Teeccino

Last tea of 2022.

There was zero intention behind having this tea specifically as my last tea of the year – it just kinda worked out that way. I used to be really sentimental and cheesy about the symbolism of teas associated to things like that, but I’m trying really hard to let go of that for my own mental sanity.

It was a really nice cuppa though! It’s the same predictably roasty, cozy and darkly delicious base of ingredients that Teeccino uses across most of their flavours but with a bit more of a molasses-y note and a hint of ginger. Definitely one of my favourites of Teeccino’s line up – though the flavour could be stronger.

The different seasonal flavours Teeccino has carried definitely interest me, and this one honestly just feels like low hanging fruit in the best way. I’d definitely say it does taste like gingerbread, but most of the heavy lifting is being done by the really nice molasses flavour and not the ginger itself. That’s okay though – I mean, what’s a good gingerbread cookie without the molasses? Overall, it’s nice – I think it could be a littttllleee bit stronger though.

I don’t think it’ll ever stop surprising me how much I enjoy this flavour option since, with the standard Teeccino base blend, it seems to wild and uncomplimentary. But, it’s not like either the mango or lemon balm are super intense. The tea actually barely tastes like mango at all. It’s just a very smooth, roasty and semi-sweet base blend with a tad more general fruit flavour than I’d otherwise expect. And just, so smooth. You really taste that mix of date and carob in the best sorta way.

Once again, it freaks me out a little bit just how much this blend doesn’t taste like mango or lemon balm. It’s definitely fruitier than the other Teeccino compositions but if I didn’t know better I feel like I’d just describe those notes as, like, excessively fruity top notes from the carob?? It’s a weird tea, but I still kind of dig it…

Not gonna lie, I was definitely worried about this one. The idea of mango and lemon balm in a coffee replacement blend sounded very strange to me, and I thought the flavour might be weirdly sour or just cacophonous. However, I was pleasantly surprised by just how smooth the taste was. It was a really sweet, rich cup that tasting strongly of carob to me and maybe even chocolate a little bit? I think it’s actually my second favourite I’ve tried so far despite the fact both mango and lemon balm seemed absent in the taste…

Sipdown (1804)!

Still tasting my way through these Teeccino blends! This one seemed very promising, and I have to say that it’s probably the most intensely and accurately flavoured of the ones I’ve tried so far aside from Hazelnut – which is still reigning supreme as my favourite. With that said, as much as this had a very pleasant chocolate mint taste, I think it’s the only where I’ve tasted the least amount of roast or “coffee flavour” and given that these blends are sort of supposed to remind you of coffee I thought the more drastic departure from that flavour was maybe a bit of a miss.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgz_vIQueYz/ (The 4th photo)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCkKdnaXrAw

Sipdown (1795)!

Okay, first things first I have to get it out of my system that “Almond Amaretto” is such a painfully redundant name. Amaretto is made from almonds. It’s like calling something Chocolate Mocha when a mocha has chocolate in it or Pineapple Pina Colada. It’s in the name.

That aside, I really enjoyed this flavour! I think it’s the most full bodied flavour I’ve tried yet with an intensely heavy roast and dark flavour that is arguably the most coffee like of the ones I’ve tried thus far. What’s been interesting to me with these early flavour explorations is just how much the level of roast has varied. I had kind of assumed that maybe each Teeccino flavour was starting with the exact same base of ingredients and only the flavouring was being swapped, but perhaps that’s not the case…

This does taste strongly like almonds and amaretto though! However, I do find Amaretto incredibly sweet and I definitely wouldn’t call this a sweet cuppa even though those really distinct almond flavours are very present and defined in each sip. It’s hard to say whether or not the fact is tasted like roasted almonds in particular is coming from the flavouring versus the fact this is obviously a roasted tasting tisane – but whatever the case it’s pretty lovely!

Hazelnut still reigns supreme as my favourite flavour thus far, but I’m looking forward to seeing if any of these others I’ve recently picked up will dethrone it.

Iced Latte Sipdown (2416)!

A coworker and I ordered in roti for lunch today and it was delicious but I went a little too heavy handed with the trinidad scorpian hot sauce. The solution? An iced latte with real milk because damn did I need it for that heat.

Even with my mouth on fire I could appreciate the really bold, dark roasted flavours and hint of cinnamon in this blend. Though it was rich and creamy from the milk I did steep this pretty strong (and it’s a strong tea already) so it packed a punch. That was good. If it hadn’t then I think all of the other flavours going on from my lunch would have drowned the taste of this tea entirely.

Overall? A pretty middle of the road offering from Teeccino, but appropriately nostalgic and a great option if you like cinnamon.

Iced oat milk latte!

I made this in a brand new mug from an Indie pottery store called Bread and Badger! It’s super adorable, but also I can’t stop touching glossy deep green glaze. It’s just so satisfying to hold!

…and of course the tea latte is wonderful too; dark and roasty with the perfect balance of natural sweetness and a warming hint of sweet cinnamon to really drive home the nostalgia of the Snickerdoodle flavour!!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqGx6X-Oynp/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeinUH3jnqw

So, I ended up liking the Hazelnut from Teeccino so much that I placed an order and grabbed a sample of pretty much every tea they had – minus the ones I was allergic to.

I was a little surprised by this one. I think I’m just used to Snickerdoodle flavoured/inspired things being very sweet so I was expecting more of a cinnamon sugar kind of taste and instead this was very, very dark and roasty (more than the hazelnut had been) with a bit of bitterness to it and more of an “unrefined” kind of cinnamon note. The bitterness was pleasant in the way that some people find black coffee to be pleasant; I liked it alongside that dark roast and chicory flavour.

I think ultimately it was a nice tasting cuppa but I probably would have advertised it more as a “Cinnamon” flavour because it was so much more of a woody leaning and unsweet cinnamon note, and there was very little to make my brain actually think of the cookies that had inspired the namesake.

Another late night cuppa from this past weekend!

I love all of Teeccino’s blends for evenings when I just want something dark, roasty and indulgent – they’re that perfect heavily cozy drink for the wee hours of the night when I don’t want to be thinking about caffeine intake. This is my favourite, though. The hazelnut flavour is just exceptional. One of the best I’ve tasted in a blend. The only one that MAYBE competes is the hazelnut in DT’s Hazelnut Chocolate blend, but then that one loses points for having chocolate in it when what I really want is just plain hazelnut. So maybe the two blends break even because of that!?

It’s been a long time since I last brewed this, since I’ve been focusing more on all the other interesting Teeccino flavours. However, I wanted to revisit and see if I still love this as much as I think I could. I do. I swear, this is just the best flavour they carry. Such a wicked good hazelnut note!

So I first tried Teeccino several years back and at the time I remember thinking it was good but not outstanding – though I was happy that there seemed to be a reasonably well liked coffee substitute out there for the people who liked the taste but didn’t want the caffeine/jitters and such. However, in the time since it feels like Teeccino has seen some pretty dang substantial growth and, with that growth, they’ve gotten a lot more innovative in their wellness approach as well as their flavour approach. Plus, the “fake coffee” segment is booming right now! So I thought it was time I take a revisit!

I started with hazelnut because I was intrigued to see it as a flavour offering without being combined with chocolate, though to be fair the “solo nut” flavour thing is definitely a lot more popular with coffee (ex. Macadamia, Almond, etc) than with tea. I was completely unprepared for for entirely the taste of this brew would blow me away. As y’all know I’m not particularly a fan of coffee but I am a fan of a really good, strong roasty tea. Sometimes to people those two statements are at odds, but I am here to tell you that those things can both be true! The thickness of the liquor and the rich, intensity of the roast really impressed me immediately. Whether or not it was the most authentic coffee replacement is not something I feel equipped to weigh in on, but I can tell you that from the perspective of that drinker that’s chasing roasty, earthy and grain-like flavours I felt like I was seen in a way that few other roasted teas have made me feel.

It didn’t stop there though because I think this may have arguably been the best hazelnut flavour I have ever come across. If not the best a close second to the hazelnut used in DT’s Hazelnut Chocolate pu’erh blend. The thing is though that, as much as I LOVE the hazelnut flavour in the DT blend, I’m not a big chocolate tea person. There’s no chocolate here – only the naturally occurring sweetness of the trio of carob, date, and fig. So the result was very much something incredibly strong (as it needs to be to deal with the level of roast) with a rich, sweet hazelnut flavour that makes me feel like I’ve added a shot of the really fancy Torrani coffee/soda style syrups into some kind of artisan beverage. If my tastebuds could sing they would have been pulling off Mariah Carey level vocal runs.

Truly, I was in a happy place as I drank this tea!

I added milk and absolutely tons of sugar, and this is nice, but not as amazing as some other Teecino flavors. This had a richness that I enjoyed. It does taste rather like maple pecan, but perhaps this flavor profile is a little too delicate compared to some of the others. Thanks tea-and-cats! I will definitely be placing a Teecino order to try the rest of their flavors at some point!

I feel like this one leans a little too heavily on the chicory or something, which I’m not as huge a fan of. I wish the gingerbread and other additions were stronger. With sugar and milk, it’s still quite pleasant, but not my favorite from the batch. I taste mostly coffee with a bit of something desserty on top. Thanks tea-and-cats!

The first time I had this, I loved it. I tasted a pleasant mixture of coffee and almond. The almond definitely leans in a desserty way, basically like amaretto. The second time, the amaretto aspect was too strong, and I ended up with too much of an alcohol flavor remaining. It was still drinkable, but that sharp alcohol tang was unwelcome. The resteep still tasted good though. Thanks tea-and-cats! I wish I had more bags of this so I could deliver a more certain verdict.

This is so good. I don’t like coffee, but this blend somehow takes the best things from coffee while leaving out the worst. So it’s totally like having a coffee latte, but the perfect version for me. The hint of spices could be snickerdoodle – they’re certainly desserty and tasty. Thanks for introducing me to this company tea-and-cats! I will almost certainly have to purchase more.

Sipdown!

Although I have had quite a few sample sipdowns this year, this is my first official sipdown. Maybe, just maybe, if I don’t buy any tea myself, I will reach my goal of 65 teas in my cupboard this year. I am thrilled that all of my oldest teas that were past or near their “best by” dates are gone.

This was my first Teeccino, I think, and it was sent by gmathis. My little grandsons love it as well as several other flavors. My DIL had tried the reverse psychology thing of giving one of them a sip of coffee because they would clutch at her travel mug so and it backfired. They loved coffee and once stole a WHOLE fresh travel mug, downed it, cried for more, and spent the next few hours running in caffeine crazed circles while also crying that they were not being given more coffee. This was when my son reached out in desperation and asked me to please order the coffee flavored drink I had brought for them to sample.

I am definitely not a coffee lover but I really, really, like this. I think Mocha is my favorite with Vanilla Nut and Hazelnut tied for a close second. Thankfully I have a pouch and a half of Mocha left.

December Sipdown Challenge – Dec. 21: Winter Solstice – drink your darkest tea

I tried to keep a theme for this the shortest day of the year today. I did my darkest tea by color, which is this one, and a tea that has rich, dark flavor for breakfast (Pleine Lune), and a tea that brightens my heart…well, it wasn’t the tea itself that does, but rather having a tea party with two little students.

So beginning with this one – next time it will be a sipdown. This was probably the first Teeccino I had and I am pretty sure it was the first one I bought. It steeps up as dark as coffee. We have been having it at night with milk and sugar added, and sometimes with whipped cream and sprinkles on top. I serve it in big glass mugs with a handle. I suppose they are intended for Irish Whiskey? Not sure.

This is dark in color and also has those bass notes going on for flavor. I think Mocha is my very favorite of the Teeccino blends I have tried, but this one is probably running a close second.

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!

Sipdown! (20 | 20)

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.

Sipdown! (23 | 512)

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. :)