Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha

I’m really torn by this tea. It’s actually a very nice tea. It re-steeps well. It has a nice rich flavor. But for the life of me I can’t taste the chocolate or the genmaicha! I didn’t really notice anything nutty about it. It’s just a nice dark tea. So while I do recommend it, it’s not because of anything advertised in its name.

I actually thought they were kidding when they said to steep it for 2-5 seconds. But it’s true and it works.

This tea was really good but also had a lot of flavors going on. I felt like one minute I was enjoying some lovely chocolate flavors and then the next it hit me with this rice crispy treat flavor. Overall, pretty good!

On my 3rd mug of this… it’s so perfect.
I think I tried this way back, but I had forgotten how wonderful it is. Another Dexter sample (she’s amazing!) that has me wanting to order more of it. :D
She really is an enabler, isn’t she? haha

I’ve tried this a few more times, and the more I drink it, the more I like it. If I use boiling water and a longer steep time (5-10 minutes) I get a smooth dark oolong with hints of dark chocolate and nutty rice. It’s a very relaxing tea. I can let it sit and steep without worrying about it if the boys interrupt me, and the taste, although mild, is unique and natural. It makes me wonder if any other companies make a black or oolong genmaicha.

I remember the first time I tried this, I thought it was pretty good but didn’t really see the point of adding extra chocolate and roasted grains to a base tea that’s already heavy on the chocolate and roasted grains. So today, I decided to try it head to head against plain Laoshan Black. I brewed both of them western-style in a mug – 3g in 10oz boiling water x 3min. So… I think I actually find this less chocolatey and grainy than the straight tea, lol. Maybe it’s the oolong in there that’s diluting the effect, I don’t know. There’s definitely a brightness and acidity in the cup as it cools that isn’t unpleasant but seems a bit out of place in a chocolatey tea. Not bad, but I don’t think I’ll need to restock this once it’s gone.

I somehow missed the fact that there was oolong in this tea blend, so the silky smooth mouth feel caught me off-guard. The flavor here seems more like a bittersweet cocoa than chocolate to me (maybe the chocolate would come through more with a bit of sweetener?) and there’s a strong malty taste from the base and just a little bit of toastiness in the aftertaste. This isn’t exactly what I was expecting, but it’s quite tasty!

A big thank you to beelicious for the sample!

So happy, i found my first 100 score, Gracias Chocolate!

Love this tea – my favourite way to brew so far is heavy on the leaf: a short brew sipped straight, followed by a lengthy brew time with a bit of brown sugar and milk. I won’t say it kills my craving for hot chocolate, but oh my it is a decadent cup.

An earthy, toasty taste is dominant with a matching mouth-feel – which turns creamy and chocolatey as it reaches the back of the tongue. One to experience over and over – I have feeling it will be a different experience every time! A nice change from the usual (albeit amazing) Laoshan Black!

wOOt wOOt 100 reviews!! And it only took me 18 months LOL!! I really need to make sure that I log and write tasting notes for all the teas I drink!! So 100 reviews requires a special tea and I cannot believe that I haven’t logged Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha yet!!! Oh the chocolatey amazingness, oh the toasty rice deliciousness, oh the caramelly goodness, and of course the nutty tastiness!! This is one of my favorite teas and for some reason it tastes even better at the end of a long day of meeting after meeting after… well you get my point! It’s like a fantastic reward at the end of a day of never-ending drudgery!! I don’t ever want to run out of this tea and will do all manner or crazy insaneness to ensure that I NEVER do!!! :)

My first adventure with cocoa flavored tea, odd a first but had me thinking about it all day and craving more half way through the week. Robust flavor with the perfect balance of toasted rice and cocoa flavors, like drinking a cocoa coated rice ball. A blend that really sticks on the roof of your mouth and is perfect for that late night snack.