I ordered a sample of this since it seemed to be one of the more popular H&S teas. The dry leaf has a very strong, bitter chocolate scent, which lingers on in the brewed cup. While this tea definitely tastes like chocolate, it’s not exactly rich—like a bar of chocolate that is mostly cocoa solids and has been sitting on the shelf for a while. The tea base doesn’t have much of a presence, and I tasted neither astringency nor “tea fragrance” in spite of steeping for a while. There is a hazlenut note in the background, which is quite mellow, but almost makes the tea profile seem weaker—not sure how to explain this, but it’s something that doesn’t even register as “a flavor” unless I pay attention to it. The whole cup tastes more like what I would have expected a second steep to be. Overall, it’s inoffensive but not particularly appealing to me. I’ve probably been spoiled on certain other teas that naturally have a chocolate-like taste…
Not Recommended
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Bio
Science writer and a cat that learned to type.
I grew up in a tea-loving family, and tea has always been a part of daily life. I’m still astounded by the amount of tea and teaware back home every time I visit! While I’m most familiar with straight Chinese teas, I’m growing to explore and appreciate other types of tea, including blended and flavored ones. A good blend can reflect the thought and creativity that was put into making it, instead of being too sweet or busy in a way that gives the “genre” a bad rap.
Likes:
-most black teas (even lapsang)
-most oolongs, especially Fujian teas, baozhong and dancong
-houjicha
-straight white teas
-citrus
-almond/amaretto
-coconut
-vanilla
Variable (some are great, some not so):
-most green teas
-tie guan yin
-flavored white teas
-assam
-rooibos
-melon
-mint
-grape
Ratings:
90-100: definite repurchase if possible, recommended
80-90: enjoyed, possible repurchase
70-80: fair to good
60-70: fair with some shortcomings
50-60: there’s still a chance I’d take this if it were free
under 50: absolutely not
Location
Southern California
