Wrapping up our second tasting this year, again it’s an evening to which I can look back loaded with sensations and discoveries that are changing people’s mind on dark origin chocolate. In our beautiful loft-lounge style setting I introduced the cacao harvest & production process, to show people how careful this pretty sexy tree needs to be treated to give us such fine chocolate. Every tasting session is somewhat different and the Q&A was focused around Belgium not being ‘The Promised Land’ of chocolate (anymore), the scary variety of substances in chocolate bars, en tips to keep and store chocolate.

Chocolate and its plethora of surrounding topics always make a great conversation starter, so pretty soon we had a good vibe, getting us open to enter the tasting part. After 4 bars only, people were amazed already by my broad offering and the variety in tasting sensations, even ‘less appreciated aroma’s’ were adding to overall discovery experience.
Noteworthy where also organic Pacari, the recent Akesson’s and absolutely the handcrafted Amano Jembrana, which I exclusively got from the USA directly from founder Art Pollard, with a big help from Martin at SeventyPercent as well in London.
These treasures aside I also showed a bloomed bar of Willie’s (don’t know how that happened actually), and wowed them with the Michel Cluizel ‘Grand Lait 45% milk bar’ (‘Is this milk chocolate?!’), shared unroasted and roasted cacao beans I received from Pralus, and put the cherry on the cake with the Pralus 100% as the usual über chocolate experience!

You can tell it was fun if people say they would come back for another tasting session, hope to see you next time as well!

Continue reading for details on the tasted bars…

List of tasted bars

François Pralus “Madagascar”
a fresh, bold and citric opener on which most agreed it had a short aftertaste
Michel Cluizel “Los Ancones”
so creamy, complex and rich in taste
Valrhona “Guanaja”
the nutty one, and more gritty than the Los Ancones bar
Bonnat “Ceylan”
This is a very spicy and leatherish bar, dark tones and though not varying in flavour, it keeps its strong character in an unusual sustaining & lasting curve
François Pralus “Dominique Républiquaine”
very different reactions on this fresh feeling bar, but raisins was at the center
Michel Cluizel “Vila Gracinda”
I think still the most special sensing and tasting bar from Cluizel, very surprising opening that leads to tropical fruit sensations
Domori “Sur del Lago”
I think Domori’s style is iconic like an Italian fashion brand, you may argue on taste, but it’s all in all a very special signature carried over all his bars
Pacari “Esmeraldas”
Something new and organic from Ecuador, and the Arriba’s freshness was for many participants a never experienced sensation in chocolate, leaving them hungry for more.
Amano “Jembrana”
Something very special from the USA, this bar reigned in lengthy subtleties topped with pepperish sensations. Although I had only received 2 bars, one participant was so crazy on I couldn’t refuse to give the second one to him
Akesson’s “Brazil”
More novelties with Akesson’s Brazil creation, feeling pretty melty on the palate, and evolving surprisingly spicy over time. Also here people really liked it a lot.
François Pralus “Le 100%”
My favrourite tasting bar to see how people would react, and this time thye reported both sour & salty sensations, however despite its 100% label, bitter was not a word used, again.
Michel Cluizel “Le 45% Grand Lait”
To clean the 100% from the palate I offered Cluizel’s award winning milk bar, and not to my surprise people were stupefied on how a milk chocolate could taste that good, mentioning a lot of caramel flavours. Bingo again!