Successful completion leads to recognition as CoEx Trained Taster, and opens the pathway to official CoEx Certification for professionals who wish to go further.
Sensory Evaluation · Core Training
Core Training in Sensory Evaluation
A four day intensive course designed to give participants a thorough, hands on understanding of the CoEx methodology and the common sensory language used to describe cacao quality and flavour. Rather than relying on theory alone, the training is built around direct tasting experience, working with real cacao samples that cover the full range of attributes on the CoEx flavour wheel.
See upcoming sessionsObjectives
The training builds a solid, shared foundation in sensory analysis. Through guided tastings, participants learn to recognise, differentiate and describe flavour attributes with increasing precision, while progressively calibrating their perceptions against shared references. By the end of the course, participants can apply the CoEx methodology autonomously and communicate cacao quality in a structured, consistent way.
Who is this for
Why join this training
Built on the CoEx methodology
Grounded in the Guide for the Assessment of Cacao Quality and Flavour, developed with the CoEx Technical Committee and tested across past Editions of the Cacao of Excellence Awards.
A complete foundation
Covers the full CoEx flavour wheel, from core attributes to complementary notes and off-flavours, so participants leave with a rounded, structured understanding rather than partial exposure.
Unique, world class samples
Cacao mass samples used in Core Training are selected from entries submitted to the Cacao of Excellence Awards, drawing on cacao from all major producing regions of the world. Every sample has already been pre-selected at national level through the Awards process, meaning participants taste some of the finest, most distinctive cacao available anywhere.
Samples are evaluated by the CoEx Technical Committee and analysed using Principal Component Analysis and k-means clustering to map the diversity of flavour profiles present within the pool of high quality cacao. This data driven approach allows samples to be selected either for a clear, targeted expression of a single attribute, or for the diversity and contrast of their overall profile, depending on the objective of each session.
This biplot groups cacao samples by flavour profile similarity. Each point is a sample, coloured by cluster, flavour attribute vectors show the direction and strength of their influence on the two main components.
Training modules
The course combines preparatory steps, an introduction to the methodology and tools, theoretical grounding, and a sequence of practical sensory sessions.
Preparation in advance of training
Sign up to the CoEx Sensory Web App and test it with any sample.
Introduction to the CoEx methodology
Discover and implement our methodology and tools.
Theoretical courses on cacao quality and flavour
The science behind cacao flavour, and how samples are prepared.
Flavour identification
Identify and understand flavour attributes in cacao samples.
Flavour diversity
Explore diverse cacao flavour profiles from around the world.
Blind evaluations
Apply the CoEx methodology in real evaluation conditions.
Blind tests
Validate your learning by identifying samples under blind conditions.
Optional extra day
An optional fifth day can be tailored to specific needs, with possibilities including a laboratory processing day or a field visit at origin.
Laboratory Processing
A hands on processing session at our Perugia lab: bean evaluation, roasting and processing into cacao mass.
Field Visit at Origin
Observe quality creation at origin through plantation management, harvesting, fermentation and drying.
This day can also include calibration exercises using participants' own cacao or chocolate samples.
Leads to CoEx Trained Taster
Successful completion of Core Training grants participants the status of CoEx Trained Taster, recognised through a Certificate of Completion and inclusion in the official CoEx registry. For professionals aiming higher, it is the required first step on the path toward CoEx Certification.
Latest News
First Cacao of Excellence Core Training in Sensory Evaluation to be Held at the CoEx R&D Lab
The first Cacao of Excellence (CoEx) Core Training in Sensory Evaluation will take place in October 2026 at… [+ more]
Indonesian Researchers Strengthen Capacity Around Cacao Flavour Evaluation and Quality Assessment
As cacao-producing countries increasingly seek to strengthen their own capacity around flavour evaluation, processing innovation and quality… [+ more]