This tea makes me think of Japan. What? Yeah, I know. Florence. Italy. Europe. Nowhere near Japan. And yet. But perhaps this clarification will help: this tea makes me think of Japanese snacks. Specifically Toppo, a little sweet pretzel-like tube stuffed with chocolate. (It’s basically an inside-out Pocky but (for some reason) so much better.) There was something about that tube that balanced the chocolate so nicely. Which meant that I wouldn’t get sweetness overloaded and would eat way too many at a time.
This tea is like Toppo. The chocolate is balanced nicely with the hazelnut and tea tastes so it doesn’t feel like plain old chocolate. Instead it is rich, decadent, adult-type chocolate. Given the mood I was in when I had the tea (an oh-please-someone-kill-me-and-put-me-out-of-my-misery-preferably-before-I-maim-you mood), I went ahead and added sugar and half & half because I wanted needed the full-on dessert tea experience. And boy did this tea deliver. Delicious! No single flavor is overpowering so I didn’t sit there and think “Oh, this is a chocolate tea” because it is really much more than a one dimensional taste like that. The flavors are so bold, rich and sweet that I ended up thinking it tasted like a fancy flavored coffee. (Is it sacrilege to say that?)
Anyway, enough people have gushed about this little beauty that I probably should have stopped a hundred words ago but I just can’t help myself. Through the power of this tea alone, I will be able to refrain from killing someone today.
Thanks to Doulton for the chance to try this lovely beast!
Preparation
Comments
LOL…it’s a Florence day for sure. I drank a few cups of it this morning and posted too. I was impressed!
Hmm,,I am almost finished the sample Doulton sent me and I will need to order this one. It is the best chocolate tea!
Yes to everyone – such a good tea that could easily be a favorite! I’m definitely going to have to get some of this. Yay for Florence Day! :)
OMG, so this note is from a month ago, but I just have to say…Toppo is the BEST THING EVER. The use of pretzel like crispy outside instead of boring old biscuit makes it superior to pocky in EVERY WAY.
(Just tried Florence and was reading other people’s notes, fyi)
For serious. Fortunately, there’s a Japanese import store right next to Trader Joe’s, hopefully there will be Toppo!
I certainly miss this one from my stash…
YUM – a favorite of mine!
I love this one too. I’m glad it stopped you from going postal.
LOL…it’s a Florence day for sure. I drank a few cups of it this morning and posted too. I was impressed!
Oh this sounds so lovely. I hope to have a fresh bag of this soon to try!
Hmm,,I am almost finished the sample Doulton sent me and I will need to order this one. It is the best chocolate tea!
Yes to everyone – such a good tea that could easily be a favorite! I’m definitely going to have to get some of this. Yay for Florence Day! :)
OMG, so this note is from a month ago, but I just have to say…Toppo is the BEST THING EVER. The use of pretzel like crispy outside instead of boring old biscuit makes it superior to pocky in EVERY WAY.
(Just tried Florence and was reading other people’s notes, fyi)
Toppo is totally superior to Pocky! It’s awesome-ness in stick form!
Walgreen’s sells Toppo here! I have to try it. I love Pocky!
Okay, that is officially awesome. I wish my Walgreen’s sold Toppo!
For serious. Fortunately, there’s a Japanese import store right next to Trader Joe’s, hopefully there will be Toppo!
Your review made me buy this. It’s brewing nowwwww!
I bought it at a Japanese import store :3
Okay I totally want to try Toppo now.