Blocks of chocolate made from raw cacao beans by Pierre Marcolini are then transformed into the exquisitely beautiful—and exquisitely delicious—bars below. Photography courtesy of Pierre Marcolini.
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PETER ROT was first schooled in chocolate by his German mother. After an epiphanic taste of Valrhona Le Noir Amer 71%, his passion for chocolate became a full-fledged scholarly pursuit. Peter is a moderator of a discussion forum of international chocolate connoisseurs and a reviewer for the international chocolate community. He is pursuing a graduate degree in the cultural significance of food.
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May 2005
Updated July 2009
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A Trip With Pierre Marcolini
Go “Bar Hopping” With The Master Belgian Chocolatier
Page 4: Blanc (White) & Milk Chocolate Bars
This is Page4 of a four-page article. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.
Day 7: Blanc (White Chocolate) Bar
The Blanc bar, white chocolate, is next on the agenda. This bar is calling to me: the vanilla flecks are tantalizing my taste buds, begging me to “eat of the fruit.” I submit.  The chocolate has a lovely cream color with a yellow tint, the appearance made even more appetizing by those flecks of Tahitian vanilla scattered throughout. The aroma is not too sweet and has a very pleasing quality. When I break the chocolate, it doesn’t snap, but rather it gives a thud.4 It’s rather chunky and soft as well, crumbling rather than splintering. Immediately, I taste a brief flavor similar to sweet spice cake; then a lemon tone quickly takes over. Caramel nuances emerge too, and complement the lemon rather nicely; but they eventually fade away. The sweet lemon tone lasts throughout the length and ends with a clean finish. The texture is pasty and thick in the mouth. This white chocolate is fairly sweet, actually, and has some interesting flavors that I really enjoy.
Blanc Bar Summary: Fresh, round, and sweetly crisp; a pleasing aura of pure cocoa butter with a slight touch of caramelized dairy.
4 White chocolate has no cocoa solids—in the cacao content terminology of the other bars, it has 0% cacao. Its composition is largely cocoa butter plus added milk. Milk chocolate has less cocoa solids than dark chocolate, plus added milk. Thus, the bars are correspondingly softer: they have less snap. White chocolate will characteristically have a “thud” instead of a snap.
Day 8: Milk Chocolate Bar
Today, I give the 35% cacao Milk Chocolate bar a spin. It has a light brown color, which is very typical of a milk bar. The aroma is sweet with hints of caramel. The snap  is fairly clean, actually, despite the low cocoa content and the addition of milk solids. After putting some in my mouth, an immediate butterscotch tone appears which is eventually accented by a sharp dairy bite. This tone persists throughout the length until it fades into a fresh milk tone towards the end and into the finish. The finish is clean without any immediate sour dairy flavors, but as the finish lengthens, the dairy becomes much more noticeable by its increasing sourness (this tends to be common in most milk bars). The texture is smooth yet slightly fudge-like, which is characteristic of a typical creamy milk chocolate. The actual chocolate flavor is practically absent, and indeed, this bar would definitely appeal to butterscotch lovers in addition to those who prefer their milk chocolate sweet. However, the sweetness is recompensed by the lovely butterscotch and fresh dairy tones. Indeed, the butterscotch is the special highlight of this chocolate, and it made me want to eat more.
Milk Chocolate Bar Summary: Refreshing, candy-like tone of butterscotch with a sharp dairy bite; a bountiful bouquet of dairy flavors ranging from caramelized to tangy to fresh.
Bar Review
In addition to taste sensation, these may be the most beautiful plain bars made. Square and modern in design, they are beautiful to look at—but not so intimidating that you’d hesitate to eat them.
Pierre Marcolini makes 17 different chocolate bars, which we’ve listed in the chart below. You may wish to order the ones we’ve discussed and taste along with these notes; or enjoy the encrusted bars, milk and dark bars filled with nuts, chips, and other delights. You can also purchase a Malline, an assortment of 32 palets (5g tasting squares) of 75% cacao from 8 different origins—including the rare Chuao, which is not made in bar.
Use the Contact Us link on this page to let us know how you’ve enjoyed them.
Single Origin Bars |
Blended Bars |
Encrusted Bars |
- Equateur 72%
- Java 72%
- Madagascar 72%
- Mexican Porcelana
72% (Limited
Edition)
- Vénézuela 72%
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- Chocolat au Lait
- Chocolat Blanc
- Fleur de Cacao 85%
- Grand Cru Cabosse
70%
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- Café Dark Chocolate
- Caraibes Nougat
- Chocolate Chips
- Chocolat Lait Noix de
Pecan
- Chocolat Lait
Nougatine
- Chocolat Lait Riz
Soufflé Orange
- Eclat de Cacao
- Java Nougat
- Java Orange Citron
- Ghana Noisettes
- Venezuela Noix de
Pecan
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PIERRE MARCOLINI
- Chocolate Bars
80g (2.82 ounces)
Milk, White, Coffee and Encrusted
$11 each
Mexican Porcelana
$12
- Malline
Box of 32 5g tasting squares
160g, 5.64 ounces
$45
Purchase online at PierreMarcolini-na.com. |
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You can order by phone at 1.212.755.5150 (Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.). Fax 1.212.755.5175.
*Prices and product availability are verified at publication but are subject to change. Shipping is additional. These items are offered by a third party and THE NIBBLE has no relationship with them. Purchase information is provided as a reader convenience.
Chocolatier Pierre Marcolini
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Go To The Article Index Above
Click here for a further discussion of Pierre Marcolini’s chocolate in Peter Rot’s article, “House Tour: The Great Chocolate Houses of the World.”
Click here for a review of the complex flavors and aromas in fine chocolate.
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