Mast Bros. chocolate a fraud?

[cdh]

http://dallasfood.org/2015/12/mast-brothers-what-lies-behind-the-beards-part-1-tastetexture/

 

I'm surprised nobody has linked to this here yet.

 

Some familiar names from eG from back in the day.  I recall the Noka expose that this fellow did was heavily discussed here then.

 

Who likes Mast Bros?  I've never bothered to try them...  I am of the opinion that since there exist a wide variety of mass produced chocolates that I enjoy, the need for artisan quirkyness at a premium price just isn't there for me.

[pastrygirl]

Interesting, I hadn't heard.  Sounds like they are pretty full of shit. 

[Katie Meadow]

I've had Mast chocolate once, a few years ago. I thought it was terrible--very off flavor as noted in the article cited. Also very pricey, and for that kind of money there are lots of yummy bars out there. 

[liuzhou]

A taste test

 

Three points below Hersheys?.

[pastrygirl]

I wonder... Did they set out to deceive?  Or did they think that once they started doing bean to bar for real it would taste just like valrhona, and be easy to make?  

 

i have a wet grinder and have tried grinding nibs a few times. You can get pretty smooth chocolate after two or three days in the grinder. But I agree with the math in the article that production of so many varieties in so little space would not be possible. And white chocolate?  Doesn't that take even more equipment to purify the cocoa butter?  

 

 

 

 

[cdh]

1 hour ago, pastrygirl said:

I wonder... Did they set out to deceive?  Or did they think that once they started doing bean to bar for real it would taste just like valrhona, and be easy to make?  

 

i have a wet grinder and have tried grinding nibs a few times. You can get pretty smooth chocolate after two or three days in the grinder. But I agree with the math in the article that production of so many varieties in so little space would not be possible. And white chocolate?  Doesn't that take even more equipment to purify the cocoa butter?  

 

 

 

 

It looks like they had all the gadgetry to play with making bean to bar chocolate...  I'd guess they must have overpromised very early on and melted some Valrhona feves to cover... then they were stuck in a position of having to be equal to or better than Valrhona after people tasted, liked, and raved about that batch. Given that, I can imagine a snowball effect with lots of good intentions getting ground into fine paste under the weight of the earlier deceptions.

Edited December 20, 2015 by cdh (log)

[cakewalk]

Oh, cdh, I think you're very kind, but the heavy-hitting marketing campaign leads me to believe otherwise. I think they intended to capitalize on a gullible market. This is nothing new in the business world, I guess. Looks like people who work seriously with chocolate decided they were getting away with too much. It seems that they're still trying to cover up mediocre chocolate with fancy wrappers and beards and suspenders and stuff. I know that sounds mean, but every step they've taken seems so disingenuous.

[cdh]

What I'm most disillusioned about is that these guys succeeded in snookering the likes of Thomas Keller.  Is the emperor naked?? 

 

Or were the Bros capable of generating chocolate good enough for TK's palate in extremely limited quantities, and were content to use that endorsement to flog their failed experiments to the public at insane prices?

Edited December 20, 2015 by cdh (log)

[scubadoo97]

This expose is making the rounds.  Pathetic abuse of the truth

[cdh]

39 minutes ago, scubadoo97 said:

This expose is making the rounds.  Pathetic abuse of the truth

So they're models of ethical salesmanship in your world?

[scubadoo97]

Yikes!!!!   Egg on my face.   I guess I was not not thinking or had drunk too much bourbon when posting or both .  It's pathetic that they hide the truth of their endeavors.  I in no way sanction their business model 

Edited December 21, 2015 by scubadoo97 (log)

[Jaymes]

Is this the place to mention that for those in search of good chocolate, you might peruse ranchogordo.com?

 

Short on folksy beards, but long on integrity.

 

http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/best-mexican-chocolate-rancho-gordos-stoneground-cacao-2381007

[cdh]

Sounds interesting... if only they left the cinnamon out.  Might be tasty, but not worth the headaches cinnamon gives me.

[pastrygirl]

5 hours ago, cdh said:

What I'm most disillusioned about is that these guys succeeded in snookering the likes of Thomas Keller.  Is the emperor naked?? 

 

Or were the Bros capable of generating chocolate good enough for TK's palate in extremely limited quantities, and were content to use that endorsement to flog their failed experiments to the public at insane prices?

Or did they give TK valrhona?

[joiei]

10 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

Or did they give TK valrhona?

And how much did they supply to Keller.  And did all his operations participate in the product.  

[rotuts]

the story made it to today's NYTimes :

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/21/nyregion/unwrapping-mast-brothers-chocolatier-mythos.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fnyregion&action=click&contentCollection=nyregion&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

 

 

[joiei]

A chocolate maker speaks out

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shawn-askinosie/things-i-know-to-be-true-_b_8939894.html