The Spicy Chocolate You Should Pair With Buffalo Trace Bourbon
When it comes to whiskey, there are plenty of experts who offer advice on watering your bourbon, but few who share how to pair it with chocolate. Sweet bourbon, with its silky notes of caramel and smoky vanilla, is a versatile booze that should be enjoyed alongside life's sweet indulgence; however, it's not just any bourbon or any chocolate that you want to marry up. There has to be some chemistry, and one of the best bourbon and chocolate pairings, according to Tasting Table spirits expert Chesney McDonald, is a combination of Buffalo Trace's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and spicy chili chocolate.
This dynamic duo is a classic tale of when sweet meets heat, creating a balance between the two that is perfection on the lips. If you are unfamiliar with this particular bourbon, McDonald calls this drink one of the great "value spirit brands" on the market that gives you a quality taste at a reasonable price point. While Buffalo Trace's bourbon echoes the typical notes of vanilla, it's those of brown sugar and molasses that make this sweet and creamy bourbon chili chocolate's soulmate.
What type of chocolate should I choose?
Spicy chili chocolate tempers Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey's sugary goodness with fiery and warm elements like chili peppers and cinnamon, while its smooth, creamy texture complements those same qualities that the classic bourbon brings to the relationship. The spice in the chocolate is not just there to clear your sinuses. It is going to enhance some of the subtle oaky notes of this bourbon that otherwise might go unnoticed.
What kind of chocolate should you select? A sweet milk chocolate that has been enhanced with a little kick will both contrast and complete this bourbon's taste profile. Milk chocolate will add to the sweet notes that this brand of whiskey already has, while this spirit tempers and softens the heat without fully squelching it. Dark chocolate, on the other hand, is going to amplify the spicy sensation you experience when you pair this booze with it. This is because dark chocolate's bitterness serves as a counter flavor to the bourbon's sweetness.
If you like the way Buffalo Trace's bourbon tastes with chili chocolate, you may want to take this pairing to a whole new level and adapt it for your next cup of boozy hot chocolate or add this pairing to your next batch of fudgy brownies.