Rhyme and Reason Chocolate Company

 Located at 301-D State Street, Rhyme and Reason Chocolate Company offers bean-to-bar craft chocolate bars. The store is open from 10:30-6 Tuesday-Saturday, noon-6 on Sunday, and closed on Mondays. Online shopping is available.

 

Though North Carolina does not lack high-quality artisanal chocolate (see Black Mountain in Winston-Salem or Videri in Raleigh), Rhyme and Reason offers amazing concoctions the likes of which I have not encountered anywhere else. Their dark chocolate comes from two cacao sources: an Ecuadorian bean that delivers the familiar robust flavor and a rarer (stateside, at least) Thai bean that offers a naturally sweeter and fruitier taste. Rhyme and Reason’s take on a spicy bar stands out, too. Instead of cayenne, they use paprika, which offers heat toward the back end rather than hitting you right up front. Their other flavored bars include raspberry, orange, coffee, and rotating seasonal selections. All are good, and none imparts an artificial aftertaste. Speaking of artificiality, for those who’ve ever been disappointed by waxy, chemical-laden white chocolate, Rhyme and Reason’s version will be a revelation.

 

As expected, Rhyme and Reason’s offerings are not cheap though they are more affordable than I had anticipated. A bar will set you back $8. The quality of the products alone makes a compelling case for shelling out that much, and the people behind them only add to it. Engineer-turned-chocolatier Elizabeth Tully is the kind of exacting, benign mad scientist that we need more of while her partner is a good salesman who is generous with samples.

 

Whether you’re shopping for a chocolate gift or a snack for yourself, whether you like classic dark or milk chocolate or want to mix it up, Rhyme and Reason has you covered. You really can’t go wrong here.

Brasstown Craft Chocolate

 

Located at 5029 Country Club Road in the Club Haven shopping center in Winston-Salem, Brasstown Craft Chocolate offers craft chocolate bars, bon-bons, and other chocolate products. It is open Tuesday through Saturday for in-store shopping. Online ordering and shipping are available.

 

Coming from the chocolate desert that is High Point, Brasstown Chocolate was a welcome find that reminded me of Foster Hobbs Coffee: a small concern that uses high-quality ingredients and takes its products seriously without a hint of elitism. When my wife and I visited, we were impressed by Brasstown’s selection: more than half a dozen bars and at least as many bon-bon flavors. The chocolates in question use organic fair-trade cacao beans, and each country of origin lends the resulting chocolate a different flavor profile. Considering the ingredient quality, pricing was more affordable than expected: we lucked out and hit a $1 apiece sale on the bon-bons (bars run under $10). A sampler thereof and a chili bar made for a promising haul.

 

The bon-bons did not disappoint. From amaretto to hazelnut to Irish cream, each flavor was recognizable – and tasty. The chili bar was more subdued than others I’ve had, offering a little bit of heat on the back end.

 

Black Mountain remains my go-to chocolate spot for Winston visits, but for those who live in town, Brasstown’s product quality, flavor assortment, and customer service make it absolutely worth visiting.