Kilwin's

In a word: Not a candy spouse, more of a candy crush.

The specs: #00929   
208 State St., 53703
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JM and Nichole bought 3 slices of fudge, a caramel apple, and a single-origin chocolate bar. The bill was $27.
JM gave Kilwin's a B; Nichole gave Kilwin's a B+ (see our grading rubric).

Nichole stopped at Michigan-based Kilwin's on Halloween to pick us up some sweets. The State Street store has a display full of chocolate- and caramel-dipped cookies and crispy treats, lots of packaged things like malted milk balls, truffles, and caramel corn, plus an ice cream counter in back and a couple small tables. In the candy store firmament, it's probaby comparable to Chocolaterie Stam in that it's a bit upscale and more boutique, but also not as single-mindedly chocolate-based as an all-truffle place. When in need of a sweet and pretty gift, it would be a good place to consider.

After hemming, hawing, and asking for help, Nichole settled on three kinds of store-made fudge (dark chocolate, salty caramel, and maple). All were buttery (JM said not quite buttery enough) and while excellent in recipe, a bit dried out around the edges. The maple was loaded with walnuts, and the dark chocolate was excellent, with much more chocolate intensity than your average fudge. The salty caramel was a good recommendation, too.

Later on, the 80% cocoa Peruvian chocolate bar was like wow, smooth and balanced. The caramel-coated, Columbia-county-grown apple was snappy and sweet, though at a whopping $7 an expensive treat.

We'd probably stop in again for a special occasion; there's lots to like.