Art of Tea Velvet Tea

Country of Origin: Not Listed
Leaf Appearance: deep red, needle like
Ingredients: Organic Fair Trade Rooibos, Organic Mint, Organic Apple, Organic Cacao Nibs, Ground Chocolate* (sugar, cocoa-processed w/alkali, unsweetened chocolate, soy lecithin, vanilla), Natural Flavors
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 205 degrees
Preparation Method: ceramic teacup and mesh infuser
Liquor: reddish brown

My inner chocoholic does a happy dance as soon as I see chocolate in an ingredient list so I was very excited to try this herbal blend. At first the aroma was all vanilla but my senses were eventually flooded with the all of the other components as well. It had a strong chocolate flavor but was not nearly as sweet as I had been expecting. The woodsiness of the rooibos and cacao nibs provided a balancing earthiness. Although the mint was barely detectable, it was just enough to leave a clean finish. The mouth-feel was smooth and almost creamy with no bitterness or astringency. I’m not usually one to add anything to my tea but I could see a splash of soy or almond milk working well here. The flavored teas that I have tried from Art of Teas have all been exceptionally well put together and this one was no exception.

You can find out more about this tea here.