The Institute’s Flavor Profile Map is the results of over ten year’s development of our unique Flavor profile system for fine chocolate and fine cacao, based on the Institute’s collective understanding of flavor and our shared years of experience in tasting chocolate and cacao.
Most flavor maps or wheels used for chocolate have an arbitrary layout, with no particular connection between the flavor points or reason for their location on the map. Maps and wheels can work as personal reminders of the flavors you could taste and help with personal chocolate tasting, but don’t follow any standard approach.
Research based
Our map is based on the latest research into how the brain tastes chocolate, which is modelled using a neural network designed by Dr. Alex Rast of Oxford Brookes University working with our founders and presented using statistical tools to create a flavor map that’s logical, intuitive and based on science.
The map is actually just a snapshot of our full interactive Flavor Profilng system, which also produces output flavor profiles and a detailed analysis of each sample. Our Flavor Profile system is used in our Certificate in Chocolate Tasting Courses and is now used for judging origin chocolate bars by the International Chocolate Awards. We’ve collected 10,000s of evaluations that have helped us refine and improve our system and map, which are a constant work in progress as we learn more about the ever fascinating world of fine chocolate and fine cacao.
