Cofftea

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Cofftea drank Mayan Chocolate Chai by 52teas

Got this as a gift from the wonderful and smart Carolyn! I love chais. And I love chocolate. And I love things w/ chili/red pepper. I have my chais 2 ways, w/ and w/o milk. I don’t sweeten my chai’s, but I would like to try ROT’s and Lupica’s tea honeys someday.

As w/ all chais, I’m trying it hot and clean 1st. 1 heaping teaspoon tea to 6oz purified water heated to just below boiling because I want to preserve the health benefits.

Compared to my Pu Erh yesterday this is light lol! The liquor is a gorgeous dark reddish brown color.

I have to be honest. The aroma of this tea makes me giggle w/ happiness. The chocolate hits my nose as richness, then the spices tickle my nose w/ their strength, and lastly the black tea manages to fight it’s way thru as if to say “Don’t worry, I’m still here!”.

I’m kinda glad that I’m enjoying my 1st cuppa this alone. I’m definitely not acting like the mature and sophisticated 24 yr old that I am. This tea is WONDERFUL! I’ve had very good chais before, but the chocolate and chili put this on a whole new platform. I’ve seen a lot of disappointing scores on this one, so if you want to get rid of yours in a swap- PLEASE send me a message!

2010-01-20 12:36:55 -0500

205 °F / 96 °C

5 min 0 sec

I Like This

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20 comments

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Comments

Cofftea 2010-01-20 16:18:10 -0500

I normally don’t expect much for additional infusions of blacks, but since I was absolutely thrilled w/ the 1st one I decided to try again. 6min. Not really darker in liquor, but more dull and less red. I can still smell the chocolate which surprises me. I can taste the chocolate as well, although this cuppa is much sweeter than the 1st. Still very good though.

Cofftea 2010-01-20 16:53:59 -0500

Decided to make a dirty chai latte. 2oz cold brewed coffee concentrate and 4oz water. Steeped 7min then added 1tsp each spiced rum, caramel, and white chocolate creamers. Very sweet as expected, very shocked at the weakness of both the coffee and the chai.

Cofftea 2010-01-20 19:45:46 -0500

4th infusion, 8min. Surprised at how dark this is, although it’s very dull- not bright like the 1st infusion. W/ almost caramely tones. The flavor matches the liquor. Smooth, creamy mouth feel, sweet and spicy taste.

Keemun 2010-01-20 21:43:41 -0500

…how is the chocolate pulling trough? Sweet-milky, or with bitter-pure roughness? Never had a Choc.-Chai…:-(

Cofftea 2010-01-20 21:59:18 -0500

Keemun, you are really missing out! The 1st infusion was definitely a pure cocoa flavor, but it wasn’t rough at all. After that it became more sweet, but still cocoa-ish (think drinking chocolate vs hot chocolate made w/ water). Extremely good in all infusions.

Cinoi 2010-01-20 22:16:23 -0500

Good review, thanks, now this is definitely on my list to get from 52teas… :)

Cofftea 2010-01-20 22:19:15 -0500

And if by some sad misfortune you don’t like it I will be the 1st to request a swap hehe:)

Keemun 2010-01-20 22:54:54 -0500

…you wish, mate.

Cofftea 2010-01-20 22:56:49 -0500

Yeah I do, and I did. I totally called it a full 37min before your comment lol =D

Keemun 2010-01-20 23:09:21 -0500

…you are a wicked man,Sir! A wicked man…indeed!

Cofftea 2010-01-20 23:10:49 -0500

Ummm… ok… how should I take that considering I’m very much a woman?

Keemun 2010-01-20 23:22:37 -0500

…nice.Means I will lock myself into my room and will not appear on ‘steepster’ for at least a month…or I will change my name to another one…damn.
Sorry ’bout that. You did not mention that on your profile,did you?

Keemun 2010-01-20 23:24:47 -0500

…tea anyone?…

Cofftea 2010-01-20 23:28:50 -0500

Haha! No I didn’t.

Keemun 2010-01-20 23:32:23 -0500

…I guess it was your Winston Churchill quote that drove me in the wrong direction…and speaking of him…I wonder what great teas he had during his long life time (…besides all that whisky).

Cofftea 2010-01-20 23:35:25 -0500

Ok… not sure where you got me being male from that quote. Notice I’m into romantic comedies too? lol:)

Cofftea 2010-01-20 23:36:25 -0500

I think my writing style also implies a female gender. I don’t think most men giggle over even tea lol.

Ricky 2010-01-20 23:38:13 -0500

From day one I thought you were a female.

Keemun, I would assume you’re a guy. Am I two for two?

Keemun 2010-01-20 23:38:30 -0500

…true…Sister Act for example would be more than suspicious for a dude…(although there is not much romance going on…I guess, never saw it)

Cofftea 2010-01-20 23:47:00 -0500

Haha thanks Ricky. Actually Sister Act is kinda manly cuz it’s about a lady that goes into witness protection. Sister Act 2 isn’t so much. But I don’t consider it a chick flick. It’s a gender nuteral movie. And of course P.S. I Love You is about as girly as you can get.:)

Profile

Bio

Are you a company or tea blender on sites like Adagio that would you like your tea reviewed? If so, please e-mail me @ SMSchneider@live.com.

What I most enjoy from obtaining samples from companies to review is that it helps me to better learn to drink and review teas from a more objective perspective, meaning more of the “This tea is…” point of view rather than the “I like/don’t like” this tea. I feel objectivism in tea reviews is EXTREMELY important because no two tea drinkers tastes are exactly the same. I’ve also been extremely surprised by several teas. I love recieving a sample I think I will be only writing an objective review on, only to completely fall in love with it upon tasting it.

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Are you interested in redoing or starting your own tea related website or adding Search Engine Optimization? If so, please contact me at my work e-mail address: owcprojectmanager@gmail.com
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Tea tastes:
I will ALWAYS pick loose leaf over tea bags. I only drink bagged tea if that’s my only choice or I find a flavor that I can’t find a loose leaf version for. When I do drink bagged; however, I always weigh my bag and am constantly curious as to the weight/flavor ratio- sometimes I am quite surprised by the flavor punch of light bags.

I have a preference for organic and fair trade teas (preferably both), but would never pass up an amzing tea just because it isn’t organic and/or fair trade.

I love savory teas.

I’m currently searching for a chai flavored soy powder or a soy based chai mix (either already mixed or a recipe).

I hardly EVER sweeten my teas. I feel that sweeteners (unless flavored like tea honeys, brown sugar, ice cream topping syrups, flavored coffee syrups, etc) do not add anything to the flavor profile of tea- in fact, I’ve found that they dumb down the flavors.

I NEVER serve my tea over regular iced cubes- I always make tea cubes.

I LOVE cooking w/ tea and making smoothTEAS.

I LOVE tea blending.

I rarely drink herbal teas unless they are mixed with true teas. My favorite herbals to mix with true teas are: spearmint, peppermint, lemongrass, rose hips, and gingeroot.

I can’t stand anything w/ fennel or anise. Hot black teas (except orange pekoe bagged tea that you get when you go out to eat and chai teas) tend to upset my stomach.

I drink matcha daily and love flavoring it. I’m also in a constant search of preflavored matchas.

I’m constantly searching for information on how to prepare tea authentically according to its country of origin.

My Tasting Notes Ratings (edited 8/8/10)
1: I can’t even stand the raw leaf enough to make this (I’ve never owned a tea w/ this rating, but I’ve smelled some before buying resulting in me NOT buying them that were that bad)

2: I steeped this tea but couldn’t stand the aroma enough to get it past my nose

3: I immediately gagged at the 1st sip and spit it out.

4: I manageed to get the 1st sip down, but I tossed the rest.

5: I drank the 1st cup but I can’t bring myself to resteep

6: Made it thru the entire set of infusions but I can’t bring myself to tinker w/ the parameters and won’t be making it again.

7-10: Does not taste anything like the ingredients or name suggests (i.e. Adagio’s Sour apple)

11-25: I can taste some of the ingredients, but the flavor is severely lacking

25-49: Teas that I would not consider bad in their flavor profile, but certainly below average

50: Average.

51-69: Teas above averge, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling them “good”.

70-75: Very good, but still room for improvement

76-85: Above average flavor profile

86-90: REALLY good flavors

91-99: Almost PERFECTLY achieves the goal of the ingredients and name of the tea.

100: Abosolutely perfect teas!

Other Interests: GOD! and all things pertaining to Him and His children, my dog Madison, travelling, and coffee.

Favorite Music: ANYTHING Christian. I don’t normally listen to secular music, but I do love jazz and swing.

Favorite Movies: Romantic comedies mostly. My Sister’s Keeper, P.S. I Love You, Fireproof, National Treasure Trilogy (I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE 3rd ONE TO COME OUT!), Night at the Museum 1 & 2, Sister Act 1 & 2, Yes Man, Bruce & Evan Almighty, rarely watch animated movies but LOVE anything 3D.

Favorite Books: THE BIBLE!!! & My Sister’s Keeper

Favorite Quotes: “A sad soul can kill you far quicker than a germ”- John Stienbeck "

Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing”- Aristotle

“You should always carry burdens, but they should never be your own”- me

“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” ~ Winston Churchill

“Mom was right, ‘because I say so’ is enough- at least when it comes to God.”- me

Favorite Foods: fried calamari, lemon chicken, anything w/ buffalo sauce.

Favorite Places: WA state, Switzerland, Orlando

Places I Want to Visit: Hawaii, Africa

Anything Else: I was born with a birth defect called Spina Bifida which is the failure of the spinal column to close en utero. Because of this I am a parapelegic and use a manual wheelchair.