Hey, y'all. Aaron here. 👋

Since I've been writing this newsletter, you've probably learned a few things about me by now — I love basketball, the Red River Gorge, and hanging with my family.

But did you know I have a massive sweet tooth?

Since it's Halloween week, I figured it was time to sample some of Lexington's top-selling, locally-made candies.

But I couldn't go on this journey alone. So I brought my 7-year-old son alongto sample, review, and rank candies made in the Bluegrass.

After all, who is a better candy expert than a 7-year-old? | Photo by LEXtoday

The review

Here's what we tried, ranking each candy from one to five:

Chocolate-covered potato chips | Old Kentucky Chocolates | Salty, sweet + unconventional
- Aaron's score: 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫
- Kid's score: 🍫
Milk Derby Mint |Old Kentucky Chocolates | For fans of mint juleps + mint chip ice cream
- Aaron's score: 🍫
- Kid's score: 🍫🍫🍫🍫
Chocolate-covered caramels | Sharp's Candies of Kentucky, 2021 Regency Dr. | MilkyWay's ain't got nothing on this
- Aaron's score: 🍫🍫🍫🍫
- Kid's score: 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫
Saddle snacks | Sharp's Candies of Kentucky, 2021 Regency Dr. | Similar to Snickers, but extra nutty — made with pecans
- Aaron's score: 🍫🍫🍫
- Kid's score: 🍫🍫🍫
Bourbon balls | Ruth Hunt Candies, 213 Walton Ave. | Tourists love them — locals are indifferent
- Aaron's score: 🍫🍫🍫
- Kid's score: 🍫🍫
Blue Monday | Ruth Hunt Candies, 213 Walton Ave. | A candy that's been made in Kentucky for almost 100 years — dark chocolate coating with a candy-cream center
- Aaron's score: 🍫🍫
- Kid's score: 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫

The verdict

Winners:
- Chocolate-covered caramels | This was the candy that received the highest combined score. This one is a sure-fire bet to satiate any sweet tooth.
- Chocolate-covered potato chips | I gave this a perfect 5/5 due to its unique salty + sweet qualities. I thought this would be a good choice for a party — talk about a conversation starter. My son, however — was not impressed.