Amano Guayas 70% Dark Chocolate

I'm no dark chocolate aficionado, but here's another great bar. This is an artisan bar from Guayas, from Amano Chocolate. The tasting notes say that there are hints of green banana, blackberry, and smoke, but I generally stray away from those, because like my wines, I like to taste them myself so as not to get a false influence from the notes, and then read them afterward.This bar, in comparison to the other dark chocolates, was much softer, and for a 70% dark chocolate, that's an interesting fact. It didn't have much of a snap and didn't quite crumble, but it bent when I broke it apart, and was so smooth that I left fingerprints on the bar where I touched it. I was a little intimidated. However, the melt was extremely smooth and intense, with no build up at all. It did taste a very fresh, however, with aftertastes of ripe berries and smoke, and soy-like, almost carnal, deep flavorings. I didn't feel as though this bar had as much depth to it as the Askinosie that I last reviewed.There was a richness and melt to this bar that reminded me of a milk chocolate, and the scent was deep and reminiscent of a cherry cordial when I first opened the package. After letting it sit out for a while, the scent strengthened and the blooming smell of berries wafted across my desk, enticing me to take a bite and releasing the flavor of the berries themselves, and smelling more and more like raw cocoa beans.

All in all, this is a professional bar. The style of dark chocolate might not necessarily be my favorite, but as far as artisan chocolate goes, one need not go further than Amano. The bar stops here.