213/365
I bought this one a couple of orders ago, and intended to drink it while the weather was still cold. I didn’t get around to it for some reason, but last night was chilly and I’d had a bad day at work, so I was glad to be able to pull this one out and create some comfort in a mug.
My main reason for wanting to try this one (apart from the fact that I love chocolate digestives) was Bird & Blend’s latte recipe, which involves adding 1 tsp of hot chocolate powder to 150ml hot milk, along with 1 tsp honey and 1/2 tsp vanilla essence. I made the tea concentrate using 4 tsp of leaf in 200ml water, gave it 4 minutes, and then combined the two. The result is delightful. I did wonder whether the hot chocolate powder (I used Options Belgian Chocolate) would drown out the tea, but it seems not to. Instead, it adds an extra richness and amplifies the chocolate flavour, but it isn’t overpowering. Instead, they seem to work together pretty well. Or, more than pretty well, really. It’s a sweet, liquid-biscuit delight.
For the sake of objectivity, I’m trying this one on its own this morning (1 tsp in boiling water for 3m) as well; that’s how I know the tea wasn’t overpowered. The tea itself is like any chocolate tea, really; a little thin and watery tasting. You can tell it’s trying hard, but cocoa shells and cocoa nibs in water are never going to taste exactly like actual chocolate. What it really provides in spades is biscuit flavour, and I’m still not entirely sure how that is – some kind of magical tea alchemy? I feel like it has something to do with the fenugreek, but I can’t swear to it. One thing I will say is that although this blend contains liquorice, my nemesis, I can’t really taste it. Neither does it leave a throat-coating uber-sweet stickiness at the back of my throat, which is a real bonus.
On its own, this is a decent blend. It’s more biscuit than chocolate, but both are represented. As a latte, and especially with the added hot chocolate, honey, and vanilla it’s a real treat. I would buy more of this just so that I can continue making them, because it was that good.
Winner, winner!
