Teeccino

This is a basic Chai with chicory and sweetened with dates. Not their best flavor and not something I’d seek out to purchase. On the Advent there are quotes behind each tea packet. Today’s was list 5 things you are grateful for. Well, you lovely steepsterites are certainly a community I am thankful for. Thanks for making me smile :)
Other things I am grateful for: Cold weather (to appreciate when it gets warmer), Exciting world cup football matches, legs that carry me where I need to go and books to read.

If you have a lot of imagination you might get some lemon balm at the end and just a hint of mango sweetness. This is mostly chicory with a bright lemon zest finish. Can’t say I’d search this one out, but it was good to try in the advent.

ashmanra’s monthly sipdown challenge
March 2023 → International Irish Whiskey Day

Not whiskey, I know. But it is boozy. Especially since I added a tablespoon of amaretto to my cup. A tablespoon of amaretto, a tablespoon of agave nectar (which I keep around especially for this recipe → https://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/breakfast-polenta-recipe.html), and probably at least a tablespoon of heavy cream. Maybe more. Definitely not less. As expected, it’s absolutely decadent.

I normally add sugar to my Teeccino blends, and to my coffee on the rare occasion that I drink it, but the flavor almost always falls flat. Not bad by any means but always missing something. Honey won’t do here either because the flavor tends to overpower and then it’s all that I can taste. Agave nectar is pure perfection. A happy surprise indeed.

I am not getting any mango or lemon balm from this at all – just chicory, really. It’s not that it’s bad; it’s got a smooth sweetness that’s pleasant. I just expected something a little brighter. That said, not sure how much I would have liked something that tasted like coffee and mango at the same time, so maybe for the best?

teeccino advent, day 2

I’m new to the teeccino brand and discovered both the brand and flavor from sipsby. I was so intrigued I wanted to sample more variety from them in their advent, and what do we have here? The same flavor that I started with!

With a little experimenting, I’m finding that a longer steep really overpowers the maple and pecan flavor. It’s a deep and roasty tea that does indeed make me feel like I’m drinking a coffee (which I love, since I adore the scent and flavor of coffee but the acidity is a real problem for me). If I stick more to the 3 minute end of the recommended steep time, I get a lot more maple scent and a sweet, nutty flavor that I imagine was the intent.

I’m still deciding if I’d buy more of this; I look forward to the rest of these flavors so I can choose a couple favorites.

teeccino advent, day 1

Teeccino blends are not for the feint of heart, they are bold, earthy and have plenty of chicory to lend a bit of a bite. If you are good with that, carry on and try to distinguish the subtle flavors of the different blends. A sweet maple aftertaste? Yes. Pecan… maybe? Would I drink this again? Sure. Add it to an order, maybe.

A really cool alternative to coffee if you need to lay off caffeine and are craving a cup of joe!

I only have two more from the sampler to try after this one. For anyone interested if you are only ordering one of their sampler packs shipping is free.
This one sounded really good. In terms of flavor, it missed the mark and wasn’t sweet enough. The cinnamon isn’t cinnamon sugar-like and this blend is similar to the plain roasted blends that Teeccino offers. The blends that are lacking in sweetness and more closely resemble black coffee. Adding milk didn’t bring out any cookie flavor either. Why couldn’t this tea have been similar to say the Amaretto blend they offer that nails that flavor or the Caramel Nut?
Roswell’s tasting note on this pretty much summed up my thoughts on it as well.

Sipdown (1954)!

Very, very roasty and very very dark. This is definitely the most “coffee like” in taste of all the Teeccino blends I’ve tried so far – but even still it retains that pleasant carob sweetness that pulls it back from being overly bitter and root-y in taste.

One of the last few tea bags from the sampler I got.
This one was disappointing because it sounded really good. I wanted more orange from it and more chocolate. The orange was the stronger of the two flavors but I was expecting this one to be strong like the Amaretto flavor was. This blend was a lot more subtle compared to that one and just didn’t deliver. The chocolate component was missing as well.

Hmmm, the first few sips were slightly cinnamon with chicory underneath. Not very sweet at all, there’s no dates in this Teeccino blend. The lingering aftertaste as it cools is medicinal like cough syrup. Not for me.

I picked up a variety box of Teeccino, and this is one I don’t mind too much. Amaretto is my favorite Teeccino flavor, and it seems a bit sweeter than this one. It has a mild chicory bite to it along with a sweetness from the dates. the maple flavor is lingering in the background, but adds a bit of sweetness to the overall taste. I might drink more of this if Amaretto isn’t available, but I wouldn’t seek it out.

Here’s another one from the sampler and this one is from their organic line so the ingredients are probably a bit different.
This one reminds me of a milder Vanilla Nut but I think I prefer Vanilla Nut. Since it’s organic I think the vanilla flavor here is a bit more subtle compared to the rest of the ingredients. I think if you want a flavored one it’s best to get the vanilla nut or if you prefer the plainer blends go for the Mocha or the French Roast. One difference between this one and the vanilla nut is that this one doesn’t have dates in it or any fruit that would provide some sweetness. Another difference is that this is considered a dark roast while the vanilla nut is considered a medium roast blend.
The other organic ones I have left to try from my sampler are more interesting flavors so maybe I’ll have better luck with them. This one is still enjoyable it’s just not a favorite from the bunch.

This is another one that came in the sampler that I’ve tried before.
I don’t love the smell of this one as the chocolate smells a bit dusty and the mint quite menthol-y.
It’s got a lot flavor though and I think this would be a great flavor to have during the winter holidays. It’s definitely minty and chocolate-y as well. The mint is peppermint and it’s good with milk and a little honey added to it.

Sipped on this one yesterday and actually enjoyed it a bit more than I expected to! The aroma is probably the best part of this one; it really does smell a lot like caramel but also like hot cocoa as well. I suppose that’s mostly the carob, which can have a chocolate-like taste and smell to it. The hot cocoa comparison carried into the taste too though because the entire drink reminded me of a roastier and more full bodied version of Nestle’s Rolo flavoured instant hot chocolate.

Growing up, we used to buy instant hot chocolate in bulk in the no-name brand that was just a GIANT yellow tube of crappy hot cocoa powder – but as a special treat in the winter my mom would sometimes get Nestle’s name brand instant hot cocoa when it was on sale. At the end of the day, it’s still just instant hot chocolate so it’s not exactly the best tasting drink in the world – but the difference between no name and the Nestle stuff was night and day and the role was already my favourite one – so this was a deeply nostalgic tasting cuppa for me.

(Though I can’t let it go unstated that I didn’t get the “nut” part of this one at all.)

I got this in a sampler from Teeccino that included some flavors that I’ve never tried before from them. This was a new one and had a lot of chai flavor so it definitely feels more like chai tea than coffee. The spices are nice and I added some nondairy milk to it.

Strange VariaTEA TTB: Tea 25

The ingredients in this spoke to me since I have a cough and sore throat. I also assumed I couldn’t really taste tea so I figured the flavours in this I don’t usually like, I wouldn’t taste. That said, I hated this. It’s very heavily roasted. I added honey and I liked just that because everything else was just strong and unpleasant.

October Sipdown Challenge – A Nutty Tea

I bought one box of the teabags when I ordered an unreasonable amount of Vanilla Nut. I will probably repurchase this flavor.

When I first tried Nutella and saw it was a chocolate and hazelnut spread, I assumed the hazelnut was cocoa-y and contributed a lot of flavor to the Nutella. (I was introduced to Nutella rather late in life compared to most people.)

I was so surprised to find that hazelnuts are just what we call filberts, which come in every mixed “in the shell” nuts package you buy near Christmas and taste nothing like chocolate to me. And I like them, but since buying Teecino and offering it to people I have been surprised at the number of people who say, “No, thanks, I don’t like hazelnut. I will try the Vanilla Nut flavor.”

This is creamy and mildly nutty, not bitter unless you are counting the normal chicory-coffee taste, and delicious. These are a real treat that I am probably indulging in too often. I am limiting the sugar, as these are an attempt at a healthier replacement for evening hot chocolate, since the caffeine and high sugar content of hot chocolate was keeping me up nights.

2022 sipdown no. 45

A tea from Cameron!

I added just a splash of soy milk. The dandelion base was exactly what I expected and the coconut flavour wasn’t fake or cloying at all. Overall not a bad cup, but not something I need in my cupboard.

Sipdown

For the first time in years, I do not have any Teeccino products on shelf. Will repurchase either this or Vanilla Nut for next winter probably.

Steeped in a teapot then hot milk and sugar added for a hot cocoa vibe. Awesome flavor with no caffeine. Coffee-ish but this non-coffee drinker enjoys it very much.