Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tisane Description:
As for this week’s tea, I kind of have a soft spot for these peanut clusters–the ones with peanuts and caramel dipped in dark chocolate? It’s making me hungry just thinking about it which is probably a good sign since I haven’t eaten much of anything for almost a week. But I think this blend of caffeine-free honeybush, peanuts, cacao nibs and organic caramel, peanut and chocolate flavors is bound to be a crowd pleaser. It’s a honeybush blend, so it probably won’t last long. Get yours today!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Peanut Cluster? Yummy! That’s a treat you don’t have to ask me twice if I’d like one … I mean, what’s not to love about a peanut cluster? Caramel peanut clusters that are drenched in dark chocolate? Yes please! And as Frank (the chief zoomdweebie at 52Teas) has a way with honeybush, I had absolutely no doubt that I’d be loving this Peanut Cluster Honeybush Tisane!
The aroma of the dry leaf was a little funky. It smelled a little bit chemical-y … but I can also smell notes of cacao and peanut as well as the nutty, woody fragrance of the honeybush, so I was hopeful that the weird smell wouldn’t upset the flavor.
Fortunately, it doesn’t taste off. Quite the contrary … it tastes quite scrumptious! I taste the notes of caramel, peanuts, and chocolate. It’s sweet and tastes like it should have more calories than it does. (I don’t know that it has any calories … but if it does have some, I’d guess that the calorie count is small.)
As I make my way to the end of the cup, I notice the flavors develop. I taste the sweet, creamy notes of the caramel and the warm, toasty flavor of the peanuts. The chocolate has a richness to it.
There is a really good balance of flavors here, including the honeybush, which hasn’t been overpowered by the other flavors of this tisane. The nutty, honey-sweet flavor of the honeybush melds very well with the other notes of this cup. I think that honeybush was the ideal base for these flavors because they seem to be made for one another. Everything marries beautifully.
This is really good. I don’t know that I’m tasting a liquefied peanut cluster here, because to be perfectly honest, I’d rather be munching on the confection than sipping the tisane. That said, this IS really tasty and makes a pleasant dessert substitute for those who would rather not indulge on a piece of candy but still want something sweet and satisfying.
Rooibos Chocolate Banana Tisane from Tea of Life
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Tisane Description:
South African Red Bush or Rooibos Tea is a pure and natural herbal blend. Freshly harvested and finely chopped rooibos goes through a process of oxidation with the aid of the oxygen from the atmosphere and subsequently dried int he sun to produce a deep mahogany red cup of which is one of the most popular and healthy herbal drinks today.
“Tea of Life” is proud to introduce five New Naturally Caffeine Free Rooibos Teas combined with Dark Chocolate with delicious natural fruit and mint flavors for your enjoyment – all day and into the evening.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! I usually enjoy banana flavored teas and tisanes, and being a chocoholic, I’m never one to turn down something chocolate – so I went into the experience with this Rooibos Chocolate Banana Tisane from Tea of Life pretty certain that I’d enjoy it. Even though I’m not always excited about rooibos blends, I thought that the nutty/woodsy notes of the rooibos would meld nicely with the dark chocolate and banana flavors, so I wasn’t too worried or apprehensive about trying this tisane.
What really makes this tisane a winner is the dark chocolate flavor. It is a really rich and wonderful chocolate note. It isn’t a bittersweet chocolate taste – perhaps the sweetness from the banana as well as the natural sweet notes from the rooibos help to soften the chocolate. But I like that even though some of the bitter notes have been subdued, the chocolate is still the main flavor I taste here.
The banana is sweet and it has a really interesting flavor that falls somewhere in between true banana flavor and banana flavored candy. It’s not quite banana runts, but it’s not pure banana either. It tastes more like a banana that’s been roasted in the oven with dark chocolate morsels. The dark chocolate is melted and drizzling over the banana that is becoming sweeter from the heat. A slightly caramelized banana … dipped in dark chocolate. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s the best way for a banana to taste.
The woodsy notes of the rooibos are there, but they seem to play a background note to the foreground of chocolate and banana. And that’s quite alright with me.
This is really tasty!
Organic Vanilla Chocolate Delight Pu-erh Tea from Spicely Organics
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Spicely Organics
Tea Description:
A perfect dessert-like cup of tea! The tea is delicious as is and can be enhanced with a touch of sweetener or milk. It boasts cacao nibs, cinnamon sticks and vanilla; the perfect combination for a cup of decadence. INGREDIENTS: Organic Pu-erh Tea, Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Cinnamon Sticks, Organic Vanilla Nibs, Organic Stevia Leaf
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about the Spicely Organics Monthly Tea Membership here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m not usually excited to try pu-erh, but, I’m usually more than excited to try chocolate. So, when it came time for me to try this Organic Vanilla Chocolate Delight Pu-erh Tea from Spicely Organics, the excitement and happiness over chocolate trumped my lack of enthusiasm for the pu-erh.
When I brewed this blend, I did a quick rinse of the leaves to help remove some of the strong earthiness of the pu-erh, hopefully without sacrificing any chocolate or vanilla flavor in the process. After a quick fifteen second rinse, I then brewed the leaves for 2 1/2 minutes in 190°F water.
The result? A really interesting and tasty cup of tea!
The cup is rich and chocolate-y. I like how the earthiness of the pu-erh accentuates the earthy notes of the chocolate and cinnamon. While I am usually somewhat put off by the earthiness of pu-erh, here, it works. And the sweet, creamy aspects of the chocolate are complemented by the sweet and creamy notes of the vanilla and the cinnamon not only offers a contrasting note of spice but, also enhances the overall sweetness. It’s sweet … but not too sweet. It’s earthy … but again, not too earthy. Everything plays together in a pleasing, harmonious way.
I enjoy the rusticness of this tea. I think that the pu-erh brings out the rustic, smoky notes of the vanilla that are often hidden in other tea blends. This is a very clever blend, it is as though each ingredient was carefully considered to bring out the most in the other ingredients and to create a very satisfying cup of tea.
The one thing I am wishing wasn’t present in this tea blend is the stevia, and I know that I’ve addressed this previously with other blends that contain stevia. I don’t like it when a sweetener of some sort is added to a tea blend because I want to be the one who decides just how sweet – or not sweet – my cup of tea will be. That said, the stevia doesn’t add an overwhelming amount of sweetness, and similar to the other ingredients of this masterfully crafted blend, the sweetness it does add enhances the overall cup.
This is good served straight but I think I prefer it with a splash of warmed milk to create a latte. So creamy and dessert-y! A really nice way to end a meal, and it is suggested that pu-erh aids in digestion – bonus!
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.
Organic Jasmine Cacao Green Tea from Spicely Organics
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Spicely Organics
Tea Description:
This chocolaty jasmine flower and green tea blend has a lingering effect . The gentle jasmine flowers add a hint of relaxation to the invigorating combination of antioxidant-rich green tea and cacao nibs. INGREDIENTS: Organic Houjicha, Organic Jasmine Flower, Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Carob
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about the Spicely Organics Monthly Tea Membership here.
Taster’s Review:
This Organic Jasmine Cacao Green Tea from Spicely Organics is not at all what I expected – it’s so much better than I anticipated it being! When I see jasmine and green in the name of a tea, my immediate thought is not a houjicha tea. But that is what Spicely Organics used for the base of this jasmine green, and I think that is what makes this tea so good.
Because the base tea flavor is toasty and nutty rather than vegetative, the chocolate-y notes meld well with the sweet, exotic jasmine. I don’t know that it would have worked as well with a grassy green tea that has been scented with the jasmine blossoms.
The jasmine here is rather subtle, and takes a back seat to the nutty flavors of the houjicha and the earthy cacao notes. I still taste the distinct flavor of jasmine, but it isn’t a dominating flavor.
The chocolate notes are nice. Yeah, I would like a stronger chocolate flavor – but when do I not? As it is, though, I think that there is a good balance between chocolate and toasty, nutty houjicha. This is a warm, nutty tasting tea with mid-notes of chocolate with hints of jasmine that peek their way in and out throughout the sip.
A really unusual and tasty tea. This is one I’d recommend to someone who typically doesn’t like jasmine teas because it isn’t like a typical jasmine. It would also be a great tea for those who love the roasty-toasty teas like houjicha with a twist. This one is familiar, but different enough to shake things up. I like it.