Cult of Demeter

I like cocao teas and the spices in this one were a welcome addition, giving it digestif qualities. They remind me a bit of the candied spices that some Indian restaurants give out (Mukhwas). However, it doesn’t quite have the flavor and body of other cocao teas like Crio Bru.

I ordered a sample-sized bag of this one a while back, tried it once, and promptly forgot about it. So I’m going into it somewhat fresh tonight!

Dry, I’m mostly getting anise with a tiny hint of cocoa. But my brewed cup smells… kinda funky and murky. There’s a smell that some fruity baked goods (blueberry muffins, banana bread) get when they’ve been sitting at room temp for too long and are just about to turn, and the scent here aaalmost reminds me of that smell. But it’s really mild and not enough to put me off.

The taste is actually kind of weak! There’s a hint of anise behind a thin, bready flavor, but not too much more. The mouthfeel is really nice and silky, but I want a little more flavor behind it.

A dash of oat milk bulks up the body, but does nothing for the flavor. Meh. Not a repurchase for me. :(

Sniffing this tea, I really didn’t think it was going to work for me, but I’m so happy to be wrong. The anise is really strong, but the barley gives it a breadiness that fits really well. I add milk, and this tastes just like biscochito. The resteep tastes basically the same. I’m really enjoying these cookie vibes. My next cup of it tasted much heavier on the rich chocolate, which was also lovely. I’m now out, and I think I may need to get the larger size next time.

It takes a lot for a tea to turn me off so much based on aroma alone that I actively put off trying it and, thinking about it now, there’s only one tea that comes to mind that smelled so off putting to me that I flat out refused to try it…

But I considered, with this one.

Which is crazy honestly because it sounds like something I should like! Sure, I’m not huge of chocolate teas but roasted barley is incredibly up my alley and I really enjoy anise/black licorice flavours for the most part. However, the dry leaf aroma of this tea smells like gross sweaty feet to me mixed with an almost sickly sweet licorice smell and it makes me feel icky giving it a whiff…

Despite that, I did steep up a mug earlier this week and it’s not awful. It definitely (thankfully!) doesnt’t taste sweaty or like feet at all, but there is a slight sourness to the barley that is a little more in the vein of like a sourdough/rye bread but with that roasty undertone. The chocolate is strong and not great but not bad and the licorice/anise flavour, while sweet, is a very reasonable level. The anise is my favourite part. I don’t love this overall though and I’ll definitely not seek it out after I crush the sample – but more because I just don’t think the chocolate and anise compliment each other and less because of the weird smell thing.

This is definitely a niche tea but I like it more than not for its similarities to Silk Road’s Chocolate Panda (which contains vanilla so I like that one slightly better).

I think the aroma and flavouring is reminiscent of those licorice hard candies you get at Greek restaurants (there are also cinnamon ones). Sweet sugar, anise, with a touch of chocolate and barley (all hail the Barley Mother) to give it a “thickness” which I will generously dub “creamy.”

I added milk to my last steeped sample portion and kind of wish I’d been drinking it that way the whole time. It toned down the more medicinal aspects of this blend and made “creamy” truly creamy. Also a nice way to wind down with some “horror” novels (plural) last night. I don’t usually read or watch a lot of horror – I’m more a fantasy/sci-fi person but it’s always nice to branch out to the other speculative fiction genre every now and then.

My mom could not even handle the smell of a steeped cup so your mileage may vary.

Creamy cocoa notes reminiscent of hot chocolate. Sweet anise flavor as well. This tea is nicely balanced. I would like this to drink occasionally but with the anise I don’t see it as being an everyday cup. It’s definitely a unique blend true to the brand’s name.

Sipdown! (22 | 95)

I didn’t realize I only had one serving left of this, I’ve never tried it but sent it to a couple of people. So that was a nice surprise when I opened the pouch!

Wow, there’s a lot of anise going on here! It ends up tasting a bit like fennel, even though there’s no fennel here. I do taste some creamy cocoa and a nice toasty grain note from the barley.

But really, I feel like the anise is out of balance here. I do like anise, but it’s overpowering the other flavors a bit, and the tisane comes out tasting like black licorice. A shame, because the ingredient combination sounded really good to me…

2021 sipdown no. 38

This is my last August Uncommon tea from Cameron and sadly, these rooibos teas have not been good for me.

The combination of ingredients here ends up tasting like a deli meat?

Pretty proud of myself lately with keeping my tea purchases small. I feel like I’ve finally entered this stage where I can slow my roll with exploration, whittle down my current cupboard and focus on the types of teas that I know complement my constitution. Watch me go back on my word sometime soon :P

Cult of Demeter is one of those complementary blends. Heavier on the cocoa notes than a previous batch, less on the anise. Barley malt feels about the same. It smells and tastes like an anise biscotti soaked in a hot cocoa water. Kind of thin but I’m not bothered by the fact. Still amazed this is only 3 ingredients with no added flavorings.

Natural feeling. Gentle. Swaddling, even?

Listen: Familiarity by Punch Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sya6Jh2pwzA

I just finished off my sample size and purchased another bag. The cocoa and anise is so well-balanced, and such an interesting combination, I’ve found myself craving the flavor combo recently. August Uncommon posted a recipe for an affogatto using this tea, and I’m very interested in trying it. I’ll have to grab some vanilla ice cream next time I’m at the store.