In this episode of Bean to Barstool, David Nilsen talks with Nicole Hewat, founder of World Tree Chocolate. World Tree offers curated chocolate boxes based on flavor preferences, but Nicole is also an artist, and she has used cacao in various forms for watercolor paintings as well as illustrations for a book about the cacao-growing and chocolate-making process. During our conversation we talked about flavor and the tasting experience, her process for creating her paintings, and the way flavor can interact with our emotions and the art we take in during the tasting process.

The driving theme of Bean to Barstool is the interaction of flavor with our memories, emotions, and imaginations. When David first saw the Nicole Hewat’s paintings at World Tree Chocolate using chocolate by-products as paint, he was intrigued by this extension of that idea. Here were the very ingredients that create the flavors of chocolate being used in another sensory medium, conveying color and shape and place. Nicole sees a great deal of overlap and influence between our senses, with everything from music to weather to visual art influencing her flavor perception. Listen in as David and Nicole discuss these interactions and take a deep dive into her artistic process. Even though the main subject is chocolate, these observations on the tasting experience extend to beer or any other food or beverage.

You can purchase find out more about World Tree Chocolate here.

You can purchase tickets for the Beer Chocolate Virtual Tasting mentioned in the episode here.

Bean to Barstool is a podcast that looks at the intersections between craft beer and craft chocolate, using them as lenses for exploring the world of flavor and the way flavor interacts with our memories, emotions, imaginations and even our identities to teach us more about who we are. It is hosted by Advanced Cicerone® David Nilsen. Bean to Barstool recently joined the PorchDrinking podcast network, so be sure to check out all their episodes here.

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