Dear Reader,
Welcome. We have reimagined the experience of fine chocolate through the power of storytelling.
In this blog post, you will learn how to enjoy a full sensory experience of tasting Storyline's chocolate bars through our Chocolate Stories. Our tasting wayposts and Chocolate Tasting Wheel will guide your journey. A sample excerpt from our Byways to Montague story is also featured.
A Chocolate Story is a short travel romance that immerses you in the sights, flavors, and heritage of the setting. The Chocolate Story series follows the relationship of Catie and Cole, starting with a sultry summer evening in Boston where they share ice cream and continuing to their third date — a fall road trip in Byways to Montague.
Each edition of our Chocolate Stories includes a curated selection of fine handcrafted chocolate bars that match the setting.
As you read the story, you will be prompted by our tasting wayposts to pause, observe, smell, taste, and savor our delicious chocolate.
We invite you to escape into flavor and savor the story.
It's time to take a moment just for you to enjoy a full sensory experience of delicious chocolate. Be present in this escape.
To prepare for your Chocolate Story, we invite you to get a glass of water (still or sparkling), and tea, coffee, or wine. If you plan to indulge in more than one bar, you may want some crackers to cleanse your palate.
What is a waypost? The term waypost is an old British English term with etymology dating back to 1647. It means a physical marker, sign, or post located along a road or trail. It serves as a guide or landmark in both literal and figurative journeys.
In our Chocolate Stories, a tasting waypost is a cue that tells you exactly when — and how — to taste the chocolate bar. It's our way of turning chocolate into a guided sensory journey.
Pause — Take a moment to reflect on the passage that you just read. Create a mental image of the setting. Imagine yourself in that place, in that moment.
Observe — What does the chocolate bar look like? What color is the bar? Is it muted or shiny? What are its artistic characteristics? Rub it between your fingers. Break a piece apart. Does it snap cleanly, indicating perfect tempering of the chocolate?
Smell — Rub the chocolate bar again. Bring the bar to your nose and inhale. What are the aromatic notes of the bar? Is the aroma light, moderate, or intense?
Taste — The moment you have been waiting for. Take a deep breath.
Refer to our Chocolate Tasting Wheel. Does the flavor evolve or change over time?
Savor — Enjoy another bite of chocolate. Consider your mind-palate connection incorporating all of your senses.
Here is an excerpt from Byways to Montague.
“The garden was absolutely stunning! Pale pink stones formed a pathway that wound through the garden passing under three arched trellises brimming with bright red climbing roses. The pathway led into a courtyard....where a long vineyard table was set for twenty guests. The table was decorated with flaming candelabras and bountiful rose centerpieces, along with single stem roses at each place setting, which, in harmony, emitted a sweet, delicate, intoxicating perfume that one can only find in the garden.”
Below is our Chocolate Tasting Wheel designed specifically to pair with the Storyline Chocolates tasting experience.
The wheel is divided into four sections including appearance, texture, aroma, and flavor. As you taste, look to understand how these different properties occur in chocolate.
Texture has two different sections: the surface touch of the chocolate, and the mouthfeel — how chocolate feels in your mouth.
Appearance includes three sections — the artistry of the chocolate, the color of the chocolate indicating the concentration of cacao, and its surface characteristics.
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the wheel.
The origin story of the company started with a New Year's resolution. Every year, my husband and I create a New Year's resolution that focuses on different experiences that we will enjoy together throughout the year. One year, our resolution was chocolate. We made it a goal to sample the very best from chocolatiers across New England. It was a tasty resolution.
During our chocolate adventures, I realized that while the bonbons and bars were delicious, artfully made with unique recipes, once I took a bite, the adventure was over. I wondered how I could enhance the experience of tasting chocolate through storytelling.
It took almost two years and numerous revisions to write the first Chocolate Story: Byways to Montague. And then another eighteen months to figure out how to make the chocolate, establish a business, and launch.
We are currently offering ticketed tasting events throughout CT. You will also find us at select pop-up events and farmers markets. We take preorders of both the Sundae Nights and Byways to Montague Chocolate Stories. Check out our events page.
Be sure to sign up for our Storyline Inspires Newsletter to receive new story teasers, inspirational vignettes about travel, food, and reading, community impact, and upcoming events before they are promoted. We send our newsletter once per month at the beginning of the month. Join the Story!
No one wakes up one day with a fully formed business, unwavering confidence, and all the answers. Every entrepreneurial journey is a story in progress—one shaped by uncertainty, learning, and the people who walk alongside us.
For me, mentorship has been one of the most constant and grounding forces through every chapter of my life: my career, my education, moments of personal struggle, and now, the journey of building Storyline Chocolates. It’s why this month matters so much to me.
Escape into the flavors of fall with Byways to Montague, the debut Chocolate Story from Storyline Chocolates. You’ll be whisked away on an adventure through the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts during New England’s most spectacular season — autumn.
We’re thrilled to announce the official launch of Storyline Chocolates — a sweet storytelling company that combines a love of literature, fine chocolate, and travel. Our mission? To elevate the experience of fine chocolate through the power of storytelling.
