Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Chiang Rai Tea House
Tea Description:
The relaxing aroma and health benefits of lemongrass, combined with our also organic black tea, makes this blend a mellow drink to be enjoyed any time of the day.
Ingredients: Organic Black Tea 60%
Organic Lemongrass 40%
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There are times when the name of a tea perfectly describes the flavors inside. Black Tea and Lemongrass is one of those teas. Chiang Rai Tea House did a nice job balancing the two since lemongrass can be such an over powering flavor causing notes from the tea itself to get lost. While the lemon flavor of this tea is strong the slight briskness of the base tea can still be tasted. There’s also a clean finish that compliments the lemongrass flavor very well. The whole tea comes off as bright, even cheerful. And honestly, who can’t use that during the duller days of winter?
I only drank this tea hot, but I can see it being an excellent served iced or as a cold brew. In fact, I think this tea served cold during the summer months would be incredibly refreshing. I’ve even made a note in my phone to pick up more of this tea while the idea of summer picnics and long days in my garden danced in my head. The fact that the tea is organic is a bonus point in my book because my family drinks lots of iced tea and I’m more comfortable giving organic teas to my kids.
So, from winter to summer I think Black Tea and Lemongrass from Chiang Rai Tea House can find a place in my cupboard and my cup. If you’re looking for a nice organic tea with a lemony citrus kick this is one worth checking out.
Cranberry Immune Booster by Tea Drift
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Tea Drift
Tea Description:
This tea has just as pleasing of an aroma as it does flavor. Delightful over ice, the fruity and bright flavors are sure to tickle the tastebuds of any tea drinker. Enjoy it all day long, as it is free from caffeine.
Ingredients: Pineapple, papaya, peach, passion fruit, mango, hibiscus, cranberry and apricot.
Health Benefits:
- High in antioxidants
- Can help lower blood pressure
- Promotes relaxation
- Contains no caffeine
- Aids in digestion
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
‘Tis the season… The cold season. The flu season. The never-enough-tissues-in-the-house season. For those days when a warm blanket, a nice bowl of chicken soup, and a comforting cup of tea are are called for it’s nice to have an herbal tea like this waiting in the cupboard.
Cranberry Immune Booster is a fruity herbal with a slightly tart bite from the hibiscus and cranberry. This actually taste more like a tropical tea. The pineapple is the main flavor while the papaya, mango, and passion fruit mix together in a delicious tropical punch flavor that I think kids of all ages would enjoy. I can smell the peach note in the dry leaf and infused tea, but I don’t taste it. The hibiscus shows up at the end of the sip. Now to be fair, I am not a big fan of hibiscus. I find that teas with hibiscus can turn into a bitter mess in a hot minute. This is especially true the closer hibiscus is to the top of the ingredient list. Thankfully it’s pretty far down on the list for this tea, so while there is some tartness it’s not too bad. Adding sugar would lessen the tart flavor, but I didn’t find that necessary here.
I am not qualified to write about the possible health benefits of this tea, so I’ll leave that for the experts. I will say that tea is always a comfort to me. When I’m feeling under the weather I appreciate a nice cup of tea even more. A caffeine free herbal tea is nothing short of a gift on those days when I need to rest so I can get better. It’s like a little hug in a cup, and who couldn’t use that now and then?
If you’re looking for an herbal tea that’s full of tropical flavors then this is a nice tea to try. It’s delicious and worth a sip whether or not you’re looking to fight off the latest cold virus of the season.
Christmas in Paris by Stash Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Tisane
Where to Buy: Stash Tea
Tea Description:
This unique herbal tea blends chocolate flavors with aromatic lavender and cool peppermint for a sophisticated cup. Add a touch of sugar and a splash of milk for a delightful dessert tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
With all of the hustle and bustle that inevitably happens at this time of year I find it helpful to have some tasty herbals and tisanes on hand to help unwind at the end of the day. I want to enjoy all the flavors of the holidays, but I need to watch my caffeine intake so I can sleep. Otherwise I turn into a grumpy ol’ Scrooge, and nobody wants that! Christmas in Paris has been a very nice end of the day treat that’s caffeine free and delicious as well.
The main flavors in this tisane are cocoa and peppermint. The cocoa note comes from cocoa shells and is slightly dark, but is not bitter in any way. The peppermint is clean, a little sweet, and is well balanced against the cocoa. The other two flavors, vanilla and lavender, are more subtle, but they turn this into a lovely drink. The lavender is most apparent as the cocoa note fades, but it also compliments the chocolaty flavor so well. After having this tisane I really want to try dark chocolate sprinkled with lavender. I’m thinking that would be seriously delicious! The lavender in this drink isn’t overly floral. It’s more of a sweet and bright addition rather than a highly floral one. The vanilla is very soft and almost hidden by the other flavors, but it does add a bit of a creamy note which is very pleasant.
I found that this drink is enhanced by the addition of sugar. I didn’t add cream or milk, but I think a slight amount would be nice. More than a splash will most likely cause the lavender flavor to be too subtle, so use a tiny amount and add more if desired.
Christmas in Paris is a very nice tisane that’s worth a try this holiday season. It’ll help keep your holiday spirits up without keeping you up. Enjoy!
Premium Tai Ping Hou Kui Green Tea by Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
A premium quality green tea, renowned as one of China’s top ten 10’s
- Produced in TaiPing HouKeng(太平猴坑) in Anhui province
- Long, flat leaves of one bud and two leaves
- Tea Liquid: bright and clean in light green color
- Flavor: sweet and smooth with strong aroma, has long-lasting sweet aftertaste
- Low caffeine (less than 10% of a cup of coffee)
Premium Tai Ping Hou Kui grows in Hou Keng on Huangshan Mountain, which is the center producing area of Tai Ping Hou Kui green tea. In China, Tai Ping Hou Kui is famed as one of the most famous ten Chinese teas. Leaves of semi-hand Tai Ping Hou Kui are even in thickness, and have brighter color thanNonpareil Tai Ping Hou Kui. First crafted in 1915, it went on to win gold medal for best tea at the 1915 Panama World Expo. TeaVivre’s TaiPing HouKui is an excellent example of this fantastic tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have moments when I absolutely crave green tea. Crave. I find this amusing since I’m usually a black tea drinker, but I’ve learned not to question it. Some days are green tea days, and on those days I’m lucky to have teas like this. The Premium Tai Ping Hou Kui Green Tea from Teavivre is quite good and unique in many ways.
The leaves of this tea are absolutely beautiful. They’re long, wide and bright green but also flat and thin. Their size and color make them nice to watch while steeping, so if you have a glass teapot this would be a lovely served in it.
The feel of the tea is thick and creamy, but the taste is light and deliciously simple. There’s the flavor of green bean with hints of butter. There is also a bit of a grassy flavor that is more of a background note. It plays well off of the vegetal note giving the tea a bright, clean taste. While this is not an overly sweet tea there is a hint of sweetness throughout the cup that I found pleasant.
I enjoy the juxtaposition of the thickness of the liquid and the subtly of the flavors in this tea. It’s something I will continue to enjoy as summer is winding down, but it’ll also be nice this autumn when I’m looking for thicker, more substantial teas in my cup.
Gong Fu Black by Zhi Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zhi Tea
Tea Description:
Zhi exclusive.
This exquisite black tea from Fujian Province in China has become the favorite at Zhi. If you like the rich complexity of a classic Chinese black tea with all the hallmark smoothness and depth, be prepared to be enchanted. This is a top-grade exclusive tea with a major wow factor.
Thin, twisted leaves present a deep rich red cup with distinct caramelized sugar and chocolate notes and a long creamy finish. Mouthfeel, mouthfeel, mouthfeel.
If you like a great Keemun or a Gold Yunnan then you will love this tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It took me a while to warm up to China black teas. When I began my tea drinking journey I often found these teas to be… lacking. In my mind the black teas from China were a finicky, touchy lot that required absolute precision in the measurement of the tea leaves and the steep time, and even then the resulting infusion was just okay. Now I know it was the quality of the tea I was using that was yielding a poor cup. Once I started drinking higher quality tea my love for black teas from China grew by leaps and bounds. I was introduced to a world of nuances and flavors that I hadn’t experienced in a tea before. I am now a card carrying tea fiend, and China black teas are often found in my teapot. The latest one to find its way into my pot is Gong Fu Black from Zhi.
When it comes to quality organic tea Zhi delivers a wonderful product. Their Gong Fu Black is a delightfully complex tea full of chocolate, baked bread, grain, and nutty notes. There is also a natural sweetness which brings out a lovely fruity flavor. The tea is smooth and full bodied which makes this a wonderful breakfast tea, but I must say that I also really like this in the afternoon. It’s a nice pick-me-up should that mid-afternoon slump hit. Also, this tea re-steeps like a dream which is always a plus in my book.
My favorite way to prepare this tea is using 1 teaspoon of leaves per 8 ounces of 205° F water and letting the leaves steep for 3 minutes, 30 seconds. Over steeping can cause some astringency, but I have let this tea steep for as long as 4 minutes, 45 seconds with great results. A longer steep really brings out the deeper roasted grain notes in the tea. Yum.
It’s fun to look back at my tea journey and see how much I’ve learned. I’ve gone from not liking China black teas to counting many of them among the tastiest teas I’ve tried. Zhi’s Gong Fu Black easily falls into that category. It’s a tea worth checking out.