This bar announces itself immediately with a bold, smoky aroma — molasses, Marmite-like savouriness, and nutty, woody undertones that set it apart from anything else on the shelf, but it is a little rough on the pallet.
Rich cocoa hits first on tasting, followed by a smoky, mushroom-like earthiness verging on truffle. From there, the flavour builds in complexity: walnut, plum and vanilla emerge, joined by a touch of lemon and a savoury meatiness right at the finish.
The aftertaste is long, carrying walnut and citrus notes well after the last bite. Sourced from two family farms on Karkar Island, off Papua New Guinea’s northern coast, this is a genuinely distinctive single-origin bar — though the use of lecithin may disappoint those seeking a strictly minimal-ingredient “craft” bar. Overall this is a good bar to try for the cacao origin, but more experienced chocolate makers handle the subtleties better.
As the ingredients state Firetree, like Duffy’s, uses an emulsifier in some of their chocolate. Cocoa mass, cocoa butter, unrefined sugar, emulsifier: sunflower lecithin. There is a debate about whether Firetree should be classed as a craft chocolate maker, as they appear to have more in common with supermarket premium brands like Lindt.
Overall Rating: 6 out of 10