Beans and Leaves

Made this last night since I’ve had it forever and I wanted to see if it’s still any good. Originally I picked this tea up from a little shop about an hour+ drive from where I live. That was….geeeze, at least over 2 years ago. x.x; But since I haven’t had much luck with ‘newer’ tea, I wanted something simple. It’s one of those teas that you like, but not really enough to drink everyday. So it gets shifted around until it’s at the back of your cupboard, then you find it one day and you’re like ‘Oh I love this tea!’. Lol.
Onto the tea. It’s a neat little tea that has curly leaves and little red sugar crystals mixed together. Not sure what type of tea it is since I wasn’t into tea like I am now when I got it, so I didn’t think to ask. The smell is a simple sugary vanilla.
Brewed this has the same smell as the dry leaf, and the taste is lightly vanilla and black tea. Not malty or peppery or tobacco or whatever, just a nice straight black tea taste with a vanilla highlight. Even with all the sugar from the crystals, it’s not really as sweet as you might think. I actually added a smidge of Truvia and it made it very nice.
I’m almost out of it now, but I don’t even know if the shop is still there or if they still carry Star of Persia anymore. Lol. I’ll have to check around online to see if someone carries it since I’d hate to be without it honestly.

Ever since I had Chocolate Pot du Tea from Joy’s Teaspoon, I’ve been searching for other chocolate teas (mainly to tide me over until I can justify ordering some more from them).

I happened across a little tea shop in Long Grove, IL during Chocolate fest and, of course, had to stop. I picked up several teas from there, including this one.

My first time drinking it I found it to be good, but slightly bitter. Not overbrewed bitter, but more like they had used pure cocoa nibs instead of sweetened ones. It was good but a bit “stiff” for me that particular morning.

I decided to give it another go yesterday but this time I added a splash of milk and my usual brown sugar splenda blend. Tasted like tea hot chocolate! Yummo!

Today is a resteep of it with the same additives and it’s not nearly as strong (so it doesn’t hold up as well to resteeping as Joy’s Teaspoon’s one does) but it’s still really good.

Considering that my additives still keep this under 50 calories, I think this may be a great chocolate treat for me, especially when the weather turns cold and I want hot chocolate but not all the calories.

Note: the tea flavor does still come through, so it’s really divine.