Honeybush Chocolate Torte

First! hehe So I got this nice little tea from QueenofTarts. Thanks!

I’m always looking for a nice caffeine free evening tea and I’ve had many positive experiences with honeybush, so this seemed like a winner when I saw it on her swap list. I’m pretty happy with this. There’s a subtle chocolate flavor. It tastes a bit roasty and a bit caramelly. I wouldn’t say it’s a replacement for dessert, but I haven’t tried it sweetened yet. Usually I only sweetened blacks and spice teas, though not always. I’m beginning to find the rooibos and honeybush take well to sweetener as well. Though my default is still unadulterated tea.
anyway! I’ll try it with a bit of sugar and milk when I get home and report back!

Time to try a new tisane. I have a few samples left, as the collection continues to get whittled down.

In the packet, it smells like some sort of baked good. Gingerbread, maybe? It’s not so chocolatey that I’d identify it as a chocolate aroma. The mixture looks heavy on the chocolate and caramel pieces and light on the honeybush and rosebuds.

Steeped, it smells boozy. A liqueur smell. Kahlua, maybe, though it has been a while since I had Kahlua. It has a tea-colored liquor that’s remarkably clear given the various sugary things in it that undoubtedly melted when steeped.

Fortunately, it doesn’t taste boozy. Well, at least not in the sip. There’s a bit of liqueur flavor in the aftertaste. The sip is mostly caramel, with some vaguely cocoa notes. It’s smooth and tasty, and a bit on the subtle side which I think improves it over what it might taste like if it was the sort of thing that hit you over the head. I can’t really taste the honeybush, which is a plus.

I was going to say I couldn’t really taste the torte, either, which would be a minus. But as it cools, I do get a suggestion of baked goods. Not as strong as the one in the Amaretti Cookie, but it is there.

This is the sort of thing I would have gone nuts for a few years back when I was marveling at the fact that a drink could taste like a decadent dessert without the calories. It’s good enough that it’s tempting me back toward desserty non-fruit tisanes tonight.

For that I rate it high, but I’m not sure it’s enough to make me completely buck my trend of late to crave fruity tisanes instead of desserty chocolate, caramel, cake, etc. ones.