Hoffmann of the Month: October

Last October, BYU's stud wide receiver Cody Hoffman was named the "Hoffmann of the Month," and it worked out nicely for both parties. That post has been viewed more times than any other on this blog, by a wide margin. The effect on Cody was even more noticeable: to that point in the season, Hoffman had played 5 games, but only netting over 100 receiving yards once and catching one touchdown (he also had a special teams TD). After he won this blog's highest honor, he had 100+ yards in 4 of the last 8 games and scored 9 touchdowns.

Whether the October 2012 Hoffmann of the Month will have the same impact on me or on the honoree remains to be seen, but regardless, Hoffman's Chocolate is worthy of the distinction.

Hoffman's began decades ago as a small, family-run chocolate shop in Florida, but they seem to be growing pretty rapidly, and you can get their chocolate shipped to you anywhere in the United States. All of their stuff (such as the chocolate covered strawberries pictured above) looks amazing, though I'm admittedly not hard to impress when it comes to chocolate. (The only time I remember ever not liking chocolate was when I dipped some orange chicken in fondue.) They're also smart marketers--who wouldn't want to try something called a "Wheel of Treats?"

I chose to honor HC now because it's the month of Halloween, my favorite candy holiday. My rankings may not match up with the general public--Hoffman's Halloween selection is pretty limited, they have videos online touting their popularity at Christmas and Valentine's (their busiest time of the year), and at one time had the millennium's best Easter basket, according to one prominent publication.

(My rankings of the major candy holidays:

1. Halloween
2. Easter
3. Christmas
4. Valentine's Day

All four are roughly equal in terms of chocolate; the products are basically the same, just with variations to shapes and packaging depending on the holiday. I'm not a big fan of candy corn or jelly beans, but they're both tons better than those V-Day conversation hearts. Christmas doesn't have a nasty candy to ding its ranking, but there's so much other stuff, food and otherwise, associated with it that candy gets a little lost in the shuffle. Ultimately, my fondness for Halloween generally gives it the nod over Easter. I'm sure you're all fascinated by this.)

Whether they emphasize Halloween or not, I feel confident in my prediction that their chocolate is excellent. Congratulations, Hoffman's Chocolate! Welcome to the elite ranks of the Hoffmann of the Month club!