Tea review: White Chocolate Peppermint Rooibos

White Chocolate Peppermint Rooibos Reviewed by: Rebekkah
Type of tea herbal, loose-leaf	Flavor aspects minty, chocolatey
Where I got it Teavana (part of the Winter Gift collection)	Cost $9.98/ 2oz
How I brewed it 1.5 tsp in 12-oz mug, water from the coffee machine, drank half, added 1 packet powdered creamer to the rest	Rebrewing notes Haven't re-brewed yet, but my hopes aren't high, since some of the flavor comes from the chocolate bits that melt.
Review Like many rooibos teas, I enjoyed this more after adding creamer. Luckily it's already sweet enough that I didn't need to add sugar, but it takes a bit weak without the richness of milk.  It's pretty good. I find it does taste a bit like peppermint hot chocolate. More like regular chocolate than white chocolate, though. It is sweet on its own, so it's definitely a dessert tea. Enjoyable and easily drinkable. That said, for those who don't drink tea regularly, they'd be better off with actual cocoa. So probably not a great beginner tea. Better as a novelty gift for a veteran tea-drinker who enjoys the occasional fun tea. If holiday-themed gifts are your style, it's the sort of gift a tea-drinker would enjoy, but probably not put money into themselves. Just be sure to tell them to add milk. On the whole, if I didn't get this tea as part of a gift set, I wouldn't have bought it myself. But I am enjoying it, and rather like the play of flavors. The mellowness of the chocolate goes well with the rooibos flavor--in fact, I can barely taste the rooibos, it blends so well. But I don't think the tea would be drinkable without the rooibos base; it's just that the chocolate is what you taste instead of the rooibos that gives the tea a solid foundation. The peppermint, like in most peppermint-chocolate blends, is a nice touch and goes very well. Plus it's easy to make and forgiving. It's a decent tea. I enjoy it, but I don't head-over-heels love it. So... yeah. For a holiday gift, if you're only getting one tea, I'd probably actually suggest going with the White Ayurvedic Chai as a gift instead, especially if your friend has experience brewing white tea.  Find it here at Teavana.