I don’t know about anyone else, but I am a chocolate lover. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, caramels, chocolate covered fruit - you name it. And the best place to go for chocolate in Amish Country is Coblentz Chocolate Company.
Founded in 1987 by Jason and Mary Coblentz in their own kitchen, the chocolate company has grown from 3 employees and 24 varieties of chocolates in 1987 to 65 employees and 114 varieties of chocolates in 2017. Recently, my boyfriend and I attended the annual tasting event at Coblentz and were blown away by the sheer amount of confectionary delights that are made by Coblentz Chocolates. Coblentz uses fresh local cream and butter and the difference is evident in the taste and quality of their chocolates. The aroma that fills the air when you enter the chocolate shop is the stuff dreams are made of. Just heavenly. Winding our way through the shop to start the event, it was hard to stay focused. Tables and shelves are filled with candies and chocolates, she that are so pretty they don’t look like they could be or should be eaten. The shop itself is really beautiful as well. From the intricate ceiling to the wooden floors, the lighting, the decor and the friendly smiles of the staff, you just know a good experience is in store.
After being given our numbers and hair nets, we entered the production area and stopped at the first of three stations where we could make our own treats to take home! The first stop was apples Now, I love apples anyway, but being given three different options of melted sweet goodness to dip them in was just the best way to start a Friday evening. After choosing your dip, you can head over to add any the toppings of your choice. I went with caramel dip and toasted coconut topping. I could have added more, but chose to go all out with the candy bar instead! This was my favorite part. There was a table filled with bowls of toasted coconut, coffee, almonds, pecans, peanuts, candy pieces, walnuts and toffee chips to add to your milk or dark chocolate bar. You mix it up, press it into a mold and send it through the chiller and when you’re done you have your very own custom candy bar. Mine was sooo good! The coffee really gave it some added depth - be sure to try it when you go next year! After our custom candy bar, we filed chocolate dipped waffle cones with dried fruit, nuts and candies. Our treat cones were the final stop in the production room and a fun treat to make and snack on later! After our treats were made, we walked the production facility and the store itself sampling chocolates until we just couldn’t eat any morel The gracious staff at Coblentz had hot coffee and bottles of water ready to us so we could cleanse our palates at each tasting stations. These tasting stations were set up everywhere. Table upon table filled with all your favorite chocolates, spiced nuts, flavored popcorn, mints, caramels and fudge. The whole experience was truly a treat for the senses. In addition to tasting and smelling amazing, Coblentz chocolates are visually appealing as well. Smooth chocolates, walls of gummy treats an jelly beans and gift sets in the shape of a baseball, golf bag or even a tool set is just so impressive. We walked away with a fairly large bag goodies; not only the treats we made, but plenty of extras to take home for our families & friends! I’m so looking forward to going back next year! And one of the best parts is that you can order your favorite treats online; Coblentz ships anywhere in the US so visit www.coblentzchocolates.com or stop by the store and pick up some amazing chocolates! Coblentz Chocolates is supplying all the chocolates for this year’s Best of Ohio’s Amish Country Chocolate Tour so be sure to get your tickets right away!