Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Ingredients: Premium black teas, organic cacao nibs, natural flavors.
This tea is part of 52Teas Box of Chocolates sampler.
Taster’s Review:
OK… this is the one, the one I’ve been waiting for! The one that I saved for last, hoping it would be the best. I mean, yeah, it’s no secret by now, I love chocolate, but, if there is one “sweet” that I love just as much as chocolate, that would have to be caramel. And when they’re together in one confection, it’s almost heaven. (To reach heaven would require the addition of salt on said confection, or perhaps peppered bacon … yes, yes, I’m a sweet tooth, and I love flavor contrasts like salty and sweet, or even better would be salty, spicy and sweet)
Anyway … I’m happy to say that this tea did not disappoint. Of the six new-to-me chocolate teas in this Box of Chocolates sampler, this tea is my favorite (followed closely by the previous favorite: Cherry Cordial). It has a very pleasing level of chocolate and caramel flavor, and the very first flavor that I tasted with my first sip was that yummy burnt-sugar caramel taste. Mmmmm!
The black tea base works quite well with these flavors. The hint of malt from the Assam offers some dimension to the caramel flavor, while the overall flavor of the tea gives a pleasing depth to the chocolate notes. The tea tastes rich and satisfying, and the sweeter notes of the caramel seem to soften the astringency a bit, creating a smooth, well-rounded taste from start to finish.
This cup of tea made the entire Box of Chocolates sampler worthwhile to me. Yes, I love it that much!
Almond Happiness from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Ingredients: Premium black teas, almond slivers, organic cacao nibs, coconut, natural flavors.
This tea is part of 52Teas’ Box of Chocolates Sampler.
Taster’s Review:
This is the fifth “new-to-me” tea from 52Teas’ Box of Chocolates Sampler, and I think that this is the one I was the one that elicited the most excitement from me when I first opened the box. I think I actually squealed when I saw the tea through the lid of the tin, and then turned the tin over to read the name.
When it comes to chocolate, I generally have pretty expensive taste, but, in a pinch, I’ll settle for a readily available candy bar and this tea is created with one of my favorites in mind (I don’t really need to tell you the name of that candy bar, do I?) So, needless to say, I had high expectations when I brewed this tea.
The aroma wafting from my tea cup at the moment is absolutely delicious. I can smell the sweet almond. YUM! I do wish there was a bit more coconut both in the fragrance and in the flavor. That’s not to say that it isn’t a noticeable flavor, because it is, but in the candy bar, the coconut is the strongest flavor, and that isn’t the case with this tea. Here, the almond dominates, followed by the chocolate and then the coconut.
So while I am enjoying this cup (immensely, I might add!), I do think it could be improved with a little more coconut flavor … and perhaps just a touch of vanilla to amplify the creaminess factor. Because while that candy bar may be for those who feel like a nut… its that creamy coconut that most of us really crave.
I also believe that by increasing the coconut flavor, it would help soften the black tea base here, which isn’t bitter but it is quite astringent, and I think that this takes away from the “joy” just a little bit.
Overall, it is still a VERY good tea, but, I think it could still use a little tweaking to make it even better.
Smoky Chocolate Tea from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Here’s a decadent and unique treat for tea and chocolate lovers. This is one of six new blends we created for our Box of Chocolate samplers. Lapsang souchong is a unique Chinese black tea that is smoke-dried over pine fires. This gives it a one-of-a-kind smoky flavor. For those who are not familiar with smoked teas, our tea of the week this week is a great introduction since we’ve blended the lapsang with (non-smoked) Nilgiri black tea, organic cacao nibs and natural rich chocolate flavoring. The combination yields a decadent, exotic and comforting cuppa that will leave you craving more.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I am not sure what I think about this tea just yet, to be honest. Usually, before I start writing a review, I have a clear idea of how I’ll approach it, but with this tea, I’m not able to do that, because I’ve not yet formed my opinion about the tea. I hope that as I continue to write this review while sipping on the tea, my ideas will come to me. I hope you do not mind me taking you on such a journey!
I usually brew Lapsang Souchong teas in my gaiwan using short steeps, and that’s how I brewed this tea at first. But unfortunately, the short steeps rendered a tea that had very little chocolate flavor because the short steep time did not extract enough flavor from the cacao nibs.
So, I brewed the rest of the sample that I had in this tea in my smart brewer, and hoped that it would turn out better than the previous brewing. I steeped it for 3 minutes using boiling water, and the result is much better: I can taste chocolate now.
But, I also taste a very strong smoky essence from the Lapsang Souchong. I know, I know, that’s supposed to be the idea, right? With a name like Smoky Chocolate, it should be smoky. But I am not so sure about the balance between smoke and chocolate with this. I think I would like it to be a little less smoky and a little more chocolate-y. As it is, the chocolate is delicious, but it’s a little overwhelmed by the smoky notes.
That’s not to say it’s bad. It’s actually good, and the flavor becomes more appealing as I continue to sip. I like that the tea base is a blend of Lapsang Souchong and Nilgiri tea to help cut back on that smoky pine taste just a little. The backdrop of tea flavor is strong and flavorful. I taste hints of pine and an earthiness to the cup, and I find that the earthiness in particular is quite complementary to the flavor of the chocolate.
Is this a favorite from 52Teas? No, but, I did enjoy it, and am glad that I got to try it. I do like how the chocolate and smoke flavors taste together, although I think it would have been better if there was a little less smoke and a little more chocolate. I do find that the chocolate flavors intensify as the tea cools, so if you find with your first few sips of this tea that you want more chocolate taste, just let it cool slightly and I think you’ll discover that chocolate flavor you’re searching for.
This tea is featured in the Box of Chocolates Sampler, and it was the Tea of the Week for the week of February 6, 2012.
Chocolate Raspberry Honeybush from 52Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
Ingredients: Honeybush, organic cacao nibs, freeze-dried raspberries, natural flavors.
This tisane is part of the Box of Chocolates sampler.
Taster’s Review:
I have really been enjoying the chocolate teas and tisanes that came in my Box of Chocolate samplers. This is the third of six new-to-me chocolate teas in the box, and the only naturally caffeine-free selection.
When served piping hot, I find that the flavors of this are a little muddled, but when allowed to cool slightly (to a drinkable temperature, but it’s still hot), the flavors begin to pop. So, if with your first sip or two, you find that you’re not tasting much chocolate or raspberry flavor, give it a few minutes to cool down, and I think you’ll find the flavor begins to come alive.
What I’m discovering with this cup is that the flavors seem to weave their way in and out … with one sip, I notice a stronger raspberry flavor, and the next sip, the chocolate is more pronounced. The raspberry tastes sweet and juicy, with a berry tartness that emerges in the aftertaste. The chocolate has that deep, rich cacao kind of flavor.
The honeybush is nutty and sweet, and as I mentioned a couple of paragraphs ago, the flavor of the honeybush is strongest with those first couple of “hot” sips, and as I make my way toward mid-cup, the flavors become more balanced. This one gets a thumbs up from me!
Organic Fiery Temptress from The Rabbit Hole
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Rabbit Hole
Tea Description:
Chilli and chocolate, such strange bedfellows. Throw a black tea in the mix and you’ve got one mind-blowing brew. Perfect for when you need to spice up your life.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I shop for snacks and treats, one thing I find myself looking for is flavor contrasts. My favorites are salty and sweet – like chocolate and bacon, or salted caramel – and spicy and sweet – like chocolate and chili … as in THIS tea! I find the palate is much more satiated when I appeal to different taste receptors, and right now, this tea is satisfying a certain “hunger” for flavor by appealing to the spicy and the sweet taste receptors on my tongue.
With the first couple of sips, I didn’t notice much of the chili or the chocolate flavors. But by the time I was taking my third or fourth sip, I began to notice the spicy-hot sensation on the back of my throat. This quickly spread to my tongue, and now I am feeling the full effect of the chili pepper in this tea.
The same is true of the chocolate … it wasn’t until about the third or fourth sip that I began to pick up on the cocoa flavors which are more like a dark chocolate-y flavor than a milk chocolate. It is rich and bittersweet and delicious, and helps to balance the spicy hot chili thing going on in my mouth! A fantastic contrast, indeed!
Despite the explosion of heat and sweet in my mouth, the flavor of the black tea is not going unnoticed. It is smooth and richly flavored. It has a solid kind of flavor that this tea needs for a back drop, something even-tempered and mellow to allow the bold flavors of chili and chocolate to express themselves fully.
Another awesome offering from The Rabbit Hole!