Oh hey, another new tea!
As y’all may have noticed here on Steeped I got arguably a little too into coffee replacement teas this past year. Though I found some I enjoyed, for the most part I found that a lot of them were really aggressively chicory forward to the point of being quite bitter and unpleasant. And I know that bitterness is an expectation with a coffee replacement because, well, coffee is bitter. However, I just knew I could create something more balanced that was every bit as functional.
…and here it is! Coffee Break! I have to say, I’m really proud of the double entendre of that name. It’s one of my favourite ones I’ve come up with.
People tend to cut out or reduce their coffee consumption for two big reasons; either because of the caffeine content or the acid content/effect on their stomachs. Because of that, this is an entirely caffeine free blend that is packed full of gut friendly, low acid, and inulin rich ingredients like chicory (obviously), dandelion root, and carob. However, those first two do a great job of adding the distinct and much needed roasty/earthy flavours for a coffee replacement but they also tend to be pretty harsh in their bitterness, astrigency, and earthiness – so I tried to balance them out with natural, low glycemic sweeteners like dates and monk fruit that would play into the more “dense” and “brown tasting” direction the blend needed to move towards.
The overall result is a thick, robust and really strong cup of tea with all the body and and tasting notes you’d expect to be present with just a hint of natural sweetness and a very mild chocolate note to give an almost mocha-like twist (a gentle one though) that also contrasts against the roasty roots. If you want more of that black coffee kind of profile, you can always add more leaf or steep longer and the acidic top notes of the chicory and overall bitterness will come through more clearly. However, this is also stellar as both a hot or iced latte for a more cappuccino/mocha or “Starbucks equivalent” kind of vibe.
I know I am, of course, filled with bias but I genuinely think it’s the best standard/baseline coffee replacement tea that I’ve ever tried. Though Teeccino has some very fun (and delicious) flavoured versions, my personal opinion is that this is better than their original or mocha flavours. Just as robust, but more balanced overall. I’ve been drinking it so much over the last year or so. Hot and plain or cold brewed are my favourite prep styles, personally. Maybe a splash of milk.
I think it’s a super cool addition to DT’s line – and honestly, for a company that carries tea with coffee in it, I think it’s strange that it took so long for us to have a proper coffee replacement blend.
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
