Sensory Evaluation · Online Trainings
Online Trainings
From a first introduction to cacao flavour to the modules that prepare professionals for CoEx Certification, our online trainings bring the CoEx methodology to you, wherever you are. Sample kits are shipped in advance with clear instructions, so all you need to do is show up and taste.
Coming soonEvery level
From introductory discovery sessions to modules preparing you for certification.
Kits shipped to you
Sample kits and clear instructions arrive at your door before each session.
Small, interactive groups
Sessions are capped at 20 participants, so there is always room for real interaction.
Support after the session
Questions after tasting? Our team follows up with participants by email.
Open Access Sessions
No prerequisites. Open to anyone curious about cacao flavour, at any stage.
Flavour Identification
Our introductory virtual training, where participants discover the key flavours found in cacao. A short introduction to the CoEx methodology is followed by guided tastings of 12 carefully selected cacao mass samples, covering the core attributes and the full range of complementary notes.
Off-Flavours
A guided tasting of a selection of off-flavour sub-attributes, connected to the theory of how off-flavours form. The aim is to experience these defects directly, understand where they come from, and explore the corrective measures that can prevent them.
Flavour Diversity
Discover the diversity of flavour profiles cacao has to offer, tasted through the CoEx Diversity Kit. A natural follow-up to Flavour Identification, putting those skills into practice, or a complete discovery session in its own right, a good starting point before exploring individual attributes in more depth.
Certification Pathway Modules
Open to CoEx Trained Tasters, part of the Personal Development stage on the way to CoEx Certification.
Practice Sessions
Blind tasting sessions where participants evaluate 5 samples using the CoEx Sensory Web Application, then review results together as a group, with space for open discussion. A dedicated kit of blinded samples is sent for each session, no two sessions use the same kit.
Requires Core TrainingIntensity Scoring
A self-paced online module, completed independently using online resources. Participants taste pairs of samples with high and moderate intensities of each core and complementary attribute, to build a better feel for how to use the scale. A follow-up FAQ webinar is organised to discuss the module's outcomes, alongside other topics in preparation for certification.
Requires Core TrainingGlobal Quality Assessment
A kit spanning a full range of quality, from samples that clearly show off-flavours, to good samples lacking balance in their core attributes, to some of the best cacao in the world. While tasting, the session walks through the Global Quality assessment methodology, scoring table and decision tree.
Requires Core TrainingWant a session just for your team?
We can tailor online trainings too, closing a session exclusively for your own organisation, or extending it to include a tasting of your own samples, cacao beans, which we process for you, or cacao mass, evaluated together using the CoEx methodology. Pricing is discussed individually, reach out to talk it through.
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]