Impulse buy. I dig cocoa shells and cardamom, plus I’ve never had a coffee fruit tea. This is heavily marketed as a pick me up alternative from coffee and some teas, but mostly black coffee. Given the blend, I figured it might taste good, help with my cold, and was worth a shot.
The taste is not too bad, but it is way too close to the Smooth Move herbal tea with cocoa shells. Surprisingly enough, this tea is better for me to just let it sit at the bottom of a cup, thermo, or tumbler. I was able to get a tad bit more nuance from it. I like the cocoa shells, but since I did not add honey to it, the tea was a flatter herbal. I could definitely pick up on the cardamom, but it was sloshed a little into the elderberry and licorice root. The coffee fruit has a very light taste that you can barely tell is there. Cascara, or the shell, is like a cross between cherry and vanilla, but is very light and wispy as a flavor with very little sweetness. I will definitely try it again with some honey.
I did enjoy a few aspects of it: the energy it gave clarity and focus more than anything else. A few people on here can get that from certain oolongs, matcha’s, and white teas, but this one is really balanced. Think of the effect of gingko without the mega pump of circulation going into your head. The herbs were also noticeable enough to alert my senses with mild pleasure. So for me, this tea delivered on it’s market promise. I also like that it is almost impossible to over steep.
I personally think it would be better with some vanilla added to the mix to bring out the chocolate flavor more because the shells alone make the water cocoa-y and muddy. In my limited experience with blends, vanilla really brings out chocolate tastes. I might change my mind when I sweeten it, but my western pallet says otherwise when it comes to chocolate. The price is also a bit high for an herbal-$7.99 for a box of 10! I wonder how expensive sachets are… Despite my dismay, I have project fuel and study fuel for the next few days.
Sounds like a lot of promising notes and benefits.