SoHo Blend

I’m happy to announce that I am part of the Lush family again! I just got back from my first day at one of the locations here. Boy, have I ever missed working there. I love coming home smelling like it.

Total coconut fiend here. Let’s cut to the chase. This isn’t the best coconut tea I’ve had, but it’s pretty good. The base is great, but I was hoping for a little more chocolate, I think. Actually, this kind of reminds me of Tea Desire’s Praline de Champagne even though that has rose and strawberry on top of the chocolate (and perhaps coconut too, it’s been years).

It’s better hot, especially with soy milk. Naturally, the chocolate coconut comes through more strongly with the milk.

Cold-steeped? Meh. It kind of turns a little floral. I think the amaranth is speaking up this time. Don’t know what’s with that. 52teas Coconut Cream Pie still reigns supreme when it comes to iced coconut black tea.

Mmm! I’ve been reading tasting notes on this tea and they never fail to make my mouth water when I read them … chocolate and coconut. YUM YUM YUM! So, when I placed an order with Harney, this was one of the samples I included in that order. Had to try it!

And it is every bit as tasty as expected it to be. Sweet and chocolate-y with a delicious creamy coconut flavor. The black tea base a good, solid base, robust but not so strong that it overwhelms the chocolate and coconut… these flavors really stand out.

I like this one a lot!

Well. I just learned something completely disappointing. One of my favorite hockey players, whose jersey I own while the team was here in Atlanta, got a DUI in his native Czech Republic. He had a .20% BAC level while driving a BMW M6, which kind of says, “I have a lot of money and you know, I probably have it for a cab fare.” I am so angry I can’t even think.

So I need something happy. Chocolate! I’ve been meaning to try this sample from Alphakitty and now is the time.

This is really good. I think the flower petals even add a little something to it. It has a good chocolate flavor, enhanced by the base. As usual it’s not chocolatey enough but I could probably go swim in chocolate right now and not think it wasn’t chocolatey enough. I’m loving the coconut in here too. It lingers after each sip and adds a nice creaminess to the tea without having to add any milk.

I definitely want to get a tin of this!

And now maybe my internet will stay connected so I can post this.

I blind purchased this because I absolutely love coconut. My first 3 cups at longer steeping times (+3 mins) were all disappointments. Very bitter, no coconut – just floral and sickeningly sweet. Blerg!

But, when steeped for 3 minutes or less, I get coconut reminiscent of coconut ice, and a slight chocolate hit. Very sweet. When milk is added, the creaminess of the coconut comes out a titch more but not much. When cooled, it becomes very floral. A nice medium-light dessert tea.

I’m on the hunt for a great coconut, and while this isn’t bad, I don’t think this is it. So may not replenish this one once I’m out. We’ll see what future cups bring.

Couldn’t play the guessing game for this one since the name kind of gives it away…. I think this is the last of my six Harney & Sons samples from Alphakitty – thanks!

Anyways, I brewed this one up prior to realize quite how much my cold was affecting me. I could smell a delicious chocolatey flavour in the brewed tea though, so hopefully I can at least taste a bit of it so it’s not a waste!

A further sniffing of my cup is giving me a strong association to Bounty bars! Yum! And by some sort of miracle, I can actually taste this flavour, too! This is fabulous! Seriously…. this is probably the first chocolate coconut tea I’ve had, and this is way better than I could have imagined! It’s like drinking a Bounty bar without the huge overdose of sugar! And I’m so thrilled that for whatever reason, I can actually taste it!!

Off-topic – I just received my second sample pack from Teavivre!!! It is absolutely jammed full! Crossing my fingers to get better soon more than ever (although I might cave and try something anyhow).

Back to the tea… with a four minute infusion, the black base here is not producing any astringency or bitterness, so I’d be tempted to increase the infusion time a touch to see if I can intensify the flavours at all, although this is pretty darn good as is. I’ll have to try a second infusion with the leaves – based on the success I had with the other three H&S flavoured blacks I’ve tried, I’m expecting at least one good additional infusion.

Soooo based on the success I’ve been having with H&S blends, I think my next swap(s) are going to be aimed at trying more of them! Out of the six I’ve tried, all were good, and I would probably purchase four of them… and that’s saying something! Thanks so much for passing along so many, Alphakitty! Next up are the rest of the samples you and everyone else has sent (and the new ones from Teavivre! Woooo!!)

Thanks to SimplyJenW for sending me this sample, which was a while ago but I’m just now getting around to it. I was definitely interested in this blend when it came out because I love chocolate, and I love coconut, and I often love them together. I tried this tea once before at the NY Coffee and Tea Festival, but it was actually horribly oversteeped and bitter. Now I get to try it under better circumstances!

The dry leaf is very pretty with all the pink flower buds in the mix, and it smells very chocolatey and coconutty. When steeped, it smells like a fairly classic chocolate/coconut blend. I’ve had a couple from different companies now, and they all have that melding of the two notes in the aroma. The difference between those blends and this one is the flavor. Wow, this is delicious! I guess I might have expected it because I love Harney’s coconut in the Royal Wedding blend. Sometimes chocolate/coconut teas can actually turn my stomach a bit for some reason (no idea why), but that is definitely not the case here. The flavor is sweet and oh-so-creamy. Chocolatey, coconutty, and balanced in such a way that neither flavor is dominent. I think the black base here is just adding to the body and richness because it doesn’t really stick out from the blend. Definitely enjoy this cup way more than the oversteeped sample I had at the CTF! Thanks again Jen!

first time i met Soho, i smelled him before i actually saw him. his coconut aroma was so strong, i was afraid it might get into the others!

after a while in his intense presence, his sweet scent tried to seduce me. and though i succumbed to a cup, it led me to conclude that i will just swap him away.

and then, in the process of portioning it out, the scent continued to tantalize…and i succumbed again! but this time, it got me thinking…maybe i dont want to swap all of it! maybe, maybe…i might even buy a pound of it…sometime in the future*

so ok, i like him well enough. even though his flavor is not as rich as his scent. and even though the 2nd steep is but a shadow of the first. maybe i will double the tea just to get a strong enough taste next time.

funny how the heart changes in the span of a few weeks.

many thanks to Isabel who showered me with a ton of teas out of nowhere, lol.

*a pound not entirely for personal use but to stock my online tea shop with

Tea of the afternoon……

New tea! If you like Harney’s chocolate teas and coconut, this tea is definitely for you. I knew I would love it, so I bought a tin of sachets just because….. The tea itself is beautiful as it has amaranth petals in it, and it smells heavenly. Another wonderful detail……the design of the tin makes me feel as if I am back in the SoHo shop. The colors and styling of the tin mimic that of the shop. (Nicely done!) The tea is just as good as I imagined it would be….think of Harney chocolate tea with a hint of coconut. Yum. I will definitely buy more when my tin is gone.

Usual teapot method using 2 sachets.

SimplyJenW is single-handedly introducing most of steepster to this blend! Thank you, Jen! I had intended to save this for tea party on Wednesday, but after reading your review again I couldn’t wait any longer. There is plenty here for me to have a large cup tonight and still have a whole pot on Wednesday!

The dry leaves have the same chocolate aroma as Florence and Chocolate. The coconut is creamy and smooth smelling. The pink petals are so pretty!

The tea….is….WONDERFUL! Oh boy, they did this one right! A dessert tea, a spoil you tea, a special tea for company. I can’t wait to serve this Wednesday.

No additions, this beauty didn’t need a thing. Thank you, Jen!

My Harney order arrived today! I ordered Hot Cinnamon Spice, Paris, a sample of Soho and I received a free sample of Organic Green tea. It’s been so long since I’ve had Harney! My husband had never tried any of their tea so that was exciting. I made up a big travel mug for us to share while we ran some errands. We’re cooking dinner for his Mom tonight. Meatball subs and waffle fries. Mmm.

So on to Soho. I was really excited to try this one. I expected it would be similar to Paris, sans hazelnut with the addition of coconut and vanilla. I also thought it would have a floral note from the amaranth petals.

Dry leaves smell heavily of chocolate liquor. That’s really all I’m getting.
Once submerged in boiling water a light note of creamy coconut hits the nose followed by milk chocolate. That’s what’s really different about this tea so far from Florence. This is more of a milk chocolate, even though I taste the same chocolate flavoring as in Florence.. maybe it’s the coconut and vanilla combined with the chocolate that creates a creamy milk chocolate sensation.

Without any additions I didn’t find this tea very impressive. My husband and I just tasted a mildly astringent tea. A good tea none the less, but sugar brings out the chocolate and milk brings out the creamy coconut vanilla flavors. Once the temperature cools it really starts to get yummy. I think this one is like Florence also in the way that it kind of grows on you. I thought maybe this would have a floral note from the petals but their purpose seems to be aesthetic. I wonder if this would be good with a few rose petals thrown in. I’ve never had Harney’s Valentines blend but I wonder what that would be like mixed with Soho. Valentines blend is chocolate and roses and Soho is coconut, vanilla and chocolate. Sounds like it’d be interesting. I’ll have to try it sometime or at least get some rose petals to toss in.

Thanks very much to SimplyJenW for sending me a sample of this, I really wanted to try it!

As for me, well I’m not really sure chocolate goes that well in tea. This blend is nice though, it looks like it has some pink flowers in it, I wonder what they are? It has a light cocoa flavor that seems to go well with the black tea base but is ever so slightly “chalky”. I did not sense a lot of coconut until I added soymilk to it, which seemed to bring out the coconut flavor for me. I’d definitely have this as a dessert tea but I’m not sure I will buy any when I still have a big tin of Florence, their chocolate hazelnut tea, it’s tempting though!

I’ve had a sample pack of this for awhile, and after having a cup I don’t know why I waited so long to try it. This is a beautiful blend with delicate petals in the prettiest shade of pink mixed in with the tea leaves. The coconut flavor really comes out if a little sweetener is added, and also once it has cooled down. It reminds me of a mounds candy bar, and just in time for valentines day!

-Dry blend has black tea leaves and small pink amaranth petals. Petals float to the top during steeping.
-Dry leaves smell of rich chocolate and coconut. Tea liquor aroma is of vanilla with a hint of chocolate.
-Tea liquor is a clear medium brown color.
-Malty vanilla flavor with a wispy coconut chocolate finish.
-Best with milk and sweetener.
-Very good tea. Chocolate covered coconut flavor.

Thanks so much to JenW for sending me a sample of this… It is so good… I think I may have found my ideal chocolate coconut tea. It smells great and is just really beautiful with the pretty little petals in it.

If you like coconut you must try this tea it is wonderful, the smell is a bit like hot chocolate with coconut. The taste taste is bit more coconut with a nice chocolate after taste, but you can still taste the tea at the end as well! Anyways this is a great tea and thanks again JenW for the tea! This is going on my shopping list and will be buying from them in a bit!

this tea smells very good.
I had a mega tea tasting with my sister yesterday. I hope to have another one soon.

Since this is almost the last day of the year there is a lot on my To Do list I’d like to get done.
Wish me luck!
Maybe I’ll just throw everything into the garbage and be done.
Do you ever wanna just move to a cabin?
Like leave everything behind and see what it’s like to start from scratch?
I’m not feeling destructive, it’s just what the beginning of a new year will do to my mind.

Thank you SimplyJenW for this sample. The dry leaf aroma is milk chocolate. Steeped 4 minutes w/boiling water. The brew is muddy looking in the pot. In the cup, it looks like tea – with a bright and clean appearance. There is no escaping the chocolate scent before during or after sipping. The tea is present in the taste but in the background a bit. The coconut comes into play in the aftertaste. I don’t think I used enough leaf (1 tsp) on this, my first attempt. I still managed two cups and I think it might go a third. Next time I will up the leaf. This is a nice dessert cup with a pleasant lingering aftertaste that leaves you craving more.

Given the smashing success I’ve had with Hot Cinnamon Spice at work, I decided to order one more Harney blend to see if I could have a little more of a selection. Because I need variety everywhere, even places where there’s no way to brew loose tea. High maintenance tea-phile is high maintenance!

I’ve wanted to try this one for forever because well – the idea of a Mounds bar meeting a black tea was tantalizing. I looooove coconut….coconut cream pie from 52Teas is one of my most favorite teas and for sure in my staple collection, so I was eager to compare this one to it.

Steep notes: 1 bag, 8 oz. water, milk and sugar added.

The smell of this dry was not as awesome as I’d hoped. I think it’s the chocolate note, to be honest – something was cheap/off about it. I could get coconut, but any chance of smelling the tea was lost because of that overwhelming weird chocolate smell. Once brewed, it becomes a little less fakey smelling and the coconut comes out more. The coconut is creamy and very reminiscent of 52Teas, which makes me happy.

The taste of the chocolate is surprisingly authentic, and it balances the coconut well! But – the texture is disappointingly thin. Maybe a little less water next time? Eh – I added milk and sugar to help.

The milk and sugar round out both the texture and add enough sweetness to really make the mounds bar aspect pop. It’s quite palatable like this – unfortunately, it’s a little more involved than I wanted it to be, since this requires having both sweetener and creamer on hand to prepare it. I suppose I’ll leave it at home, but even so, there are both other chocolate teas and coconut teas that I prefer, so I won’t be replacing this one once it’s gone.

I have SO many new teas and samples right now it was so hard to choose my morning tea today! Not a bad problem to have mind you ;)

Anyway, this is really hitting the spot this morning. I am getting more coconut flavor than anything else, but I’m really liking it! Its subtle but not in a bad way. Nice and creamy too. Thanks for the swap Yssah!

This has been a fun tea day. Here’s another sample from Yssah. What a beautiful tea. Looking at it, you’d think that it would taste like a floral tea but it has such a great delicate blend of chocolate and coconut. yum. This is a way more complex tea than I expected, it has wonderful deep flavors that stay with you. I may have to get more of this!

Backlog from yesterday.
This kind of reminds me of Florence, probably because both have chocolate flavouring. The main difference is that this is a creamier milk chocolate, which is likely because of the coconut flavours. Good balance between chocolate and coconut, and quite tasty overall.

thank you Yssah for a sample of this one with my Harney order! This is supposed to be a coconut chocolate blend, even though there isn’t chocolate or coconut in the blend. There are some pretty flowers though! After a three minute steep, the black tea flavor is very mild. It’s hidden under the sweet and smooth coconut. And I think I forgot there was supposed to be a chocolate flavor at all. The chocolate is lighter than the coconut. I like this one, but it isn’t a must-have in the cupboard staple. Luckily, I’ve got just one teaspoon left, which is good enough for me!