Mayan Hot Cocoa from The NecessiTeas. . . .

by VariaTEA

Mayan Hot Cocoa implies chocolate and spice. Lots of cinnamon and cayenne pepper. That is what I am looking for with this blend: the perfect balance of creamy cocoa and hot spices to make for a comforting treat. I want this to take me back to my childhood when I would come in from playing in the snow with my siblings to find a tasty cup of hot chocolate, with sometimes just a bit of a kick, waiting. Boosting that nostalgia factor is the addition of mini-marshmallows in the dry leaf that puts this off to a good start.

I decided to prepare this latte style because, if you ask me, a hot cocoa needs its milk. I brewed this for 3 minutes in 200F water and topped it with warm frothed milk. As this brewed, my brother walked into the kitchen and commented how the air smelled of cinnamon – yet another good sign.

Drinking this now, I will say it is a flavorful tea. It’s got a silky chocolate flavor made all the more creamy by the latte preparation and the gooey melted marshmallows. There is also no lack of cinnamon here, which seems as though it should be a good thing but as you continue to drink, the sweetness of this builds and takes over, a sweetness that is probably aided by the excess cinnamon. Sugar crystals in the dry leaf also play a role in taking this tea with great potential to a near cloying level. Add to that the marshmallows and you got a whole lot of sugar without much spice. Personally I think either the sugar or marshmallows would have been enough, whereas both, combined with cinnamon, makes this just too much.

If I am being honest, I think my younger self with the crazy sweet tooth would have been all over this. Though I still love my sweets, this is just a little over-the-top for my tastes now. I want more of the spice implied by the title and though the cocoa/cinnamon combination does provide a nice flavor, the sugar just takes over.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  The NecessiTeas
Description

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VariaTEA

Hey there! My name is Rachel. I’m a twenty-something from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who loves dogs and has a bit of an obsession with tea. As a child I hated the stuff since all I ever knew was Red Rose (no offense to Red Rose). However, a few years ago that all changed. I was on a diet and desperate for new flavors without adding calories and that’s when I turned to tea. I started off by going to DAVIDsTEA and Teavana for all their dessert-inspired flavors, and since I didn’t know any better, I bought 100 grams each of about twenty-something different teas. This was okay for the teas I liked but for those I didn’t I needed to find some way of getting rid of them. Enter Steepster.com. This is where I met some incredible tea friends, discovered tea swaps, and learned of so many amazing tea companies. My desire to try all the teas grew and since joining three years ago I have tried over a thousand different teas. I have learned what ingredients I love and I have learned what flavors I don’t like. I determined my go-to brewing method is Western-style with no added milk or sweeteners, though I also enjoy cold brewing, iced teas, teapops, lattes, and smoothies. I have yet to brew gong-fu style but I hope to do so just as soon as I get the proper teaware to do it. About a year ago, I actually stopped drinking tea but as my stash of over 200 teas started aging I decided I needed to respark my interest. I chose to take a 365 days of tea challenge on Instagram in which I post a new tea picture every day. So far it has been rather successful as I find myself drinking (and buying) more and more tea each day. Plus it enabled CuppaGeek to find me and invite me here to SororiTea Sisters.

This post was posted in Black Tea, The NecessiTeas