How to do a Chocolate Tasting by Kristen
Chocolate tasting is an exercise that involves all five senses. Simply unwrapping a bar and appreciating its delicate structure is a tactile enjoyment. The packaging and, more importantly, the look of the bar itself, can be a feast for the eyes. As you break off a piece of the bar to eat, you should hear a distinct snap if the bar is well-tempered. Of course, the aromas and tastes of chocolate are well loved by many and need no introduction - but perhaps a few more details can help you enjoy your chocolate experience to the fullest extent.
To prepare for a chocolate tasting, everyone should be well fed - not stuffed and not starving. You will need enough restraint to allow the chocolate to literally melt in your mouth. Apple slices and sparkling water can help clear the palate after a meal and between tastings. Chocolates should be sampled in order of increasing cocoa content or boldness of flavor, and, even though chocolate is best stored between 61 and 64 degrees, it should always be tasted at room temperature. Many people enjoy drinking wine while eating chocolate, but this should be avoided during a chocolate tasting, as should strongly scented flowers and perfumes. A quiet, peaceful environment is recommended so you can focus completely on the tasting. Also, have pens and paper available to make tasting notes you can refer to later and compare with others.
To begin, many tasters do take into consideration the look of the chocolate. How would you describe its color and sheen? Some possibilities include Auburn, Black, Brick, Bronze, Brown, Burnt Sienna, Buttery, Crimson, Dull, Glossy, Mahogany, Muddy, Plum, and Purple. Feel free to describe the color any way you feel is most appropriate.
Take a whiff: gently rub a section with a finger or thumb to release extra scent. Allow your mind to wander away from just the word "chocolatey," although this is certainly a valid way to describe an aroma or flavor. Due to the tropical origin of the cocoa bean, chocolate can have all kinds of interesting tropical notes. The process of roasting the beans will also heavily influence taste and smell. Fruits, Spices, Nuts, Coffee, and Flowers can all be present in an aroma, as can other things, like Leather, Smoke, Earth, Oak, or Alcohol. Almost anything is possible. Take several deep breaths through your nose close to and away from the chocolate, and make note of what scents come through for you.
Finally - take a piece, small enough to comfortably rest on your tongue and large enough to let all the flavors emerge and evolve on the palate. Place it in your mouth and allow it to melt between your tongue and the roof of your mouth, while breathing gently through your nose. Flavors can and should change from beginning to middle to the end of the melt, so keep your pen handy. How long is the melt? Flavors will have as wide a range as aromas, so be open to many, many possible descriptions. There may be sweet, sour, salty and bitter aspects all in one chocolate. Another important aspect of tasting is the mouth feel - literally what the chocolate feels like in your mouth. Here again is some vocabulary you can use, but don't feel limited by it: Clean, Cloying, Crisp, Delicate, Dense, Dry, Dusty, Light, Greasy, Gritty, Heavy, Moist, Sandy, Sharp, Smooth, Soft, Sticky, Thick, Thin, Velvety and Waxy. When the chocolate is gone, is there an aftertaste? Does it linger or disappear quickly?
Don't forget there is plenty of room for opinion. What do you like/dislike about a bar? Some people will truly enjoy a tobacco note and others will not. Some tasters will form part of a chocolate's score based on opinion alone.
A note on cocoa content: the percentage indicated on each bar reveals what percent of the ingredients came from the cocoa bean itself. This includes the cocoa mass or liquor, the part of the bean than lends the characteristic brown color, and the cocoa butter, which lends texture - and both contribute to flavor. Because the percent comes from two components, two different bars with the same percentage can have different blends of these components: one 70% bar could have 30% cocoa butter and 40% cocoa mass, and another 70% bar could have 20% cocoa butter and 50% cocoa mass. Therefore, don't be afraid to try different percentage bars across brands. You may not typically like 85% cocoa content, but maybe one brand will have the right blend for you. Think of this as you compare 60% to 70 and 99%. The range is almost infinite, and so are your options. Is one necessarily more bitter than the other, or is it just less sweet or more intense?
