The name of this tea is Saffron Tea, but the “sub-headings” under the name tell more of the story: Saffron Fusion Assam and Oolong. That’s the part that intrigued me when I saw the box – a blend of black and oolong? Not that common! Gotta try it! Has spices in it? Double gotta try it!

The tea comes in tea bags, so it’s not possible to say much about how the tea looks – it’s older-fashioned filter-paper bags, rather than the mesh bags some tea comes in. (It’s a tagless bag, by the way.) And as is the case with many such bagged teas, the aroma of the leaves and flavorings is muted inside the dry bag. It isn’t until the tea has already steeped a bit that one can get a sense of it. There is a slightly spicy aroma if one sniffs the tea bag, but it’s faint, not enough to identify a specific spice.

Different people have different ways of dealing with tea bags. I have a “Hot Shot” water heater that allows me to pour in a mug-full of cold water, and a minute later, put the cup under the spout and get exactly that same amount out as boiling hot water, so I usually just put my bag in the mug and spout the hot water right over it. I have been known to microwave my hot water, too, though, and I honestly can’t say as I can detect a difference in how these tea bags steep, between hot water from either source.

Since this tea contains oolong as well as Assam, I wouldn’t even faintly consider adding milk to it. There is some recent research indicating that adding milk to tea may negate some of the health benefits. Since the company suggests a lot of health benefits for saffron as well (see below), and since saffron is more of a savory spice than a sweet one, that also speaks against adding milk of any kind (unlike chai with its sweet spices, which often go well with milk). I personally don’t add sugar to most teas, either, but I don’t think a little bit of sugar would hurt the flavor of this tea, if you must have sugar in your black tea.

The flavor is more black tea than oolong – it does not taste specifically like an Assam, though it is a full-bodied enough tea – the combination of Assam and oolong seems to cancel some of the unique properties of each a bit, and of course, chopped fine into tea bags, that further blends the flavors rather than emphasizing unique notes. So, the resulting taste is slightly spicy – it tastes as though it has more spice in it than just saffron, though it doesn’t taste specifically of any one spice. The label is not clear as to ingredients, so I couldn’t tell you what else might be in there – nothing as strong as ginger, but perhaps a bit of turmeric? I can’t tell. The note is “spicy” (mildly spicy, not strongly) without being a specific spice. The tea portion of the flavor isn’t as assertive as pure whole-leaf Assam, but one would still say this is a breakfast-tea level of body. I couldn’t taste anything that I could pinpoint as oolong.

Remember to share your experience of the tea with the world as if they were sharing the tea with you!  Next we would like you to share a blurb on what the tea company you are reviewing has to say about that particular tea.  To do this, you first need to visit the website of the tea company you are reviewing.   Find their website (most tea company websites can be found on the Tea Review Blog under “Tea Companies” in the sidebar, or through searching google!), and then located the tea you are reviewing on their website.  When you find the tea you are reviewing on their website, and copy THEIR description/blurb/ingredients of the tea in the quote area below:

TajaTea describes this tea as:

It is no secret that tea is a very popular drink, second only to drinking water, nor that it may have several potential health benefits. It is no secret either that saffron, the most expensive and exotic herb has been used for a host of health reasons and that this spice is still studied and researched today. Scientists worldwide have conducted studies examining saffron’s effects on Alzheimer’s disease, depression, impotency, PMS,weight loss, allergies, Anxiety, heart health and more.

This uniquely reddish-hued herb has been used for thousands of years to enhance taste, color and aroma of ordinary dishes and beverages to create an extraordinary culinary experience. Saffron contains plant-derived chemical compounds which are said to have potential antioxidant properties and throughout history has been used in therapeutic applications. Saffron is also rich in vitamins.

Taja Tea combines these two by blending saffron and tea blends, creating a unique and exotic beverage that is not only delicious, mood boosting, but potentially healthy as well. As they say at Taja Tea: ‘Drink Happiness’.

This Saffron Assam Oolong Tea is a tea that rejuvenates you, with Assam tea from India. Each box contains 20 tea bags.

The web description of the tea does not include ingredients, and the list of ingredients on the box is quite misleading; it says, and I quote,

100% all natural herbal tea

Well, since it’s Assam and Oolong, it’s not herbal! So, a note of caution here, this tea does have caffeine, and it does have spices. If you allergic to some spices, then you might want to weigh your risks in drinking this, since the specific spices aren’t listed and saffron is the only one we know about.

All that said, this is a nice morning tea with some spiciness, possible health benefits, the convenience of tea bags. I found it at a discount store at a good price, too, which is something else to savor in the morning.