After the wonder that is the Scharffen Berger Jamaica á l'ancienne bar I had high high hopes for their other limited edition offering of the moment: the 68% cacao Kumasi Sambirano. The bar is made with beans from Madagascar and Ghana to show the diversity of African chocolate. Reading the write-up from Scharffen Berger (which can’t decide where Madagascar is) I knew what they think I’m supposed to find from the bar. I had my own opinion. Having read previously that Madagascar is characterized by a delicate citrus flavor I was expecting the Ghana to overpower the Madagascar. I was looking forward to seeing if I was right or about to be proven wrong in a pleasant manner.

The packaging is relatively dark – green and leafy with mostly black text - but attractive. Popping it open you find a bar with a beautiful medium-dark brown color and clean molding and the snap is all you expect from a high quality bar. The aroma… tells me that I might have judged the bar too early. The aroma is bright and carries citrus and floral notes on a earthy base. It smells nice and the aroma hints that they might have succeeded in marrying the two beans well.

Before I talk about the taste I have to say that I do not know, beyond reading about it, what Ghana or Madagascar chocolate tastes like. I can’t say whether one overpowers the other or if there is any sort of balance. Add to that my inexperience at tasting chocolate and my horribly undeveloped palate and you may find yourself disagreeing with every word that follows. All I can offer is my ignorant opinion of the experience.

And what I find is a lovely flavor with a bright citrus note (lemon to my taste buds) and an earthy background. It is not at all sour and only lightly acidic. The flavor moves from a light, slightly earthy cocoa opening to citrus in the middle and on to a lingering floral finish. From what I’ve read regarding Ghana and Madagascar they seem to have succeeded in making a bar that shows off elements of both.

I really enjoyed the bar a lot (Do I say this in every review? I think I do. It feels like I do.). It was quite tasty and offered a different experience than any I’ve had to date. I would like to have it on a more regular basis if it weren’t for the price. Of course if it weren’t a limited edition it probably wouldn’t cost $8.00 a bar. Anyway, I enjoyed it a lot and I can recommend it to any who are curious about the combination and don’t mind the hefty price tag. Overall I’ll give it a 8.75 out of 10.

Also, the name is fun to say. Kumasi!