just in love with this scent. It's so youthful and exciting. In my mouth, there's something that reminds me of a melon liqueur. This is more like the To'ak than anything else I've tried. If this were a boat, it would be an enormous, six-stories-high sail boat that can fly up into the clouds during a lunar eclipse. What a wonderful blend of playfulness and majesty.

Ocumare Village Venezuela 70%

Dark rich coffee-like scent. This is another cello-style chocolate, at least based on the smell alone. Oooo, there's a lot of moss in this flavor. It's like the air two feet above creek rocks in shadow. It reminds me so strongly of turning over a rock to find a blue-tailed salamander, just a few minutes before the wind picks up and it starts to storm. Just beautiful.

Guayas River Basin Ecuador 70%

This one has a lighter scent. Florid, succulent, dew-drenched. Reminds me of plums. On my tongue, I'm reminded of light pink fruit-juice irises. It's subtle. Iris petals floating down a cool lazy river. It's a peaceful chocolate. Quiet and content.

Sambirano Valley Madagascar 70%

Smells deep red. Something grassy in the flavor. Sort of bitter. Almost like a bell pepper. Quite sour on the sides of my tongue. This chocolate is like a backyard cookout with shish kabobs and flag football.

Reflections

Each of these bars costs $8. They're underpriced. If I'd tried the Ocumare Village one blind, I would have guessed it costs about $25. The guy who makes these is Art Pollard, and I hope I meet him some day. When I grow up, I want to be just like his Dos Rios bar.