Every now and then I come across a product that is so exceptional that it makes me gasp in wonder. That was the reaction awhile ago when I tried Black Dinah Chocolatiers amazing chocolates. Back in April I was on a radio show about food entrepreneurs and met Steve & Kate and had a great time hearing their story and tasting their chocolates. They sent me a sample of their line a week or two later, and I have been meaning to write about them, but lost my tasting notes and photos. Well, I realized the other day that all the info was on my computer in the distillery, not the one in my home office.

Black Dinah Chocolatiers are located on the island of Isle au Haut off the coast of Down East, Maine. With only fifty year round residents, Isle au Haut is a small community that increases in size every summer when day-trippers and summer folks visit the island. Kate uses local fresh cream; as well as local, organic, spices and herbs, fruits, honey, flowers, etc. These are combined with the highest quality, artisanal, single-origin, Venezuelan couverture chocolate. If you would like to hear an interview with Kate and Steve follow this link and listen to the April 20th show, segment one. (Of course if you listen to segment two as well, you can hear me talk about spirits and cocktails.)

After making my way through the box I realized that these were the best chocolates I have ever had. I'm not always a chocolate lover. It takes A LOT to impress me. I've tried tons of artisanal chocolates, and even consulted to a chocolatier, helping design new liquor and wine fillings. So when I say these are the best, I mean the BEST!

Here are some of the chocolates I tried.

Chocolate Gingerbread: Excellent, a hint of molasses and warm spices in a deep chocolate truffle with a dash of ginger.

Lemon: Mmmm... I usually don't care for lemon sweets much, but the light lemon hints buried within white chocolate corrected the error of my ways.

The Eastside Flamingo: Ginger and Rum and vanilla in white chocolate ganache, enrobed in dark chocolate. With rum, ginger, vanilla, white and dark chocolate; how can you go wrong?

Gonne, Maude: Milk chocolate and Irish whisky, covered with dark chocolate and a sultana raisin garnish.

Hazelnut Latte: Better than sipping a hazelnut latte.

Earl Grey: Elegant, hard to describe, but I could eat a lot of these.

Lavender: Floral and deep, both masculine and feminine at the same time.

0-20 Degrees Latitude: Coffee. Oh My! Now That's Coffee!

Sexi Mexi: Hint of cinnamon and ancho chile pepper. Like sensually kissing a sexy Senorita (or Senor, that's your choice.)

Bees and Flowers: Orange blossom honey plays well with the chocolate.

If you click here you can find out more about their line of chocolates at Black Dinah Chocolatiers.