You know the Old El Paso taco shell commercial where they’re trying to decide between hard shells and and soft shells for tacos and then the cute little girl comes along and asks “Why not both?” and the whole city celebrates this great revelation? That is what coffee-flavored teas make me think of – someone trying to bridge the gap between the coffee camp and the tea camp, bringing us all together with one hybrid beverage. Such is the case with this Coffee or Tea? drink from TeaTaxi.
This blend is made of black tea, broken cocoa bits, brittle pieces, chocolate chips, roasted coffee beans, and free-dried yogurt granules. I set up half my sample (about 1-1.5 tsp) in vanilla almond milk yesterday to cold brew overnight and the rest was steeped per the package directions, 3 minutes in almost boiling water.
Now I don’t drink coffee so I am probably not the best person to determine accuracy of flavor but the hot tea definitely has the taste of the roasted coffee beans (at least it reflects how they smell) combined with chocolate. It is a medium-bodied tea with strong flavor which makes for easy drinking. It is a touch bitter but that is balanced by the slightest bit of brittle peaking through. It is by no means a cup of coffee but it does have more coffee to it than the other coffee flavored teas I have tried.
This cold brewed in vanilla almond milk is not my favorite. I think the vanilla of the almond milk is just far too strong and it butt heads with the more roasted quality of the coffee beans. I thought it might make for a sort of coffee with cream vibe but instead the two flavors just don’t blend at all and the vanilla drowns out the chocolate that worked so well with the coffee in the hot tea. So this was a bit of a fail, more because of the flavored almond milk than a reflection of the tea itself.
I am definitely a member of the tea camp and though coffee-flavored teas catch my interest, I am usually never a fan. Though this is not one I intend to stock anytime soon, I will say it is one of the better coffee-flavored teas I have had. The combination of the coffee and chocolate with the hint of brittle in the hot tea reminds me ever so slightly of a more roasty coffee crisp bar or perhaps dark chocolate covered coffee beans.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Taxi
Description
This chocolaty black tea with a high caffeine content offers the best of both worlds.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Hazelnut. . .Chocolate. . .Yerba Mate. . . Mocha Nut Mate from Adagio Teas
Okay, full disclosure here, I was really hesitant about this blend. I am not a fan of mocha/coffee flavor at all. I switched from coffee to tea a long time ago and don’t really like tea that tastes like coffee. However, the smell of the dry leaf was enticing me because I could smell the hazelnut and chocolate and it smelled delicious. I’ve never had mate before and I hear its loaded with caffeine, so if you are looking for an energy boost this just may be a great tea for you.
The steeped liquid looked as dark as coffee and I feel like if I added a little cream you would have thought it was coffee in my cup opposed to tea! I added just a pinch of agave to this one, and that’s usual for me, but I really did it because this blend includes dark chocolate and mocha flavor- both of which can be very bitter especially in combination with each other. Not going to lie, I was not a fan of this. The only reason I didn’t like it is because it was true to its name- mocha. This tea tasted just like a cafe mocha with a dash of hazelnut and chocolate! I did not finish the cup, but my coffee-loving boyfriend did and he thoroughly enjoyed it!!!
Unfortunately this tea was not my “cup of tea” (pun intended). But that doesn’t mean that this wasn’t a good blend. It actually would have been a favorite of mine if I enjoyed the flavors of mocha and dark chocolate. It was true to its name and the flavors were bold and smooth and comforting. I think that if you like coffee or are looking for an alternative to coffee, you will really love this tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Mate
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Taking The Day On With My Morning Blend from The NecessiTeas. . .
I drank three cups of this before I wrote this review because I read that there were chocolate/cocoa nibs in here — but I could never find them. I’ve never given up on locating Waldo, so I don’t know why I’d quit on this tea.
But friends, despite the delicious chocolate smell in the dry leaf, I cannot pinpoint any chocolate flavoring in this tea.
Which is not to say the tea is bad. It’s a lovely Assam-y bread-y malt-y mix. A dark blend of sultry Eastern European men telling fortunes and learning to box. Like, if the Winter Soldier were a tea, this might be the one.
The caffeine content is no joke. I could actually feel my brain rousing itself. “AHA. THE DAY. GOT IT. ON IT NOW.”
It’s weird that wake-up juice comes from natural sources like tea leaves. Doesn’t caffeine seem like something that would have come from a lab, like some kind of drug? You could imagine some sort of mad scientist raging “LIKE GARFIELD, I HATE MONDAYS. I MUST IMPROVE MY LOT.” And storming around, lab coat flapping behind his frenzied, sweaty body, as he crafted a glowing substance that looks a lot like alien pee and/or Mountain Dew.
Nope? Just me?
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
If you are looking for a wake-me-up, perk-me-up cup in the morning, that’s off the beaten path of coffee, look no further. This strong black tea has the smoothness of chocolate, and the boldness of roasted cocoa beans. Doctor it as you would a cup of coffee, with milk and sugar to start off your day!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Macchiato Dream Rooibos Blend from Steeped Tea. . . . .
“OK, cats, throw your mittens round your kittens. Away we go!” It’s time for a wild ride with Macchiato Dream Rooibos Tea from Steeped Tea and if you can name the movie this quote came from you get 3 gold stars for the day!
Macchiato Dream Rooibos Tea from Steeped Tea contains Red Rooibos, cocoa bean bits, coffee beans, and flavoring. It smells like coffee and rooibos and it looks like a rooibos tisane color once infused, too!
The flavor is a hefty combo of coffee, sweet rooibos, and cocoa. If you are switching from coffee to tea or want to combine your coffee and tea flavors this is ideal! Sure it contains caffeine but I’m not afraid. Macchiato Dream Rooibos Tea from Steeped Tea takes you on a wild ride that’s for sure! I drank this straight-up but I’m betting it would work well with your favorite milk or non-dairy milk alternative to bring the flavor to another level!
BAM! I’m ready to face the day! A mighty fine flavored Red Rooibos! Macchiato Dream Rooibos Tea from Steeped Tea!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Steeped Tea
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Spiced Coffee From Handmade Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where To Start A New Subscription: Handmade Tea
Tea Description:
Spiced Coffee from Handmade Tea begins with a smooth and silky Chinese black tea as the base. The base tea has sweet vanilla-like notes. Costa Rican coffee beans are blended into the base adding rich coffee flavor without being overwhelming. Lastly, cinnamon chips are blended in for a warm and spicy flavor. Together these flavors work quite well together. The vanilla notes from the base tea plays nicely with the cinnamon and the bold coffee notes balance things out a bit.
Taster’s Review:
Spiced Coffee from Handmade Tea has been sitting in my stash for sometime. I know shame on me but coffee flavored teas are not my cuppa. I’ve tried several in the past and most of them are just meh.
Now let’s put some perspective on this tea. I’m a coffee drinker in the mornings. I start every morning off with 2 cups of coffee then I switch to tea for the rest of the day. So I like the taste of coffee, but I don’t exactly like the idea of mixing coffee and tea together. Those profiles to me really don’t match.
Which is why the fact that I loved this tea so much completely surprised me. This tea is the perfect combination of rich coffee notes followed by a brisk tea malty flavor sweetened by subtle vanilla cinnamon notes. A treat to say the least. The flavors are gentle and bold but on point each sip.
I don’t always like the flavors that I receive from my monthly subscription from Handmade Tea. To be honest, I’ve cancelled my subscription once, but I found that I really missed receiving a uniquely different tea each month. This is just one of the wonderful examples you can expect when you subscribe!
