Chocolate Covered Strawberry

Like so many of my fellow Steepsters in the USA, this Monday will be spent scampering off to the grocery store for Thanksgiving Dinner ingredients.
My daughter called this morning to inform me that the body count for dinner at her home will be 20 people, 10 children and 10 over the age of 15. Oh my! I’m so glad she has a big house and an acre out back for the 6 non-infant boys to run around and play on a beautiful warm Autumn day. It will be warm here!

As the only Elder, I am required to bring the food memories my daughter can’t live without. Fortunately, that’s easy. She makes my mom’s turkey stuffing and has the antique gravy boat. I create her favorite yam, apple and pecan casserole layered like a lasagna with butter, maple, brown sugar and spice.
This year I’m making the kids ice cream pies. Pumpkin and candy cane peppermint pies for fun. And tea of course.
(I’ll save my prize winning Apple Pie for Christmas when we’re just family and have RIBS!)

Off shopping I must go! But first, TEA! Dessert tea puts me in a good mood. (All tea puts me in a good mood most of the time!)

I made a small pot of Chocolate Covered Strawberry tea, looking forward to several sweet cups.
Right off, this isn’t a tea that I would drink without adding sugar or sweetener. Some dessert tea’s you can omit sweetening, but not this one. The strawberry flavor is released when sweetened and is the dominant flavor in the tea.
I found the taste sour from the artificial flavoring so I added some cream to soften the tea and make it creamy. This helped.

Another thing that I have trouble with is the chocolate. The strawberry flavor is strong and the chocolate is hardly there at all. (I’ve had trouble tasting the chocolate flavor in all the Della Terra Chocolate Tea’s though, maybe the artificial flavoring and my taste buds are at odds with each other)

This isn’t an awful tea, don’t get me wrong. It’s more of a strawberry tea in my opinion.

I think some of the other tea’s I’ve tried have been more successful.

Off to shop!

I drew you all a hot pink teapot: http://instagr.am/p/Oh9H6yJa7A/ (ok now this works, excuuuuuse me for missing the shift key on the J, instagram)

I’m going to go to bed soon since I have to stop at not one but three offices on campus tomorrow on the first day of classes which should be a total blast. I can’t even get the most important thing done until later in the day which really annoys me but whatever. I’ll get everything done eventually. So I am drinking black tea despite my sleepiness. Oh well.

I’ve tried bunches of chocolate covered strawberry teas and I have to say this one might be the best. I steeped it for 3 minutes and it is perfect. The chocolate flavor is excellent, and I have to say as a member of the always-more-chocolate club, that is the highest of compliments. I actually don’t want more chocolate in this one.

The strawberry follows the chocolate flavor, and tastes just like sweet berries. This is great without any additions but I think some sugar would make it even more of a dessert tea!

i’m back at my work desk after having traveling for two weeks and running 3 marathons:
Paris, France – http://instagram.com/p/XzzkguIc0E/
Rotterdam, Netherlands – http://instagram.com/p/YFsdacIc1Q/
Hamburg, Germany – http://instagram.com/p/YXxvjgoc9Z/
it was a wild and unforgettable ride.

and i brought back as much tea as i could possibly carry!!

i’ve tasted half of them so far, and every single one is great. i’m so happy with my purchases.
but for me, the Della Terra chocolate teas are also something special. there’s something about them that i can just drink cup after cup after cup. no additives, no frills, no need doll them up.

just deep tea.
ya know?
deep.
tea.

A big thank you to Della Terra Teas for including a HUGE one ounce sample in my order!
Well – my entire home smells delicious right now. This is one of those teas that is as good for making your home smelly yummy as it is to drink!
I think the strawberry flavor is delightful!
Its juicy!
There is a thin mouthfeel to this tea which is unexpected of a chocolate tea but the strawberry really shines through all around the tongue! Its sweet but tart too.
As for the chocolate – I would say that it is in the middle for me. I am a real chocolate snob and I do get a little bit of that chocolate flavoring but its not bad at all – its not AS good as some I have had but at least its not overly fakey tasting – although I wonder if the flavoring had been left out and only chocolate chunks/chips, were in it if it would be even better.
This is really refreshing and I am dying to make a cold brew out of it!
Good work Della Terra! Keep the amazing flavors coming!

It’s funny how different people perceive different things in the same tea. Bonnie felt that this is pretty much a strawberry tea¹. Meanwhile, I’m having trouble detecting any strawberry at all, and am smelling and tasting only chocolate. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The fragrance of the dry leaf is that of baking chocolate. Like if you went to the baking aisle, grabbed a bag of chocolate chips, opened it, and stuck your nose in. I don’t smell any tea or any strawberry, just baking chocolate. I thought okay, it kind of makes sense, I guess. If there are dried strawberry bits in here, I should steep it so they can plumpify and release their luscious fragrance and flavour. I am half right: steeping the tea does make the brew smell like chocolate and strawberries (I still don’t smell any tea).

Unsweetened, the tea tastes chocolatey, but not in a Lindt way, more like in a dolla store chocolate way, y’know? So I sweeten it. This has improved the quality of the chocolate flavour, but only slightly. I still taste nothing else, so it tastes like watery hot cocoa made with baking chocolate. It’s possible that it’s too hot to really get the full flavour. I slurp it, experimentally, and I get a tiny, tiny bit of the sourness Bonnie mentioned. Normally I’d disapprove, but at this point I’m happy to taste any strawberry at all, sour or otherwise. There’s also a very tiny bit of bitterness, although I’m unsure whether it’s from the black tea or the type you might get from dark chocolate. If I were blindfolded, I still wouldn’t guess that there’s any tea in here at all.

As I continue to slurp, the aftertaste is a little bit fruity. At this point, I may after all guess that this flavour is “chocolate-covered something,” but I still wouldn’t be able to commit to strawberry. And this brings me back to the beginning of this note, in which I wonder about how we perceive things differently. Is this because of our different experiences and palates and expectations, or because the blend wasn’t well distributed in the teaspoon I used, so I just ended up getting basically a scoop of chocolate chips? While the former is interesting conjecture, currently I’m inclined to think it’s the latter. I’m going to hold off on my rating until I’ve tried another cup or two, paying better attention to leaf/berry/chocolate distribution next time.

Tea amount: 1 tsp/~4.75g
Water amount: 6oz/~175mL
Additives: ¾ tsp/~3.5g Demerara sugar

[Edit, the next day] The caffeine was causing trouble last night, so before I reached the point of no return (a Bad Place), I put my mug aside and finished it this morning. I was hoping that being cold would bring about some improvement in the flavour, specifically the strawberry bit. It did, but only a very little: I felt that strawberry tartness at the back of my throat, but I can’t say that I actually tasted strawberry. I hope my next infusion is better; otherwise, into the swap bin it goes.

¹ http://steepster.com/bonniejohnstone/posts/140215

I’m usually fond of Della Terra teas chocolate blends, but I’m not so sure about this one. I can taste and smell both the chocolate and the strawberry, but it’s not quite making buddies with my taste buds. The strawberry aspect reminds me of the strawberry flavored Flintstones vitamins that I used to have when I was a kid. Although that was one of my favorite vitamin flavors back in the day, it isn’t translating well in tea form, especially combined with the chocolate flavor.

It’s not bad; it’s just not for me. I’m glad I had the chance to try it in my chocolate try me pack, but it’s not repurchase-worthy for me.

This is a weird one for me. I taste strawberry (natural, and so much I swear I have seeds in my teeth), and I taste milk chocolate. There just isn’t a lot there. To be fair this tea had to follow the Day 1 Pear Tree Tea which was so fragrant and so unique, it’s possible everything else I drink today will pale in comparison.

Actually, I bet that’s it. I’ll hold off on a rating until I brew this again.

Right now it’s delish, but not something I would order again. Let’s see what time does for it…

This is another tea from the chocolate sampler pack and it’s a little early for dessert tea but I wanted some anyway… :)

I steeped this for over 5 minutes, honestly I just lost track of time. Co-workers have commented on how good this tea smells! I took a sip and then added some soymilk and liked it better that way. I am getting lots of strawberry, a slight tartness, but not as much chocolate. Still, this is very tasty and I normally I am not too impressed with chocolate teas. Definitely worth checking out.

Tasty! How come Della Terra can do chocolate tea so well? I’ve enjoyed all the ones in the chocolate sampler pack. I probably wouldn’t buy a lot of any of them but I might do another sampler!

Even after letting it sit until it cooled, it still feels like I’m getting plump strawberries with every sip.

That one was good taste mostly chocolate a subtle strawberry taste appear as the tea get colder as i began to taste more black tea i start a tradition for myself to add a little honey just enough to cut the possible bitterness without adding a sweet taste that exacly what i did with that one with just one little mistake from my part it’s was a new honey jar ( the bear plastic one that you have to make a hole it it the first time ) i kinda forgot that … so the top and 1/3 of the jar ended up in my tea .

Whatever drink it says my brain to me it’s just gonna be really really sweet but you like honey so that don’t matter (stupid brain ) preparing myself psychologically for a extreme sweet sip what a big surprise when no honey taste at all ! just the normal tea taste where is all the honey ? but all in the bottom of the mug naturally as i have discovered when i drank the last sip :S and nearly die strangle by 1/3 cup of honey don’t know why it didn’t dissolve but NEVER again i will use honey directly from the jar like that .

So I’m going to have to try this one again tomorrow…I’m not getting the same flavour as everyone else. It’s not bad, it’s just not what I’d hoped for. I’ll give it another shot tomorrow and hold off rating it until then :)

I got this in my first Della Terra order, and to be honest I have no idea why I grabbed it. Chocolate and strawberry is not my favourite flavour combo for some reason. Of course I’d never turn down an actual fresh chocolate covered strawberry (who would?!) but in candies, chocolates, and the like? No. Just no. I guess I mostly got it for the girlfriend, cause one of the only teas she likes is a chocolate strawberry blend.

When I made her a cup of it, she thought it tasted exactly the same as her other chocolate strawberry tea. I took a sip and yep, they’re pretty darn similar. So she really liked it, even though it wasn’t particularly exciting.

I ended up eventually taking the rest of our pouch to work with me to finish up. Sipdown was yesterday, and I’ve got to say, it was definitely pleasant to sip on at work. Not a reorder for me, but that’s purely personal taste. I will say that it’s very smooth, not at all bitter, and the flavours are nicely balanced. Glad I tried it, but also glad that I’ve finished it up :)

Got this in my sampler pack, and I wasn’t expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised. The mild tartness of the strawberry comes through first, followed by a warm chocolate note.

I’ve gotten so used to seeing and smelling the chocolate in a tea only to have it mysteriously disappear when it comes to tasting it. But I could actually taste the chocolate in this one! Yay! I enjoyed it, but I can only see myself craving that tart strawberry flavor once in a while.

I have received so many swap packages in the past week or so, that I can’t remember who this is from.

As we all know Della Terra has quickly become one of my favourite tea companies, if not my favourite. And this tea is no exception.

Chocolate teas can be hit or miss, but this is yummy. It’s better hot than after it cools, you really get the strawberry flavour when it’s hot. Very sweet & juicy & the nice touch of milk chocolate.

I can’t believe this tea has not been reviewed before and feel completely honored to be the first! I ordered this in the recent “Sample Pack” promo that Della Terra Teas was offering.

Let me just say that this is one of the most intoxicating and deliciously scented teas. Right out of the bag it opens up a world of gourmet chocolate covered strawberry goodness. The quality of the tea is exceptional, and it is a pleasure to see real bits of dried strawberries in the mix. A good proportion of strawberry and chocolate “bits”.

The website recommends a “5 Min” steep time, but I find that to be too long for a black tea, so I went for a 2 minute steep instead. Once again I feel the need to mention just how lovely this tea smells!

Flavor-wise it is perfect for a dessert tea (which are my favorites). I did sweeten it slightly with a bit of rock sugar which really brought out the sweeter more chocolate like notes. The taste of strawberry is sweet and lingering and the blend is just mixed perfectly as to not be too strong flavor wise to hide the taste of a fine black tea.

Della Terra Teas, I feel like we are about to start the beginning of a very long friendship. I have a few more samples to try and have a feeling they are all going to be as fine of quality as this one.

This smells so nice. It reminds me of these chocolates I get at the Japanese grocery store. Has a good berry/ chocolatey flavour too. Good, but I prefer the Sundae blend.

I’m not usually one for chocolate covered strawberries in real life, so I was surprised to enjoy this tea so much! It’s not a completely authentic flavor, which I think is an improvement; I’m more reminded of a high-quality candy than actual strawberries. Sweetened, this one is all flavoring and no tea taste, which isn’t for everyone but is something I enjoy in dessert teas.

Thank you Schmiracles for this sample :)

I haven’t been a fan of Della Terra teas as far as what I have tried so far. My mother seems to like them a lot, so I gave her most of my left overs.

This one really isn’t so bad as others I’ve tried. It’s a tolerable comforting drink, but probably not one I’ll go out of my way to get. I think its real redeeming quality is strawberry. I like strawberry flavored teas. The chocolate in this one is still as flat and boring as I remember from previous Della Terra teas, but it keeps it’s distance and doesn’t over power.

Maybe I am not being fair to Della Terra. Admittedly, I haven’t found many chocolate flavored or blended or even ‘noted’ teas that I like (chocolate peppermint blends being the primary exception). It could be that chocolate in tea isn’t for me, but I’m not ready to give up on it just yet. In fact, I remember that there was a pretty good chocolate cherry blend from The Tea Spot that I have on my shopping list.

The strawberry & chocolate flavor here is spot on, there just isn’t enough of it. The scent of the leaves is especially scrumptious. I think there may be a milder black tea used for this one, as there is hardly any flavor to the black tea itself. Also, my sample pouch definitely didn’t look like the picture. Look at all those bright strawberries! But in my sample, the strawberries were harder to see (also probably because the leaves were coating the strawberry pieces for some reason… this blend was almost like “black tea covered strawberry” rather than “chocolate covered strawberry”!! The steep color was very light. So this tea was delicious, but there just wasn’t too much flavor. But what flavor is there is very natural. I don’t know why I’m complaining, since any other tea company’s blend like this would be way worse, have even less flavor. But I guess I have a higher level of expectation with Della Terra since their blends are usually so good!

So this is the first ever tea from my first ever tea swap! International and everything. Thanks Azzrian for this one ( and the others, they look delightful). This is my first array into American tea companies (the only teas I had while there visiting about 5 years ago are not worth mentioning).

The smell of this dry is so good! To me, it smells like chocolate covered strawberries you get from the Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm in my state’s north. They do both freeze dried and fresh covered strawberries. The smell in my house right now is of the fresh covered berries, all warm and melty. I can’t do that smell justice in words, maybe you have a place nearby that does something like that and know it? My other half just bounded (literally!) over from his cup to sniff at mine. I can tell I’m going to have to hide this from him, based on smell alone!

First sip – it’s still pretty hot, but the smell is getting to me, must try! Oh my! How tasty! I got a huge hit of chocolate in my mouth, with a hint of the strawberry at the end. More sips – definitely very chocolatey, with just a hint of strawberry. The black tea base is very soft, not at all bitter, and compliments the flavours well.

An FYI – when trying a new tea, I always have my first cup without additions, unless there is unanimous suggestions to do so on here. For this tea, I’d very happily drink it straight, but if you have a sweet tooth, adding some sweetener would go well, and would probably bring out the strawberry. Milk would also be nice, but I’ll probably have it black.

I’ve just had a few nibbles of a muesli slice for breakfast (I know, it’s a dessert tea, but I’m rebelling) which is sweet, and I can taste the strawberry more. Yes, this one will have a bit of sweetness in the next cup I think. The strawberry is lovely! With the sweetness in my mouth, the chocolate and strawberry are very well balanced and work very well together. The black base is just sitting there, underneath, providing a nice home for the strawberry and chocolate. Not competing, supplementing.

Yes, I really like this! The only other berry/chocolate tea I’ve had is DavidsTea’s love tea #7, which is nice, but this is better.

Just delightful! Thankyou Azzrian!

(I steeped it for about 4mins, iPad functionality does allow for precise time selection. Was boiling point water).