Well, it is getting towards Christmas, so what could be more natural than a pairing (maridaje) of those two Christmas essentials, chocolate and after dinner drinks? This was the inspiration for last week’s tasting event put on by sommelier Silvia Flores at Gourmet Experience Duque.

The chocolates were supplied by Belgian luxury chocolatiers Neuhaus, who have been making chocolate since 1857, when founder Jean Neuhaus arrived in Brussels from his native Switzerland and opened an apothecary’s shop in the Galeries Royales in Brussels. Initially the chocolate was used to mask the taste of the medicinal products, but gradually the confectionary business took over, and in 1912 grandson Jean II invented the Belgian praline (or praline bon-bon), a hard chocolate shell with a nut and cream filling.

Apostoles/Feuilletine, Matusalem/Sappho, Nomad/Divine, Lepanto/Gallerie, Noe PX/Jean

Drinks were supplied by renowned Jerez bodega González Byass. These included:  Aposteles, an aged Palo Cortado drawn from a solera created in 1862, two sweet sherries, Matusalem Cream and Noe PX, and two spirits. Lepanto is the company’s flagship brandy, made from Palomino grapes and matured for 15 years in Fino casks, while Nomad is a blended Scotch whisky that is finished in Jerez in PX casks.

These were paired with selected Neuhaus chocolates ranging from hazelnut and almond milk chocolate pralines (Feuilletine and Sappho) to caramel fillings in light and dark chocolate (Divine and Galerie) and finishing with an intense dark chocolate ganache (Jean – 64% Peruvian cocoa). The tasting was led by Neuhaus representative Anabel Leirman and Juanma Terceño from Gonzalez Byass, with poetic interludes provided by G-B’s master wineblender Antonio Flores. A sweet and sensual tasting experience.

Our hosts: Silvia Flores (Gourmet Experience sommelier), Anabel Leirman (Neuhaus), Antonio Flores (González Byass master wine blender), Juanma Terceño (González Byass sommelier).