Dark chocolate vs. Milk chocolate

[Mark DaSilva]

So another couple joins us last night and we break out the desserts with our vintage port and included both dark and milk chocolate.

Milk chocolate was the heavy favorite, but I understand dark chocolate is supposed to go better with port. I prefer milk. Needless to say, the dark did not go over well. Maybe it had too much cocao at 77%.

Anyone think dark is better? Which one do you serve with your vintages?

[Frederick Blais]

I do prefer the dark side

I always find the milk chocolate leaving a creamy sticky texture on the palate and never found any real good ones to go with Port.

On the other side, dark chocolate hummmmm! I always keep between 65% and 75%

I've discovered some good ones recently, one from Ghana was fantastic!

[Mark DaSilva]

I thought I read somewhere that El Rey was supposed to be an "official" port wine chocolate. They are from Venezuala I believe.

Anyone else read that? Is it good?

[Todd Pettinger]

Mark,

I haven't tried "El Rey" but do prefer the dark chocolate over milk any day of the week. Some folks (okay, most) will prefer the milk chocolate, but I think that is just untrained palate and perception of what chocolate is as the key factor. Most view chocolate as something you server over ice cream or to cover a candy bar.

I don't indulge in chocolate as often as I would like, but when i do I try to make it minimum 60% cocoa. I find that these types of chocolate offer secondary and even tertiary flavours with complexities that exceed anything in the milk variety.

Because there is so much milk or cream additives in milk chocolate, as well as an excess of sugar, I find I can get no actual flavours from a milk chocolate. Many people gobble this type down, which is fine because that seems all it is good for. I find it too simple and one-dimentional, whereas a good dark chocolate can be savoured for hours and provide intense aromas, complex flavours and loads of enjoyment.

This guy's

Todd

[Mark DaSilva]

Hey Todd,

Okay, we are trying dark chocolate as we speak with our port. Not going over well. I find myself reaching for the port and avoiding the dark stuff.

Sunday night, I know, but we port connsir...connsor...experts say milk chocolate rocks.

Maybe we'll search for less than 70% cacao. Man, I wish I liked this stuff better.

Mark

[Todd Pettinger]

To be honest with you Mark, I hardly ever have anything with my Port aside from cheese or nuts.

I do find that chocolate, whether dark or milk (we will not speak of this imposter known as 'white chocolate') doesn't go down particularly great with Port although those in the know say it does. I did steal a sip from a flask while I was at a restaurant earlier this evening of a 10 year Taylor Tawny with my creme brulee, and while it was good, it did not make as fabulous a pairing as has been suggested by some.

Todd

[Mark DaSilva]

I heard creme brulee was awesome with tawnies.

I sold a Dow 40 year old tawny to a buddy of mine yesterday and told him creme brulee was an excellent tag along.

For a 40 year wedding anniversary.

They were ecstatic though.

[Erik Wiechers]

I tried once this very dark chocolate with 89 % cocao. It ruined my port wine at that moment. I couldn't taste properly because of the real disgusting bitter taste of that chocolate.

So i stick with cheese for my port and milk chocolate with hazelnuts for my espresso !

[Moses Botbol]

I am a big chocoholic. I like 70% cocoa the most and my favorite brand are Frey, but I am not too picky as long as the cocoa is at least 55%.

[Kris Henderson]

Anyone think dark is better? Which one do you serve with your vintages?

Yes. I like my chocolate like I like my.... Wait. That might not be appropriate.

I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate by a wide margin. My favorites are usually around 70% cocoa. Less than 65% or so and the chocolate starts to become too sweet. More than 75% or so and the chocolate becomes too bitter. I have a bar of chocolate that is 84% cocoa from Ghana. It has some intense chocolate flavors but it's borderline chalky and more difficult to enjoy.

If I were to serve chocolate with a Vintage Port it would be of the dark variety. I would also prefer it with a young vintage port. Say, 1985 or younger. I think the chocolate would start to overpower anything older. That said, my preference is to enjoy Port on its own so I don't often drink Port with chocolate.

[Todd Pettinger]

That said, my preference is to enjoy Port on its own so I don't often drink Port with chocolate.

I think that is the safest bet Kris... I'm on board with this line of thinking. I like Port. I like dark chocolate. If I server them together, it would be with some sort of neutral palate-cleanser to ensure that the Port could be enjoyed separately. :)

[Al B.]

I'm also in the camp that likes port and likes dark chocolate, but not together. Most often, I have port with my port. Quite frequently I will have port as the wine of choice with my meal - young port goes really well with steak and chips.

I usually have a bar of dark chocolate in the house somewhere and occasionally break a piece off and nibble at it. Currently I have a bar of Green & Black's Organic Bittersweet Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa but before that it was a bar from a single cocoa farm on the Island of Sao Tomé at 85% cocoa. I love those really dark chocolates, but enjoy them most on their own when I can really savour the bitterness, the complexity of fruit flavours and the long aftertaste.

Incidentally, I gather that the long, chocolately aftertaste in a port comes from the tannins. Are there tannins in chocolate? Is this where dark chocolate also gets the long chocolately aftertaste from?

Alex

[Todd Pettinger]

I love those really dark chocolates, but enjoy them most on their own when I can really savour the bitterness, the complexity of fruit flavours and the long aftertaste.

Incidentally, I gather that the long, chocolately aftertaste in a port comes from the tannins. Are there tannins in chocolate? Is this where dark chocolate also gets the long chocolately aftertaste from?

Alex

Interesting question - one I don't know the answer to... it would be a very interesting correlation if that is the case.

Todd

[Andy Velebil]

I prefer dark chocolate and I normally don't like milk chocolate.

I've had port and chocolate together and am not a big fan. I prefer to enjoy the two seperately.

[Moses Botbol]

I've had port and chocolate together and am not a big fan. I prefer to enjoy the two seperately.

I agree, it is just too much sugar & calories for me. Two great tastes don't always go together. I prefer things with port the cool down the sweetness and richness rather than add to it.