Castronovo Chuao Venezuela 72%
- Caterina Gallo
- May 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 31
This single origin chocolate is made with cacao from Chuao, a Venezuelan region officially protected as an Appellation of Origin (AO) since 2000. The application was submitted by the local producers' cooperative, Empresa Campesina de Chuao, to formally recognize the value of their terroir, defined not just by geography and climate, but by established, consistent practices. The certification restricts the use of the name “Chuao” to cacao beans and cacao products grown and processed within this specific area, ensuring identity, traceability, and local control. The seal appears clearly on Castronovo’s packaging: a mark that is earned, not assumed.
The packaging features original artwork by Ivoly Noguera, a multidisciplinary artist and educator from Caracas, Venezuela. Trained at Instituto de Diseño de Caracas and later at Escola Massana in Barcelona, Noguera works across visual arts, graphic design, and ceramics. She has taught typography and design in several institutions and exhibited at key Venezuelan contemporary art venues including Sala Mendoza and ABRA Caracas.
Founder Denise of Castronovo Chocolate brings a scientific and field-based approach to chocolate making. With a background in tropical ecology and sustainable development, she has worked alongside conservationists like Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai and actively supports cacao-producing communities in Latin America. She is also a Level 3 Certified Chocolate Taster and has worked with germplasm collections and genetic research in cacao at CATIE in Costa Rica.
This dark chocolate isn’t just made with rare cacao. It represents a verified origin, a respected cooperative, an artist’s visual language, and the informed work of a maker committed to traceability and regional identity.
Harvest 2020
Batch Number: 1475
Ingredients: cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter.
Aromas are well-defined and elegant, with a strong cacao backbone. Refined sweet notes emerge early — panela and light honey — followed by understated floral hints, soft fruit tones, and a subtle green impression. The profile is precise and balanced, free from off-notes or volatility.
Tasting Notes
Granadilla
Dried coriander
Panela sugar
Walnut
Pansies flowers
Orange Blossom
Honey
Creme fraiche
Berries
Coffee
Appearance (4/4): Homogeneous, glossy, and uniform.
Snap (1/1): Clean and sharp, indicating excellent tempering.
Tactile Attributes
Fineness (4/5): silky mouthfeel.
Texture (7/8): Silky and creamy.
Astringency (4/5): Absent.
Roundness (7/7): engaging and creamy mouthfeel.
Melting Point (2/5): slow melt.
Flavor Profile and Aftertaste
Primary Cacao Flavor (8/10): prominent and balanced.
Secondary Pleasant Flavors (10/12): defined and perceptible.
Secondary Unpleasant Flavors (0/5): None detected.
Overall Aromatic Quality (5/5): complex and full of intense aromas and flavors.
Aftertaste (5/5): Long-lasting and satisfying (up to 7 minutes).
Taste
Sweetness (6/6): Balanced and well-integrated.
Bitterness (5/6): Subtle.
Acidity (5/6): discernible yet mild.
Harmony and Gustatory Pleasure (10/10): Excellent.
Final Sensation (5/5): Intricated with several secondary flavors.
Total Score: 88
This score places Castronovo Chuao 72% Single Origin Chocolate in the “Excellent” category.
Personal Reflection
This Chuao 72% confirms what I’ve come to appreciate from Castronovo’s interpretation of this origin over the years: a distinctive cacao core, shaped by harvest variations, yet always elegant in palate exploration. This particular bar, made with the 2020 harvest, opens with a defined walnut nuttiness supported by subtle sweetness from panela and honey. Gradually, a refined floral character emerges: orange blossom and pansies with a gentle green undertone that adds refined complexity.
There’s a delicate layer of fruitiness reminiscent of granadilla followed by a surprising hint of dried coriander. Toward the finish, I noticed a faint touch of crème fraîche, giving the melt a gentle acidity. The aftertaste shifts once more: a discreet echo of coffee and red fruit lingers, refined and persistent.
This is not a bar for rushed tastings. Its subtleties unfold slowly and are best perceived by trained palates. It’s a reminder that Chuao’s identity is not just in its name or certification, but how it evolves over time and across harvests.
Thank you to Denise for sharing this bar with me, and for continuing to work with integrity and purpose behind each origin.
Wow very interesting 🤩