Tasting
How do I taste chocolate like a sommelier?
Five steps. Look: good chocolate is glossy with a clean snap. Smell: most flavor is aroma — warm the bar briefly in your fingers and inhale. Melt, don't chew: place a square on your tongue and let it melt for 20–30 seconds; chewing skips the flavor arc. Track the arc: notes evolve from first taste through the melt to the finish — our tasting profiles record primary notes, secondary notes, and finish separately for this reason. Rest: cleanse with water (not coffee) between bars, and taste light-to-dark.
Start with two bars of the same percentage from different origins — the contrast teaches your palate faster than any guide.