262/365
This is the third of the teas I’ve tried from Adagio’s Magic Potions sampler, and the one that makes the least sense to me. It strikes me that Veritaserum, being colourless and flavourless, would not make for an interesting tea. Only in terms of its effects, perhaps, but I doubt it can replicate those.
I read a bit more about this one before I tried it, and it turns out that it’s based on the ice cream Hagrid buys for Harry in the first book – chocolate and raspberry with chopped hazelnuts. So why call it veritaserum? Colour me confused.
Setting the misnomer aside, this is actually a pretty decent blend. It’s a lot better than Ripe for Romance, which is the other raspberry/chocolate Adagio blend I’m most familiar with. That one was artificial and (on bad days) somehow contrived to taste of plastic; it reminded me most specifically of the scent of 80s Barbie dolls. This one is a much better prospect. The raspberry is actually fruity and quite juicy, and tastes like an actual raspberry – possibly the rosehip is helping with that. The chocolate is more of a background flavour, but there nonetheless. It tastes like dark chocolate, to me; the kind that balances on the edge of bitterness. The hazelnut is clear and prominent also, and adds a pleasant nuttiness that rounds out the flavour and seems to bring everything nicely together. It’s quite a harmony! What I’m reminded of most, drinking this, is a Raspberry Ruffle – a dark chocolate coated raspberry truffle that Woolworth’s used to sell when I was young. They’ve both fallen by the wayside now.
I don’t know whether this is a blend I’d repurchase, necessarily. It’s nice, but so are lots of other raspberry and/or chocolate teas. Also, let’s be totally honest – I bought this one for its name and its fandom connection, and the disconnect there kind of bothers me. Silly, but true.
