Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Tea Description:
Do you love chocolate but hate the calories? This tea may be the answer! Made from all organic and natural ingredients, this black tea blend tastes decadent with no residual weight effects. The aroma of this tea reminds me of my grandma’s kitchen when all of us kids were able to coax her into baking us brownies … delicious….
Ingredients: Organic China black tea, organic cocoa nibs, organic cinnamon pieces and natural flavoring.
Brew tea at 212º – steep for 3 minutes.
Certified Kosher
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I received this in a tea trade and was eager to try it because I had yet to try a tea from Simpson and Vail. So far I have been quite pleased with all three of the Simpson and Vail teas I received in this trade!
Having never tried Simpson and Vail before I took a look around their site and was impressed that this is a family run business, the prices are quite fair, and they have an amazing selection of teas, coffee, food, and tea ware. They also have recipes, and all of their information regarding health, shipping, policies, etc are easy to find. I truly enjoy a well laid out website that offers easy to find information, and is user friendly.
Needless to say I will be revisiting the Simpson and Vail site again to place an order of my own!
The base used in this tea is quite bold, which I like. Especially for a morning wake up tea. Sure this is a dessert tea but no one can tell me I can’t have my dessert tea for breakfast.
The cinnamon is a nice touch, but only a touch, and unlike many teas with cinnamon in them, the cinnamon in this tea does not take over. The chocolate is not over the top either but tastes like a darker chocolate to me. Now I am picky when it comes to chocolate flavoring in tea. Usually, in my opinion, the chocolate flavor used in tea often comes over as really cheap tasting. Like the easter chocolate eggs you could find at a local dollar store. Not good. This however, is a nice chocolate flavor and that is because they used real cocoa nibs, organic cocoa nibs at that! A true chocolate taste.
Now I may not be as in love with this tea as my sisters are, but it is a good hearty blend with well balanced flavors that taste the way the name eludes that it will. However it is not quite as “dessert-y” as one may hope for when reaching for a dessert-y tea. On the other hand it is a wonderfully flavored tea for breakfast when one does not want their standard black.
I do notice as the tea cools more of the flavor develops so don’t be in too big of a rush enjoying this tea … give it a chance to show you all it has to offer.
I look forward to trying more from Simpson and Vail.
