Most weeks, people ask for custom chocolates or little exceptions. But this time, someone asked if I could pair my chocolates with a world‑class, small‑batch bourbon from Oakley Spirits. That’s not work, that’s a dream assignment.
In a former life, I went a bit overboard with my bourbon hobby and flew to Louisville to become a certified bourbon steward with the Stave and Thief Society. Basically, it’s like going to chocolate school, but with more oak and fewer hairnets. I love bourbon for the same reasons I love chocolate: it’s all about craft, tiny details, and how changes in grain, climate, barrel, and time create totally different personalities in the glass.
For this pairing, I started with how to taste them together. The easiest trick is “sip–taste–sip”: take a small sip of bourbon, then a small bite of chocolate and let it melt, then take another small sip while the chocolate is still on your tongue. It slows you down just enough to notice the caramel, spice, oak, and cocoa all chatting with each other instead of yelling over one another.
Then came the fun part: picking flavors that could handle Oakley’s 15‑year barrel‑strength bourbon and still hold their own:
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75% Dark – This is the anchor. Not too sweet, lots of deep cocoa, and just enough natural fruitiness to link up with all that dried fruit, caramel, and toasted oak in the bourbon. Plus, the cocoa butter helps smooth out the “whoa, that’s strong” moment.
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Sea Salt Caramel – Think butter, caramel, and a pinch of salt high‑fiving the bourbon’s vanilla and brown sugar. The salt keeps it from turning into a sugar bomb.
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Coffee Malt – For those who like their flavors bold. The roast and malt lean into the bourbon’s grain and barrel char and add a little bitter backbone to balance the proof.
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Raspberry – Dark chocolate and bright berry wake up the bourbon’s brown sugar and dried‑fruit notes. It’s a nice little “surprise, I’m fruity now” moment.
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Vanilla Bean – This is the friendly one for people who are a bit nervous about barrel strength. Vanilla is already a big bourbon note, so it feels cozy and familiar, like the chocolate version of a soft landing.
And then there’s Orange Thyme: the troublemaker. Orange is a classic bourbon buddy, catching the spirit’s citrus, vanilla, and cocoa. With an older, high‑proof bourbon, it brightens everything up so the pairing doesn’t feel heavy. The thyme adds a quiet, savory, herbal layer that plays with the oak and spice instead of competing—like the interesting guest at the party who doesn’t need to shout.
So that’s the lineup: a little bourbon nerd history, a simple way to taste, and a flight of chocolates designed to show what happens when good barrels meet good cacao—and maybe make you just a tiny bit obsessed too.
And, if you’re a fan of bourbon, check out my friends at Oakley Spirits.
