Montecristo 520 EL TUO OCT 12 (RELERW)

[rcarlson]

This could've been the You Can't Take 'Em With You Weekend. Second go at these from days gone by.  I buried my prized 520's, and it seems the review weekends are the motivation to dust off these venerable LE's and weigh in.  Down to 3.  But there's no point in just holding and admiring them.  So, here goes.  

Construction on this was, as always, nearly flawless.  Plenty of heft; well-packed.  Smooth, oily, milk chocolate wrapper, no veins, sexy.  Out of the gate, tons of viscous smoke.  This is the full sized candy bar, not the crappy little "fun size" handed out to the trick-or-treaters.  Love the way this feels and starts, but some of the forever-lost youth would've been preferable       

My 520's have been remarkably consistent.  Lots of complexity and quick evolution.  Deep earthiness and mineral over a dark chocolate back. The quintessential Monte creamy cocoa was not to be found.  More of a light bitterness.  Different but all good.  A gentleman's stick.

Progression was fast-paced. Inch by inch it took on a slightly different flavor prominence, rotating through coffee, cedar, leather, hay -- all with a distinct earthy-mineral taste.  

Last third took on some harshness, and a sometimes-present bitter vanilla bean. 

This is not a typical Monte. Had I been blindfolded, I wouldn't have guessed right.  The earthiness would've thrown me. 

Really wish I had gotten to these sooner. Too muted to make it spectacular, at least to my palate.     

My 2010 Monte GE's take top spot on the Monte LE pecking order. The 520 is a distant second. 

With that said, she may not be the Valedictorian but does earn a well-deserved "A-" in my class.