Calhoun College Chocolate Tasting

Last Wednesday was further proof that my residential college, Calhoun, is the best residential college. After the success of my personal chocolate party, I asked my residential college Master if we could do one for the college. He said sure, if I was willing to plan it, and the gears were set in motion. A few weeks of planning with my Associate Master, dozens of bars, and hundreds of truffles later, I led about 15 of my lucky fellow Hounies in a chocolate tasting. Clearly a ZOMG!!!! with extra exclamation marks for the day.

We ordered Cocoa Bella’s World Select Assortment, Cocoa Bella’s Exotic Assortment (above photo), and L.A. Burdick’s Box Assortment. We also had a box of Knipschildt’s Heart Selection that we’d found at Whole Foods. Are you drooling into your keyboard yet? Because there’s more. 16 bars more, in fact.

I warmed up the group with the truffles, as the heavily flavored ganaches are easy to taste, and despite my admonitions for them to pace themselves, most of them were unable to resist overindulging in the gorgeous bonbons. I restrained myself because I knew it would take chocolate stamina to taste my way through (in order):

• Chocolove Milk Chocolate (33%)
• Nirvana Belgian Chocolates’ Papua single origin (35%)
• Scharffen Berger Extra Rich Milk (41%)
• Endangered Species Smooth Milk (52%)
• Vosges Naga Bar (41%)
• Vosges Mo’s Bacon Bar (41%)
• Vosges Red Fire or Oaxaca Bars (55%)
• Chocolove Ginger Crystallized in Dark Chocolate (65%)
• Chocolove Strong Dark (70%)
• Lake Champlain Single Origin Sao Thome (70%)
• Vosges Creole Bar (70%)
• Scharffen Berger Antilles (75%)
• Lake Champlain Single Origin Tanzania (75%)
• Scharffen Berger Extra Dark (82%)
• La Maison Du Chocolat Coro (100%)
• Valrhona Gianduja Noisette (no %, but super, super light milk)

Too much chocolate for one sitting? Probably. But so what? I had a fantastic time, and the feedback I got from the tasting party guests was immensely positive. We have enough bars for at least one, probably two, more tastings, and I know people are already eagerly awaiting the chance to get in on the next one.

News for the next couple of weeks will contain my brief tasting notes, what I learned from the experience, what I liked, etc. as well as? instructions for planning and conducting your own tasting party. Yum!