Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Compass Teas
Tea Description:
Mmmm… Doughnut Tea! It could easily be considered a ‘dessert tea’ that could help you cut your calorie and fat intake by substituting this yummy cup for your normal dessert. Scrumptious as is, but tastes amazing with a spoonful or two of our all natural Amber Sugar Gems (made of pure Cane Sugar) and a dash of milk, if you like.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a tasty chai blend from Compass Teas, but, I’m just not getting Spiced Doughnut from it. It is a rich, flavorful black tea blend, but, I guess with a name like Spiced Doughnut Chai, I was expecting more of a sweet, dessert-y taste that just isn’t there.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s still really good. The black tea base is bold and full-flavored. I taste more of an Assam-like base here than I taste Darjeeling, but I do taste certain notes that hint of a Darjeeling presence in the blend. Every once in a while I note a sort of “lightness” … a bright note, if you will, that is distinctly Darjeeling-esque. But the Darjeeling is more of a presence in the background … very soft-spoken and allows the other flavors to do their thing.
The spices are pleasant … the ginger is warm but not too peppery, the cinnamon is more of a spicy than a sweet cinnamon, and I like the nutmeg in this blend. I taste the cardamom … I taste the cloves.
I am wishing for more of a vanilla taste to this … perhaps that would give it more of the sweet, dessert-y flavor that I had mentioned previously. The aftertaste has an almost “bake-y” kind of flavor so I can ~almost~ taste where they might get the idea of a spiced doughnut … almost … but not quite. It’s like almost reaching the finish line … but if you don’t reach the finish line did you really run the race? Sure. And this cup almost makes it.
It’s a flavorful tea, but, it doesn’t quite live up to the name Spiced Doughnut Chai for me. I wish it did, because the idea of a Spiced Doughnut Chai sounds absolutely divine. Close … but this one isn’t quite there yet.
Buttered Rum Tea from David’s Tea
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: David’s Tea
Product Description:
Yo ho ho-conut
Hot buttered rum is so delicious we want it all day long. Unfortunately, most employers frown on workplace drunkenness, so we came up with this rich and creamy alternative. Toasted coconut and vanilla beans mingle with black tea in a caramelized caress of flavours. Decadent hot or iced, it also blends perfectly with dark rum, brown sugar and a dash of milk – so go ahead and indulge your inner pirate, off the clock.
Tasters Review:
Buttered Rum Tea!? I’m In! I should have posted this one on a Friday because it’s just THAT kind of tea! It’s wild and crazy but also a nice tea to help take your troubles away after a hard day or week, even!
At first sip I could totally taste the rum comparison! After my first sip I started to notice some other things! I could taste the vanilla as it cooled a bit but found it to be a bit peppery the colder it got, actually. This wasn’t a bad thing at all! I think it contributes to that warm rum type taste without it actually being warm in temperature…sort of like rum would warm your throat as you swallowed it.
I also LOVE the coconut in this! It completes the cup! The buttery notes are wonderful, too! If you ever have the opportunity to try this…please do! If you are looking for a company to purchase from – David’s Tea has a nice selection!
Choco*Late from American Tea Room
Tea Type: Rooibos
Where To Buy: American Tea Room
Product Description:
This sumptuous, caffeine-free, fat-free blend of organic cacao husks, organic vanilla beans and organic rooibos is sure to be an instant American Tea Room classic.
If the color and aroma of our Choco-Laté blend doesn’t evoke chocolate, then nothing does. Rich brown cacao husks, dark flecks of vanilla bean and umber-colored rooibos present a beguilingly sweet dark chocolate aroma that’s backed with the naturally sweet, woody scent of antioxidant-rich rooibos. The deep garnet brew has a seductive aroma akin to European sipping chocolate. Its smooth flavor is a perfect balance of chocolate, vanilla and rooibos that appeals to chocolate lovers and rooibos lovers alike. The lingering, cacao-rich aftertaste is enough to satiate even the most ardent chocoholic.
Drink Choco-Laté on its own as a naturally sweet, fat-free snack or dessert, or dress it up with agave nectar and rice milk for a healthy tea latte. It’s a natural pairing for chocolate, but if you’re trying to be good, sip it alongside fresh fruit instead. Delicious!
Tasters Review:
There has been quite the amount of chatter about this one on Steepster – an online tea community that both Anne and I belong to.
83 is the LOWEST rating for this one here so far on Steepster and there are at least 14 ratings so far. It’s also the #1 Rated Tea on that website! Needless to say – I have been wanting to try this since it was brought to my attention. And recently I was lucky enough to receive a sample of it from American Tea Room!
The aroma is that of a semi-sweet chocolate but certainly not over the top intensely scented. By that I mean it doesn’t smack you in the face when you open the package. You can see the many ‘husks’ within the ‘mix’. The aroma post-infusion seems to be 33.3%-33.3%-33.3% across the board – Semi-Sweet Chocolate and Cocoa combined with Rooibos and with Vanilla.
The taste is VERY smooth and chocolaty with a little woodsy aftertaste. It certainly is one of the better tasting chocolate-type attempts I have had and it works very well with the rooibos.
I think I am in the middle of everyone else’s ratings. Where I wouldn’t give it a perfect 100 I certainly wouldn’t go below the lowest score of 83, either. My fear was, after reading the other reviews on Steepster, that this one was pumped up too much and I would be disappointed but that is far from the truth! This is very good! It does deserve the ratings as I have found it hard to find a sweet, smooth, chocolaty flavored Rooibos that the Rooibos isn’t still overpowering the rest of the mix. The ingredients live in harmony with each other on this one and it’s lovely.
A fellow Steepster recommended tripling the amount of the dry and then infusing. I am going to try this very soon! I also want to point out that this is vegan according to a online friend of mine! A perfect chocolate treat without the dairy!