Whetstone Chocolates

This is decent chocolate. It’s not the best around, but some of it is better than average. The toffee crunch sea shells aren’t too bad, and this is the place that made the first chocolate orange, but a lot of their flavors don’t taste true to me.
They do have chocolate covered frozen bananas, and that can be fun on a hot day.
Still, it’s average American chocolate. If you want better quality chocolate, then go to Claude’s. Theirs is legit.

Picture this: Memorial Day weekend, 91+ degrees out. After waiting in a long, slow moving line for 15 minutes at the shop, we finally reach the counter and are informed a) the tours are all sold out, and b) there is no ice so no cold drinks. We were told this once we got to the counter, AFTER someone waited on the people behind us in line before us. We didn’t get snide, or complain, and stood quietly until they finally waited on us and THEN told us no ice and no tour tickets.
I would have thought they could have announced both of those when people walked in, or put a sign on the door! And we were told by a somewhat snide woman at the counter that they aren’t allowed to leave the store to buy ice. Several people behind us overheard that, and were also quite annoyed. It’s hot out and all they have cold is way overpriced water and soda?
The layout of the store is lousy, such that the line bends and stretches out the door, so it’s impossible to browse the chocolates. We therefore didn’t get an opportunity to shop for the chocolates. And the gelato was not very good: tasted more like sorbet than actual cream-​based gelato.
I can’t vouch for the quality of the chocolates either, except to state they were really expensive.

Fun for the kids, but the chocolate isn’t special.

Really informative and delicious tour… our tour guide was awsome Storm was very knowledgable, funny and energetic a must do :-)

The chocolates here are awesome! The sugar free variety they have was impressive. The chocolate is not overpowered with fake sweetener flavors. The sugar free coconut truffle was my favorite. The coconut taste like it was toasted before being coated in chocolate. Some chocolate places don’t put quality into their coconut and its easy to tell. My only regret was not buying more chocolate!

Chocolate is decent, not the best I’ve had by a long shot. I didn’t take the tour, but tried a few truffles and chocolates. It was just kind of average overall.
One annoyance is that there was a line of people and three workers behind the counter, but only one would actually help customers. The others were busy wrapping chocolates.

Don’t know if we just got a bad tour guide, but we basically paid for a 1 hour sales pitch. Tried 4 samples of chocolate. Waste of time.

I made my reservation for 1:30pm on a very hot day in August; it meant my visit to St. Augustine included an after-​lunch visit in air-​conditioning with chocolate! Our guide was Tiffany, and it was obvious that she loves her job and has a great rapport with the other employees we met at Whetstone. Actually, everyone we met, whether in the factory or the storefront, seemed to really enjoy what they do.
We learned about the growth and harvesting of cacao beans, what separates «over-​the-​counter» chocolate from «artisan» chocolate, how different parts of the processed bean are used, a brief history of Whetstone, and how different chocolates (as we consume it) are made. There was not a boring moment: just the right amount of information presented in the right way to keep everyone’s interest, even the kids. There were samples from beginning to end, and you can bet that everyone present used their $ 2 coupon when we ended our tour in the store!

What a cool tour! Our tour guide was funny and educational! I learned a great deal about the sourcing and the processing of chocolate which was very fascinating. Did I mention the tour included chocolate? All of which are delicious. I greatly enjoyed the dark chocolate as I am very much interested in health.

Excellent tour! LOVED the chocolate samples!!! Delicious chocolates and fascinating history of chocolate. Artisanal products far superior to any commercially produced.

Tasted fudge in 3 flavors: chocolate, dark chocolate and vanilla. All bland flavor with a «chewy» consistency, not melt in your mouth. Not the worst fudge ever, but ²⁄₅. Vanilla caramels excellent.

Friendly staff and an assortment of delicious chocolate goodies. I loved the milk chocolate shells as well as the toffee milk chocolate shells. So much so that I went back for the pre packaged bags. The truffles are fantastic had a few different pieces. The only one I didn’t care for was pumpkin and my dad had the frozen hot chocolate. Wow was that delicious. It reminded me of serendipity. They also make these beautiful rose chocolates. Really enjoyed this place. It’s a must try!

Tour was great, Aaron was fun but talked a little fast. Your get a lot of chocolate tastings on the tour and then a $ 2 coupon at the end towards your purchase. Definitely a great place to go when visiting St. Augustine.

The tour was awesome and very informative. Thanks Aaron for a wonderful time!
The chocolate is obviously to die for. Can’t go wrong with any of it!

We were on vacation in St. Augustine with our two young children and both my husband’s and my parents, and decided to do the Whetstone Chocolate Factory tour. When we got there it was pouring down rain, and even with umbrellas we were soaked when we got inside, but that didn’t matter too much because we were excited about the tour. We sat through the video and listened to our tour guide, who was very nice, then we had to go back across the parking lot in the pouring rain to the factory. Luckily they had large umbrellas available for the short walk.
When we got across the parking lot, they had several seats set up, and our tour guide explained about how they convert the cocoa bean into chocolate. Now it was time for the tour, which was what I was most excited about. However, when we got up to go through the doors, the tour guide told us to hold on a second, went back to talk to someone, and then told us that we wouldn’t be able to go back there today. He still gave us our free chocolate samples, but we were never offered any sort of partial refund or anything, which was very disappointing since we didn’t even get to go on the tour of the factory.

Great tour! Really good look at equipment, and samples along the way made it even more fun. Joe was a great guide, funny and quick with a pun. Chocolate was very good, the two dark chocolates were the best!
Lovely high quality chocolates, at good prices. Wish they had more dark chocolate enrobed, but there is plenty for everyone to love.

It was fun on the tour but it’s a big pitch! plus they use soy to make their chocolate! GMO city!!!

Can’t go wrong with a chocolate! We visited Whestone’s for the chocolate tour which was fantastic! The tour is offered several times a day and costs less than $ 10– a bargain as it includes some tastings throughout the tour! We were able to find a coupon in one of the tourist’s booklets, so it’s worth picking up one of those books as it can save you a few bucks. It’s also important to show up a bit early as the tour can fill up.
The tour included a quick video, an overview of the chocolate making process and a walk through the factory! Throughout the tour our guide shared samples of different chocolates, illustrating the different styles of the chocolate they make. It was very informative but kept moving at a steady pace.
With your tour sticker you also get a discount in the chocolate store, which features a lot of unique products. I purchased a chocolate covered s’more which was terrific!

We’ve been to Whetstone and did their chocolate tour. It was fun, informative and worth the $ 8 ticket. But only to do one time. Been there done that. This time we stopped by as we drove from Orlando to Jacksonville for one thing– the frozen hot chocolate.
There always seems to be a small crowd in the small space but the service is pretty quick and efficient. As we waited our turn, we were able to admire all the chocolates– from chocolate covered orange slices to the many flavors of truffles. All made right there in the chocolate factory next door. Yum.
They also have a varied selection of gelato. Though I was tempted to try the salted caramel I had to stick with my plan– the frozen hot chocolate. We just needed a little pick me up for the last hour of our drive north.
Frozen Hot Chocolate isn’t a chocolate milkshake. The flavor cannot be described other than it tastes just like you expect a frozen hot chocolate to taste. Like hot chocolate… only frozen. So delicious. Yummy. Creamy and chocolaty. All I can say is it is worth the trip in and not too expensive at $ 4.25 a pop.
There are two things that are required for a successful trip to St. Augustine– a gourmet popsicle from The Hyppo and a frozen hot chocolate from Whetstones. ‘Nuff said. 5 out of 5 sprouts just for the frozen hot chocolate.
Whetstone Chocolates has three locations in St. Augustine including a spot in the downtown district– perfect for grabbing a frozen hot chocolate while you shop and see the sights.

The savory smell of chocolate greets you upon opening the door to this quaint little store. The actual shop itself is small in space, but they have a small area in another room with tables that grant guests refuge from the sweltering Florida heat. This is also where the guests meet to begin the guided tour of the chocolate factory.
My children and I walk into the store. I inquire about the tour. The next one did not start until 1, so we had an hour to kill. I head straight back to the gelato. I mean, gelato and hot summer days go together like peanut butter and jam.
I ordered the cappuccino caramel latte gelato for myself. Then, I ordered strawberry sorbet for my toddler and lemon chiffon gelato for my 8-​year-​old. Well, actually he ordered it and kept pronouncing it incorrectly. He made the ladies behind the counter giggle and smile widely though. I am sure he made their day with his charm.
We sit down and eat our gelato. It was fabulous and hit the spot on this scorcher of a day. Shortly after, the tour started. We watched a short film on the history of chocolate in the room next door, then proceeded across the street to the factory. Preceding our departure, the guide needed a volunteer to lead the group, so my 8-​year-​old enthusiastically volunteered us.
Before entering, we were required to put on hair nets. Naturally, I don’t think anyone wants to find hair in their chocolates or other delicate sweets. We sat down for a short demonstration on how the chocolate is made and were given samples of various chocolates. They were delicious. Then we continued on our tour of the rest of the factory.
We were allowed to watch the machines in operation, many of which were invented by Henry Whetstone himself. It was amazing to see how the machines worked. It was quite loud though.
We loved the tour and the guide was extremely friendly and knew her stuff. At the end of the tour, we were given a discount towards our purchase. The factory is small, but extremely popular. I would definitely stop by if you are in the area.