Lake Champlain Chocolates first tempted us from the checkout line at Whole Foods with the “5 Star Bar.” But it’s teeny and pricey, so we kept skipping it. Our loss! This Vermont chocolate maker produces delicious chocolate gifts and gourmet chocolate.
Lake Champlain Chocolates Review
Dark Chocolate
6.12.05
No fruits or gimmicks needed in this chocolate! No shortage of chocolate flavor, and terrifically creamy. Perhaps almost artificially creamy… too much lecithin? The bar is super thick, which is great because it makes you feel like you’re getting a humongous piece of chocolate, but then again, I am small and it was hard to bite. A minor complaint.
Our rating: 3.75 of 5 bon bons
Dark Chocolate with Peppermint Crunch
8.19.05
Lovers of minty chocolate will not be disappointed. The chocolate alone would be delish; the peppermint gives it a satisfyingly minty crunch. Not a bad holiday gift, methinks.
Our rating: 4 of 5 bon bons
Hazelnut 5 Star Bar
1.21.06
“Chocolate bar” is somewhat of a misnomer here. Although this appears to be a dauntingly thick hunk of solid chocolate, in reality it’s more like a giant truffle. The inside is soft, with a delicate crunch, and the flavor is excellent. Deliciously hazelnutty, not too sweet, and no unpleasant aftertaste. But one should consider it among the truffles or candy bars rather than a plain chocolate bar.
Our rating: 4.25 of 5 bon bons
Sao Thome (70%)
9.18.06
Beautifully packaged in a thick gold wrapper and recyclable paperboard box, this “select origin” bar has a nice aroma and snap. The texture is fairly creamy for a 70%. Our complaint was the flavor, which was good – slightly spicy and a bit fruity – but nothing to write home about. Nothing to keep us from eating more, either.
Our rating: 3.75 of 5 bon bons
You can read more about Lake Champlain Chocolates in Steve Almond’s hilarious book, Candy Freak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America.
