Second tea for me to review from Fusion Teas – Roasted Cocoa mate. For this tea I tried a longer steep at 7 minutes.
DRY: Looking good, chocolate chips, hunks of almonds, marigold flowers. Smells like roasted mate and chocolate.
STEEPED: Brown, cloudy from the melted chocolate I’m guessing. Smells like something roasted and chocolate lol.
TASTE: The roasted mate comes out – with roasted and nutty bits really coming out (probably from the toasted rice/etc). A spike of chocolatey liquor flavor at the end.
WHO’D DIG THIS TEA: Coffee drinkers converting to tea. Mate drinkers. Nuts in tea people.
COMMENTS: Comparing to Fusion Tea’s “Good Morning Mate” this one isn’t as coffee like, but keeps that roasted elements making it a small bridge to coffee drinkers. I’d say it is not as robust and well rounded as “Good Morning Mate” – more simple of a tea with a hit of chocolate. Roasted Chocolate doesn’t have that woodsyness “Good Morning” has – Roasted Chocolate is lighter.
For me, it’s a little too nutty for my tastes. I’d also say theres not enough chocolate but YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH CHOCOLATE (but will probably never get to that level of tea tasting like hot chocolate). I feel its missing something, but maybe it’s my “I love complex crazy tea blends” side saying that.
Interestingly, I think this tea would be perfect for my dad. He likes those simple flavored coffee things and lighter roasts. For tea, he likes earl grey (all thanks to Captain Picard).
I probably won’t get more of this tea and gift to my dad or trades. This tea might also mix well with other tea (heh, mate spike my chocolate black teas for a kick). It’s not bad – Fusion has a great quality mate that’s for sure.
