This one is so bizarre.
So this is the last of my TeaGschwendner teas to taste, and I really haven’t been enjoying any of their offerings. This might be near the top of the pack, however.
I actually really love chocolate with heat and spice. Lindt makes a pretty awesome chocolate and chili bar, and I’m sure other companies do as well. So why not a chocolate and chili tea?
This one is actually very beautiful dry. There’s red pieces of chili, and the seeds, all against pieces of bean and black tea. It pretty much smells like chocolate, but mixed with a bean-like smell. Maybe it’s because the chocolate flavor is mainly coming from the pieces of bean and nib and other random cocoa pieces?
Anyway, after this one is steeped, the color is a very brilliant orange-red color. It’s surprisingly lighter than I thought it would be, and smells almost like a watered down version of H&S’s Florence, without the hazelnut. Which was a pretty good sign!
The taste… is really actually different than I thought it was going to be. There is a black tea taste, but it’s fairly subtle. In fact, all of the flavors are a bit subtle. I wish it was a bit more robust, but… it’s definitely serviceable. The chocolate actually tastes better than I expected it would. I wasn’t thinking that it was going to be a real true milk chocolate-type taste after I had read other people’s tasting notes. But I was surprised that it didn’t taste like that fake, cheap dollar-store chocolate. It’s more of a savory chocolate taste than a sweet one, which I think is a bit fun.
Now, onto the chili. I immediately felt a bit of the tingle on my tongue. I’m hyper-sensitive to this stuff, so… yeah. I’m the one that orders mild. It was a nice tingle, though. It’s less of a chili-specific taste, and more of a heat that builds. I felt it in the back of the throat as well. Luckily, it wasn’t overwhelming!
The tea becomes a bit more tasteless as it cools, which was disappointing. But overall, this one’s fairly good. Definitely not the best chocolate tea ever (for now, that spot is held by Harney’s Florence), but the chili is a nice little twist. I can’t ever see myself ordering this again, as it’s a novelty thing more than a lasting thing, but it’s good for what it is!
Now it’s time to watch the Amazing Race and laugh at the fact that that silly beauty queen idiot is on! Happy Valentine’s Day, Steepster!
Preparation
Comments
Happy Valentine’s Day to you too! And it’s also the Lunar New Year.
I always wonder what chili + chocolate would taste like… I’m pretty sure I won’t like it though :-(
Gander, it’s less about the taste of the chili and more about the spice and heat you get from it, as far as I can tell. :)
It’s an interesting tea, but it’s more of a “try it for novelty’s sake” instead of a keeper.
Never had much luck with their Chili Chocolate bar =( I think I took a bit and the rest went to waste.
Haha, I usually don’t get the bars as I can never finish it. The truffles are another story =P Which reminds me, I think I still have some somewhere….
Happy Valentine’s Day to you too! And it’s also the Lunar New Year.
I always wonder what chili + chocolate would taste like… I’m pretty sure I won’t like it though :-(
Must try!:)
Gander, it’s less about the taste of the chili and more about the spice and heat you get from it, as far as I can tell. :)
It’s an interesting tea, but it’s more of a “try it for novelty’s sake” instead of a keeper.
I love Lindt’s Chili-Chocolate too!
Never had much luck with their Chili Chocolate bar =( I think I took a bit and the rest went to waste.
Awww boo, Ricky! Well, the Lindt bar with the orange pieces in it is awesome as well!
Haha, I usually don’t get the bars as I can never finish it. The truffles are another story =P Which reminds me, I think I still have some somewhere….
Had to chime in because my MIL just sent me a Lindt Chili Chocolate bar – I had never had one before. OMG. SO GOOD. Dark chocolate + burn. Mmm.