Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
You can also learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
I love a bowl of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream! So rich, creamy and the crisp, cool mint flavor really makes it a perfect summer time treat. And hey … let’s not forget the chocolate chips. Mmm! Chocolate!
So I was looking forward to trying this new flavor from Southern Boy Teas: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Iced Tea!
It is a tasty iced tea. There is a palate-pleasing balance of mint, chocolate and creamy flavors along with a backdrop of black tea notes.
That said, I do have a little issue with it. My one complaint is that the chocolate notes are just a bit on the “fake” tasting side, but this is something that I found an easy fix for: just add a little bit of sugar.
But because this tea is already on the sweeter side, if you sweeten your iced tea while it’s still hot (so that the sugar melts!), you might want to use a little less than you usually would, or you might want to hold off altogether and make a simple syrup to sweeten to your taste once it’s chilled.
I found it to be rather tasty without the sweetener but as I said, the chocolate tasted just a little off. I then made a simple syrup: I just add a teensy bit of boiling water to about a half teaspoon of water and stir in a coffee cup until the sugar is dissolved, and then add it to my tea. The simple syrup enhanced the flavors nicely and improved the flavor of the chocolate.
Even without the sweetener, this is still quite tasty. The chocolate notes don’t taste bad, but, there’s just a little something not quite 100% perfect about it either. The sweetener does improve this issue with the chocolate, but I am not thrilled with the fact that I need to sweeten my tea to make it taste right.
I liked it, but I’ve liked other teas from SBT more than this one.
Chocolate Chip Black Tea from Adagio Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Tea Description:
Dark chocolate chips melt into the infusion of this Ceylon black tea to create the ultimate coupling of two taste bud tantalizers. Dense and soft chocolate flavor – seriously, for a second you think you’re just eating a bag of cookies! Clean, slightly tangy finish brings you back to tea, and the balanced astringency compliments the dark chocolate nicely.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have often said that I’m not a big fan of the flavored black teas from Adagio Teas. And since this Chocolate Chip Black Tea from Adagio Teas is exactly that – a flavored black tea from Adagio Teas – I took extra care when I brewed it. I steeped it for just 2 1/2 minutes, hoping that this was what was needed to keep the harshness of the black tea to a minimum.
I still taste a little bit of that harshness that I usually taste with the flavored black teas from Adagio Teas … but it isn’t as harsh as some of the other experiences I’ve had with other flavored black teas from this company.
Just out of curiosity, I made a quick stop at Steepster to find out if others liked this one. And based upon my quick glance, it would seem that other Steepsterites experience much of what I am: a sweet, vanilla-y undertone with a luscious chocolate-y high note. And it would also seem that the key to keeping this from tasting too bitter is to not oversteep. However, even at 2 1/2 minutes, I am noticing some bitter notes and some of the aforementioned harshness, although, as I said, this isn’t as harsh or off-putting as some of the other flavored blacks.
I really wish that Adagio would rethink their black tea base. Ceylon teas tend to be – typically – a fairly moderate, mild-mannered tea, but I have to admit that the Ceylon that Adagio uses as their base for their flavored teas is an exception to what I know as Ceylon. This is an “ill-tempered” Ceylon, and I find that as I continue to sip, the harshness seems to build.
A splash of milk reduces the harshness further, making this a good choice for a latte. In fact, that’s my favorite way to consume this tea – with an ample bit of milk, it tastes a bit like a hot chocolate! That said, I find it difficult to recommend this tea, because as a tea drinker, we shouldn’t be trying to drown out the harshness of a tea with additions.
Kind of sad. This would be a much tastier tea if the base was not so brutally harsh.
Mint Chocolate Chip from Persimmon Tree Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Persimmon Tree Tea
Product Description:
This naturally caffeine-free infusion comprises organic rooibos, vanilla, rich chocolate and invigorating mint.
Taster’s Review:
As this one brewed, I could smell it from the adjoining room. That’s how fragrant this one is! And it smells YUMMY!
From the very first sip, the chocolate dominated the cup. And that makes me a very happy chocoholic. The mint maintains its strength throughout the sip as well, but I am glad that it is second to the creamy chocolate flavor. I like mint, but when it comes to tisanes, it can sometimes overwhelm the cup. That doesn’t happen here.
What is a little overpowered is the flavor of the rooibos, but I don’t have a problem there. Rooibos isn’t my favorite flavor … but chocolate is. This tisane is a win win!
The vanilla comes in very smoothly here providing more of a creamy accent to the flavors of chocolate and mint. That is to say that the vanilla isn’t a strong flavor on its own but it really enhances the main flavors of mint and chocolate.
I’ll be honest, before I tasted this tea, I thought I was in for just another run-of-the-mill chocolate mint rooibos tisane. I mean, don’t get me wrong: I love chocolate mint tisanes (that is to say, I don’t think I’ve tried one that I didn’t enjoy, although I could be wrong on that). But I’ve tried a LOT of them, and they all pretty much taste the same. But this one stands out! This one is EXCELLENT! This one is a must try for chocolate mint fans!