Pacari Raw 70% with Maca

Pacari say the addition of maca to their raw 70% makes for an "antioxidant rich, nutrient packed, unforgettable chocolate experience". Maca is a root and a popular superfood, most commonly known in its powdered form. The benefits of maca are in abundance; so, along with raw chocolate and unrefined sugar,  this chocolate bar is more than good for you

The aroma is, of course, Pacari. The sophisticated and perfume-like leathered, flowers and earthy profile. And then the flavour is again Pacari, but with the maca adding delicate malt and butterscotch. The finish was slightly bitter, which from experience I think was more due to the maca than the raw chocolate

Chewing the chocolate gave a chocolate richness, caramel (thoughts of Cadbury Eclairs), nuttiness, malt and the Pacari perfume. Finally, ending my maca chocolate experience, way into the finish, I caught an almost ginger-like spice

The addition of maca powder meant that the melt wasn't smooth like other Pacari chocolate, this goes for the chewing too, it felt different to other chocolate

I enjoy Pacari chocolate and it is worth a mention that all ingredients are organic certified 

Pacari Raw with Andean Blueberry

Pacari is a maker who I have familiarised myself with. I recognise their chocolate having the 'Pacari aura' - or what I write in my notes: Pacari perfume. This 70% raw chocolate with wild Andean blueberries had that perfume in aroma. It also had Ecuadorian floral and earthiness with a cranberry tartness

The taste was the above's Ecuadorian, also a blue, mellow fruitiness, not strictly blueberry. This chocolate was sweet and VERY chocolate, with subtle coffee and earth and the perfume finishing each bite 

The subtle crunches and chewiness of the blueberries were very nice - I always tend to chew chocolate. Interestingly I only saw one bit of blueberry, but of course there were more 

This was an enjoyable bar, but as an inclusion bar it seemed a little weak on its performance. However, it's often rare to get a pure blueberry flavour from even just blueberries

Pacari Salt & Nibs, and Raw

Here are two different salt and nib chocolate bars from Pacari. Both made from "pure Arriba Ecuadorian cacao", but one raw with coconut sugar and the other roasted with cane sugar

I first tried them with a friend over coffee, both agreeing that they paired excellent with coffee!? We could distinguish that they tasted different, having preference for the RAW 70%, but for the purpose of my reviews, I tried them again to pick up on their nuances 

Raw 70% with Salt & Nibs

The aroma was green, floral, citrusy, with an overlaying vanilla and coconut. In tasting, the nibs were more distinct here than in the other bar, they had that metallic kinda flavour - due to the rawness. The salt worked very well, however when tasting again later it often became too saline. The chocolate beyond the salt had a strong taste of coffee and toastiness (which seemed ironic because it was raw)

Cuzco Pink Salt & Nibs

This salt was from Cuzco in Peru and the chocolate was a 65%. The aroma was leather, vanilla and coconut. The flavour was very smoky, then with a coconut taste (which resembles, to me, cheap dark chocolate) but then that fades out, with the smokiness dominating again. This bar wasn't too salty and it was sweeter tasting than its precursor, however I much preferred the RAW 70%

I like how Pacari state the % cocoa mass and % butter, and I overall like Pacari very much! The crunchy texture was enjoyable and I would recommend these bars. Interestingly, these chocolates tasted best with coffee

Pacari Raw 85%

Raw and 85%, although "antioxidant rich", I wasn't looking forward to this Pacari. I bought this bar in a small natural food store in my home town, I was so amazed to find Pacari in there, just when I was about to leave! (I also bought Pacari's wonderful Piura 70% again and their blueberry bar to try)

It was a very dark brown, looking nearly black. The aroma had a seemingly 'Pacari' feel. There was earthiness, leather, tobacco, whisky/metallic (something that suggests rawness), vanilla and citrus

The taste was bitter then came flowers with a tinge of citrus. There was something "meaty" nearing the finish, which I think is something of raw chocolate (like I found in Cocoa Raw). The texture was smooth, with the help of added cocoa butter and sunflower lecithin. I like the mould of Pacari, giving chunky bites

85% is too high for me, so I wouldn't buy this bar again, however I liked the buzz the caffeine and other stimulants gave me

Pacari 70% Piura Quemazón

Pacari are 100% organic, single-origin, bean-to-bar chocolate makers in Ecuador. The Piura Quemazón is Pacari's first chocolate made from cacao sourced from outside of Ecuador. This 50g bar was made from Nacional (Arriba) beans from the Peruvian region of Piura (north-west Peru), cane sugar, cocoa butter and sunflower lecithin

high sunlight exposure

I have had chocolate made from cacao from La Quemazón before, though it was specifically said to be the Porcelana bean. But checking the light, milk chocolate colour of this chocolate and its aroma ... it seems the geographical location of La Quemazón is vastly influential, as this Nacional and that Porcelana I once had are very similar

The aroma was green, very fresh, citrus, a little sherbet, leather, yellow plum and a faint catch of chocolate. The taste was initially cocoa, with then: greenery, tannin, toffee (yum) and toastiness, then slowly came out vinegar and lots of acidity! It was very creamy and so was the texture. There was dill and gherkin too, it reminded me of Madécasse's 80% (Madagascar). In the distant finish was a very fresh, lively coffee

Piura has wowed me yet again! Pacari's Piura Quemazón was super enjoyable. Although it is definitely the northernly-west Peruvian cacao I enjoy, as Pacari had executed it so well (roast, texture - these guys know how to work good beans) I would love to try more from them