Oh, this is lovely! I was not expecting to love it so much. I picked it up at whole foods today (can’t leave without tea, you know?) and decided to have it after dinner (which was curry, so I thought the coconut would go well.) The leaves smell like barley – not much cocoa, and no real coconut. I opened up two tea bags, put them in my infuser basket, and brewed 14 oz of tea.
I let it steep for 10 minutes, based on the reviews on Steepster that it needed extra time. The initial aroma was still of barley, but then I smelled some cocoa coming through. I took a sip – surprisingly, this is all about the dark, unsweetened cocoa. I can’t detect much coconut. I added a splash of milk and a dash of sugar, as I do to all dessert teas. This brought out the coconut slightly, but it is still in the background. The cocoa, once sweetened lightly, blends with the barley to make a taste that is really different. I love it – it’s not too sweet or heavy, and it’s a bit exotic. I think it would work iced as well. Republic of teas is a bit pricey, but I do love these “cuppa chocolate” teas!
