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Apr 02

Jamaica Roasted Spice Organic Ayurvedic Spice Infusion from Yogi Tea

Flavored Tea,Herbal Infusions,Tea Review,Yogi Tea 4:24 am | 2 Comments

  • Type Of leaves: Ayurvedic Spice Infusion
  • Name Of Tea: Jamaica Roasted Spice Organic Ayurvedic Spice Infusion
  • Available From: Yogi Tea

Jamaica Roasted Spice Organic Spice Infusion

Good Morning tea-lovers.

Just before the Easter break I was strolling down the high street and I decided to pop into a herbal store to see if they had any teas that I had not yet tried.

I came across this. This is Jamaica Roasted Spice Organic Ayurvedic Spice Infusion from Yogi Tea.

There were many teas to choose from in the herbal store but this one in particular jumped out at me.

I felt like I was looking for something to make myself feel better (we have been suffering in the UK with lots of cold and bad weather). I thought this blend would be great as the ingredients are-

  • Roasted Chicory
  • Cinnamon
  • Barley Malt
  • Carob
  • Cardamom
  • Black Pepper
  • Liquorice
  • Blessed Thistle

Wow I know what you may be thinking what a wonderful cocktail of ingredients (I certainly was).

Other than the wonderful ingredients I was drawn to this as the packaging was bright, informative and purposeful.

This blend is in teabags and you get 15 in a box which at a couple of pounds in cost is great value.

Yogi Tea advise the following for brewing-

Allow to infuse for 7 minutes- or longer for stronger flavour. Take a sip before adding your favourite sweetener and/or creamer and let the flavours you taste inspire the perfect proportions. Perfect for quiet breaks or cosy gatherings, Jamaica offers a delectable and spicy gourmet pick-me-up

I prepare my kettle to boil.

A minute or so later my kettle has boiled so I reach for my trusty China cup and place the bag in. I pour over the just boiled kettle water and allow the tea to infuse.

I must say as soon as the hot liquid hits the teabag an extraordinary aroma fills the air (almost like a spicy/herbal cough medicine- but in a very nice way!)

I particularly like herbal/spicy/homely/comfort aromas.

7 minutes later I take a small sip of the tea.

Wow! this tea is amazingly flavoursome, very soothing yet spicy.

I can really pull out each individual flavour of each of the ingredients in this tea which is really amazing as they are all powerful notes normally.

Yogi Tea describes this tea as-

Yogi Tea Jamaica Roasted Spice Organic Tea combines the full flavours of roasted chicory and carob with the aromatic spices of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and cloves thus creating the perfect full bodied alternative to your daily cup of coffee. The blend of spices and rich flavours create a blend that will satisfy anyone – the perfect pick-me-up tea.

Product Ingredients:Roasted Chicory* (20%), Cinnamon*, Barley Malt*, Carob*, Cardamom*, Black Pepper*, Liquorice, Blessed Thistle*.
* Certified Organic Ingredient.

Overall I would describe this tea as a soothing, aromatic blend with robust flavours and a perfect balance of all flavours.

I thoroughly enjoyed tasting this blend and will be most certainly buying this again.

 



The Tea Guru
The Tea Guru
http://www.teareviewblog.com


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Mar 07

Cardamon Cinnamon from Republic of Tea

Flavored Tea,Herbal Tisanes,Republic of Tea,Tea Review 4:07 am | 3 Comments

[Cardamon Cinnamon from Republic of Tea]Yes, it is sort of cutesy that they have called this cardaMON to go with cinnaMON, instead of just using the name of the spice, cardamoM. But, cardamom is quite possibly my favorite spice in the whole world, so I am willing to forgive a bit of cutesiness.

What we get here is a nice blend of chai spices with a bit extra – a bit of carob and chicory are added, along with the usual chai spices. There are no tea leaves, not even rooibos or other herbal “tea” bases – just spices! Which means that it’s caffeine-free, and that you can taste every bit of the spice without any distractions from, say, the slightly spicy flavor that red rooibos has.

The tea doesn’t have much body, but it’s warming nonetheless. The brew is fairly pale in color, but gets a little darker if you steep it longer – and since it’s purely herbal, you can steep it longer, without any worries about bitterness, too much caffeine, and so on.

Because this is in paper tea bags – round, tagless – it’s easy to brew – and also easy to use a bag as additional flavoring by adding a bag of this to a pot of otherwise plain black tea, or to the milk one is heating for hot cocoa, or to other things that are being steeped. It’s also easy to use this brewed up instead of plain water if you are making scones from a mix that calls for adding water – it adds a subtle but definite depth to the taste of the scones! Try a bag in your water for rice, as well – instant flavored rice to serve with your ethnic recipes!

Republic of Tea says about this tea:

Warm the Heart Herb Tea – Native to the shadier regions of India & Ceylon, cardamom has a gentle, airy taste of the forest itself – reminiscent of ginger with a pinch of pine. Cinnamon brings a spicy depth. Also, great over ice!

Ingredients

Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, carob, chicory, black pepper, Chinese star anise, cloves and cassia oil

Sometimes Republic of Tea thinks a little highly of themselves. But their nice canisters keep the tea fresher than a box does, and there are 36 bags to the canister, rather than the 18-20 in most boxes of supermarket brands – AND, of course, there’s second steepings to reduce the cost per cup. Use slightly less than boiling water, rather than boiling, and you can still get flavor out of a second steeping. Alternatively, use this to make a 12-16 ounce mug of tea, rather than a six-ounce cup; just let it steep longer!



BunRab
BunRab
http://bunrab.livejournal.com

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Feb 21

Instant Unsweetened Cardamom Chai from Nature’s Guru

Black Tea,Chai Tea,Flavored Tea,Nature's Guru,Tea Review 8:12 am | 3 Comments

  • Type Of leaves: Black Tea
  • Name Of Tea: Instant Unsweetened Cardamom Chai
  • Available From: Amazon.com

[instant cardamom chai from Nature's Guru]I know, I know, you’re asking yourself what the heck? Instant tea, on a serious tea site??? Well, folks, even for serious tea drinkers, there is a place for instant tea – in a hotel room, for example, or at an office where the only hot water is from the water cooler tap. So when you are stuck in one of those places, you want to know that some instant teas are better than others – and there are differences!

This is an instant tea I’m particularly happy with when I need such a thing – I made myself some for breakfast in my hotel room last week. This instant tea includes powdered tea, powdered spice, and powdered milk – no sugar, as the name says. Milk is traditional in chai, so having it already in the mix here is quite convenient, and one of the things I really liked was how fresh-tasting the milk was, once I made a cup. Sometimes powdered milk can taste stale or even rancid, but this was quite good.

The cardamom was nicely spicy. Cardamom is one of my favorite spices of all. One of the things you should note is that it is the ONLY spice in this chai. No cinnamon, ginger, or pepper – just a good dose of cardamom. The spice is also quite fresh-tasting. The sealed foil packets each serving is in do quite a good job of preserving the flavor. The powder is not only fresh, it is also nicely quick to dissolve, needing only a little stirring, and it doesn’t start settling back into sludge at the bottom of the cup too quickly, either. When you mix this tea up, it doesn’t taste like fresh-brewed  leaf tea, but it does taste like a good, rich hot beverage, with notes of black tea, and I like it.

You can add your own sugar, or honey, or other sweetener, to the hot tea, of course, but I like mine unsweet, and I was glad I had the option of having an unsweetened version. This tea also comes in a sweetened version, and they also have a more traditionally spiced masala chai.

Nature’s Guru describes this tea as:

Are you tired of the same boring teas? Looking to add that extra special zing to help you kick start your day? If so, Nature’s Guru Instant Cardamom Chai is your answer! With its rich aroma and full bodied sweet taste, Nature’s Guru’s specially formulated Instant Cardamom Chai provides a memorable taste experience which tantalizes the taste buds and invigorates the soul.

Nature’s Guru prides itself in working with the best farmers, picking only the ripest cardamom seeds from the most premium cardamom plants in India. Nature’s Guru Instant Cardamom Chai bolsters your immune system and supercharges your metabolism, keeping you alert and ready for the day’s challenges. Chock full of antioxidants and low in sugar., Nature’s Guru Instant Cardamom Chai is not just amazing to taste, but healthy to drink as well.

We are also proud to say we only grow our plants in self-sustainable farms. These herbs and spices are hand-selected from chemical-free cultivations and have been dehydrated in “gentle-crisp” chambers to retain their maximum aroma.

Note that the claims for health benefits are not verified or proven – I’m just telling you what they say, but you should always evaluate such statements for yourself in light of what has and hasn’t been proven by science and medicine.

I have to say that Nature’s Guru’s web site is rather annoying – it’s all Flash, so there’s wait time for it to load, and it’s sometimes hard to read. You can’t purchase the tea directly from Nature’s Guru, but they do have a list of stores where it’s available, as well as a big link to Amazon.com, which is where I bought the tea, and apparently that’s their biggest outlet. The link in this review is to Amazon.com, therefore.

Amazon.com says this about this tea:

  • Zero Sugar, Fat Free, Low in Calories. 100% Natural Ingredients, No Preservatives, No Artificial Flavors. Instant and Convenient stick pack sachets (Just add Hot Water).
  • Ingredients – Milk Powder, Black Tea Extract, Natural Cardamom Powder.
  • Simply empty one sachet powder contents into a cup of 6-8 fl. oz (240ml) of hot water. Then add your favorite sweetener. Stir and enjoy!

All in all, I would say that if you have need of a powdered tea beverage, this one is vastly superior to the instant teas sold in supermarkets (especially those big cans of powdered tea, we won’t name names here!) and if you like chai with milk, you will find this tasty enough in its own right.

 



BunRab
BunRab
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Jan 14

Full Moon at the Sands (Toasted Coconut Chai) from Gullah Girl Tea

Black Tea,Flavored Tea,Tea Review 5:35 am | 3 Comments

  • Type Of leaves: Black Tea
  • Name Of Tea: Toasted Coconut Chai
  • Available From: Gullah Girl Tea

gullah girl

Charmaine sent me a few samples to review.  Before I begin to talk about the tea itself, let me first say a few words about the brand and presentation.  I was curious to know how Charmaine came up with the name Gullah Girl.  According to Wikipedia, the Gullah are descendants of slaves in South Carolina and Georgia.  Charmaine chose the name to honor her culture and her grandmother, whose herbal remedies inspired the teas Charmaine has created.  As you can see above, the samples came in adorable mini mason jars with a scrap of burlap.  Much more charming than the typical plastic resealable bags we see so often these days.  I’m already plotting ways to reuse mine!

I wanted to start with the one described as a toasted coconut chai, because well, let’s face it.  Who wouldn’t?

The dry tea itself looks like a typical black tea with bits of coconut, peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom.  It smells rich and spicy.   As this is a handcrafted tea, and carefully packaged in the mason jar so it doesn’t get crushed, there are none of the usual bits of “tea dust” in the jar.  I brewed this one at 212 for about three minutes.  I think I’d steep a bit longer next time.  I typically add skim milk that I’ve already microwaved to a chai, so I didn’t get to try this one plain.

Once brewed, flavors that stand out are cardamom and vanilla.  Ginger and clove are a bit more mild, but still come out to play in this delicious blend.  To be honest, I wasn’t sure that I tasted any coconut, but it may have been lost in the mix, especially with milk.  With milk, it is a medium bodied tea, bright and smooth.  She clearly used a high quality Assam tea base.  It made me feel like cuddling up in a warm blanket and reading a book by the fireplace.

Gullah Girl Tea describes this tea as:

The sands is a beach in Port Royal, South Carolina, where many people go to fish and once went to crab. It is also a place to go and revel in the stars and full moon a space for families and couples alike. Full Moon at the Sands is a twist on the original High Tide at the Sands, Fresh Chai.

Full Moon at the Sands is a deliciously spicy blend of fresh ginger, toasted coconut, Assam black tea, cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, peppercorns and cardamon in this warm spiced blend. This blend is perfect as you get cozy and warm and snuggle up to the ones you love. This blend is excellent warm with the milk of your choice and goes great as an iced tea as well.

There are a myriad of fine chais out there to experiment with, and this is certainly one of them!  While I didn’t think the coconut in this one was particularly pronounced, I still found it a delightful blend, and will enjoy sipping it this evening, and sharing it with my fiance, another chai enthusiast.  I can’t speak to the caffeine content just yet and don’t see mention of it on the website, but I would assume an Assam black would have medium caffeine content.



kimlovestea
kimlovestea


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Jan 10

White Christmas from Harney & Sons

Flavored Tea,Harney & Sons,Tea Review,White Tea 5:09 am | 1 Comment

hrp-white-christmas-web

I always love trying holiday-themed teas, and so I was especially excited to try Harney & Sons White Christmas tea.

This tea was really interesting to me, because the first aromas I detected before brewing were chocolate and a hint of vanilla. But it is not a chocolate tea!

Harney & Sons describes this tea as one in which:
Magical aromas waft up from your cup: nut aromas from almonds, spice from cardamom, and sweet creaminess from vanilla.
I brewed the tea at 185 degrees and steeped it for 4 minutes.

The liquid was a light to medium amber color, and the delightful scent was still subtle chocolate and vanilla.

The flavor of the tea was a nice mix of vanilla and cinnamon with a distinct cardamom aftertaste.

While it was a little different to smell chocolate but not taste it in a tea, it was a very nice tea that I would definitely indulge in again. This is a great tea to unwind with after a long day or to sit with by a warm fire in the winter.

Where to buy this tea: http://www.harney.com/white-christmas-tea-30ct-sachet-tin.html

Harney & Sons describes this tea as-

Recline in front of a glowing fire while the snow drifts and the tree lights twinkle. A sip from this warm and nutty blend completes the perfect winter wonderland.

Overall I would describe this tea as sweet, creamy and great to sit down with and unwind after a long day.



kristin
kristin


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Aug 28

Melange Rooibos from 52Teas

52 Teas,Chai Tea,Flavored Tea,Rooibos,Tea Review 8:00 am | 1 Comment

Melange Rooibos from 52TeasI wasn’t all that excited to receive another rooibos blend.  As I’ve mentioned before (probably way too many times) rooibos (particularly red rooibos) is not my favorite base for a tisane.  But, after hearing so many positive things about it, my skepticism was assuaged a bit.

One quick glance at the ingredient list suggests that this is – essentially – a spiced chai blend.  Cinnamon, cardamom and cloves?  All that’s really missing from this list is ginger … and I’ve had a few spiced chai blends that didn’t contain ginger.  Not a lot, but a few.

This does smell amazing.  The cardamom and cloves dominate the aroma, especially in the brewed tisane, with lovely notes of cinnamon in the background.  It’s one of those beautifully warm scents that makes me want to just hold it up to my nose and smell for hours!

But eventually, the scent becomes so enthralling that I can’t help but take a sip.  Oh!  This is nice!  The combination of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves creates such a delicious flavor that is sweet yet spicy – not a “hot” spicy, but a pleasantly warm, comforting kind of spicy – and it marries so well with the rooibos.

Usually, when I find a rooibos blend tasty, it is because I can’t taste the rooibos … but here, I can taste the rooibos, and it actually completes the cup.  The nutty flavor of the rooibos rounds out the zesty spices, complementing them.  And the spices seem to curb that funky sweetness that I sometimes taste with the rooibos … all I taste is sweet spice.  YUM!

52Teas describes this rooibos blend as

Geeking out a bit this week, with a tribute to one of my favorite novels.

Here’s our Melange Rooibos with caffeine-free African rooibos, cinnamon, sweet green cardamom and clove. The rooibos makes a great base for these spices, and the result is amazing hot or iced. While we can’t attest to this tea’s ability to help you navigate folded space, we think it will put a smile on your face.

I didn’t know which novel 52Teas was referring to, so I had to find out more.  If you’re confused too, read more about this tisane here, and check out the link that will direct you to Wikipedia page about the book.

But I guess you don’t have to be familiar with the book to enjoy this tisane, because I’m loving this!  Before tasting it, I found myself wishing that a different base was used – honeybush, for example – but, now that I have tasted it, I must admit that it’s just right … just the way it is!  And it tastes good hot or iced, too!



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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Feb 28

Sweet Oolong Revolution from Teavana

Flavored Tea,Oolong Tea,Rooibos,Tea Review,Teavana 4:00 pm | No Comments

I do love unusual teas, and this one certainly qualifies as unusual! It has such an odd combination of flavors, but somehow they all work together quite well.

The first thing I noticed, even before brewing the tea, was the aroma of cinnamon and cardamom. Once the tea is brewed, these spices give the tea a warm, inviting fragrance as well as a pleasing, gently spiced overtone to the flavor.

These spices complement the pumpkin flavor very well, and they offer an interesting contrast to the sweet flavors of peach and papaya. I can also taste just a hint of raisin-y flavor in the background. At first, I thought it was just my taste buds playing tricks on me, but then I read the ingredient list and found that my taste buds were on target as there are indeed raisins in this blend.

With all these unusual flavors going on, you might think that the tea is overpowered, but fortunately it’s not.  The Oolong is sweet, earthy and has a slightly creamy texture to it, which enhances the overall cup, and the peach highlights the fruity tones of the Oolong. I can even taste the rooibos which in some cases might not be considered a good thing, but in this blend, the woody and nutty flavors of the rooibos adds an interesting dimension to the other flavors of this cup, and accents the already autumnal tastes of the tea.

Teavana describes this blend as

Absorb and revel in this riot of sweet and spicy tones, encouraging you to celebrate the fireworks of life. Toasting in the moment of here and now, an innovative spicy-sweet fusion of robust cardamom lead the way to thoughtful plump pumpkin, papaya and peach merged perfectly with this revolutionary oolong and red rooibos tea. SUPERFRUIT ENHANCED

I really love Oolong but I am often skeptical when it comes to overly flavored Oolongs, and I worried that this would have way too much going on for my enjoyment. And while it does have a lot going on … somehow these flavors all work together quite harmoniously, and instead of interfering with the flavor of the Oolong, these unique flavors play to the strengths of the Oolong, enhancing the fruit notes and bringing out some of its earthier qualities.

A very well thought out blend from Teavana.



liber-teas
liber-teas
http://hungryinportland.com


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