Naive – Nano Lot – Red Java 100%

Description

Stunning!

For the Nano Lots series, Domantis from Naive is looking for extra special cocoa, which is made into chocolate in small quantities. The very best cocoa he can find, with which he makes gems. We don’t just say that for promotion, we really think so. Whether it’s the beautiful Venezuela cocoa, the Qori Peru cocoa… we love it. And that also applies to this chocolate, perhaps the most special of the bunch – namely a 100% cocoa chocolate, but one that really touched us when we tasted it. Because no, this doesn’t taste like we know 100% chocolate, often a bit intense, of course it doesn’t have to be bitter with good chocolate, but then there is often a bit of sourness in it that then gets the upper hand a bit more, and in any case it is often still a bit on the intense side if you – like us – are mainly used to 70% cocoa. But here… there is a lot to taste, not overwhelming, so much so that when we tasted it we really had to look at the back of the packaging again to see if there really was no sugar in it. Nope.

The maker describes the taste as: nutty notes, creamy, slightly woody and leather. And says further: a dynamic and powerful taste profile that ends in refreshing notes of hazelnut and leather.

We are especially surprised by how accessible this chocolate is, this is a chocolate that you can start with VERY well if you have never had 100% cocoa. The maker has already described the smell and taste beautifully, so we do not add anything to that here. It is a creamy bar, with a bit more cocoa butter, but not so much that it provides less taste (which can sometimes happen), and the taste stays in your mouth for a wonderfully long time.

We hope that lovers of 100% chocolates (quite a large group among our customers, which we also like, chocolate is about cocoa after all – even though we often find it tastiest with some sugar) will enjoy this, we certainly did the one we opened.

The great thing is that the maker also includes an extensive description. In it he says, among other things, that he was never really a fan of 100% chocolate, that he often found it tasted like machine oil (hehe). And that it was really a challenge to get this bar to his taste, so he asks to taste it with an ‘open mind and forgiving heart’ – but in our opinion that is really not necessary (besides the fact that it is always good) because we are 100% convinced.

The packaging also contains a nice extensive story about the history of cocoa in Java, including a role for the Dutch biologist Van Hall who introduced cocoa there in the years 1910-1920. This also gives you a nice background on the ‘Java Red’ cocoa that is used here, a cross between local criollo cocoa and trinitario cocoa from Venezuela (Ocumare region). And of course information on how the cocoa is fermented, everything you want to know. In any case, we are very pleased that Domantis has ventured into a 100%.

Ingredients: cocoa (100%).

Allergy note: may contain traces of milk, sesame and nuts.

Contents 50 grams.

In honor of our anniversary, we were able to order these Nano Lots especially from Naive (normally we can only order the ‘regular’ bars, via the valued intermediary – which are also very special), and we would also like to say – a bit higher in price than the rest of the Naive range, but we think that is logical, and because it is our anniversary year we have done our best to keep the price acceptable (this bar is no longer available at Naive itself, but it is in the USA and there for 15 dollars/13 euros)