Tasting chocolate is just like tasting a great wine: it is an experience that involves all the senses. Take a good look. Notice the difference between the ordinary and the exceptional chocolate. Its color will not deceive you; it is perfectly uniform, shiny, dense, and smooth. A Grand Chocolat may be dark mahogany, but never black. A milk chocolate is a warm chestnut, with a touch more brown if it is especially rich in cocoa. Smell it. The aroma tickles the nose deliciously and excites the taste buds. Good chocolate smells really good. Break it. It should break cleanly, and the aromas should intensify. Take a bite. It should crack and break with a dry little noise. Take another bite. Notice how its texture is fine, creamy with being greasy, light, and how gently it melts in the mouth, never becoming pasty. Appreciate its bouquet and notice how long it lasts. Pay attention to all the subtle but rich notes from the South American criollo cocoa beans and the more full-bodied tones added by the Caribbean trinitario beans, as they linger deliciously on the palate.