75

So I chose this as my free 75g bag of chocolate tea during one of Deb’s weekly specials. I ended up opening it for a swap, and it smelled so good that I’ve been wanting to have some for a few days now. Well, tonight was the night!

This was a bit difficult to scoop out, as it’s a mix of many things and the orange pieces are quite large. Hopefully I got a good amount of the chocolate, cacao, and maple flakes. This is a blend of rooibos and black tea, but looked like mostly rooibos so that’s how I steeped it.

It smells like a delicious creamsicle… The taste isn’t quite as good as the smell, but still yummy. I love the orange flavor from the slices because it tastes so authentic, and it has a good balance of sweet and acidic. The chocolate is a bit more subdued than I would like, but who knows if I got a decent amount in my basket. There is something a bit cakey here, and I wonder if it’s the combination of the rooibos with the maple?

I quite like it! I’m always impressed by how much flavor Deb manages to get into these teas without adding flavoring. The orange here is particularly surprising to me, I wouldn’t think those orange pieces would contribute so much! This tea makes me think of a trifle with cake, cream, and orange, and a sprinkling of chocolate shards on top.

(P.S. – I looked up chocolate biscuit cake and OMG, it’s going on my list to make!)

Flavors: Cake, Creamy, Dark Chocolate, Orange, Sweet, Tart, Wood

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec 4 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Courtney

Yuuuum.

VariaTEA

I looked it up because you did and it looks delicious!

Also for this flavor profile, I think Necessiteas is my favorite (next to Butiki, of course).

Cameron B.

Maybe I’ll try that one someday. Honestly I kind of avoid Necessiteas because I’ve heard so much about the stock issues and that would definitely frustrate me. :P

VariaTEA

I definitely get that. Last time I ordered it was a restock that she was like 3 days late for and stuff literally sold out while I was checking out (as in I lost things out of my cart). And that was BEFORE she even officially announced the restocks.

Silent Kettle

I would love to try the Necessiteas, but most of the items I am interested in are out of stock, and it can get expensive if you order from Canada.

But yes, this tea sounds lovely. I’ll probably get 25 grams next time I order from Deb. :)

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Comments

Courtney

Yuuuum.

VariaTEA

I looked it up because you did and it looks delicious!

Also for this flavor profile, I think Necessiteas is my favorite (next to Butiki, of course).

Cameron B.

Maybe I’ll try that one someday. Honestly I kind of avoid Necessiteas because I’ve heard so much about the stock issues and that would definitely frustrate me. :P

VariaTEA

I definitely get that. Last time I ordered it was a restock that she was like 3 days late for and stuff literally sold out while I was checking out (as in I lost things out of my cart). And that was BEFORE she even officially announced the restocks.

Silent Kettle

I would love to try the Necessiteas, but most of the items I am interested in are out of stock, and it can get expensive if you order from Canada.

But yes, this tea sounds lovely. I’ll probably get 25 grams next time I order from Deb. :)

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer