I wandered the NW chocolate festival in search of a nib, piece or confection that would enlighten my pallet and open my imagination. Ok, so maybe that wasn’t initially what I set out for, but that is what I got when I popped a piece of Brown Butter Bourbon Caramel from Fruition chocolate into my mouth. The chocolate was smooth and creamy as it melted over my tongue, then as the thin layer of 66% dark chocolate melted through, my mouth filled with a bourbon infused caramel. The bourbon used was from a distillery near Fruition chocolate in Shokan NY. As the caramel spread through my mouth and mixed with the chocolate, new flavors arose, smoky and earthy undertones seemed to be coming in much stronger, it was perfectly balanced so the bourbon just let you know it was there. My thoughts were of a perfect east coast fall, waves of orange, red and yellows, crisp air, good dark chocolate and some craft bourbon. All in this one confection.
By Travis Rodriguez