Inspired by a recent series of posts at Some Say Cacao, I thought it might be fun to have a chocolate tasting. And as I can only buy my chocolate from our friends Peter and Lisa Lee at Colefax Chocolates (loyalty must always override curiosity), it’s fortunate that they produce such an interesting range of origin chocolate bars. I bought just three on this occasion, but they have over a dozen on offer, including certified organic and fairtrade varieties.
Even though I’m very much a dark chocolate fan, I was completely smitten with this milk block from Venezuela. At 43% cacao, it’s the darkest I’ve ever tried, and very moreish as a consequence. It’s not overly sweet, with delicious caramel overtones and a wonderfully rich mouthfeel. It was gone by the end of the evening…
The 64% cacao dark chocolate from Peru was also delicious, dark and slightly bitter, but with quite a sweet finish. It had a slight woodiness which I found particularly appealing, reminiscent of the cigar box/cedar aromas often found in red wines.
Naturally, we couldn’t try all these interesting chocolates without inviting the neighbours around, and the result was a most enjoyable afternoon of friends wandering over for a bit of chocolate and a cup of tea. Most of them really liked this 70% block from Sao Thome – a deliciously mellow dark bar of subtle flavours and sweetness, without being overly bitter.
Chocolate tasting on a lazy Saturday afternoon – how sweet life can be sometimes!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 