Top Brands of Chocolate

Who doesn't love chocolate? As a child, maybe you counted the days until you received your allowance so you could beeline to the store and stock up on your favorites - Snickers and M&Ms, Baby Ruth and Twix. In college, perhaps the Three Musketeers was the drug of choice during late-night paper writing sessions, and maybe you sneaked your own Goobers into the movie theater to save a buck.

Today, it's likely your tastes have matured. While it's nice to indulge in the occasional bag of of Hershey's miniatures, you might splurge on the sea salt caramels at your local chocolatier, or sample a unique bonbon flavored with savory spices and exotic berries. Whatever your poison, chocolate is a taste to enjoy anytime of year. You don't have to wait until Valentine's Day to treat yourself to the best.

Love chocolate? Ready to graduate from the counter of the local drugstore and try some incredible gourmet brands? Chocolate is a delight that remains in vogue, and as people discover the antioxidant properties of dark chocolate especially, one will find it's more available than ever before. Try your favorite gourmet shop, online shopping site, or chocolate reseller for these top brands of chocolate bars and truffles.

• Vosges - With boutiques in Vegas, Chicago, and New York, Vosges is fast becoming a national sensation. This boutique chocolatier is best known perhaps for its unique "bacon bar," a deep milk chocolate with bits of real smoked bacon inside! Before you cringe, definitely give it a try. You won't find a more delectable salty/sweet treat out there. Vosges also offers bacon chocolate caramels and bars featuring other wild ingredients - everything from mushrooms to cayenne peppers.
• NEWTREE - This Belgian chocolate company specializes in chocolate for health. Each product is infused with a particular ingredient that brings out the best in all of us. NEWTREE chocolates are found all over the country in finer grocery stores and chocolate shops.
• Green and Blacks - Organic chocolate at its finest! Green and Black's is fast becoming a grocery staple, offering affordable organic dark and milk varieties. There's even ice cream, too, if you really want to indulge.
• Patric Chocolate - Made by a one-man operation in Missouri, Patric Chocolate is perhaps one of the best brands you'll ever taste. This exclusive brand comes only in three varieties of dark with cacao beans imported from the southern hemisphere. The chocolate is almost like wine in the way it evokes a number of flavors that aren't mixed in with the cocoa butter. Patric retails at a number of local shops, and if you can find it, definitely by a bar!