The aroma wheel - How flavor profiles of single origin chocolates are created
What does a particular fine flavor cocoa taste like?
How do single origin chocolates differ in taste?
Taste is complex. In order to make this complexity visible and comparable, Rausch has developed its own sensory analysis tool: the aroma wheel.
What is an aroma wheel?
A aroma wheel is a visual instrument for sensory analysis. It translates sensory impressions into a structured graphical representation and makes the intensity of individual aroma components recognizable at a glance.
The aroma wheel comprises 14 flavors that are typical of high-quality single origin cocoa:
creamy, vanilla, malty, caramel, woody, bitter, astringent, acid note, spicy, berry, fruity, floral, nutty and cocoa note.
The stronger the note in one area, the more intense the respective aroma is. This creates an individual aroma profile that precisely reflects the sensory characteristics of a variety.
Why a flavor wheel for single origin chocolates?
Like wine or coffee, single origin fine flavor cocoa has a terroir-based flavor profile.
Differences arise due to
- Growing region and climate
- Genetic cocoa variety
- fermentation time
- drying process
- roasting profile
A cocoa from Madagascar, for example, can have distinctly fruity and lively acidic notes, while a Venezuelan cocoa develops more nutty or caramel nuances.
The aroma wheel makes these differences transparent and comparable. The respective flavor profile of the variety is shown on each product page of the fine flavor cocoa chocolates.
How is an aroma profile created?
An aroma profile is created as part of a structured sensory tasting.
1. select aroma category
The corresponding section of the aroma wheel is selected for each perceived aroma.
2. evaluate intensity
The intensity is entered along the beam:
The further out the marking, the more intense the aroma is perceived.
3. record several impressions
Single origin cocoa is complex. Fruity, spicy or caramelly impressions can occur simultaneously. The aroma wheel can therefore be filled out in several areas.
4. add sensory notes
Particularly concise or not clearly assignable nuances are additionally documented.
This creates a differentiated aroma profile that clearly defines the taste identity of a single origin chocolate.
Sensory analysis as orientation and quality feature
The flavor wheel is not only used for technical analysis, but also as a guide. In a direct comparison of several varieties, differences in taste become immediately apparent - for example between fruity and nutty profiles or between acidic and soft-creamy characters.
The flavor profile makes the origin, processing and raw material quality traceable in sensory terms - and opens up a conscious examination of the diversity of high-quality fine flavor cocoa.
Click HERE to download the flavor wheel.
