Sahpat Teas

Philadelphia Coffee & Tea Festival #9

The Sahpat folks had this has an infusion to taste, as opposed to brewed. It was WOW. The flavor hit me in the face. It was lime lime lime. Honestly it was actually a bit much for me, though I don’t know if that was because it was a cold day and I wanted something warm and not fruity, or because the flavor was too strong for my tastes.

I’ve only had one other lime tea before and did enjoy it, but in hindsight do remember thinking the lime was a bit strong. So it may be a bit of both – cold day and my own personal preferences.

I think others would be blown away by this. Especially if you love lime.

Philadelphia Coffee & Tea Festival #8

So those who follow me know my love affair with almond everything. So I knew I had to try this as soon as I walked past. I think I would have loved this save for one thing: the sample was way oversweetened to the point of cloyingness. I know that sugar is sometimes needed to bring out the full flavor of flavored teas, but there is no reason to turn tea into sugar water.

That said, underneath the sugar, the almond came right through with some hints of cinnamon. I really wish I could have tried this sans sugar. I bet I would have loved it.

No rating because the sample was doctored in a way I never would have.

The dry leaf is so pretty! The darkness of the chocolate and the bright red of the saffron really add depth to the medium brown of the rooibos and honeybush. The chiles contribute a strong, spicy smell.

The brew is a medium reddish-brown. There’s a bit of film on the top that I’m not excited about. The chile scent is deeper now, with a chocolate background. The flavor is nummy. Dark chocolate at the beginning of the sip fades into a sharp spiciness. The chile really lingers on the palate. I’m normally not very good with hot spices. The lingering heat of this blend is just on the edge of what I can handle. A bit of rice milk adds creaminess but does nothing to tamp down the spiciness. This is an intense cup for me!

I brewed this as an iced tea after finishing the last of DavidsTea Kanpe. Unfortunately, this doesn’t quite live up to the bar that Kanpe raised so high. It has a lot of the same elements, but it is a bit too floral and astringent for my liking. The tea has a natural sweetness from all of the fruit, but maybe a bit of sweetener (if you could stand it) would help balance out the hibiscus’ astringency.

Generally not a cinnamon fan but it really worked with this tea! Would recommend a steep time of closer to 5 min as opposed to the recommended 3 min.