Menakao Madagascar 72%

Menakao 72% became my airplane chocolate, and then my backpack chocolate - something to enjoy from time to time when desired

Menakao is Madagascan-cacao chocolate made in Madagascar. The ingredients are cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, non-GMO soya lecithin 

The aroma was cocoa, lightly vinegar, overall simply chocolate

The taste started cocoa, with red fruits, mainly cherry, with light smokiness and an overlaying cane sugar juice. I noted this chocolate to be very chocolate and sweet. Two weeks later it was raisins and chocolate covered plums, pretty Polish to me

The chocolate felt rustic with its grainy, slow melt

Menakao 63% Combava & Pink Pepper

Cacao took a long journey before landing on Madagascan grounds. From the origin (South America) it was brought to the Philippines, en route to Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Réunion and then finally the red island of Madagascar (estimated journey)

Menakao use cocoa beans that are organic (though not certified) from the Millot plantation of the Sambirano Valley. Archival documents from this plantation say that the first cacao trees Millot planted (near to 100 years ago) were grafts from Java, specifically the city of Bogor

Menakao use cane sugar from the Menabe region, grown southwards ≈1.5km from the cocoa! And they are one of two Madagascan bean-to-bar companies (the other being Madécasse)

The aroma was strikingly Turkish delight, ever so floral, peppery, basil (it reminded me of Rococo's basil & lime dark chocolate), lemongrass and something sweet & acetic like balsamic vinegar

On the tongue the floral rose was the drone with the spiced pepper as the high note. The Madagascan chocolate was exceptionally red, very bright - though it was only perceptible when it would overcome the pink pepper. I had a taste of Thai green curry few times (lemongrass)

The depth of this chocolate (as in the mould's thickness) was probably the best I've had. I really loved it. The chocolate itself was nice. The way the Madagascan fruitiness would come out was superb. Some may think the aroma/flavour to be a little too 1950s Hollywood dressing-room glamour (perfumed), but I love Turkish delight so I fared well. Though, I'm not one for pepper in chocolate ...