This past Wednesday, I had the pleasure of leading a Cote d'Or chocolate pairing at Foreign Cinema in San Francisco. The people that were part of the tasting are all deeply involved in gourmet food in one way or another (or several ways), and I was able to get some really interesting feedback from an array of sophisticated palettes.

One of the tasters asked if I had ever paired chocolate and aged tequila - and no, I had never tried it before. Nearing the end of the tasting, we tested out the idea:

Gran Centenario Anejo: This tequila is aged between 18 and 36 months. It is smooth on the tongue with aromas of pine and bitter orange, and flavors of orange and candied fruits.

Cote d'Or Noir Orange: We all agreed that the Cote d'Or Noir Orange bar would (and does) make a good pairing with the aged tequila. Cote d'Or Noir Orange is a 64% cacao bar with candied orange peel. As often happens with spirits with such a high level of alcohol, the first half second of the pairing was sharp and somewhat jarring. I've also found that this occur with certain cognacs that I've paired. But that initial phase fades quickly, moving on to an interesting blending of flavors. The piney, orange flavors of the tequila act as a springboard for the orange flavors of the chocolate, adding a subtlety that changes and softens the overall experience of the bar to an earthier, woodier orange taste.