Spicy Chocolate

This blend from Kusmi is more about spices—above all, clove, at least to my palate and nose— than chocolate. In fact, it veers near Constant Comment territory, so strong is the spiciness! The scent of the dried tea is high redolent of chocolate, so I have to confess that I was a bit disappointed with the final brew, which I prepared super-strong, as I prefer my flavored black teas with cream.

The liquor is dark red, and the nerve-impinging clove (though I do own that I am quite sensitive to that note—both in consumables and in perfume), made this a less than fantastic tea experience for me. It was not bad, but it was not the chocolate dream I was looking forward to on this drizzly “we have no spring in Boston” day.

I have a lot more of this tea on hand, so I’ll probably experiment with some mixtures. Perhaps I need to combine this one half and half with the Kusmi straight chocolate-scented tea?

Another tea from a swap with VariaTEA! :D

The name of this tea threw me off a little. I was reading spicy as hot, not spices. Chai like, got it! The scent of this reminds me a bit of Zhi Tea’s Cacao Chai, which I love so much! It tastes very similar too, but like a lighter more mellow version. There is a tiny bitterness in the start of the sip that quickly gives way to smoothness. Maybe I should have done a shorter steep? The aftertaste is nothing but spices!
This tea is really nice and if I didn’t already have something similar in my cupboard already, I’d be contemplating it as an addition.

I got a sample of this from VariaTEA. Thank you!

This tea surprised me with pretty unusual spicy notes. Very unlike the ones one usually finds in a chai. The spiciness was somewhat perfumey, and I liked that. I didn’t detect much chocolate here, however, but it’s weird to think of my expectations of chocolate flavoring in tea – because they are rarely satisfied :D

The base tea was neither weak nor strong, I didn’t notice it much when sipping, but I think my body has received a nice boost, so this cup was perfect to start the day with!

Wow, this one is good. Like really really good. I love chocolate teas, and I was expecting this one to be overwhelmingly spicy, like chai spicy. Instead, it’s a smooth and creamy cup with a wonderfully rich chocolate flavor. The spices are barely there – just enough to leave me wondering what spices they are. They’re sweet spices, (maybe cinnamon is one of them?), nothing too strong or peppery. The tea tastes like taking a bite of a milk chocolate bar. Not even a cup of hot chocolate – it’s straight up like eating the real thing. I’m always impressed with Kusmi teas, but this one really wowed me! Conicidentally, I took my nursing 112 final yesterday and today is the first day of spring break. It’s off to a good start with this tea! Thank you, VariaTEA, for this sample!

-Dry blend has medium black tea leaves and twigs with small pieces of spices.
-Dry leaves smell like milk chocolate. Tea liquor aroma is of rich, sweet chocolate.
-Tea liquor is a clear medium yellow brown color.
-Sweet chocolate flavor and finish. Sweetly spicy aftertaste that lingers.
-Best with milk and sweetener.
-Excellent tea. A cup of rich, creamy chocolate with a small hint of sweet spices. Reminiscent of a milk chocolate candy bar.

I’ve tasted this one because it was included in a set of mini boxes. I was neither convinced by the contents (chocolate ? spices ?…when you only drink flowers and fruits, that’s weird) but I was pleasantly surprised by the taste.
And I can’t imagine to have a tea with chocolate and no spices, now ! The two are as great as chocolate with piment d’espelette.

This tea is good, but in ways could be better. I feel like the chocolate doesn’t blend as well with the spices as it could… Its still good, but if the spice blend were a little smoother, the tea would work better. Overall, still a good tea, but not one I’d re-purchase at full price.

I’ve been looking for more of this one!