Snow days are few and far between where I live. When they do arrive, public opinion is mixed. There are those that see it as a time of frolic and frivolity, then there are those like me that grumble about driving in it to work. Perhaps a middle ground exists where both parties can agree. In cup form, no less.

You know you're in for a cup o' faux guilt when the first thing you see in a tea blend is chocolate chunks. There they were, dark rectangles of pure gut-bomb. Luckily, I was only drinking these instead of munching on 'em, but I must confess the urge to pick at the blend for bites was a strong one. Actually...scratch that. I did take one out and eat it - dark chocolate, alright. There were lighter brown chunks in it as well. I assumed they were cinnamon, but I wasn't sure. Even after fishing around for one and whiffing it, I still couldn't tell. In general, the blend gave me a feeling of tiramisu by way of a chocolate orange wedge.

There were no brewing instructions on the Friday Afternoon site. I wasn't too disappointed. Ceylons were pretty easy to brew; usually a three-minute steep in 205F water. I didn't deviate much from this, although I was tempted to do an extra minute for the chocolate pieces. 1 heaping teaspoon in 8oz for three-thirty was a good enough consensus.

The infusion colored to a light amber-to-brown, a typical state-of-play for a Ceylon. The steam aroma echoed the dry smell with a lean towards cocoa and citrus, but there was also a strong spicy presence lent from the cinnamon. The flavor surprised me on initial sip with a light, tart, and somewhat creamy taste. This was more Ceylon than sweet; the added elements didn't manifest until the aftertaste. Cinnamon did show up in the middle, but the chocolate character only reared in the rounded-out finish. A lovely transition from floral/buttery Ceylon, to spicy sweetness, to robust aftertaste.

I figured this for a guilty pleasure blend with a cocoa nib dominion, but what I got was a pleasant wake-up cup with a subtle delivery. A Ceylon tea by definition, a guilty pleasure by reputation, and a Snow Day in name only. It's the first chocolate tea that didn't scream, "Latte me!" But, for once, I didn't mind. If snow were to fall, I would happily turn to this fluttery liquor.

— To purchase Friday Afternoon Snow Day Blend, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Geoff Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Geoff's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Geoff.

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