Trick or treat—the end of October is back already! With National Chocolate Day tomorrow and Halloween on Friday, it’s a good time to stock up on the chocolate form of caffeine. And whether you’re sharing with friends or keeping it all to yourself, it’s nice to splurge a bit on something nicer than Tootsie Rolls. Check out our guide to the best from chocolatiers across the Northwest, from lightest to darkest.
0 percent: Though it’s made entirely without cacao, B.C.’s Roger’s Chocolates’ Ghoulish Ghost in white chocolate is a perfect bet this week. || $4.99/2.8 ounces
31 percent: Portland’s Moonstruck Chocolate’s milk chocolate bars clock in at 31 percent cacao across the board. A good bet is the variety incorporating sea salt and toffee. || $10/3 bars
45 percent: Seattle’s Theo Chocolate is making a 2014 limited edition Monkey Bar, incorporating banana chips, pretzel bits and toasted almonds. || $4/1o-ounce bar
55 percent: Boehm’s Candies of Issaquah, Washington, sells a variety of single-origin box samplers, including milk, medium-dark and dark boxes of Hawaiian chocolates. The medium-dark, at 55 percent cacao, marries the best of the other two. || $10/3.5o-ounce box
68 percent: A 2013 gold medalist at TasteTV’s Chocolate Bar Awards, Vancouver, BC,’s Gem Chocolates offers a Lost & Found bar, showcasing rare and recently rediscovered varieties of cacao. The Pure Nacional Fortunado No. 4 bar, at 68 percent cacao, shows off a chocolate thought lost entirely until 2007. || $8/1.2 ounces
70 percent: Like Theo, Portland’s Woodblock Chocolate “manufactory” bills itself as a bean to bar chocolatier. Woodblock’s constantly changing ten-bar sampler set includes chocolates from various origins (Venezuela, Madagascar) as well as bars including combinations of sea salt and cacao nibs. All are cast at 70 percent. || $45/10 bars
74 percent: Out of Missoula, Mont., Posh Chocolat’s Coffee & Dark Chocolate Bar Set includes twelve 74 percent bars with crushed Brazilian coffee beans pressed into the backs of them. || $60/12 bars
85 percent: In Boise, Dream Chocolate leans towards purity, selling a rich and midnight-dark Extreme Dark Chocolate bar which weighs in at 85 percent. || $3.99/2 ounces
