Domori Criollo Guasare 70% Dark Chocolate

Guasare is an ancestral Criollo cacao variety native to Venezuela’s Zulia state, named after the Guasare River near the Colombian border. It may have been among the first domesticated cacao strains, with its genetic line spreading from the region surrounding Lake Maracaibo into Central America. Guasare is known to be relatively vigorous due to its early flowering, large pods, and higher productivity and resilience compared to most Criollo varieties.

Since 2002, Domori has cultivated Guasare through its long-term partnership with Hacienda San José, a 170-hectare estate on Venezuela’s Paria Peninsula operated by the Franceschi family, whose work with cacao began in 1830. This collaboration focuses on the recovery, selection, and preservation of Venezuela’s Criollo biodiversity. In addition to Guasare, the estate cultivates other heirloom varieties, including Porcelana, Chuao, Ocumare, Canoabo, and Río Caribe, all propagated across 16 distinct plots.

As documented by Club del Chocolate, Hacienda San José is situated in an ecologically dry tropical forest, characterized by annual rainfall between 1,400 and 1,500 mm, average temperatures of 25–27°C, and altitudes ranging from 30 to 200 meters. Relative humidity averages 65–70%, with a dry season lasting four to six months. The soil is a nutrient-rich mix of clay and sand, with a pH of 6.25. The planting density is 1,000 cacao trees per hectare, and shade is provided primarily by banana trees, along with mango, papaya, mahogany, and other tropical species. Surface water from the El Pilar River flows through the estate but is not used for irrigation; instead, groundwater from a 100-meter-deep well is used in part.

Domori Criollo Guasare 70% represents the outcome of over two decades of varietal selection, genetic preservation, and controlled cultivation. It offers the chance to taste one of Venezuela’s most historic Criollo cacaos, valued for its purity and rare combination of fine flavor complexity and agronomic viability.

Domori Criollo Guasare 70% Dark Chocolate

Ingredients: cacao paste, sugar.

Batch Number: L4184

Aromas reflect the tasting profile.

Tasting Notes

• Fresh cream

• Peeled sweet almonds

• Bread Crust

• Light amber caramel sauce

• Sweet woods (cedar)

• Dried apricots

• Raisins

• Dried Damask rose and rose-scented geranium

• Creamy cocoa butter

• Sponge cake sweetly soaked in rum (aftertaste)

  
  
  
  

Appearance (3/4): Fairly uniform but not perfect.

Snap (1/1): Clean.

Tactile Attributes

Fineness (5/5): silky mouthfeel.

Texture (2/8): overly rich, with a lingering fatty film.

Astringency (5/5): Absent.

Roundness (7/7): dense, heavy, paste-like consistency.

Melting Point (3/5): relatively slow.

Flavor Profile and Aftertaste

Primary Cacao Flavor (8/10): balanced.

Secondary Pleasant Flavors (10/12): well defined.

Secondary Unpleasant Flavors (0/5): None detected.

Overall Aromatic Quality (5/5): pleasing aromas and flavors.

Aftertaste (3/5): up to 5 minutes.

Taste

Sweetness (6/6): Balanced and well-integrated.

Bitterness (5/6): Subtle.

Acidity (6/6): none.

Harmony and Gustatory Pleasure (8/10): Pleasant.

Final Sensation (5/5): rich tasting experience.

Total Score: 82

This score places Domori Criollo Guasare 70% Single Origin Chocolate in the “Good” category.

Personal Reflection

It had been quite a while since I last tasted Domori Chocolate, and I honestly didn’t know what to expect. This Guasare surprised me in how it asserted itself through texture and detail. The mouthfeel is dense, rich, and notably fatty. It melts rather quickly, but still leaves behind a rich, coating presence. It’s not a negative quality, but rather one that significantly shapes the entire tasting experience.

What follows, and what truly marks this flavor journey for me, is the floral dimension.

It reminds me of dried Damask roses and rose-scented geraniums, with that soft sweetness that never turns cloying. But it doesn’t stop there. There is something greener, cleaner, and sharper underneath, a refreshing touch that brought to mind fresh wild mint, and then a subtle, spicy edge I associate directly with rose geranium: pink pepper, citronella. It’s a subtle, palate-driven florality that you taste as much as you smell, and it gave this chocolate bar an aromatic complexity I wasn’t anticipating.

Another aspect that stood out is the aftertaste: a vivid echo of sponge cake lightly soaked in rum syrup. Not alcoholic, not overwhelming.  I had never found this specific flavor in a single origin dark chocolate before. Still, the combination of texture, floral complexity, and soft pastry note in the finish gave me the impression of something remarkable and unusual.

 Thanks to Cocoastore for sharing this sample with me.