Tag: Black Tea

Caramel Chai Buttercream by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea / Flavoured
$6.75 for 25g

Caramel Chai Buttercream came to me as part of the bimonthly subscription box from Dessert by Deb.

First Impressions

Caramel Chai Buttercream came to me as part of the (now discontinued) bimonthly subscription box – you can still purchase teas off of the Dessert by Deb website and assemble your own box. The tea itself comes in a sealed gold pouch that’s resealable, with a fun polka dot label across the front.

Caramel Chai Buttercream consists of organic: black tea, natural caramel flavour, ginger, cinnamon, toasted coconut, brown sugar, and star anise. The aroma is strongly of ginger, cinnamon, and star anise. There’s a hint of coconut and caramel in the background, and it’s quite pretty to look at.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Caramel Chai Buttercream in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Caramel Chai Buttercream steeps to a golden orange. The black tea blend has a strong spice aroma to it – it smells like ginger, cinnamon, and star anise. The tea has a light sweetness to it, and there’s a nice warming sensation from the ginger. The star anise really shines through, and not in an off-putting way that I often find with star anise-heavy teas. I tend not to like star anise-heavy teas, because star anise has a flavour to it that reminds me a lot of black licorice (which I don’t enjoy), but this one isn’t particularly heavy handed with the star anise.

Dessert by Deb recommends preparing Caramel Chai Buttercream as a tea latte or to add milk. I did, and found that it add a nice creaminess to the tea, and helped temper down the licorice-like flavour from the star anise.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Caramel Chai Buttercream, by adding an additional 30 seconds for the first resteep, and found that the flavours (ginger, cinnamon, star anise) were quite muted compared to the initial steep. I would recommend Caramel Chai Buttercream for just the initial steep.

My Overall Impression

I loved Dessert by Deb’s Caramel Chai Buttercream. I found this black tea blend to be pleasant, with some nice warming qualities from the spices. Caramel Chai Buttercream has a great aroma, flavour, and it turns into a latte well. It’s a pretty tea to look at, and a pleasant cup of tea to drink. I definitely enjoyed it better as a tea latte than as a plain cup, so would recommend it as a latte.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

Blueberry Almond Streusel by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea / Flavoured
$6.50 for 25g

Blueberry Almond Streusel came to me as part of the bimonthly subscription box from Dessert by Deb.

First Impressions

When I think of a streusel, the first thing I think of is a mixed berry streusel topping on top of these huge muffins that I recall from a little bakery that I grew up walking to near the house that I grew up. Back then, the muffins were as big as my head. I’m sure if I went there now, the muffins would not seem nearly as big now – perhaps it’s my fanciful memories of the past. But when I think of the words “blueberry almond streusel” – I imagine toasted almond slices and juicy blueberries.

Blueberry Almond Streusel came to me as part of the bimonthly subscription I had with Dessert by Deb, and is part of the Little Country Kitchen Collection. The gold pouch came sealed and resealable, with a polka dot label across the front. The aroma of the tea is very fruity, sweet, and lightly floral.

Blueberry Almond Streusel consists of: black tea, natural almond flavour, almonds, elderberries, currants, hibiscus, Canadian maple, brown sugar, freeze-dried blueberries, and calendula petals. It’s quite a beautiful blend, especially with the sparkles from the sugar, and colours of the hibiscus and petals.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommended steeping Blueberry Almond Streusel in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Blueberry Almond Streusel steeps to a clear brown. The aroma is noticeably fruity and sweet. I found the flavour of Blueberry Almond Streusel to be fruity, with a good amount of sweetness, and just a touch of almonds. I found it to remind me of pastries really well! Blueberry Almond Streusel had a thicken mouthfeel to it, and the flavour really coats the tongue.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Blueberry Almond Streusel, but found that the first steep to be immensely better than the resteeps. I wasn’t surprised though, because non-tea ingredients don’t tend to resteep well.

My Overall Impression

I liked Dessert by Deb’s Blueberry Almond Streusel. Blueberry Almond Streusel has a beautiful flavour – with the almonds, blueberries, and sweetness from the brown sugar. The one thing that I think would really make me think of a streusel (and more pastries!) would be the addition of vanilla, cream or evaporated milk. I would want to sip this with an actual blueberry almond streusel, I think it would just be fitting.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

Toasty Marshmallows by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea / Flavoured
$6.50 for 25g

Toasty Marshmallows came to me as part of the bimonthly subscription box from Dessert by Deb.

First Impressions

Coming to me as part of the bimonthly subscription box from Dessert by Deb, Toasty Marshmallows came in a rich brown metallic pouch with a familiar polka dot label. The pouch is sealed and resealable, this black tea blend is part of the Bed & Breakfast Holiday Inn collection.

Toasty Marshmallows has a strong smokey aroma, mixed with the coconut. This black tea blend consists of organic: coconut, black tea, lapsang souchong, honey, bee pollen, toasted coconut, and brown sugar. It is a beautiful blend, with huge contrasting colours of black and white with the blend ingredients.

Fun fact, bee pollen is a great ingredient for those who suffer from seasonal allergies as it can help relieve those seasonal allergy symptoms. For the most benefit, you should seek out bee pollen that’s locally harvested in your area so you’re exposed to pollen that is local to you.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Toasty Marshmallows in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep of 5 minutes, Dessert by Deb also recommends steeping it as a tea latte.

First Taste

Toasty Marshmallows steeps to a browny-yellow. The aroma is smokey, coconut-y. The flavour is strongly of lapsang souchong – smokey, a strong bold flavour that fills the mouth, coats the tongue, and has a slight bitterness that reminds me how marshmallows taste when they get a bit too much colour after being roasted over a campfire. The coconut and honey/sugar related ingredients make it sweet, while the coconut rounds out the flavour with that cream note. All that’s missing is something to make me think of chocolate, and I would think of the blend like liquid s’mores.

I did try adding some milk to the cup of tea, and it added a nice amount of creaminess to it.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Toasty Marshmallows once, finding that the flavour wasn’t as strong as the initial steep. If you’re a fan of lapsang souchong, you’ll like resteeping Toasty Marshmallows because the smokey black tea base shines through. The other ingredients weren’t noticeable with the resteep.

My Overall Impression

I loved Dessert by Deb’s Toasty Marshmallows. This black tea blend makes me think so closely of s’mores – it just needs a little bit of chocolate or cocoa nibs to send that over the top. The use of bee pollen is a nice treat, and the use of honey and brown sugar was great in making it sweet, and remind me of a toasted marshmallow.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.