Local Product Taste Test: Lake Champlain Organic Bars & Five-Star Bars

The Panel: Suzanne Podhaizer, Alice Levitt, Dan Bolles, Steve Hadeka

The Product: Four varieties of Lake Champlain chocolates. We tried organic Milk, Sea Salt & Almonds; organic Dark Spicy Aztec; and Five-Star bars in Hazelnut and Fruit & Nut.

Why chocolate? Because Sunday is Valentine's Day.

The Verdict:

Overall: While members of the group had different preferences, there wasn't a single thumbs down in the mix.

Dan - Thumbs Up. If you're looking to, er, spice up your Valentine's Day, you could do worse than the Aztec bar. It's like there is a party in your mouth and everyone's invited.

Steve - Thumbs Up. I found the praline element [in the Hazelnut bar] to be the strong point in this one. The unexpected crispness was really fun and contrasted nicely with the crunch of the nut. [Spicy Aztec was] my least favorite of the bunch, yet the most creative and daring. The pumpkin seeds were an unexpected touch. Who doesn't love pairing of pumpkin and spice?

Suzanne - Thumbs Up. The crystals of salt were my favorite part of the organic milk chocolate bar, which otherwise might have been too sweet for my taste. I enjoyed the smooth texture of the hazelnut bar's filling, punctuated by crisp bits, but the sweet 'n' spicy Aztec was my favorite of the bunch.

Alice - Thumbs Up. I enjoyed all of the varieties that we tried. Would I feel like a tool paying $2.99 for a Five-Star bar, which although delicious, is Halloween candy sized? Absolutely. I would be thrilled if someone gave me a hazelnut one, however. I would be willing to drop some bills on the Aztec bar. I'm a mark for cinnamon and cayenne, and the pepitas were a fun, unique addition.

What do you think of Lake Champlain chocolates?