5 Whiskey & Chocolate Pairings Recommended By Experts
You don’t have to be a whiskey connoisseur to know that pairing whiskey with chocolate is one of the greatest culinary combinations. The marriage between the two is naturally complementary, and adding different whiskey notes can bring out even more flavor from your favorite chocolates. This blog post will explore 5 whiskey-chocolate pairings recommended by experts, so get cozy and grab your favorite glass for a luxurious tasting experience!
5 Best Chocolate & Whiskey Pairings
We teamed up with these local whiskey experts to deliver some great pairings.
Laura Duryea
Cooper’s Daughter Spirits
We use Cooper’s Daughter Spirits black currant liqueur in some of our filled chocolates such as our black current caramel.
Jacob Tschetter
Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery/Hudson Whiskey
We use Hudson Do the Rye Thing from Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery/Hudson Whiskey in our Bourbon Caramels and our Bourbon Dark Milk Chocolate bar.
Michael Kowalski
Berkshire Mountain Distillers
We use Ragged Mountain Rum from Berkshire Mountain Distillers in our Spiced Rum chocolate bar.
1. Black Walnut Bourbon pairs with Brown Butter Milk Chocolate
"Cooper's Daughter Black Walnut Bourbon is a unique spirit finished in a barrel that was used to store black walnut syrup tapped from local trees. This tree syrup creates a smooth and slightly sweet bourbon, which compliments Fruition's Brown Butter Milk Chocolate. The nuttyness from the browned butter pairs with the black walnut flavor and both have a silky mouthfeel."
Laura Duryea - Cooper’s Daughter Spirits
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2. Hudson Do the Rye Thing pairs with Fruition Tanzania Latte Dark Milk Koka Kamili
“For our chocolate pairing we chose the Hudson Do the Rye Thing to pair with Fruition’s Tanzania Latte Dark Milk Kokoa Kamili. For our private tastings we like to pair these two together. The bright chocolate and cinnamon notes pair beautifully together. The bold coffee and roasty notes followed by baking spices of the chocolate are further accentuated by a red fruit note hinting at dried cranberry that shows up towards the mid to back palette. I would strongly recommend this pairing to any chocolate, coffee, whiskey lover.”
Jacob Tschetter - Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery/Hudson Whiskey
3. Berkshire Bourbon pairs with Bolivia Wild Forest Dark 74%
“The weight of the richness of the Bolivia Wild Forest Dark and its' subtle purple fruit tannins reminiscent of plum and acai match beautifully with the rich corn husk character of the high corn Berkshire Bourbon while still leaning into the toffee and coffee notes instilled by the 18% rye content. Furthermore, the balance of the fruit tannins and bright acidity in the chocolate integrates with the wood profile given by the 4 years of barrel aging on the Bourbon to drive a long, clay and cacao husk finish of the Bolivia Wild Forest Dark to completely eliminate any "burn" in the finish of the bourbon. This would be the perfect chocolate appellation to make a Bourbon hot chocolate!
Chocolate Notes: bright rich dark chocolate, hint of macadamia nut, walnut husk, hot cocoa finish
Whiskey Notes: 72% locally sourced corn with 18% locally sourced rye and 10% Locally sourced malted barley aged for 4 years in virgin charred American oak barrels from Missouri.”
Michael Kowalski - Berkshire Mountain Distillers
4. New England Corn Whiskey pairs with Dominican Nacional Dark 74%
“The inherent funkiness of the Dominican Nacional dark brings out the cherry notes of the cherrywood and the earthiness of the corn in the whiskey. The measured acidity in the chocolate and the richness of the whiskey are a constant interplay, dancing between the funkiness of the sour mash base of the corn whiskey and the sugar cane funk of the chocolate. The flavor goes on for days.
Chocolate Notes: tangy funky sugar cane, cocoa husk, candied lime peel, bruleéd cocoa nib
Whiskey notes: 90% locally sourced corn with 10% locally sourced malted barley aged on cherry wood, sourced from the distillery's farm and proofed down with water from the granitic aquifer on property”
Michael Kowalski - Berkshire Mountain Distillers
5. Race Brook Rye pairs with Colombia Tumaco Dark 85%
“The rich, dark complexity of the Tumaco Dark integrates beautifully with the dark chocolate and slightly nutty characteristics of the Race Brook Rye. The pairing brings out lovely citrus notes in both the whiskey and the chocolate. A killer pairing!
Chocolate Notes: roasted almond skin, hint of barbecue spice & cedar, black tea
Whiskey Notes: 95% locally sourced rye with 5% locally sourced malted barley aged for 4 years in virgin charred American oak barrels from Missouri”
Michael Kowalski - Berkshire Mountain Distillers
We hope you enjoyed this whiskey and chocolate pairing exploration! If you’re looking for a luxurious treat, grab a bottle or two of these spirits and a few bars of Fruition Chocolate to create your own tasting experience. Cheers!
P.S. If you liked these cheese and chocolate pairings, check out our chocolate and wine pairings recommended by wine experts!