Nicholas Jordan recently conducted a blind taste test with a group of friends, sampling 20 different blocks of supermarket milk chocolate. Surprisingly, the results revealed some shocking preferences among the group. Describing one chocolate as “like biting into a candle” and another as reminiscent of “soy milk from 2002,” the testers mapped out their likes and dislikes in real-time, often contradicting what they expected based on brand perception.
“I usually run these taste tests where the brands remain hidden from everyone except me,” Nicholas explained. “I tell myself I can keep an objective viewpoint, but this experience made me realize how influenced I actually am by branding and expectation.”
Nicholas’s ten friends participated by tasting the chocolates with their eyes closed, allowing for an undistorted experience. “It was interesting to see how their raw reactions differed from my own,” he noted.
As the tasting went on, feedback varied dramatically. With pricier brands often receiving unimpressive scores while an unsuspecting $3.99 chocolate from Aldi emerged as the group’s top pick, Nicholas and his team also found themselves reevaluating their own biases. “The brand you love might not be the best tasting,” Nicholas said, underscoring the importance of challenging brand loyalty for the sake of flavor.
At the end of the session, the surprising winner was Choceur Milk, with a score of 8 out of 10. One reviewer praised it, saying, “This is how milk chocolate should taste!” The other contenders, meanwhile, offered a mix of interesting textures and flavors. Koko Black stood out for its unique profile, described by one taster as “like choc-chip ice cream, light on the tongue but powerful in flavor.”
However, not all chocolates fared well. Dairy Fine received mixed reviews, with one taster quipping it resembled “a lolly hiding in chocolate,” echoing the displeasure regarding its artificial sweetness. Meanwhile, several chocolates, such as Godiva and Simon Coll, drew criticism for their texture and flavor profiles, with some being labeled as “chewy” or akin to “plasticine.”
Ultimately, Nicholas concluded that the taste test was not just a fun activity but a revelation about consumer behavior and brand perception. “If you can set aside your biases, you might just find joy in unexpected places,” he suggested, encouraging others to venture beyond their comfort zones in the chocolate aisle.
