Dandelion Caramel Nut

Day 24 of the Teeccino advent calendar, and here endeth this particular advent-ure. I’m glad that I did this one, as it allowed me to sample a wide variety of Teeccino’s offerings, but now that I’ve done it I don’t really feel the need to do it again. Especially tasty were the Maple Pecan, Candy Cane, Hazelnut, Maca Chocolate, Dandelion Coconut, Vanilla Nut, Chocolaté – and this one, the Dandelion Caramel Nut! I made it as an oat milk latte. It’s got notes of caramel, chicory, carob, dandelion, and a nuttiness that I can’t place but the wrapper says is almond. Extremely solid entrant in the flavored coffee dupe category, and an excellent end to the advent calendar.

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.)

Sipdown! (7 | 496)

So I bought a Teeccino dandelion sampler pack on Amazon after being intrigued by the dandelion root in some tea that I don’t recall now. This just happened to be the flavor that sounded most intriguing this evening, so I steeped up both teabags in a 16-ounce mug.

Hmm, so not sure if I steeped this too long or if two bags was too many (it recommended 8 oz for each bag) but it’s quite bitter and acidic. Having no experience with dandelion root, I don’t know if this is normal. It’s not undrinkably bitter, but it’s certainly not the most pleasant flavor. I do taste a lot of caramel, and it reminds me of a buttery caramel sauce. Otherwise it tastes very similar to burnt popcorn, with a deep roasted flavor. I guess it’s a bit like mugicha really. I’m not sure I would pick out nuts specifically.

Anyway, I’m not sure what to think of this. I find the overall flavor pleasant enough, but the bitterness is pretty distracting. Maybe I’ll shorten the steep a bit for some of the other flavors and see if that helps?

Ever logged into your work computer on Monday morning and realized that you’re simply not emotionally ready to launch your interoffice IM app and email client? That me today. Wish me luck.

Caffeine will only increase my stress levels and further diminish my fool-tolerating threshold, so this is what’s on tap today. Good with a splash of milk. Good for the stomach. Good for the liver. Just good all around.

From the TTB
Chicory is the main thing I taste here, not a whole lot of almonds or caramel. I may have let it steep too long. It wasn’t a bad or bitter taste, just a bit overwhelming. I did look into chicory a bit and it’s good for digestion. If I see this in a store I might be tempted to purchase a box.

I had a note and I lost it! Ugh. Basically this blend is deep, dark, and perfect for a cozy winter night.

Mmmmmm….. hate to say it, but I think I like this better than adding vanilla honey to the Traditional Medicinals Roasted Dandelion. There’s the perfect amount of sweetness built in from the figs and dates (“dates” wasn’t an option in the ingredients box, btw). All it needs is a splash of almond milk and I am set for afternoon relaxation. Downside is the high price for only 10 teabags :-(