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“I crafted this tea to try to be an improvised version of Black Silk Chocolate Milk Qu Hao from Frank’s era because trying to source the Qu Hao at a price and/or minimum purchase within my budget...” Read full tasting note
A delicious black tea with notes of milk chocolate & marshmallow! When served hot, it is reminiscent of a favorite childhood treat (after which it is named!) When served chilled, it tastes a bit like a glass of chocolate milk, but better, because TEA!
Tea of the Week for June 3, 2024!
Yum! The original inspiration of this tea is a tea that Frank crafted in his final year (?) of tea blending – just before he handed over the business to me: he created a milk chocolate blend called Black Silk Chocolate Milk Qu Hao. I have been asked several times to reblend this tea – unfortunately, sourcing Qu Hao black tea (aka black silk) proved to be a difficult task- Frank’s source for this tea no longer carries this particular variety. One of my frequent tea sources is able to obtain it, however, the price point & minimum purchase – let’s just say it wouldn’t have been financially responsible for me to purchase the tea!
So, I decided to try blending something similar to the Black Silk Chocolate Milk Qu Hao without actually having to source the Qu Hao/Black Silk Tea. I utilized Gu Zhang black tea here that has an intense chocolate-y flavor to it – plus a little bit of Assam & Yunnan tea to round out the flavor just a bit. Then I used Frank’s recipe for the original blend & added some vanilla bean because . . . vanilla bean.
To be honest, I don’t have any more of the original Black Silk Chocolate Milk Qu Hao nor do I have a vivid memory of the tea itself. It was – after all – more than 9 years ago! However, I like the way this turned out. When chilled & sweetened lightly, the flavor is reminiscent of a cold glass of chocolate milk, but what the flavor of the hot cuppa reminded me of most is a favorite childhood treat (aka Pinwheel cookies) so I decided to call the tea “Pinwheel” in honor of that treat.
Not only a tasty cuppa, it’s also vegan & gluten-free!
ingredients: black tea
organic ingredients: black teas, marshmallow root, cacao nibs & shells, vanilla bean & natural flavors
to brew: Shake the pouch before measuring. The tiny vanilla beans & the bits of cacao nibs & shells should be properly redistributed before measuring! Use 3g of tea to 12oz of near boiling water (205°F) & steep for 3 ½ minutes. Strain & allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before you start sipping. Enjoy!
serving suggestion: this tea is delicious served hot without any additions, but I found that just a teensy bit of sugar helped bring out the pinwheel-ness of the tea. For more of a chocolate milk flavor, I recommend cold-brewing (or even hot brewing & allowing it to chill a bit).
But if you really wanna go over the top – make this a latte (or a frappe!) by brewing it strong & adding milk & a teensy bit of sugar (or crush the ice for the frappe). However you choose to serve this, it’s gonna be GOOD!
At 52teas.com, you will find unique, hand-blended artisan loose leaf teas: a new limited edition creation every week of the year. We pride ourselves on offering truly unique, one-of-a-kind tea blends that you won’t find anywhere else.
I crafted this tea to try to be an improvised version of Black Silk Chocolate Milk Qu Hao from Frank’s era because trying to source the Qu Hao at a price and/or minimum purchase within my budget was proving an impossible task for me. Frank’s source for the tea no longer carries it, and one of my sources was able to locate it for me but I would have had to purchase so much of the tea that I wouldn’t have been able to store all that tea, much less sell all of it at a price that would have even allowed me to break even. So, reblending it is not going to happen, at least not for the foreseeable future.
so, instead, I decided to try to improvise and create something similar, without being exactly that tea. The blend of teas I used for this blend is one of my favorites: Gu Zhang – which has a natural chocolate-y tone to it, then I added a small amount of Yunnan & Assam to it to help round out the flavor just a bit. I like the base, it is really rich & flavorful.
It’s been AGES since I last had the Black Silk Milk Chocolate blend from Frank, but, I think this tea hits the mark. It’s chocolate-y in a way that reminds me of chocolate milk when it’s chilled & lightly sweetened, but when it’s hot as I’m drinking it right now, it tastes a lot more like Pinwheel cookies, hence the name. (I hope those that make the cookies will not notice little old me and want to seek legal action, I just like the name, really.)
Anyway, I really love how this one turned out!
Again, thank you for trying to recreate my forever favorite: Black Silk Chocolate Milk! I don’t know why I didn’t think that you might be able to use a different base for the blend. Now I can ask for Pinwheel to be on the holiday box poll every year. :D