I’m a sucker for the words “limited release”. Of course I’m going to want to try something I might not get my hands again. (I should note that this really only applies to chocolate and my favorite albums.) Fruition Chocolate’s Marañón 68% is a dark milk worth the try if you can find it.

If you’re going to do a limited release having a unique package is a nice detail. And I really love the packaging here. It’s clean and straightforward and the paper and print job are great. It really does grab my eye, it’s grey color is unique and I’m really drawn to it.

Though dark milks are becoming more popular I can’t recall seeing many made entirely from nacional. I’m enjoying the dark milk trend. I’m all about options. Being 68% you can expect some additional creaminess and sweetness, the question is whether the character of the bean holds up underneath that enticing presentation…

Ok so the short answer is: yes! If you’re a fan of nacional beans you’ll find that profile here, though maybe not quite as strong in this form. This does a good job of proving that dark milk bars do have a character of their own. It’s not overly sweet and the dairy adds a nice roundness to the flavor. Speaking of, I should probably back up a bit.

The aroma is a mix of sweet and sour, floral and boozy, things we (meaning us at Codex) associate with nacional are indeed found: ylang ylang, orange blossom… Just a little fermented smelling too. On smell alone I don’t think I would have thought this had milk in it.

It’s actually much more mellow in flavor. But it did remind of pots du creme, milk caramels, toffee and chocolate covered raisins. The texture is smooth and creamy and nothing gets in the way. For a bar this edible I really found melting this bar on my tongue did the best work. Resisting chewing isn’t easy but is totally worth it.

After all: limited edition. You’re going to want to stretch it out a bit.