I’m not always the right tea taster for the special harvest, unflavored tea samples, as much as I wish I were overjoyed about a pu erh cake or a shade-grown green tea. That said, I’ve definitely come to enjoy black teas with golden tips, so I was excited to brew up a cup of Golden Money from Tea N Joy.
It’s hard to resist an animal-inspired tea name. I’ve tried oolongs called “Monkey-Picked” because of the treacherous areas where the trees grow. Golden Monkey sounds like a tea named for a beautiful blond-haired monkey. This tea is actually named for the golden tips of the tea, and the fact that the leaves are sharply curved, like monkey claws.
Brewed, this tea is smooth and chocolatey, even after only a short brew. The tea doesn’t taste exactly a chocolate bar, but there is a distinct sweet herbal flavor that brings to mind dark chocolate. On my second steep, I gave the leaves a longer steep time, and even with the added brew time, the strength of the cacao notes don’t overpower the silky, mellow black tea base. This tea is full and rich, very drinkable with lots of subtle sweet flavors that open up the more you drink.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a tea connoisseur, do yourself a favor and try a cup of Golden Monkey from Tea N Joy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea N Joy
Description: Golden Monkey Tea is hand-processed each spring with a careful plucking of only one leaf and one bud. It is among the finest Chinese Black Teas available today. A rich, full-bodied Tea. The name comes from its unique appearance: the leaves resemble monkey claws. Sweet and very ‘nosy’ with the aromas of: savory roasted apples, cocoa and spice notes that linger as you sip. Rich, coating texture and very smooth, soft mouth-feel. Delicate, almost indistinguishable astringency.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Spicy Turmeric Tonic from MEM Tea. . . .
A new specialty shop opened up nearby, and when I poked my head inside I discovered they also served coffee and tea. On a blustery, cold day I ordered a cup of Spicy Turmeric Tonic from MEM Tea to warm my body and spirit.
This tea was listed as having flavors of cacao, ginger, and cinnamon, all long-time favorites of mine. Oddly, the turmeric in the name wasn’t listed as a main flavor. I had this blend brewed hot without milk or sweetener.
As a lover of chai teas, this was a delicious new blend filled with familiar spices. The cinnamon and ginger were very forward, warming and gently spicy. The cacao shells gave the blend more body, almost fooling me into thinking it was a black tea instead of an herbal. The cacao brought its usual sweet-and-savory cocoa notes to balance out the sweet-and-hot ginger.
The turmeric was subtle, appearing as just a touch of earthy spice behind the brighter flavors. The turmeric does show up in the color of the brew, with its trademark bright yellow ochre color.
Full disclosure, cacao shells don’t have caffeine, but they are stimulants, so this might not be a true decaf blend. Either way, it was a wonderful new take on an herbal chai and I will definitely plan to brew another a cup of Spicy Turmeric Tonic sometime soon.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: MEM Tea
Description:
This unique and healthful blend of Turmeric, Ginger, Cinnamon and Cacao is rich and smooth, with warm spicy flavors and a zesty finish.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chocolate Candy Cane from PaperBoxGoodies
Just because the holiday season is behind us doesn’t mean that the time for holiday-themed teas is over! In the spirit of keeping the good holiday vibes going, I brewed up a cup of Chocolate Candy Cane from PaperBoxGoodies. I don’t see this flavor listed on the PaperBoxGoodies Etsy shop so I’m not sure of the ingredients, but it looks to be an herbal blend with mint, chocolate chips, and licorice root.
I was excited about the herbal nature of this blend. I love candy cane teas, but they all seem to have a black tea base which makes it hard to drink when I don’t need all the caffeine. Having an herbal decaf option was just the tea I needed when relaxing and recovering from the busy end of the year.
Brewed, this blend is smooth, sweet, and minty. The dry crispness of the mint is lessened by the licorice root. Any herbal harshness that sometimes comes with pure mint teas is lessened by the rich chocolate chips. Minty candy cane is the main flavor, followed by a mild cocoa aftertaste. The licorice root doesn’t impart a specific flavor, but adds a natural sweetness and a smooth mouthfeel.
This is one of those teas that would benefit from a strong brewing and then made into a latte with whipped cream. I didn’t quite have enough in my sample to go the whole latte route, so I’ll have to try it next time.
Overall this was a great decaf candy cane blend that I would try again next holiday season.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: herbal
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cacao Shell Trio from Oliver Pluff. . . . .
The Oliver Pluff tea company focuses on colonial-styled teas, like those leaves thrown into Boston Harbor during the Boston Tea party. But is also has a variety of other products like mulling spices, pressed tea cakes, and more. Being both an American history-lover and a tea-fanatic, I’ve had my eye on Oliver Pluff products for a little while, and this post-holiday shopping season seemed like the time to give them a try.
I ordered the Cacao Shell Trio from Oliver Pluff and it arrived promptly at my doorstep. The tins were as sleek and stylish as they appeared online, with nicely embossed, heavy paper labels, and dark metal lids. Careful when opening– these tins were filled to the brim!
According to Oliver Pluff, cacao shell tea was a big hit with our first First Lady, Martha Washington. Neither black tea nor coffee, cacao shells make for a roasty blend with chocolate overtones. I’ve reviewed other cacao shell tea on SororiTea Sisters before, and I’ll reiterate that I think they taste like chocolate-drizzled popcorn. The cacao shells are surprisingly more buttery and savory than you would expect. (Also, be aware that while the cacao shells don’t contain caffeine, they are technically stimulants, so make sure you brew this at a time that works around your sleep schedule).
The Cacao Shell Trio has three different blends, plan cacao shells, cacao and mint, and cacao citrus. The plan cacao shells were comparable to other cacao teas I’ve tried in the past, a nice change of pace for the coffee-lover, or a lower-calorie take on a warm, chocolate beverage.
In the cacao mint blend the mint was very strong, like a less-sweet peppermint mocha. It was a great blend to drink around christmas time, when everything is flavored like candy canes. I would advise not over-steeping this blend, or else the mint really takes over. Keep the steep times short to let the cacao shine through.
The cacao citrus blend had both cacao shells and orange peels. This was my favorite blend of the trio. The orange peels were mild, but helped add dimension to the chocolate cacao. This reminded me a bit of those chocolate oranges that come out around this time of year, or like some chocolate and orange pu erh teas I’ve tried in the past. The buttery cacao shells were a nice pair with the tart and fruity orange peels.
Overall this trio was a great purchase and I’ll have to give more Oliver Pluff products a try in the future.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Oliver Pluff
Description: Martha Washington enjoyed steeping the shells of roasted cocoa nuts from the cacao tree for the interesting flavor and health benefits.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chai Latte Milk Chocolate Bar from Chocolats Favoris. . . .
Just outside of Toronto is a chocolate shop called Chocolats Favoris. With a name like that, you know it has French origins and that’s because it actually comes from Quebec. They are a chocolate shop through and through and though they offer everything from chocolate bars to truffles to fondue cans, they are actually known for their chocolate dipped ice cream cones, which are ah. may. zing! So, having indulged in their chocolate dipped ice cream cones a few times and loving them, I knew I wanted some of their awesome chocolate to take home. I picked out a few and this Chai Latte bar certainly caught my eye.
This is a milk chocolate bar made with black tea, spices, and natural flavor. They do not specify which spices exactly in the ingredients list but some flavors clearly shine through the creamy milk chocolate base. Cinnamon blends with the chocolate beautifully to give more flavor without creating competition. The ginger, on the other hand, stands out in each bite. Cardamom coats the tongue slowly but surely the more you eat which makes for a fuller chai flavor while clove pops up every now and again. All the while, the black tea provides a nice texture variant by giving a bit of crunch to the otherwise smooth bar.
This is one flavorful chocolate bar. Like everything else offered at Chocolats Favoris, the chocolate is sweet but delicious. The spices create a welcome contrast to the base and as a whole, this treat is certainly reminiscent of its namesake. If you’re looking for a tea treat to satisfy your sweet tooth, look no further than this Chai Latte milk chocolate bar.
Here’s the scoop!
Where to Buy: Chocolats Favoris
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
