Cafe Mocha

Coffee and tea in the same cup? This was such an interesting concept, I had to try it! It had a delicious coffee aroma and steeped up to wonderful deep brown color. But I found it to be so bitter, I couldn’t even finish my cup. Maybe it would have been drinkable with sugar, but I really try to avoid sweetening my tea.

This could be a great choice for someone who loves coffee or who is trying to make the transition from coffee to tea. It just didn’t work out for me. But thanks to VariaTEA for sending it to me…I always enjoy trying new tea, even when I don’t end up liking it!

Oh how I wish I had more than 2 oz of this delicious tea! If anyone is still hanging on to some because they don’t like it I will take it! It has such a strong roasted coffee flavor but I think that’s what makes it amazing!

Got my DT Halloween mug today, yay! And this tea, which I was curious about. It smells a lot more amaretto-y than I was expecting, with dark coffee aromas mingling in the background (I assume chicory is there as well), and brewed up, it also tastes a bit on the amaretto side. Thankfully it’s not overly strong, though. The base ends up being quite strong (although whether that’s from the accidental 11 minute infusion, or a characteristic of the tea, it’s hard to be sure), and tastes more like a blend of coffee/chicory than any tea, despite there being a fair amount of tea in there.

Overall, pretty neutral on this one. I’m sure I’ll get through the bag, but it would have been a tea I’d have been happy merely sampling.

I picked up the Back from the Dead pack when I was in DAVIDs yesterday and have decided to try all the teas to see if there are any I want to pick up in larger quantities online. Of the three, this is the only one I have not had previously so I was excited to test it out. Plus, it smells really quite delicious.

Alas, I have fallen victim to the coffee again because when I tried this right after brewing, I found the hot cup to be far too bitter from the coffee beans. I couldn’t taste anything else but the bean so I decided a splash of milk might balance things out. At first, it didn’t really help but after the cup cooled for a bit, the other flavors emerged. Sipping on the tea now, coffee is still the strongest element but there is also chocolate notes and a nice earthiness from the almond. No orange to be found but that doesn’t bother me too much. All in all, I can see why people might like this but it is just not for me.

I just got an email from DT yesterday about their Halloween release, and since I was on my way downtown, I popped in and picked up the “back from the dead” collection, which included this tea. I’ve been on a total coffee bender in the past few days, so it seemed like a sign that this appeared yesterday.

I brewed up a cup this morning, and it’s lovely! The dry leaf smells magnificent and nutty and sweet, and the brew smells just like you’d expect a café mocha to smell. I tasted it black, and got a bit of an orange flavour, which is odd since there’s no citrus in this. Added some milk, and hey, there’s the almond! There is definitely a nice taste of coffee and that almond, and deeper in the cup I’m finding chicory comes out to play (I can’t add this as a flavour, but it’s there!). I really like it! I’m tempted to go get some for my stash (the sampler pack is only 25g), since I think this would make a great winter tea when I’m not in the mood for spice or fruit, but want a little extra in my tea. Or when I can’t choose between tea and coffee.

I didn’t get any bitterness in my cup, which a lot of people seem to dislike about this tea, but I also drink black coffee, so your mileage may vary.

I still have a few stock in my cupboard. I love the strong coffee taste, I enjoy it especially after a rich meal, the same way I would enjoy a cup of coffee.

Let me preface this by saying I am a coffee girl at heart, through and through.
However, even I could be converted by this tea. It has such a robust coffee flavour that when I tried it, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. This tea is delicious, a great way to introduce tea to your coffee-loving friends.
I ended up buying a full tin, and have been drinking it everyday for the winter.