The touch of chocolate is very important. Does it feel soft or hard? Is it melting in my hand? Bend the chocolate to see the amount of pressure it takes to snap the piece. Did you hear the snap when you broke the piece of chocolate?
We have to remember we are tasting, not eating an entire bar of chocolate. You want a piece large enough to accommodate the full evolution of flavor, but not fill you up.
The surface should be free of blemishes. No white marks, which are known as bloom. Does the chocolate have air bubbles, swirls or uneven surfaces? Good chocolate should be free of these defects.
Smell the chocolate! Inhale those fragrances! What do you smell? The aroma will vary depending on its variety. Do you smell fruits, nuts, spices, or even flowers? How intense is the smell? Break the piece in half. You should hear a “SNAP!”
Let it melt slowly. You want the cocoa butter to distribute evenly in your mouth. Release your nose and take a deep breath in focusing on the aromatic notes. As it melts, concentrate on the flavors that are building on your tongue. Notice how the flavor evolves from beginning, middle to the end.