Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Puerh
Where to Buy: Samovar Tea Lounge
Tea Description:
Wild-crafted from 30-foot trees in the jungles of Southwest China, this tea is a traditional wedding gift and evening mood-setter. Dark, creamy, and luxurious with notes of bittersweet chocolate and espresso.
Details
Tea Type: Pu-Erh
Origin: Jing Mai Mountains in Yunnan, China
Caffeine Level: Medium-high
Processing Details: Tender, young-leaf, vintage, loose leaf Pu-Erh
Tasting and Aroma Specs: Very balanced, smooth, rich and dark, with a slightly sweet, wildflower honey finish. Deep, strong forward notes of earth and moss with a lingering raisin sugar sweetness.
Food Pairing: Dim Sum and Samovar’s Mushroom Quiche
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It is really difficult to sum up a puerh in a review without mentioning each and ever steep. Especially when it is such an excellent puerh like this Maiden’s Ecstasy Organic from Samovar Tea Lounge.
Maiden’s Ecstasy is one of the first pureh that I ever tried and is still one of my favorites. I stopped drinking coffee shortly before I found my love for loose leaf tea, and this Maiden’s Ecstasy provides such a rich, full, and robust cup that it brings back memories of my once loved coffee, but is so much better, and far more flavorful!
With a creamy, heavy mouthfeel, this tea has notes of german rock sugar, brown sugar, raisins, tree bark, oak moss, and so much more. Sometimes you will taste a more woodsy note, while other times you get a taste of chocolate, and other times a savory note of mushroom!
There is something otherworldly about this tea. It is the kind of tea I like to drink while watching a movie such as Avatar, or The Never Ending Story. I would take this and drink it at the Renaissance Festival every year if I could find a way to keep steeping it! It makes me feel like jumping from toadstool to tree trunk and swinging from branches of friendly tress and cavorting with gnomes but beware of the trolls because this tea does have a sparky, spicy kick to it at times as well! Its not dangerous though, it won’t burn your tongue at all, its just a little spark of playful now and then in the middle of an otherwise dreamy cup.
It does evoke thoughts of sipping on a very luxurious espresso, a good one though, one you could probably only find at one of those quaint cafes in Italy, as you sit writing in your diary at a white linen clothed table, dreaming of a romantic interlude. Flavors of molasses peek through resembling the sweet desires playing out in your mind as you gaze into nothingness, while someone, sitting at a table not too far away can see everything emoting through your eyes.
Yes, this tea is that special.
S’mores Genmaicha Green Tea Blend from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green & Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
So, you liked the Marshmallow Treat Genmaicha (one of the reblends, by the way…), and you liked the Browncoat (Chocolate) Genmaicha? Well, you’re going to LOVE the S’mores Genmaicha! Toasty genmaicha blended with marshmallow root, roasted cacao nibs and just a tiny touch of smoke from a bit of lapsang souchoung. This is a heavenly treat to warm your bones and soothe your sweet-tooth.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! Just … WOW! This S’mores Genmaicha Green Tea Blend is probably the tastiest Genmaicha blend that I’ve tried from 52Teas yet! From my very first sip, I was totally blown away!
The smokiness from the Lapsang Souchong comes out, but it isn’t an overpowering smoky tone … it is just a hint of smoke … just enough to evoke thoughts of toasting marshmallows around a campfire and making s’mores!
The roasty-toasty, nutty flavor of the Genmaicha comes through too, and it gives the overall cup a sense of “crust” … like the graham cracker crust of a s’more. The flavor of graham doesn’t really come out strongly with this tea, but the nuttiness of the tea seems to give the flavor just what it needs … because it is almost like I’m sipping on liquefied s’mores!
The chocolate … well the chocolate could be stronger. But then, I’m a chocoholic, remember? There is never too much chocolate as far as I’m concerned. But I think that for this particular dessert tea, there is a fair amount of chocolate flavor.
But what really MAKES this cup for me is the marshmallow notes. The marshmallow, together with the Lapsang Souchong and the Genmaicha … tastes like a freshly roasted marshmallow! YUM! I can almost taste that hint of char on the marshmallow, and the gooey, molten, creamy marshmallow that would ooze out of the marshmallow and help melt the chocolate as it comes in contact with it when sandwiched between two graham crackers.
This is really so good … I’m on my second infusion of this tea (each measurement of leaves is worth at least two infusions!) and it tastes just as good as the first … no loss of flavor! If you are looking for a delicious, chocolate-y, marshmallow-y tea treat … you need look no further. 52Teas has got you covered!
Toffee Chocolate Hazelnut Black Tea Blend from Inspired Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Inspired Leaf
Tea Description:
A buttery, decadent treat with yummy nutty notes.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Yummy! How could I resist a tea called Toffee Chocolate Hazelnut? I mean, seriously? Toffee? Chocolate??? Hazelnut? YES PLEASE! This black tea blend from Inspired Leaf is as tasty as the name promises it to be!
The black tea base is a robust yet smooth-tasting black tea. It is rich enough to hold its own with the flavors in this cup, but, it isn’t an overly aggressive tea that seeks to gain a lot of the spotlight. It is content to let the flavors do most of the talking here, but it still manages to get itself noticed.
The first flavor I notice is a lovely buttery tone … very butter toffee-ish! It has a sweet, creamy taste to it and the creaminess here is satisfying enough to where you don’t need to add dairy to have a latte-ish taste to the cup … although a splash of milk certainly doesn’t hurt … and does enhance the overall creaminess! I really like the buttery tone to this tea, it may just be my favorite aspect of the drink.
And that’s coming from a chocoholic! The chocolate notes are a bit subdued here in comparison to the buttery tones. But the buttery tones are so delicious, it’s difficult to complain about a little less chocolate. That said, more chocolate is always better … and this tea would definitely be improved with more chocolate. The ingredient list has carob chips as one of the ingredients, and personally, I think I’d rather see the carob chips omitted and maybe some extra cacao nibs added or how about some cacao shells! I still think that cacao shells are the absolute BEST way to flavor a chocolate tea!
I find that the chocolate notes do intensify as I continue to sip, and they do eventually become almost as strong as the buttery toffee notes. Nice!
The Hazelnut notes are lovely here. In my first couple of sips, there was a delicious toasty note that was strong … reminiscent of the flavor of freshly toasted hazelnuts. It was really yummy. After those first few sips, that strong toasty note sort of melded into the background as the butter notes began to emerge, but, the toasty notes were very memorable and really captured the essence of hazelnut. The hazelnut is still a present flavor, it’s just not as prominent as those first few sips.
By mid-cup, the flavors seem to unite and become a collective “Toffee Chocolate Hazelnut” flavor … rather than tasting the individual notes, this is more like a creamy, nutty, buttery, chocolate-y taste that is almost sinful!
This one might just be my favorite that I’ve tried thus far from Inspired Leaf. And I do like the inspiration from this tea:
Inspiration No. 31: A little chocolate can improve your state of mind.
Agreed! This tea is a definite must-try for those who enjoy dessert teas!
Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black, Oolong
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
A warm and comforting take on classic Genmaicha with the addition of Wuyi oolong and cacao nibs. . .
Genmaicha has humble origins- originally toasted rice was mixed into a pot to make expensive tea leaves go further in a time of less plenty than today. Toasted rice was combined with green tea or even broken twigs and stems to make a hearty and warming brew. At the time, green tea was for more widely available than black tea, but given the warming qualities of genmaicha, we thought that a humble hand-picked black tea from Laoshan Village would be the perfect companion for toasted rice.
This batch of Laoshan black is particularly malty and sweet, qualities drawn out by hand-crafted Minnesota wild rice and organic fair trade jasmine rice toasted in small batches. We add organic cacao nibs to give a darker and more comforting aftertaste, and a touch of Shui Jin Gui Wuyi oolong for its nutty caramel notes and savory aftertaste. All together, we think this new take on Genmaicha very much embraces the tea’s humble origins and stays true to the warm and satisfying nature of toasted rice tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love Genmaicha and Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha from Verdant Tea is no exception! This tea delivers exactly what it says it does in its description! I love the use of a Wyui oolong which provides a nutty sweet backdrop but I love even more the rock mineral flavor that gives this tea an overall earthy quality. I guess it makes me feel like while even though this tea is on the sweeter side it is also quite savory and I love nothing better than a sweet and savory flavor combined!
I was rather surprised at what a clear cup this turned out to be, a lovely amber brown color but I can see right to the bottom of my glass. The mouthfeel is on the creamy side but has a bright finish.
I love the toasty rice flavor and it really shines through! The cocoa nibs offer a delicious chocolate taste that is really nice, not fakey tasting at all.
I was expecting a bit richer of a flavor though. While there is a lovely caramel note, chocolate holds its own, and the rice is a lovely touch, overall I find it rather on the thin side in comparison to Laoshan Black on its own. Even with that said however I really think Verdant did well to offer us something completely unique and I would recommend this tea as it is so comforting as it is toasty, warm, sweet, malty, and quite decedent.
Organic White Delight from The Rabbit Hole
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: The Rabbit Hole
Tea Description:
White chocolate melts into juicy raspberries to deliver a smooth and creamy drop. This tea is delicious hot or iced and is a refreshing alternative to fat filled desserts.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh wow! YUM! This Organic White Delight tea from The Rabbit Hole is true to it’s name, it is definitely a delight!
The dry leaf looks really appealing with its large shreds of coconut and dried raspberries tossed with white tea leaves. It brews up very light in color, but certainly NOT light in flavor!
Yes, it is a delicate tea (most white teas are!) but, that doesn’t mean it’s flavorless … just the opposite! There is a whole lot of yummy going on in this teacup! The overall flavor is sweet and creamy, with notes of chocolate (YES, chocolate!) and raspberry. The coconut adds more of a creamy tone to the cup than a strong, distinctive coconut taste. That is to say that this doesn’t taste strongly of coconut … although if I really focus on the sip I can taste a very faint coconut-y taste. Instead, the coconut seems to enhance the creaminess of the cup.
The chocolate is distinct, however, and you know me … I like it when the chocolate is THERE. And it’s there! The description suggests a white chocolate flavor … and yes, I do taste white chocolate, but, the chocolate tastes just a little richer than white chocolate. Imagine white chocolate with creamy milk chocolate. That’s what I taste here. And it’s delicious!
And you might be thinking that the white tea is overwhelmed by these other flavors – but it isn’t! I taste the creamy, sweet, slightly vegetative notes of the white tea here. There is a really lovely balanced taste with this tea. It is flavorful while maintaining its light, refreshing taste.
This is really good served hot, but I allowed some of it to cool because I was in the mood for some iced tea (It’s getting warmer!) and it tastes AMAZING iced! This tea is a winner. I’m not surprised – The Rabbit Hole seems to offer nothing BUT winners! If you love chocolate teas – add this one to your shopping list!