Spiced Pear Instant Tea (Whittard) By @Cinabar

I really do love hot drinks, and Whittard is one of those places I always seem to end up shopping at when I fancy a treat. I love their hot chocolate flavours and their instant fruit teas, so obviously this new autumn Spiced Pear Instant Tea ended up in my basket on my last shop.

I opened up the tub and put three heaped teaspoons into my mug. As usual with Whittard's instant teas, it dissolved very easily with a gentle stir. I gave the drink a taste and, oh my word, this drink made me smile from ear to ear. It was perhaps my perfect drink.

It is blow your mind good. It is like cinnamon mixed with pear drops, which just happens to be two of my favourite things. It starts with a lovely sweet pear flavour, followed by warming spices and plenty of cinnamon, before finishing with a proper juicy pear taste. I was absolutely loving the sweet, warming pear and those lovely autumnal spices.

This may actually be my favourite tea from Whittard ever. This review does come with some serious bias, because pear drops are my favourite sweet and cinnamon is my favourite spice. If I had asked Whittard to make a tea especially for me, this is exactly what I would have wanted. I honestly couldn't have picked a better combination myself.

Rhubarb and Custard Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @cinabar

This Whittard Rhubarb and Custard is one of the brand’s new summer flavours of hot chocolate. As a fan of rhubarb and custard, count me in. The tub is very pretty and looks perfect for the season. I opened it up to find pale pink granules. I heated some milk and mixed them in, and the drink turned a lovely shade of pale pink.

I gave it a sip and found the rhubarb taste to be weirdly sharp, with a slightly artificial edge to it. It wasn’t quite zingy, but there was something about the flavour that didn’t quite work for me. The creamy custard taste was the saving grace, adding a much-needed boost of vanilla.

I usually love Whittard hot chocolates, and I currently have two other tubs on the go that I’m really enjoying. With my hot chocolate addiction, I’m certainly no stranger to their flavours! Sadly, this one is the first that has been just okay. I’ll get through the tub, but I was honestly thinking about adding sugar to it.

Strawberry and Watermelon Instant Iced Tea (Whittard) By @Cinabar

We had a few days away around the UK and found a branch of Whittard in Stratford Upon Avon. This is dangerous territory for us! I have a hot chocolate problem, and our tea cupboard barely shuts as it is. Inevitably, we bought tea bags, a new hot chocolate (which I’ll be writing about soon), and then I had a sample of this instant tea. I loved it so much that I ended up buying a tub.

I don’t think I’ve tried Whittard’s instant teas before, but a drink that you can make cold feels absolutely perfect for summer. When I got home, I found that the recommended serving is three teaspoons per 200ml of water. My bear cup is huge, so I went for six teaspoons, and the flavour was about right. The tea granules are brown, but they turned a lovely red colour in the cup when mixed with water. They dissolved easily, leaving no lumps, even in my awkward-shaped cup.

The taste was just wonderfully summery. The watermelon is juicy and refreshing, like a proper thirst-quenching summer drink, while the strawberry adds just enough sweetness and berry flavour to balance everything perfectly. You can still taste the tea too, which stops it from feeling like just a fruit drink.

I must try it with ice as suggested on the pack. It does say that it can also be made with hot water for a warm drink, but it feels a little wrong to make Whittard Strawberry and Watermelon Instant Iced Tea with hot water! Some of the other flavours might work better that way, but this one has warm summer days written all over it.

Carrot Cake Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

This is a new limited edition from Whittard, presumably released for the Easter season. Easter means bunnies, bunnies eat carrots, carrots become carrot cake… I might be overthinking that one. Either way, it is a new hot chocolate and I am always up for trying one.

The drink has a white chocolate base, and the powder itself is pale in colour. When I tried the blueberry version from Whittard, it looked white but turned lilac once hot milk was added. Sadly, no such magic here. The colour stayed the same when mixed, but the aroma more than made up for it, with plenty of warm, inviting spices.

It mixed easily into hot milk, and the first sip was a winner. The flavour genuinely captures carrot cake, with a smooth, comforting sweetness. The cinnamon really stands out, which I personally love, blending nicely with the white chocolate base.

I will admit to a strong cinnamon bias, as mentioned before, but this really was lovely. Rich, cosy, and exactly what you want in a mug at this time of year.

Absolutely delicious. Happy Easter.

Blueberry Cheesecake Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

I really do have to say how much I love Whittard when it comes to their more unusual hot chocolate flavours. They’re always trying something different and there’s such a wide variety to choose from. Their latest release is this Blueberry Cheesecake Hot Chocolate, and I couldn’t wait to give it a try. It sounded like such an exciting flavour.

As it happens, we were having fruit and cream for dessert, so this paired quite nicely, although that’s not something I usually plan! Opening the tub, the powder had a sweet berry aroma and was mostly white in colour. Once mixed with hot milk, it turned a lovely lilac shade, which looked fantastic. I’m really glad I poured it into a glass mug as it showed off the colour perfectly.

Taste-wise, this is a sweet and soothing drink with a solid white chocolate base and plenty of fruity flavour. It’s surprisingly complex. It starts with a zingy blueberry hit, almost with a hint of lemon, before smoothing out into a creamy cheesecake flavour. Right at the end, you get a buttery biscuit note that really completes the experience.

It was an absolute delight. Whittard hot chocolates aren’t cheap, but they really do deliver on flavour. I’ll definitely be having this one again.

Pistachio Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

I did not actually buy the Pistachio White Hot Chocolate as a full tub. I ordered the Mince Pie Hot Chocolate along with some tea, and this sachet arrived as a free sample with my order. No complaints there, because pistachio is absolutely having its moment right now, largely thanks to the Dubai chocolate craze, so it makes complete sense that Whittard have leaned into that trend.

The drink is made with milk, and I was impressed with how easily it mixed. It stirred smoothly with no lumps at all, which is always a good sign with powdered hot chocolates. Once made, it had a pale green colour that felt quite indulgent and different from the usual brown mugs of hot chocolate, making it feel a little more special.

Flavour wise, this is a sweet and creamy drink with a fairly mild pistachio taste. It is definitely recognisable as pistachio, but it is not overpowering or bitter. Instead, it leans into a soft, nutty creaminess that makes it very soothing to drink. The texture is rich and velvety, which gives it that comforting, premium feel Whittard usually do so well.

I can see this being a big hit with fans of pistachio and anyone who has been swept up in the Dubai chocolate trend. Personally, while I enjoyed it, I am glad I chose the Mince Pie Hot Chocolate as my main purchase. At this time of year, I am far more drawn to festive flavours and warming spices. That said, this is a lovely option, and I would happily drink it again, especially outside the Christmas season.

Mince Pie Flavour Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

I am firmly back in my festive hot chocolate season, and this time I picked up a more premium option from Whittard. Their drinks do cost more than supermarket hot chocolates, but they also consistently offer interesting flavours and good quality. Whittard has a solid range available all year round, but this one is part of their Christmas selection and immediately caught my eye. This is the Mince Pie Flavour Hot Chocolate.

Opening the tub was a good start. It was pleasingly full, which always feels reassuring with premium products. The smell was instantly festive, with a warm mix of chocolate and Christmas spices rising out of the tub. Before making it, I checked the instructions, which recommend three teaspoons of powder per mug of milk, with the option to add more if you are feeling indulgent. I decided to stick close to the suggested amount but went with three and a half teaspoons, partly because my mugs are a decent size and partly because this felt like a drink that deserved it.

The powder blended into the hot milk easily, with no lumps or bits left behind. The first sip was exactly what I was hoping for. It is rich and chocolatey, but also fruity and gently spiced. There is a clear citrus note, similar to orange, alongside a raisin like sweetness that really does echo a classic mince pie filling. The spices round everything off without being overpowering.

At three and a half teaspoons, the strength was spot on. This is a proper Christmas in a mug hot chocolate, and one I would happily buy again if it returns next year.

Apple Strudel Flavour Hot Chocolate (Whittards) By @Cinabar

This was my second purchase from Whittards of hot chocolate, trying other new flavours. This one is Apple Strudel Flavour Hot Chocolate, and this extra tub will barely fit in the cupboard; I’ve had to push tubs in tightly to make it close. I need to finish some hot chocolate off before I buy any more; it is getting out of hand.

This is one of the drinks made with hot milk, and it is based on a white chocolate base instead of a milk chocolate. I heated up some milk and added four teaspoons. The drink looked creamy, and the aroma was lovely and fruity. I gave it a sip, and the flavour didn’t disappoint. The taste was complex; there was plenty of apple, lots of warming spices, and a really nice buttery pastry flavour. They really did capture the essence of an apple strudel surprisingly well, and this is such a nice soothing dink for the autumn. 

The problem is that Whittards hot chocolates are just some of the nicest ones available, and the variety keeps me going back for me. And that explains the problem I have not being able to shut the overfull cupboard with all my wonderful drinks in it. 

Banoffee Pie White Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

Is there such a thing as summer hot chocolate? Of course there is. I drink it all year. But in terms of something that feels a bit more seasonal, the ones that have a white chocolate base are the best, especially when they are fruity. I spotted this Banoffee Pie White Hot Chocolate in Whittard of Chelsea which is one of my favourite places for hot chocolate. They have an amazing variety.

The tub is lovely and bright with a fun design. I couldn’t wait to give it a try. It is made with hot milk and dissolved very easily, which is always nice. I topped the drink with cream, marshmallows and a sprinkle of salted caramel dust because I do things properly.

The flavour was gorgeous. I have to admit it is a little bit like a hot banana milkshake, but there were lovely rich tones of toffee mixed in too. There was plenty of sweet banana, and creaminess from the chocolate and a Carmela aftertaste. This Banoffee Pie White Hot Chocolate is an absolute soothing delight. Remember folks, hot chocolate isn’t just for winter.

Lemon Drizzle Cake Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

I drink hot chocolate all year round, but this new Lemon Drizzle Cake Hot Chocolate from Whittard goes some way towards justifying a more summery drink for warmer days. It hasn’t been warm today, it has rained and rained. We have been out for the day having a look around Shugborough Hall, and the rain hammered down. We made the most of the day, but by the time I got home, I was ready for a hot chocolate, so I decided to give this new one a try.

 

I opened up the tub, and inside was a pale hot chocolate that had a lovely lemony aroma. This is made with white chocolate as the base. I added the powder to hot milk, and it mixed in nicely, creating a white drink. It smelled lovely, sweet, and lemony. I gave it a taste, and the flavour was divine. It had a sweet lemon taste, but with a cake-like baked flavour all mixed in. It was sweet, but the white chocolate also made it soothing and creamy. It was just the pick-me-up I needed after a day exploring in the rain. I’m all for summer hot chocolate, but I wouldn’t mind if the weather warmed up too.

Christmas Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

On Black Friday I was buying hot chocolate online. It might not be everyone's first choice for a bargain but I frankly I’m a fan of expensive hot chocolate and an online discount makes it more acceptable. Plus Christmas time means Christmas hot chocolate which is also one of my favourite things, usually because of the addition of cinnamon, my favourite spice.

This new Christmas Hot Chocolate from Whittard this year is flavoured with nutmeg, cinnamon and spiced plum which sounded like a winning combination to me.

I made the drink with hot milk and it mixed up easily. Some of the Whittard milk chocolate drinks are quite strong and almost taste like dark chocolate but the fruit flavour from the plum sweetened the drink and helped make it taste softer. It was quite different but worked well. The cinnamon and nutmeg were a delight too, they added a warming spice and it was a nice Winter touch to the drink. It might be expensive hot chocolate but the drinks from Whittard really are quality, this Christmas Hot Chocolate is no exception. All I need is to get some additions for the drink of whipped cream, marshmallows and then stick a Christmas movie on for the full effect.

Turkish Delight Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

I succumbed to the Black Friday online shopping event and spent some of the evening buying bits and bobs of random things off the internet. Things I didn’t know I needed. I didn’t spend that much but I’m still awaiting a few parcels, oops, one of the first to turn up was the box from Whittard with some hot chocolates in it, they had 20% discount not the biggest discount but apparently enough to tempt me.

Turkish Delight is an acquired taste but it is one I love, I was particularly happy with there being a new lemon variety in the Fry’s bars this year too. Traditionally Turkish Delight is rose and this hot chocolate is inspired by that. The drink is made with hot milk as all the best hot chocolates are and I make it in the microwave. The Turkish Delight Hot Chocolate powder dissolved easily and made a very smooth drink.

I loved the flavour, the cocoa was stronger than expected, it was supposed to represent a milk chocolate but could have easily been mistaken for dark. The rose flavour was well balanced, it wasn’t overly sweet but the floral tones worked well with the chocolate. This was something a bit different and still made a soothing chocolate and rose flavour drink. I’m happy with my new tub of hot chocolate, worth it even without the discount.

Whittard's Luxury White Hot Chocolate (Ocado)nBy @SpectreUK

I realised this afternoon that I've mentioned how much I like a white hot chocolate drink every other evening. It used to be every evening until I started counting calories. I realised that with the milk added to one mug of Whittard's Luxury White Hot Chocolate equates to roughly a pint of beer, so now I have beer the next night and alternate that way. I usually use the white hot chocolate to wash down some biscuits or a chocolate bar.

Okay, so here's how it's made every other evening for me, as I have staff (Cinabar) for that sort of thing. First you need a mug. I always like my Whittard's Luxury White Hot Chocolate in my favourite Tiger 131 mug from the Bovington Tank Museum. 3 heaped teaspoons of white chocolate mix is around 20g, and that goes into the mug first. Cinabar mixes this with a little dash of cold milk. Then heats for 30 seconds to break up the mixture. Then she stirs a lot and adds another 200ml or so of milk (which is around 100 calories) onto the chocolate and dash of milk mix, and heats for 120 seconds, stirring again thoroughly.

There's a soft velvety creaminess to this Whittard's Luxury White Hot Chocolate. It oozes white chocolate flavour washing it soothingly all over my tastebuds. No matter how tough my day a Whittard's Luxury White Hot Chocolate just washes sophisticatedly away any troubles just for a little while. Unlike any other hot chocolate drink I have ever tasted with or without milk, this Whittard's Luxury White Hot Chocolate actually tastes like I'm drinking a white chocolate bar. Mmm… just looking forward to one every other evening pleases me no end. I can tell you without doubt that if you like white chocolate and you like hot chocolate, this Whittard's Luxury White Hot Chocolate is most definitely for you too.

Information on the tub; Per 20g serving is 91 calories, 3g of fat, 15g of sugar, and 0.2g of salt. The ingredients are; sugar, cocoa butter (15%), skimmed milk powder, whey powder, dextrose, salt, and flavouring emulsifier: E450 (Diphosphates).

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

When I did an online order at Whittard this was my extra purchase, Cinnamon Hot Chocolate. I know that cinnamon is seen as a winter spice but I really don’t care, I love the stuff and this hot chocolate was irresistible to me. When it arrived I found it was in an unusual tin, smaller than the ones I normally get. To be fair though the drink is made with one less teaspoon of powder per mug than their usual tin so I think the number of servings from this tin will be the same.

It is very fancy packaging and I have to admit it confused me at first. The tin had a strange opening and I had to use the tip of a spoon to wedge it open, I'm not very refined. I was then met with a metal seal, which I tapped at with a spoon, this did break eventually but it was firm and for a minute I thought I was doing it wrong.

The hot chocolate was a little more difficult to mix up than there usual tubs, it required a little more stirring into hot milk but I did get it to a smooth finish. The drink is called Cinnamon Hot Chocolate but the smaller print shows it has a hint of cardamon too, another nice warming spice. The flavour was subtler than I thought it would be, there is plenty of rich chocolate, and the cinnamon and cardamon add a gentle warmth. I liked the drink very much, I would have preferred more cinnamon but it is my favourite spice. I’m also happy to drink it all year round.

Rhubarb and Custard Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

Whittard are pricey when it comes to hot chocolate but I really am still hooked. They have such a lovely range of flavours and this is one of the treats, thanks to online shopping, that I can still enjoy during the UK lockdown. I found myself ordering a couple of new flavours, the first one being this new Rhubarb and Custard Hot Chocolate. I just love the creativity and hoped the taste matched up to the retro sweets I used to enjoy.
The tin is brightly packaged and the contents of the powder are pale pink in colour. I heated some milk in the microwave as I’m all about keeping it easy, and stirred in the powder. The drink went a pleasing pink colour, a little darker than the photo would have you think.

The flavour was different to what I was expecting, the first taste is the rhubarb and it had all the acidity of the fruit, it was a little sour. This quickly mellowed with a wave of white chocolate custard that followed smoothing out the drink. It is ia clever combination and one that works. I’ve never tried anything like it before. I think I may have found a refreshing summer hot chocolate, it sounds like contradiction in terms, but trust me this works.

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

I didn’t buy a lot on Black Friday, just a few bus of things I knew I needed and I checked to see if they had been reduced. We drink quite a lot of hot chocolate and as one of our favourite brands is Whittard, which is quite expensive, I had a look at their website. The hot chocolates were reduced so I bought a few tubs to stock up. Mostly we got old favourites but I’ve been wanting to try this Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate edition for ages. Impressively my Whittard parcel was delivered over the weekend, so I didn’t have to wait long to try it out.
The tub of Whittard Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate is very smartly designed, pretty enough to give as a gift of add to a DIY hamper. This one was for me though.
As we have mugs that are larger than just the 200ml of recommenced milk I added one more teaspoon of powder to compensate. The drink wasn’t completely what I expected. The flavour isn’t overly sweet, the chocolate taste is good though, strong and rich. The peanut butter part is nutty but I felt it had a slightly smokey flavour that I hadn’t been expecting. There was just something else with the flavour, an earthy smoky taste. Also with most Whittards hot chocolates (excluding the white chocolate drinks), the added flavour isn’t that strong. Chocolate is the usual star of the show but for this drink it was this smokey peanut flavour. It was nice but perhaps I’d built it up too much in my head, I love nuts and chocolate. I’m just glad I bought another tub of their Sticky Toffee Pudding hoy chocolate too. That has a white chocolate base and is unashamedly sweet and indulgent.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Hot Chocolate (@whittarduk) By @Cinabar

We have been on a lovely trip ‘up north’ around the Liverpool and the Chester area. One of my favourite places to shop is Cheshire Oaks, and I always make sure we pop into Whittard to stock up on their beautiful hot chocolates. They have one of the best selections of flavours of hot chocolates around, and this Sticky Toffee Pudding Hot Chocolate is top of their new and limited edition range. I think from the packaging that this must be meant as an autumn / halloween edition, as the tub is covered in colourful skulls and candles.

The powder inside is mostly white but speckled with a darker granule, which does look a bit like dark sugar. The contents are well mixed though so each teaspoon gives an even distribution. The drink is made with hot milk and as it has a white hot chocolate base the drink is a dark cream in colour once made. The smell is amazing while this is being made, wonderfully sweet. The drink itself is such a soothing substance. The flavour is like sweet rich toffee, creamy and with lovely tones of caramel and a hint of creme brûlée just on the edge of the flavour. This is a seriously luxurious and sumptuous drink, it is rich but on a cold autumn night it is the perfect drink to warm you up. It will be ideal to have in mugs watching the trick treaters visit and also for bonfire night fireworks too, it turns out autumn isn’t so bad after all.

Limited Edition Blueberry Cheesecake Hot Chocolate (Whittard) By @Cinabar

Well it is January, it is Blue Monday, but it is also my birthday. I am having a treat then and having a few luxuries today. One of the things I’m enjoying is this new Whittard Limited Edition Blueberry Cheesecake Hot Chocolate, this is the other new flavour from Whittard and NLi10 wrote about the Raspberry Ripple yesterday. The front of the tub on this one states as blue as a berry, so I was expecting something quite fun in colour!
I added some teaspoons of powder to my mug, and some hot milk and microwaved. Although it isn’t how they advised on the pack I find adding an inch of milk and microwaving for a few seconds works really well. I mix that up with the powder, top up the mug with cold milk and re-microwave until hot. The drink is very lilac, perhaps not blue as promised but still a very interesting looking drink.
The taste is spot on, the blueberry shines through and is sweet. The base flavour is creamy but there is a nice vanilla hint of cheesecake too. This is the drink you should have to cheer up in cold January, sweet, fruity, creamy and soothing. It is a proper yummy drink, forget Blue Monday I’d rather have Blueberry Cheesecake Hot Chocolate.

Whittard Raspberry Ripple Hot Chocolate (@NLi10)

I got lots of exciting things for Christmas, including this Whittard Raspberry Ripple white chocolate hot chocolate.  I've been drinking it over the colder days, and occasionally adding a bit of fluff 

Here I'm using almond milk, it doesn't taste quite as rich as the dairy, but it works well enough.

And here we are adding the fluff to the mixture.  Without it the flavours are surprisingly deep and sophisticated, and just the right amount of fruity.

With the fluff it becomes a lot sweeter, and the artificial flavours from the raspberry marshmallow overpower the hot chocolate a little, but it does add a fun extra dimension.

These limited edition Wittard Hot Chocolates are a great idea, especially for people like me who like a bit of variety.  I wonder what other flavours they have in store! 

Whittard Tea - Dung Ting Oolong and Ceylon black [@NLi10]

It's Easter and you are all probably fed up of chocolate, so what better to cleanse ones palate than a nice cup of tea.  If found it quite hard to review the latest batch that Whittard sent me, so have taken a while to sip and savour.

First up we have a nice Ceylon black leaf tea. There is something here that seems different than my usual PG Tips as it always comes out very milky. I think that the flavours go together so well that you end up with a dark yet smooth taste. It's very refreshing because of that and will be a great warm weather tea.  Ive yet to try it with ice and lemon but I do think it may also work.  While not an English Breakfast blend I think this is a great afternoon tea.

This im not so sure about.  I was sure I'd had an Oolong tea before, but this blend of green and black caught me off guard.

The teabags themselves are very Tea Pigs in style and have tightly packed leaves that explode with flavour once infused.  I'm just not that sure that I like the flavour. I think if you hadn't told me that this was an official blend I'd just think I'd made it wrong, but I get the same confused feeling from the coffee tea hybrids and I'm not sure I like it. Now technically PG is a black/green blend but one that is on the right side of things for me. I tried this on many occasions, with and without milk, but I just couldn't fall in love with it so I passed it on to someone who will.

I will endeavour to try other oolongs and see whether it's just me (it usually is) and stick to my lovely strong green and lovely smooth blacks as separate entities to be enjoyed on their own merits.