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“When I want a Mexican Hot Chocolate, this is what I drink instead now. So delicious, knowing that’s exactly what this is (or, originated from), although the label – while authentic and correct,...” Read full tasting note
“I feel bad not being as into the cacao stuff from HI as everybody else here seems to be. I’m surprised I’m saying this, but I wonder if the reason I vastly prefer ATR’s Choco-Late is the addition...” Read full tasting note
“SIPDOWN! This one is interesting. I probably should have started with the regular version of this before the vanilla one but you only live once! :) This isn’t a bad tea but there’s a weird taste...” Read full tasting note
“I seem to go through these strange phases when all I want is a rich cup of hot chocolate. Sadly, when I actually have that cup in hand, it’s too much for me to be able to finish. I’ve decided that...” Read full tasting note
Our chocolate tea is a chocoholic’s dream come true by containing the sweet aroma and rich taste of dark chocolate without the fat or calories.
Containing over 300 compounds including tannins, catechins, polyphenols and other antioxidant agents and theobromine (a naturally occurring stimulant), chocolate tea is a natural mood booster that helps with concentration and is a healthy alternative to coffee or hot chocolate.
Ingredients: Cacao shells, rosita, vanilla bean, cinnamon, nutmeg, natural flavouring
Steep Time: 5-7 mins with boiling water.
Company description not available.
When I want a Mexican Hot Chocolate, this is what I drink instead now. So delicious, knowing that’s exactly what this is (or, originated from), although the label – while authentic and correct, technically – is misleading. Had a lovely cup last night, and the smell alone lifted my spirits.
Flavors: Chocolate, Cinnamon, Vanilla
I feel bad not being as into the cacao stuff from HI as everybody else here seems to be. I’m surprised I’m saying this, but I wonder if the reason I vastly prefer ATR’s Choco-Late is the addition of rooibos. I think it must give the tisane body somehow, which when combined with the cacao husks evokes the thick creaminess of hot cocoa. The flavor in the cacaos I’ve tried from HI isn’t bad at all, similar to Choco-Late, but the strength of that smell and flavor and most of all the body of the cup is just so relatively lacking. I have a little more in my sample packets and should try overleafing like mad to see if that helps.
SIPDOWN! This one is interesting. I probably should have started with the regular version of this before the vanilla one but you only live once! :) This isn’t a bad tea but there’s a weird taste going on that i don’t like. I have a feeling that if this was just cacao, then i’d likely enjoy it a bit more. We’ll see, as i have both the mint and the regular version from my swap this weekend.
if this is anything like how the mint compares to reg cacao, you will be blown away :P
Recommendation – only steep the cacao for the recommended 3-5 mins. I think it gets a bit barky after that. Idk how long you infused this one, but yeah.
You could be picking up on the rare rosita de cacao that we source from Oaxaca Mexico in this one! It has butterscotch notes with a caramel finish. Good points on steeping time though- the longer it steeps the more the cinnamon will come to the forefront. Check out mint cacao or the original to get a better sense of the base flavour :)
thanks guys. still have lots of the regular and the mint in my box of swaps so for sure will keep that in mind for those ones
I seem to go through these strange phases when all I want is a rich cup of hot chocolate. Sadly, when I actually have that cup in hand, it’s too much for me to be able to finish. I’ve decided that a tea version of hot chocolate would be the way to go.. I’ll get that yummy hot chocolate flavor, but not the tooth-aching sweetness.
I remember trying cacao tea from Tisano and not being too crazy about it. It smelled incredible, but didn’t translate to flavor well. I’ve also had the cacao shell blend from American Tea Room and wasn’t a bit fan of that one either. It was a bit dry and bitter… and I wasn’t all that impressed. I saw this version with vanilla bean and rosita and thought that it might be a nicer version of a cacao blend.
The scent of this tea is so yummy. It reminds me very much of hot chocolate made from milk chocolate shavings. Sipping… I taste a smooth, creamy, but watered-down chocolate note, mixed with a little bit of vanilla and a dash of spice. The finish is a little bit drying, but I think that can’t really be avoided due to the cacao shells. I expect a fuller mouthfeel because the chocolate flavor is so spot-on, but the cup remains thin and watery.
I really do think that this is the closest I can get to drinking hot chocolate, without actually having it. Sure, I’ll probably still have those times when nothing but actual hot chocolate will do, but this is a nice substitute.
I need to try one of these cacao teas! I’ve seen so much hype about them lately.
Tabby- you should! They are very interesting and completely different than other herbal teas out there.
i still prefer the original from Herbal Infusions to the flavoured ones, but so far theirs are the tastiest that i’ve had.
Sil, I agree. This is certainly the tastiest cacao tea blend I’ve had so far. I will have to try the original one next time!
Sipdown! Thanks to Indigobloom for a sample bag of this tea.
I found that it was not noticeably different from the regular cacao tea, though I didn’t brew them up side by side to really compare. Therefore, it tasted pretty much like hot-chocolate flavoured water. Tasty. I wouldn’t bother with purchasing the vanilla flavour myself though, just would stick with the plain.
I really really enjoyed this, and just so you know, I have a hard time with herbal teas, since I clearly miss the tea part. This was absolutely delicious! It’s chocolate-y, with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon. Kind of reminds me of a cleaner non-tea version of stormy night by DavidsTea (i.e. no floating sediment)! It also was like a liquid version of brownies or cake…not pure chocolate, but more complex. Yum! Now I’m just sad I only ordered a sample size of it! It was one of those cups where you finish it way too fast, and keep sniffing the empty cup in order to remind yourself of the delicious taste…or maybe I’m the only one who does that!! Haha!
Backlog:
Yum, yum, yum! I love cacao shells. They produce such a delicious chocolate-y tea/tisane. I think that they do a better job at chocolate-i-gasmness than cacao nibs or chocolate chips or even chocolate flavoring.
I think that Herbal Infusions should choose another name for this particular cacao tisane, though. The cinnamon and vanilla notes in this give it more of a Mexican hot chocolate type of flavor to me and I think that perhaps Cinnamon Hot Cocoa might be a better name for this.
Incredibly yummy. I love this!
Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/12/04/vanilla-cacao-tea-herbal-infusions/
This one is fascinating. The cacao is clearly there, but aside from than I think I’m mostly getting nutmeg with a hint of vanilla. Overall, I prefer the original cacao, but again the flavours are so natural here. I can’t say enough about that.
I received a sample of this from MissB with the teas I ordered in her tea stash sale. Thank you!
I made the first cup of this and thought man this is weak. How could you ever event think to substitute this for hot chocolate. Then I read through some of the reviews and realized I had really under steeped this. The second cup I had I let it hang out for quite a while. Yummy.! This was a spiced hot chocolate. If I ever get the chance to put in an order from Herbal Infusions I would order some of this. Thank you for sharing MissB!
1 tablespoon for 248 ml
Infused for 8 minutes
Cacao base with spice flavour in the background. I much prefer the pure cacao base which really allows its full flavour to shine.
Thanks to Indigobloom for sharing this with me!
