Teeccino

June Sipdown Prompt – your favorite bagged tea

This isn’t a true tea, it is a tisane, I suppose. After this serving, I have only two teabags left, but I do have a whole bag of loose. Hurrah!

I had chicken soup for lunch, and I used to have chocolate milk with chicken soup, and barring that, plain black tea. Today I was longing for the chocolate milk but I have had a lot of reflux lately and milk seems to make it worse. I remembered this and did a happy dance, because it will give me the type of texture and flavor I want while not upsetting my tummy.

My little grandsons even fell in love with this at age 2 and I have sent multiple flavors to them. Today I had it with milk, but sometimes in winter we have it with whipped cream on top as a sort of hot chocolate substitute.

The chicory and chocolate-y plus vanilla flavors lead. I definitely want to have some sort of Teeccino on hand always, though there are so many good flavors and I am not overly picky as to which one we have here.

I got tea mail! Thank you, gmathis!

I steeped this last night before bed as a caffeine free treat. When I tore open the pouch, the aroma was much like O’Connor’s Cream from Teageschwendner, available at Tin Roof Teas.
It was chocolate-y and boozy. I had not expected chocolate with the name Vanilla Nut, but the first ingredient is carob.

This steeps up DARK. I mean COFFEE DARK. I am not a coffee drinker, but this reminded me of coffee from the few times I tried it, but with no bitterness, no acid. The fig and dates so sweeten it nicely, and if you add a splash of milk and a dash of sugar, you have a hot cocoa replacement.

This is something I think two of my daughters would like, and one of my neighbors, so I looked into where I could get it and found that my trusty Vitacost has it for less than five dollars.

Next time I order vitamins I will throw in a box to share!

This was probably my favorite from the sampler box. I held on to this one for quite a while not wanting to finish it off. It was minty and mocha-like and delicious. The soymilk I added turned it into a creamy lazy latte. I would repurchase this one for sure!

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The last of the Teeccino dandelion tisanes. (Truthfully, I have two more, but I’m putting them in my rehoming box because they’re coconut and turmeric, neither of which sounds particularly appealing to me…)

This one really does taste like coffee. If you gave me a mug of this and told me it was coffee, I think I would believe you. It’s somewhat bitter, somewhat acidic, but well-balanced with a deep roasty-toasty flavor.

Added some oat milk to the second half of the mug, and it wasn’t my favorite combination. Something about it tasted plastic-y or something? So I definitely preferred it plain.

Not something I would order, as I’m not a big coffee drinker. But I could totally see this as a nice evening-friendly replacement for coffee if I were so inclined.

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Still working through my Teeccino dandelion root sampler. Haven’t been loving them so far, but this is the flavor I was most excited about.

It’s quite good actually. The mocha flavoring really helps to justify the slight bitterness from the dandelion/chicory, and overall it tastes a lot like coffee. But there’s a deep chocolaty note as well, obviously. And the mint is light and refreshing, and reminds me of mint chocolate chip ice cream. It’s still quite acidic of course, but so is coffee. Overall it does remind me of a peppermint mocha.

I might actually consider buying a box of this one… I bet it would be delicious with milk as well. :)

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Using two teabags for a 16-ounce mug, and steeping a bit less than last time to try to avoid excessive bitterness. Although this blend has rooibos as well, so it’s quite different from the herbal tisane I tried before.

It’s still fairly strong on the chicory and dandelion root though, and the associated bitterness. It’s fairly pleasant otherwise, with a balanced blend of spices – cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove, a bit of pepper maybe. I actually don’t taste a lot of rooibos, which surprises me. There’s a nice caramelized sweetness from the dates. I can’t say that I love the blackberry leaf though, it always has a more artificial-like cloying sweet flavor to me.

So not something I would buy, but a drinkable cuppa. I can see it being nice with milk as well.

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So I bought a Teeccino dandelion sampler pack on Amazon after being intrigued by the dandelion root in some tea that I don’t recall now. This just happened to be the flavor that sounded most intriguing this evening, so I steeped up both teabags in a 16-ounce mug.

Hmm, so not sure if I steeped this too long or if two bags was too many (it recommended 8 oz for each bag) but it’s quite bitter and acidic. Having no experience with dandelion root, I don’t know if this is normal. It’s not undrinkably bitter, but it’s certainly not the most pleasant flavor. I do taste a lot of caramel, and it reminds me of a buttery caramel sauce. Otherwise it tastes very similar to burnt popcorn, with a deep roasted flavor. I guess it’s a bit like mugicha really. I’m not sure I would pick out nuts specifically.

Anyway, I’m not sure what to think of this. I find the overall flavor pleasant enough, but the bitterness is pretty distracting. Maybe I’ll shorten the steep a bit for some of the other flavors and see if that helps?

Had a cup of this one made in an espresso machine. I like this preparation better than using the drip coffee pot. I steamed some almond milk which turns it into a lovely herbal latte. The dates and fruit in this blend add the perfect amount of sweetness. I’m also a big fan of carob and can taste that in this blend which comes across as chocolate. This flavor is one of the more natural-tasting ones that Teeccino offers.

Simply because my Teeccino purchases have been at-the-store impulse buys, and the selection here is pretty small, I haven’t sampled all their varieties in order to make a well-informed pronouncement, but if I was going to, I think I’d say this is my favorite. Reminds me strongly of cocoa with hazelnut, and had I thought of it before now (only two sips left), I would’ve tossed in some marshmallows or marshmallow creme as an antidote to this raw and rainy evening.

Battling a mild case of the Janu-weary blues—you know, the kind that makes you want to gnarf a whole box of Russell Stover cream centers…so in the interest of health and waistline, I limited myself to a cookie and a cup of this really nifty, chocolate-y, nearly completely guilt-free goodness. A little half and half elevates it to the satisfaction level of a cup of cocoa with figgy aftertaste. Recommended if you’re grumpy. Recommended if you’re not.

I’ve become quite the Teeccino fan, due in part to the very favorable reviews here and due in part to some serendipitous local sales and Natural Grocers coupons. Burned one of those coupons today for a box of Vanilla Nut, which, says the label, also features dates and figs.

Chicory and carob are always the leader in a Teeccino, but with the vanilla and fruit, it’s almost the twin of a Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut Bar and the scent has kicked off a whale of a chocolate craving this afternoon! Pleasantly sweet on its own, but it’s going to be even better when I try the next cup with milk.

This was one of the advent teas that I didn’t drink in order. And I see I have tried this before and not exactly liked it. But this morning, it was fairly sweet and slightly butterscotch so I’ll bump this up because I enjoyed this morning’s cup. Not sure I’d go out of my way to buy this

Not a sip down, but a tea for mulligan day.
I found a few flavors of teeccino carob chicory teas on sale, and picked up three different boxes as I’m looking to drink more chicory to help my digestion. This one has added chaga mushrooms, which I have tried before in a DT blend, and ashwagandha, which I’ve never known to have a calming effect. I did enjoy the other two flavors I picked up, but this one, hmmm, not so much. It does have a nice chocolatey flavor, brews up thick when only 6 oz of water is used, but does have a chalky aftertaste. Not one I’d buy again, even for chicory in a nice travel friendly packet.

Well, hello again, Steepster! It’s been a while. Have not been drinking any new teas lately; mostly been sticking with my good ol’ PG Tips and milk.

However, I have really been digging this mushroom herbal blend by Teeccino. Notes of earth, umami, chocolate, toast, nuttiness, and a hint of sweet creamy butterscotch. It takes milk really well, just like PG Tips, or even coffee. Creamy mouthfeel.

It’s a nice, warm, healthful, non-pumpkin spice, autumn-esque drink, and it satisfies the 2:00 “need another cuppa” craving without the extra dosage of caffeine.

Earlier in the year, I snagged a box of Teeccino’s Dark Chocolate on an insane clearance sale and immediately fell in love with the just-like-eating-a-candy-bar thick chocolate goodness.

So, with a lucky-day $2 coupon from Natural Grocers, I decided to give a (cheap) trial run to their French Roast blend.

I am amazed—its color and texture remind me of the dark, stewed coffee my dad drank when he worked at the local post office when I was little. (He’d give me little sips just to watch me scrunch up my face.) I’ve never tasted a coffee-ier tea, and it’s decaf at that. This will be just lovely in a few weeks when there’s an honest-to-pete nip in the air.

This Teeccino blend always seems to get so much praise around here, so I ordered a box during my decaf buying bonanza. I love Teeccino when I’m wanting the taste of coffee. It never disappoints. This blend is certainly chocolaty, no doubt. I’m not sure I can tell a huge difference between some of the others I’ve tried, but that chocolate note is definitely there. Looking forward to comparing this to the Amaretto Teeccino I bought as well. I think this is the third flavor I’ve tried so far, and I haven’t found one yet that I don’t like.

Every time I drink and review a chocolate tea, I bellyache that it isn’t chocolate enough. Well, the Hershey bar stops here. Wow. Thick, rich carob and chicory—this definitely hits the “unsweet chocolate bar” mark. I’m drinking this unsweetened, and there’s enough coffee-like bitterness to open my eyes a little, even though it’s purely herbal. With a little milk or as a latte, this is going to be just flat delicious.

April Sipdown Alphabet Challenge: “D” Tea
This was probably my least favorite tea that came in the sampler. It just wasn’t the best herbal chai I’ve had.

I liked one of the other teas from this brand in the past so I bought a Dandelion tea bag sampler to try the rest of the flavors. This company makes coffee substitutes and is essentially an herbal coffee alternative. I made this one today and added a little oat milk to it. The spices in this tea are very weak and the sweetness overpowers them. I think this is my least favorite of the variety pack that I’ve tried so far. I would much rather drink a regular caffeinated chai or a good rooibos chai. This tea is very sweet from the dates and blackberry leaf in it. I think you could definitely find something better at a lower price. (I did enjoy the Tumeric and Caramel Nut ones I’ve tried so far though)

Decidedly not Teeccino’s best offering. This is supposed to have a hint of heat in it from spices, but this is my second cup of it, and I get no spice whatsoever. Like, quite literally none. It just tastes like weak hot chocolate with a tiny note of dates. It doesn’t even have that satisfying, full-bodied, roasted, mock-coffee quality that I’ve come to love in this company’s blends.
Pretty disappointed. Maybe I can salvage the last two servings I have of it by adding some hot cocoa powder and milk.

Ughhhhh, so yummy! It smells like chocolate-covered raisins. Reminds me of going to the candy store as a kid. Slightly bitter, black coffee note on the sip, which transitions seamlessly into a very mellow, very genuine chocolate flavor, just like hot cocoa without the sugar. Stands up well to milk. I love this stuff.