Cavalla

Decaf & Herbal TTB

I just got this TTB yesterday from AllanK and figured I’d have something from the box before I headed out for the night last night. This is. perfection. in. a. mug. I love tea, clearly, but I wouldn’t call this one tea. It’s much closer to hot chocolate (especially when you add a teaspoon of cream like I did) but it’s fantastic. It’s creamy (even without the cream) and chocolatey. There’s really no other flavors to it but it’s not disgustingly sweet like hot chocolate and I really enjoy that. I’m so excited to try some more things from this box later tonight after I pack up the Holidays TTB to send off!

I probably wouldn’t drink this plain, but it’s great for adding a chocolate flavor to blends. My favorite way to drink it is one teaspoon of this, one teaspoon of cocoa nibs (nuts.com), 1/2 tsp of hazelnut honeybush (adagio), 1/2 tsp of barley tea (from amazon), and a touch of sweetener. Then brew it for about 10 minutes. It has a rich, decadent, dark chocolate flavor that is very different from hot cocoa, but quite appealing in its own way.

OMG!!!! OMG!!!! Where has this been all my life?!!???
2 tsp in my perfect mug just under boiling for 12 minutes and it is AMAZING. Yes I added a little sweet and a little milk and it’s amazing hot chocolate. It’s not thin, it had a really nice mouth feel.
This one has just a hint of cinnamon and just a hint of coconut – but those are really in the background. This is just chocolatey goodness.
Thank you OMGsrsly for sending this sample my way. I need to find a place to buy some for myself.

It was my daughter’s birthday weekend (my youngest, turning 10!), so while I drank tea, I didn’t find the time to log what I drank.
I will log this, though, since I drank it last night.
Tea Friends have been talking about this, and I just kept on walking by it in the store…and I am so glad that the last time I was shopping, I threw this in my cart.
When I opened the bag, I couldn’t stop smelling… of course it smells good; it’s ground cacao! But, somehow I was surprised at HOW good it smelled. Like those chocolate covered almonds imported from Spain in the cheese shop…. That good. :)
My first cup I used 2tsp and steeped for 10 minutes. It was really good, but I wanted to up the chocolate flavour for my next cup.
3tsp/13 minutes was fantastic…. deep and chocolately. (I know. 3 tsp is a TBS, but I was holding a tsp, so that’s how I’m writing my measurements… haha)
I didn’t get a bitter note with either cup, which is something I was afraid of after reading the reviews, especially since I didn’t want to add anything to this (trying to avoid sugar and dairy right now…).
I’m really glad I have this available as a night time cup! :)

I haven’t had a cup of cocoa in ages; when I was a child, my mom used to make it once in awhile as a treat and although I have drank it as an adult, it has been some time.

This ground cocoa is really fantastic and much more delicious and satisfying than the regular powdered cocoa I have had before – so much chocolate in both smell and taste!! I added a small amount of sugar and milk to my brewed cup and it really was perfectly delicious. I’d say that I can detect subtle coconut but not so much cinnamon.

I brewed 2-3 heaping teaspoons in about 6 ounces boiling water in a brew basket for probably around 15 minutes. Later on I used the grounds again with leftover tea leaves from the morning and it was even more delicious – super chocolate tea!! Very happy with this yummy comforting treat!

From the SSTTB2…following the directions on the package to use 1tsp to 1tbsp and steep 5-30 minutes, I opted somewhere in the middle. I used 2 heaping tsp and steeped about 15 minutes. I did add a touch of coconut sugar and milk to this. It’s way better than the HI stuff I tried a while back. This is still thin, but it feels and tastes creamier and richer. I’m glad I could try this!

SSTTB take 2!

This one befuddled me when I opened the box. Hot chocolate powder? Mixed with cacao nibs and cinnamon bark? WTF? And a note very boldly stating NO paper filters? Well then. Tea Frens – HALP! haha

Threw a tablespoon of “leaf” in a steeper basket and let it steep for about 13 minutes (aka the time it took me to shower and shave, haha).

Oh. Em. Gee. Dark chocolate explosion!!!! The cinnamon takes a backseat and offers a bit of a tingle on the tail end of the dark chocolate goodness. Mmmm, reminds me of the chocolate my sister brought me back from her trip to Ecuador a few years ago!

This is actually a fascinating “tea” and I’d be interested in trying some of the other types if it weren’t for the fact that Herbal Infusions is terrible. I wonder if I could find it anywhere else…..?

Thank you SSTTB frens for the chance to try such a unique cuppa!

This one came from mj, and I’ve had it for a little while. Tonight I was craving some hot chocolate, so I thought I’d give it a try! Dry, it looks like a course milk chocolate-colored sand. It’s a mixture of larger, darker, flaky pieces with smaller, lighter, more powdery looking granules. Dry, it smells amazing, just like hot chocolate. I let my cup steep for 10 minutes.

Whew, this is rather intense. It’s definitely strong dark chocolate flavor, but I had a hard time drinking it straight, so I added some sugar to my cup. I would be curious to see how this comes out if you try to steep it in soy milk instead of water (I have a sample of Maracaibo so I may have to try that). I can definitely taste a touch of cinnamon warmth. I’m unsure whether I can taste coconut, but I have a feeling the flavor notes described on the different varieties will be hard to find unless they’re all tasted beside each other. Overall, a good substitute for hot chocolate, but since I added sugar to mine anyway I don’t suppose it’s any better for me. :P

Thank you VariaTea, for making a crappy day a bit better with your package of delicious teas and cacao :D

Brewed this one up first (I don’t know if I’ll bother with side-by-sides – it seems like effort and I don’t feel like putting much in right now), and am very pleased with the results. I used 1 tbsp for about 8 oz. of boiling water, and left it for…. a while. Not really sure how long. But the result is very rich, dark, creamy, and much like hot chocolate without the sugar. It’s a touch bitter, but less so than I would have expected. Overall, pretty tasty, and I’m excited to try the others.

Sipdown (127)!

Thank you VariaTEA for the sample! I think, out of the three I’ve had so far, this is my least favourite Crio Bru blend thus far – it was chocolate-y but it was also quite bitter, and I was surprised when I looked it up here on Steepster because apparently it’s supposed be cinnamon/coconut and I definitely didn’t get either of those things.

So far Vega Real is my favourite, but I’ve got a few more to try so who knows, right?