Alphakitty

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Alphakitty drank Flaming Chocolate Mate by 52teas

I have been wanting to try some spicy teas, so it was a pleasant surprise to get this in the 52teas grab bag. Spicy AND chocolate? Why yes please. I’m surprised this only has one tasting note, since it seems like anything chocolate = instantly popular.

I made the mistake of sticking my nose in the bag to sniff when I got this, and got cayenne in my nostrils. Not the most pleasant experience, but it meant that this had to be spicy! I was disappointed by the spice level in Mango Diablo, so I was kind of happy to have a burning nose. And yes, this blend has a lot of kick! It’s not “top of the mouth chili pepper” heat, but more “back of the mouth slow burning.” At first sip it’s like chicory coffee (which is what I automatically associate roasted mate with), then a bit of deep, dark chocolate and them pow cayenne! In fact, I think the spicy element is the strongest taste here: the chocolate is probably the weakest. You can definitely taste it, but it’s not super rich creamy chocolate. I actually like that it’s subtle, since it doesn’t have a dessert-y feel and is light even with all the rich flavors going on.

2012-07-21 18:34:40 -0400

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Kittenna 2012-07-21 19:34:58 -0400

I caved and bought this one before the grab bag sale… glad you like it!

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Tea has always been a passion of mine, though I got away from it during college. A lack of cupboard space and a constant influx of people into my suite made me pretty much abandon my teas at home. But now that I’m done with school, it’s definitely come back with a vengeance—to the point where I’ve purchased about 65 different kinds in the past 3 months!

I like most kinds of teas—yes, even peach, which I used to think I disliked!. Oolongs are definitely my favorite, and I’m an avid fan of earl grey, floral teas, and chai blends along with anything melon. The only kind of teas on my “no” list are rooibos blends (which gives me headaches) and banana flavored ones since bananas are public enemy #1 in my mind.

The best thing about tea for me is how you can be passionate about it and still have it integrate into all of your other hobbies. I like a lot of things: writing, video games, books, sewing, figure collecting, astronomy… it’s a long list. But whatever I’m doing, I can have a cup of tea in hand!