Pralus Infernale Milk Bar with Almonds and Hazelnuts
6.4 oz bar - France
This is one of the most dazzling chocolate bars we've had the pleasure to taste! Just the first bite may make your eyes roll into your head, as all the flavors - almond, hazelnut, chocolate - come together. It is so good you may feel compelled to eat it all at once. We don't recommend it.
Chocolate maker extraordinaire Francois Pralus introduced his "barre infernale" to America at New York City's annual chocolate trade show in late 2005 . . . and it's almost infernally decadent...or devilishly delicious.
About the Pralus Infernale Bar
The master of dark chocolate proved long ago that milk chocolate can be just as complexly flavorful when he created his Melissa milk chocolate bar with 45% cocoa content, higher than most milk chocolates. Starting with the heavenly Melissa, Pralus has liberally added toasted hazelnuts and almonds - a surefire combination.
Measuring 7 inches by 1-1/2 inches by ¾ inch, the Infernale is expertly hand-wrapped in simple brown paper and tied with raffia - already beautifully gift-wrapped!
About the Beans
The beans used for this chocolate are of the Criollo variety, hailing from 7 degrees 8 minutes south 113 degrees 5 minutes east - that is, from a plantation on the island of Java near the city of Surabaya. The characteristics of the cocoa come through with great aromatic intensity on the palate, as well as well-balanced flavors of vanilla and caramel and a finishing mild spiciness.
Read our newsletter article to learn the story behind Pralus!
About the Producer: Pralus
François Pralus is one of France's three remaining bean-to-bar chocolate makers, and he is a true chocolate aficionado. He is expert at discerning the finest beans and the best characteristics of each type of bean. As one does with wine, he can discuss chocolate's particular origin characteristics - such as the powerful and heady nose, aromas of burnt butter and liquor of the Venezuela Trinitario bean chocolate; or the fresh nose and slightly minty and fruity flavor of the Madagascar Criollo bean chocolate. The hard work, ingenuity, and palate of François Pralus have been rewarded with the most prestigious National and International awards; he won the Grand Prix d'Excellence International du Chocolat in both 1996 and 1997.
Since his father opened a pastry shop there in 1948, the town of Roanne, France has linked the name Pralus with top-quality confections. François took over the shop from his father in the 1980s, adding chocolate to the Pralus realm in 1992. Since then, Pralus's perfectly crafter, top-quality bean to bar, single-origin, artisan chocolate has enjoyed international success.
About Pralus Cocoa Beans
Cocoa beans only grow in the tropics within 20 degrees latitude north and south of the Equator, and François has circumnavigated the tropics for his beans, finding the best available Forastero, Trinitario, and of course Criollo. No less than 18 kinds of beans are imported from Central America, South America, Madagascar, São Tomé and Principé, Vanuatu, Africa, and Indonesia for his chocolate bars. Some of his blends reach a cocoa content of 80%. In 2004, Pralus invested in his own plantation on Madagascar's island of Nosy Be, a most unusual step for a chocolate-maker! We look forward to the first harvest around 2010…
No More Beans...
Oh yes, one more note . . . When François uses up all of the cocoa beans that he's bought for the year, he stops making chocolate, unlike other producers who might compromise quality by going in search of what is left on the market. Not Pralus!