Today's Tea - Cocoa Cardamom Tango

One thing I brought back to Cincy from California has been a love of Loose-Leaf Teas. As a student I did almost all of my studying and school work at the local Peet's Coffee & Tea. They always had a decent variety of teas to choose from, and I became hooked on the stronger flavors to be found by brewing from loose-leaf rather than bagged tea.

So, when I got back to Cincy, finding a good place for tea was on the top of my list. So far the best and closest place to me is the Bean Haus in Covington. They have a large selection to choose from, as well as free wi-fi and are rarely crowded. It is a great place to come and relax.

Anyway, I have since begun buying some teas online. I found a great Iced Tea pitcher that has its own infuser so that you can brew iced tea with loose leaf tea. The tea can be very strong, and you have to get used to it being visually cloudy (this happens when the tannins cool off), but it makes one heck of a brew!

So, the last time I ordered some tea, I got a couple of sampler packs, which are all pretty good, but they also sent me a free sample of the one I tried today - Cocoa Cardamom Tango (pictured above). I had been holding off on making some for a while mainly because when it is hot outside I normally don't want hot tea or coffee. But today seemed like a good day for it. It was quite good. The chocolate, cinnamon and black tea flavors ended up mixing better than I had expected. My first cup was unsweetened, and that was alright, but I added a packet of splenda to the next cup and that turned out to add the sweetness the chocolate was asking for.

I can't imagine this is a tea I will return to often, but I definitely can see it as being a nice treat during the winter months ahead!