How to taste Fine chocolate
For Maximum Flavour Experience
Compose yourself
All you really need is:
Writing utensil
Glass of water, preferably warm or hot water (as it lifts the fat and cleanses the tongue better for chocolate)
Your chocolate!
Be mindful of strong odours (perfumes, scents, kitchen odours) or distractions and loud noises.
Also, try to avoid strong flavoured foods (garlic, coffee, onions) or smoking at least a couple hours before a tasting.
Chocolate Tasting Playlists!
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Chocolate Tasting Music Playlists by Geoseph
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Look & Listen
+ Action
Break the bar and listen for a snap. A nice loud snap is a sign of well tempered quality chocolate.
Look at the colour. It should have a shiny surface, and be a solid homogeneous brown colour.
+ Be Mindful Of
Visual and auditory distractions. Allow yourself to be focused on what you're about to eat.
+ Descriptors
Snap: loud snap, soft snap, no snap.
Look: Shiny, matt, smooth, rough, mottled, whitish, dark, brown (dark, light, mahogany, burnt sienna, umber)
Smell
+ Action
Hold the chocolate right up to your nose, and sniff repeatedly. Rub the chocolate between your fingers to warm it up and enhance aroma release.
+ Be Mindful Of
Be aware of surrounding aromas on your hand and in the room (scents, something cooking). It's unrealistic to eat chocolate in a vacuum, but just be aware the scents around you will influence what you smell.
Detecting and articulating aromas during smelling chocolate is very difficult. Don't be too hard on yourself, and don't expect to be able to articulate more than one descriptor. You're also getting your mind ready for what it is you're about to eat.
+ Descriptors
You can be as general or as specific as you like. Don't expect to smell more than one or two aromas. Examples can be: it smells dark, light, nutty, earthy, cocoa, chocolate, tart, or sweet. Tart and sweet are not aromas, but we have learned to associate taste with aroma, and they are perfectly fine descriptors to use. If you can't think of a specific aroma, write down what it reminds you of.
Masticate & Move
+ Action
Place the chocolate in your mouth and on your tongue. Chew it once or twice, and then let it melt in your mouth. The key here is mouth movements. Letting it melt on your tongue isn't good enough. With your mouth closed, rub your tongue around, move your jaw around. This will allow for more aroma molecules to reach your nasal cavity.
+ Be mindful Of
Think about the texture, mouthfeel, and melting properties.
+ Descriptors
Smooth, gritty, pasty, chalky, slow melt, fast melt, cool melt, warm melt, thick, watery.
These are guidelines, not an exhaustive list.
Exhale
+ Action
This is to be done in conjunction with step 3, while the chocolate is melting.
With your mouth closed, exhale repeatedly. Take a big breath in, and slowly exhale through your nose. Do this continuously as you eat, and even after you have swallowed all the chocolate. It's through exhaling that we experience flavour.
This is called retronasal olfaction, and is key to maximizing taste from any food you eat. Feel free to look at a flavour wheel, aroma list, or close your eyes and think about what you're tasting.
+ Be Mindful Of
As with the previous step, be aware of ambient odours. Also be aware of foods you ate previously such as garlic, onions, and anything that leaves a strong flavour in your mouth. This will greatly affect what your chocolate tastes like.
+ Descriptors
The possibilities are endless. There is no agreed upon list of chocolate aromas or ways to organize them.
Begin with general flavours. Is it fruity, nutty, earthy, toasted, herbaceous? Then from there, what kind of fruit, or nut. Is it a tart fruit? citrus or berry?
If you're new to mindfully tasting chocolate or food in general, take your time and be patient to yourself. You're describing a world of flavours that you've never had to describe before. It takes time to find the right words.
Our sense of flavour is highly connected to our emotions and memory. Think about what the flavours remind you of if you can't articulate the aromas you taste; a place, a time, an event.
Cleanse your palate!
You may hear of many products to cleanse your palate. In my opinion, hot water is the ideal palate cleanser for chocolate. Unlike wine or coffee, the heavy high fat liquid requires a very warm liquid to wash it off. So not only does the water wash away, but the heat of hot water helps lift and move the fat out of your mouth. This fat left behind is what contains the aromas of the previous chocolate.
If you choose to use room temperature or cool water, then make sure you rub your tongue on your mouth to warm it up or the new chocolate will not melt properly in a cool mouth. This will impact your perception of the texture and possibly the flavour.
Other suggestions for cleansing your palate are carbonated water, a slice of apple, bread, or plain cooked polenta. You find what works for you, but for me, hot water is the best option. Even simple foods like a cracker or polenta will still influence the flavour of the chocolate, more so than water.
Compare and contrast!
A key point to any tasting is comparing as you eat. It's not as effective to compare while relying on memory. After eating your second sample and going through all the steps, go back and taste the first one again, then the second sample again after that. Go back and adjust what you wrote down if necessary. Then try chocolate #3 with #1 and #2.
Compare ones that may have been a bit similar, and you will notice tasting them one after another showcases their differences much more clearly. As you compare and contrast, the differences will become more apparent.
Need more help?
Like having a chocolate sommelier in your pocket!
Check out the Bean To Bar Compass, a fine chocolate tasting tool book and workbook developed and illustrated by Geoseph. This pocket-sized tasting notebook includes information on factors that influence cacao and chocolate flavour, and many practical tips and insight into developing your chocolate tasting skills. It includes a removable workbook (when full, you can include a new one).
Book a one-on-one tasting tutoring sessions.
You may also want to book virtual sessions to discuss and learn about tasting fine chocolate. Everyone has different learning skills, and sometimes virtual chats where you can see and hear the instructor can be very helpful. You also have the benefit of asking many questions and getting answers. Each sessions is customized to meet your needs. Learn more about it here. My sessions are approachable, relaxed, and practical. I want you to feel free to ask your chocolate related questions while I offer guidance through thoughtful questions and helpful tips.
