Bar of the Week: Valrhona Gran Couva 2007

What can we say about this bar that wasn't already said last week? Well for one thing it's a different harvest year, 2007. And tasting it brings up two questions: does chocolate get better with age and do the harvest seasons differ in taste? We know the answers to these questions and now you can, too. Stop by the store this Saturday between 10:30 am and 1 pm and ask for the Gran Couva taste test. Give us your opinions and we'll publish them on our blog.


If you're having trouble finding the right words to describe a bar of chocolate, here are some terms to get you started:

Chemical / medicinal
o acetone/ nail polish
o menthol
o metal
o mothballs
o plastic
o resin
o rubber

Dairy
o butter
o cheese
o cream
o milk
o yogurt

Earth
o burlap
o cardboard
o forest
o grass
o hay
o leaves
o meadows
o moldy
o moss
o musty
o soil
o straw
o yeast

Vegetable
o mushroom

Wood
o ashes
o cedar
o oak
o pine

Floral
o jasmine
o lavender
o orange blossom
o orchid
o rose

Fruit
berry
o blackberry
o blueberry
o cranberry
o raspberry
o strawberry
citrus
o grapefruit
o lemon
o lime
o orange
o tangerine
dried
o date
o fig
o prune
o raisin
tree fruit
o apple
o apricot
o cherry
o olive
o peach
o plum
tropical fruit
o banana
o coconut
o kiwi
o mango
o papaya
o pineapple
vine fruit
o cantaloupe
o grapes- red
o grapes- white
o watermelon

Herbaceous
o basil
o mint

Nut
o almond
o cashew
o hazelnut
o macadamia
o peanut
o pistachio

Roast
o caramelized sugar
o coffee
o ham
o tea
o toast
o tobacco
o wood smoke

Spices
o anise/ licorice
o cinnamon
o cloves
o ginger
o nutmeg
o pepper
o vanilla

Sweet
o brown sugar
o butterscotch
o cappuccino
o caramel
o honey
o malt
o molasses
o toffee

Other
o beeswax
o bread
o leather
o red wine
o vodka
o puckery
o robust
o sour
o tart
o tangy (tart and sweet)