Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Product Information:
Ingredients: Premium black teas, organic cacao nibs, freeze-dried cherries, natural flavors.
This tea is available as part of the Box of Chocolates sampler.
Taster’s Review:
There was a time when chocolate covered cherries were my favorite confection. I used to actually crave them! It’s been a while since that time, and I’ve discovered new favorites. However, as I sip this tea, I find myself with that old craving!
This tea tastes very reminiscent of a really good cherry cordial. I can taste hints of the sweet liqueur center – creamy and just a little sweet, with just a hint of brandy. The chocolate tastes exquisitely rich: dark, delicious chocolate! YUM!
The cherry tastes sweet and just a little tangy. As I continue to sip, I notice the tartness of the cherry develops a bit, but it doesn’t really become sour. I like the way the cherry flavor develops here, because with the typical chocolate covered cherry, the flavor becomes too cloying before the flavors of the cherry have much chance to develop.
This is like a chocolate covered cherry – reinvented!
And what makes this even better than the confection is the black tea! The black tea base works really well with this blend, it tastes bold and even a little malty, and I’m not getting much bitterness from the cup. It is a very well-rounded cup of tea.
Even though I’ve only tried two of the six new teas in the Box of Chocolates sampler, this one is my favorite of the two I’ve tried. It’s not only reignited my love for cherry cordials, but, refined it … I don’t think I could settle for an ordinary cherry cordial after trying this amazing tea!
White Chocolate Strawberry from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Ingredients: Premium black teas, freeze-dried strawberries, natural flavors.
Taster’s Review:
This is one of the new teas that came in the Box of Chocolate Teas from 52Teas, and at the time of this writing, that is the only way this tea is available.
I didn’t actually choose this tea to drink first, it … sort of chose me! You see, I was happily, but rather haphazardly, removing the tins of tea out of the box, and they were very snugly tucked inside. In my haste, the lid of this tin opened and a small amount (just a few leaves) scattered out of the tin. So, I decided that this meant that I was to brew this tea right away!
And, I’m really glad I did! The flavor is delightful. The strawberry flavor is dominate, it tastes sweet and just a little tart. That tartness sort of lingers on the tip of the tongue well after the sip.
The white chocolate flavor is a more subtle flavor, and I find that it reveals itself more after the tea has had a short time to cool. Not cold or even lukewarm, but not piping hot, either. Just allow it a few minutes to cool after it’s been poured into the cup, and the white chocolate flavor emerges. It is creamy and sweet, and compliments the strawberry flavor very well, and even softens the aforementioned tart notes just a little as it starts to come out a little more.
The black tea base is strong, smooth and deliciously suited for these flavors. It supports the bright flavor of the strawberry and the soft, silky flavor of the white chocolate without overwhelming them.
I quite enjoyed this cup … I’m so glad this tea chose to have me brew it first!
Strawberry Orange Scone from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Our newest tea of the week was suggested by one of our long-time customers. Here’s our premium black teas blended with freeze-dried strawberries and orange peel. In addition to the sweet strawberry and tangy orange, we’ve infused this blend with the flavor of warm, freshly baked scones. I have a feeling this one is not going to last long.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I had my doubts about this one. Strawberry and orange? Sure, I like them separately, but I wasn’t too sure how I felt about them together, and then combined with scone flavors. If I saw a strawberry and orange scone at a bakery, I’d probably pass on it in favor of a lemon scone or my favorite, a cranberry white chocolate scone.
But it only took one taste of this tea to fall in love with the idea of a strawberry and orange scone. The orange flavor is prominent, and it lends a sunny sweet yet tangy note to the cup. There is also some of that bitter orange rind flavor to this – the pith of the orange – something that I probably wouldn’t appreciate in most cases but somehow it works with these other flavors, lending an interesting dimension to the overall cup.
The strawberry comes in just underneath the orange, and it tastes sweet. It is in the aftertaste where the strawberry becomes more pronounced, offering a sweet yet tart berry flavor that tickles the tongue.
The scone flavor is there too. It tastes very pastry-like, like a fluffy biscuit. I think one thing that I find myself missing – and one thing that Frank from 52Teas is quite famous for – is more of a buttery flavor. The pastry flavor possesses a hint of the buttery element, but when I eat a scone, I usually spread some clotted cream on the scone. If I happen to be out of clotted cream, I top the scone with butter. So, I find myself missing that additional element to this scone-inclusive tea. However, this is easily remedied with a splash of milk, and this gives it that clotted cream element that the overall cup is missing – ties it all together, so to speak.
Another spectacular tea from 52Teas – I should not be surprised that I love this as much as I do. Sadly, this tea has sold out, but who knows, perhaps Frank will re-blend it. This is one you should watch for in the re-blend updates!
Original Masala Chai from Yogic Chai
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Yogic Chai
Tea Description:
Organic Assam Tea, Organic Green Cardamom, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Cloves & Organic Ginger.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m quite sure I’ve said this (or something like this) before, but it bears repeating: When it’s cold outside, there’s nothing quite as comforting as a cup of chai. The heat of the masala spices warms you from the inside out.
And Yogic Chai makes some of my favorite chai blends. And this blend is where it all started! The blend is a perfectly balanced combination of just four spices: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger. These are the four “usual suspects” when it comes to chai blends, and there are some tea companies that add some other spices, while others may omit one or two of the usual suspects, sometimes in favor of other spices, sometimes not. But really, when it comes to chai, the combination of spices that Yogic Chai uses is classic, but they have blended them masterfully as to create one of a very memorable chai.
Smooth, rich Assam tea makes up the base of this chai. It is strong enough to offer a distinct flavor contribution, even though it is immersed in some rather spicy surroundings. It has a malty character and does not taste bitter (although, as with all teas, I recommend not over-steeping as this may produce a bitter taste).
This is my second tea from my Janauary Steepster Select box, and it is a good one. I’ve tried many teas from Yogic Chai, but this is the first time I’ve tried the Original! Delicious served straight and it makes an awesome latte too, although I think its best served without the milk, adding just a little turbinado sugar to accent the spices. This way I get more impact from the spices, as I think that the addition of milk seems to mute the spices just a bit. This one is yummy any way you choose to serve it!
Brown Sugar Fig Black Tea from Ovation Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Ovation Teas
Tea Description:
Blend of Assam and Ceylon loose leaf black teas with diced figs and brown sugar flavoring.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of the dry leaf is delightful – very fig-y! As I’m sure I’ve shared on this blog before, I have a great fondness for figs, so, when I saw this tea in Ovation Teas’ collection of teas, I knew it was one I had to try.
Unfortunately, the flavor of the fig is not as strong as the scent lead me to believe. Sure, the fig flavor is there, but, it just isn’t as dominate a flavor as it is a fragrance. A little disappointing, as I was looking forward to a strong fig presence; however, it is still a tasty tea.
The brown sugar is quite nice in this, and the combination of black teas, brown sugar and fig flavors create a sort of fig toffee kind of flavor. Very delicious, and even though it is a brown sugar flavored tea, I am not finding this to be too sweet.
The base of the tea is a blend of Assam and Ceylon black teas, and the Assam has a bite to it, so I do recommend a shorter steep time than you would normally allow for a flavored black tea. I steeped my first pot in my Breville for 2 1/2 minutes and found that this was a bit too long as there was some bitterness to the cup. However, after a few minutes of cool time, the bitterness did subside, and the flavors of brown sugar and fig became more apparent. The second time I steeped the tea, I steeped for 2 minutes in my Breville, and this was much better. The black tea was strong, and as the tea cooled slightly, the flavors began to pop.
If you like fig, you should really try this tea. I don’t know that it is my favorite fig flavored tea (Ha! I say that as if there are a bunch out there to choose from!) but, I am finding it quite enjoyable.