Cool Hunting

Chocolove's quality bars shouldn't be a discovery to those of you with a sweet tooth. They consistently deliver great taste and quality at a very reasonable price. I'm particularly fond of the Cherries and Almond bar (though 55% is a bit lighter than I usually prefer). I'm particularly excited about two new additions to the Chocolove line: 2004 Vintage bars, and their new line of organic bars out this fall.

When the cocoa beans are especially good Chocolove makes bars from a single vintage and a single region. It's been five years since the last vintage bars, and they never know when the next crop will be vintage-worthy so stock up now. Three vintage bars have been released in limited quantities (only 20,000 of each bar was made) and are available now: Sâo Tomé (an island off eastern Africa) a 70% cocoa bar; Grenada, a 60% cocoa bar; and Java, a milk chocolate bar with 33% cocoa. Each has a very distinct taste (my favorite is the Sâo Tomé), and like a fine wine their taste changes over time.

Pick up a case of 12 bars online for only $24--hardly more than you pay for a crappy chocolate bar in the office vending machine. And keep an eye out for the new organic bars that launch this fall...