Conducting a Chocolate Tasting

Once a year, around Memorial Day, I host a chocolate tasting party. This involves a large quantity of chocolate and a group of good friends. At the beginning, we were quite lax in our chocolate choices, we took everything from 45% chocolate solids on up - even some chocolate that wasn't labeled with the amount of chocolate solids. Every year since then we have upped the minimum requirements so that lately we are only considering chocolates over 70%.

First, ya gotta get yourself some chocolate. You may opt for that icky, kiddy milk chocolate, or succumb to the dark side, but don't mix the two! Your palate will be conditioned by what you had before (even if you cleanse it) and results will turn out to be inconsistent. Even in the restricted variation we had with the first tasting (from 45% up to 70%), it was very difficult to compare from one bite to the next. In some years we've divided the chocolates into sets and took breaks between density bands.

Once you've gathered up all the chocolates for the tasting, break the bars into small pieces. Nope, smaller than that, even. If you're like us, you'll have a couple of dozen chocolates to taste. Even in small bits, that much chocolate will send your tasters climbing the walls. Break the typical chocolate square into quarters for the best size. Remember, some of your judges may test multiple times.

Drop each clutch of chocolates into a bowl with a number. I print out slips of paper and stick them into the chocolate pieces. Important: Write down which number corresponds to which chocolate. Otherwise, you'll never know which is your favorite.

Provide palate cleansers. Water is good, but it shouldn't be cold. That dulls the taste buds as well as making the next mouth of chocolate harder to melt. Carrot sticks are good, and any kind of flavorless cracker.

Feed your judges before they start. This much chocolate on an empty stomach hits some people hard. After awhile, your head starts floating up by the ceiling and your ears turn words funny. For food, I use peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It goes well with the chocolates and doesn't seem to mess up the judges tasting ability.

Give each judge a score sheet. Currently I tell them to use a one to ten scale with decimals allowed. Communicate your scoring and weighing criteria clearly to each judge. Some of them may pay attention. Let everyone wander around, tasting chocolates in whichever order they wish. Make them fill out their score sheets as completely as they can. Set up a computer somewhere with a pre-built spreadsheet. Encourage the judges to input their own scores when they are finished.

Enjoy!
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