My first ever tea review from a 52 tea’s blend. I have been waiting to try this for a while and now is the perfect time for me as I have time to savour it.
While raw this tea looks like little pieces of mixed herbs but in a dark brown colour and it smells like a malty hot chocolate drink.
Steeped this is dark brown in colour and smells of a spicy malt drink, not particularly chocolate based. The chocolate does not come out very much through the taste either but the pepper truly is fiery (in a nice way) and it gives this tea a lovely element. I am thinking that perhaps a sugar in this tea may help to bring out the chocolate taste a little more or at least balance the flavours.
If you have had original mate then it tastes very much the same as that (dark and malty) but with an added spicy kick which is most noticeable in the after taste.
In honesty it’s not my sort of thing, I was hoping it would be a tad more chocolatey but I suppose it’s just more of a personal thing. It was nice to try for that something different cup of tea but I think next time a bit of sweetener or some kind will help.
EDIT: I got half way down the cup and thought I had might as well try it with a sweetener (one of the calorie free tablet kinds) and the sweetness is not the thing that I can taste first. It’s now sweet and sour tea which I think is much nicer than without it, the pepper also has more flavour now than just spiciness. I think this will be perfect for the winter holidays. :)