Askinosie 70% San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador + Cocoa Nibs

This handcrafted chocolate was perfectly single origin. The added 2% cocoa butter (pressed in Askinosie's factory) and the roasted nibs on the back were both from the same batch of beans used to make the bar itself, "so in just one bite you can taste the entire story" - amazing

The bar was bought for me in the US by my brother, and I know that it is very difficult to find in the UK (only seen Cocoa Runners selling it - £6.95)! Askinosie pair this nib-studded Ecuador chocolate with nutty, savoury Gruyère, but here I am pairing it with solitude

The aroma instantly reminded me of the Tenende bar, it had a sweet smell, kind of like marshmallow - something distinct of Askinosie? It was immensely chocolatey with rubber and leather at the back, lots of delicate floral notes, bergamot and something like prune

Tobacco and cocoa were followed by flowers and earth, green banana, a little citrus buzz (bergamot). There was an acidic feel on the tongue nearing and in the finish. And in the finish there was a flooding of sweetness. Jasmine surfaced, and so did a rich chocolate flavour. The nibs gave their distinct generic taste (though superior to most)

When chewing came fruity notes, red berry, once blackcurrant, though I thought overall it remained very green, as if the heavier flavours were subduing the colourful, bright fruits

*UPDATE* I also had the chocolate without nibs, and I thought the chocolate to be so creamy, but also noticed an intense blueberry note!

It was not a bitter chocolate (far from), but its roasted flavour latched on to the back of the tongue in the finish, which I guess masqueraded as a bitterness

This Ecuadorian bar had a crunchy texture. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I love Askinosie's packaging, and seeing the farmer, Vitaliano Saravia, on the front made it a more personal, yet connected, chocolate bar