Florence

This is a very well balanced tea. The chocolate elements do not overpower the hazelnutty elements, leading to something reminicent of a fancy bonbon in a little chocolate shop.
This feels like an autumnal tea to me, like it would be fabulous to have on a chilly morning. I might keep ahold of the rest of this sample to try when it cools down some.

So nutty and sweet. I can NOT recommend this enough to people who enjoy dessert teas.

This tea is a long-time favorite of mine. It was one of the first tins that I bought when I was first becoming obsessed with loose-leaf teas. It still holds that same charm for me. The dry leaves smell of rich cocoa with a hint of nuts. The flavor is smooth, malty black tea with a nutty finish. There is a light chocolate and hazelnut aftertaste that is to die for. No bitterness at all in this tea, it is nice and smooth. I like to add a little sweetener, and sometimes milk, to make this tea just perfect.

-Dry blend has large black tea leaves and twigs.
-Dry leaves smell like rich chocolate with a hint of nuts. Tea liquor aroma is of chocolate and vanilla.
-Tea liquor is a clear dark brown color.
-Smooth malty black tea flavor with a nutty finish. Light chocolate hazelnut aftertaste.
-Best with sweetener. Milk optional.
-Excellent tea. A richly flavored cup of chocolate and hazelnut.

I loved this when I had a sample of it. Now that I have a whole tin, I feel very meh about it. Maybe the sample was from a batch that was better? It’s still good, I’m just not doing any cartwheels about it and there is no driving force to make this tea.

Okay, here’s one for ~lauren!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cait_tea/4516495198/in/set-72157623664718933/

This is decadence. This is a double-strength mug of Florence with three scoops of chocolate ice cream added.

Double-strength Florence is so dark the spoon almost stands up and incredibly bitter — and I say that as someone who loves bittersweet chocolate! But double-strength Florence with three scoops of chocolate ice cream is creamy and smooth and delicious! I didn’t cool the tea down before adding the ice cream, but letting it steep for so long and adding the ice cream cooled it down enough to let me start drinking right away, so I could enjoy the combination of hot tea and cold ice cream before it equalized.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

(Dinner? What dinner?)

Do you ever buy a tea and you are just so sure that you will adore it, but then when you drink it your feelings are hurt that you are not madly in love with it?
I was so sure that I would be just as mad about this tea as I am with Paris.
I am not.
However, it IS a good tea and I do like it.
I have a feeling that I did this to the poor tea, my expectations were too high.
I just wanted to love it too much.
Deep Sigh
The nose on this tea is strong.
Almost like its trying to make sure you know it has chocolate in it.
But, the taste it better, it is a smooth tea and I do like the taste.
You really can not identify the black tea in there though.
I drank this as is, no sugar or cream/milk.
I did not want to mask what tea taste that was there.
I can see making this tea for company who do not drink much tea normally, it would be unoffensive to them, unless they do not like chocolate.
Now, I do like some Chocolate Teas.
And this tea is not terrible, we just are going to be friends though, instead of lovers.
I have some of this tea cold brewing, so I will return with a update on how this tea holds up to that.
UPDATE
Well, my opinion has not really changed in drinking it cold brewed.
It makes an all right iced tea, but I probably will not be cold brew it again.

JacquelineM — how fast did you start craving this the moment you saw me post this? ;)

Seriously, it was because of a note that JacquelineM posted about H&S’s Earl Grey that I remembered that I had a handful of samples tucked away for sometime. Well, one of those sometimes is now. We had our first nasty snowstorm of the season yesterday/today, so I felt that Florence would be very appropriate on a day like this.

I think that it’s very deserving of its praise here on Steepster, and I think others have done an excellent job of describing its many charms. So, why isn’t my rating higher? Well, you may recall that I am not a fan of chocolate. Yes, I am a freak. Ever since overdoing it on M&Ms one Easter as a child I have a very low level of chocolate tolerance. Some days I like it more than others. I think that today is a good day, but it still keeps me from utterly melting over this tea. All that said, I would seriously consider keeping a tin of this on hand — not just for me, but especially for visiting friends or family. NE

This has been a chocolate weekend for me courtesy of Doulton’s sampler! First, lots of Mayan Chocolate Chai, then Dawn, then Haute Chocolate (from Teavana), and the best for last, Florence! This is by far the most chocolatey tea blend I may have had “ever” and perhaps, the hazelnut gives it a richness that a solo-chocolate blend would not be able to provide….

2014-01-07
wow hah!! another one i drank for the first time almost a year ago.
and here i am kinda revisiting the tea. that taste in 2013 was just a sample i’m sure. this time i bought a 4oz tin. i guess it kinda stuck with me that whole time.

and THAT is why i want to declare that I LOVE my tea cupboard right now.
and i never realized it before but when you love your tea cupboard very very much, and you have a very big teapot you also love very much, and aren’t afraid to brew full pots and drink them down anytime you want, all the tea gets drunk much faster! and buying more tea samples and full oz of teas to re-fill the tins becomes an exciting and ongoing endeavor!
science!

it took me over a year to figure out what it is that i like and to recognize a potential super favorite tea when i taste it. and i can also see how my taste is continuing to change. (like i never thought i would enjoy unflavored tea blends as much as i recently have. it clicked all of a sudden and now i’m inspired.)

this tea has a darkness about it. a moodiness. many of my other chocolate teas have a more playful and twinkling chocolate flavor to them. but this is a chocolate tea for adults. and exactly why i bought it to drink at work. because work is the place i’m most adult. ever.

(i’m gonna update my cupboard cuz i’m pretty sure it’s about to be swapping time!)

2013-01-11
good morning steepsters!!
it’s friday!
i love tea!

“Good Morning!"

“What do you mean? Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”

“All of them at once”

Thank you Kasumi no Chajin for this tea.
I could smell this tea as soon as I opened the envelope and boy was it strong and chocolatey. A closer smell of the raw leaves reveals an earthy nuttiness along side the sweet chocolate.

Once steeped the smell reminds me of Nutella (chocolate and hazelnut spread).

Without milk and sugar:
The chocolate comes through with a little sweetness just before the hazelnut brings a nutty punch to create a sweet yet earthy drink. The black tea is a little bitter and the earthiness from the nut does not help it’s smoothness which makes the chocolate very cocoa nib tasting.

With milk and sugar. The chocolate is more chocolate like rather than cocoa nib (smoother and sweeter) while the nut is a little softer. The milk really tones down the bitterness and enhances the chocolate. It now reminds me of hot chocolate you can buy in ready made sachets with powdered milk.

Overall it’s a very nice chocolate tea (as far as chocolate teas come) and the nut is a perfect little touch to make this one stand out. Very yummy. :)