The Taste of Chocolate

An Investigation of the Nature of Taste

 

Professors Joseph D. Sloan
and David M. Whisnant

 

 

 

Tentative Tasting Calendar

Minor changes may be necessary but major changes are not anticipated. 

Date Topic Brand & Description
Thursday,  January 3 Eating: chew thoroughly, just a little, or let it melt?
 Domori Chateau Porcelana single-origin 70%
 Domori 'Style' LatteSal Bar Milk Chocolate, with a touch of added sea salt, 44% cocoa
  Six Step Tasting: Look, Smell, Listen, Mouth-feel, Taste, After-taste
Michel Cluizel Hacienda Los Ancones Squares  67%  from a single plantation on the Caribbean island of Santo Domingo.
Recchiuti Bitersweet
Weiss Dark Ebene 72% Bar
Friday, January 4 Breathing:
Scharffen Berger Pouch of 41% Milk Chocolate Squares
Michel Cluizel Maralumi Squares                                   (Single-origin --- Papua-New Guinea)
  Chocolate Components:
Valrhona Venezuelan-origin roasted cocoa bean pieces,
Scharffen Berger Cocoa Powder
Droste Dutched Cocoa Powder
King Arthur's  Cocoa Butter 
Michel Cluizel Mangaro Lait 50% Squares (Milk Chocolate)
  Percentages:
Lindt Excellence 70% Dark Chocolate Bar
Lindt Excellence 85% Dark Chocolate Bar
Lindt Excellence 100% Dark Chocolate Bar
Monday, January 7 Percentages: smaller differences
Santander 70% Single-Origin
Santander 65% Single-Origin
Santander 53% Single-Origin
  Types of Cocoa Beans:
CHOCOVIC Guyave Bar (Grenada) Trinitario, Single-origin, 71%
CHOCOVIC Guaranda Bar (Equador)  Forastero, Single-origin, 71%
CHOCOVIC Ocumare Bar (Venezuela) Criollo, Single-origin, 71%
  Brand Tasting: Bonnat
Bonnat El Rosario 75% Dark Chocolate Bar (Venezuela)
Bonnat Madagascar 75% Dark Chocolate Bar
Bonnat Puerto Cabello Chocolate Bar
Bonnat Trinite 75% Dark Chocolate Bar
Tuesday,
January 8
Country Comparison: Venezuela
Michel Cluizel Hacienda Concepcion Squares 66% from a single plantation in Venezuela.
Amedei Venezuela from  'I Cru' 36 Piece Sampler 70%
Domori Chateau Puertomar 75%
Theo Single-origin Venezuela Dark Chocolate 65%
  Vintage: Palmira (More chocolate from Venezuela)
Valrhona Palmira from Mega Plantation Sampler Box 2005
Valrhona Palmira from Mega Plantation Sampler Box 2006
Valrhona Palmira 2007
Wednesday, January 9 Cooking with Chocolate: Cookies
Thursday, January 10 Vintage: Ampamakia
Valrhona Ampamakia from Mega Plantation Sampler Box 2005
Valrhona Ampamakia from Mega Plantation Sampler Box 2006
Valrhona Ampamakia 2007
  White, Milk, & Dark Chocolate Comparison:
Amedei  'Cioccolato al Latte Bianco' White Chocolate Bar
Amedei  'Cioccolato al Latte' Milk Bar, 32%
Amedei Toscano Black 70%
Friday, January 11 Vintage: Gran Couva
Valrhona Gran Couva from Mega Plantation Sampler Box 2005
Valrhona Gran Couva from Mega Plantation Sampler Box 2005
Valrhona Gran Couva 2005
  Milk Chocolate Comparison
Bonnat Java 65% Dark Milk Chocolate
 Domori 'Style' LatteSal Bar,  with a touch of added sea salt, 44%
 Michel Cluizel  Mangaro Lait 50% Squares
 Pralus  Melissa Bar, Single-origin (Indonesia), 45%
Recchiuti Milk
  Brand Tasting: Michel Cluizel
Michel Cluizel Hacienda Los Ancones Squares 67% Cocoa Bittersweet from a single plantation on the Caribbean island of Santo Domingo.
Michel Cluizel Hacienda Concepcion Squares, 66% Cocoa Bittersweet from a single plantation in Venezuela.
Michel Cluizel Mangaro Squares, 65% Cocoa Bittersweet from Mangaro Plantation.  (Madagascar)
Monday, January 14 Brand Tasting: Valrhona
Valrhona Collection Grand Crus de Chocolate Noir (4 kinds)
  White Chocolate Comparison
Ghirardelli White chocolate bar
El Rey Icoa white chocolate bar
Green & Black White chocolate bar
  Percentages:
Amedei Selezioni Toscano Black 63%, 66%, 70%
Tuesday, January 15 Madagascar:
Michel Cluizel Mangaro Plantation 65%
Amedei Madagascar from 'I Cru' 36 Piece Sampler 70% 
Domori Chateau Madagared 70%
Theo Single-origin Madagascar 
  Brand and Country Tasting:  El Rey from Venezuela
El Rey First four bars from Chocolate Collection
Wednesday, January 16 Cooking with Chocolate: Cakes
Thursday, January 17 Organic Chocolates:
Dagoba Assortment of 40 bittersweet organic single-origin chocolate tasting squares, 68% cocoa.
Green & Black's Organic Dark 70% 
Valrhona Cao Grande Dark Organic, 70%
  Nibs Tasting:
Claudio Corallo Whole Roasted Cocoa Beans
Dagoba Organic Cocoa Nibs
Valrhona Venezuelan-origin roasted cocoa bean pieces
Theo Organic Roasted Cocoa Nibs
Friday, January 18 Beans Again:
Guittard Sur del Lago Bittersweet Chocolate  (Venezuela) Criollo/Trinotario blend, Single-origin, 65%
Guittard Chucuri Bittersweet Chocolate (Columbia)  Trinitario, Single-origin, 65%
Guittard Ambanja Bittersweet Chocolate (Madagascar) Criollo, Single-origin, 65%
  Percentages again: Close & dark
DeVries Costa Rican Trinitario Dark 77%
DeVries Costa Rican Trinitario Dark 80%
DeVries Costa Rican Trinitario Dark 84%
  Brand and Country: El Rey from Venezuela
El Rey Last two bars from Chocolate Collection
Monday, January 21 A Few Filled chocolates:
Santander Chocolate covered-coffee beans, 53% cocoa
Santander Chocolate-covered cocoa nibs, 53% cocoa
Weiss Milk with Hazelnuts 37% Bar
  Brand Tasting: Valrhona again
Valrhona 57 Carre Caraibe, 66%
Valrhona Abinao, 85%
Valrhona Chuao from Mega Plantation Sampler Box
  100% Cacao tasting
Bonnat 100% cacao bar
Pralus 100% cacao bar
Tuesday, January 22 Vintage Repeat: Palmira
Valrhona Palmira from Mega Plantation Sampler Box 2005
Valrhona Palmira from Mega Plantation Sampler Box 2006
 Valrhona Palmira 2007
  Chuao Tasting:
Amedei Chuao Bar,  Bittersweet chocolate bar made exclusively with Chuao Cacao from Venezuela.
Bonnat Chuao Bar
Valrhona Chuao from Mega Plantation Sampler Box
Wednesday, January 23 Cooking with Chocolate: Soufflés, Mousses, Sauces, etc. 
Thursday, January 24 Brand Tasting: Domori
Domori Chateau Puertomar, 75% Cocoa
Domori 'Style' Carupano 70%
Domori Cru 70% Carenero Superior from Venezuela
Domori Chateau Madagared Bar, 70%
  Vintage Repeat: Ampamakia
Valrhona Ampamakia from Mega Plantation Sampler Box 2005
Valrhona Ampamakia from Mega Plantation Sampler Box 2006
Valrhona Ampamakia 2007
Friday, January 25 Chocolate with Nibs:
Claudio Corallo 73.5% Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs
Recchiuti w/ nibs
Santander chocolate-covered cocoa nibs. 53% cocoa
Weiss Noir Eclats de Feves 70% Bar
Temperature Taste Test We will use individual samples from remaining chocolate  
Brand Tasting: Amedei
Amedei Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad, Ecuador from 'I Cru' 36 Piece Sampler, 70%                   
Monday, January 28 Vintage Repeat: Gran Couva
Valrhona Gran Couva from Mega Plantation Sampler Box 2005
Valrhona Gan Couva from Mega Plantation Sampler Box 2005
Valrhona Gran Couva 2005
  Brand Tasting: Pralus
Pralus Sao Tome Bar, Single-origin, 75%
Pralus Equateur Bar, Single-origin, 75%
Pralus Indonesie Bar, Single-origin, 75%
Pralus Djakarta Bar, Single-origin, 75%
Mystery Taste Testing
We will use unidentifyed commonly available chocolates          
Tuesday, January 29 Cooking with Chocolate: Savory Dishes
Wednesday, January 30 Porcelana Tasting
Amedei Porcelana Squares Box
Bonnat 75% Porcelana Bars
Domori Chateau Porcelana, Single-origin, 70%
  Criollo, Brand, and Percentage Tasting:
Domori Hacienda San Jose Ocumare 61 Criollo 60%, 70%, 80%, 100%
     
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  Last updated on: 28-Jan-2008