Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Capital Tea Limited
Tea Description:
Small tightly rolled leaves with a high proportion of golden tips. These amazingly aromatic leaves produce a highly concentrated sweet and full bodied tea liquor with an incredibly rich dark chocolate-malt character. An outstanding breakfast tea to enjoy with milk.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love it when I find a really excellent Assam tea – and this Bemolapur Estate Assam from Capital Tea Limited is indeed excellent! The flavor is full and robust! This is the kind of tea you want on those mornings when you need to shake the sleepy, because it’s got plenty of gusto!
To brew this Assam, I heated the water to 205°F and poured the sampling I received into the basket of my Kati Tumbler. Then I poured the water over the leaves and steeped the tea for 2 1/2 minutes. This is a tea that I’d recommend tinkering around with to find just the right time and temperature for you, because although my cup was not bitter, it was somewhat astringent and I suspect that the tea would have been bitter if I steeped it for another 15 or 30 seconds.
Fortunately, I cut off the steeping time at just the right time for my palate because what I’m getting is a sweet, malty richness that I love from an Assam tea. Bold! Delectable notes of dark chocolate with an undertone of honeyed caramel.
I liked this tea served hot, straight up. But I did let part of the cup go cold (I got distracted and was away from my cup too long!) and it’s quite tasty as a cold tea too (again, straight up). It would also be nice with a dollop of honey (to accentuate those honey undertones) and a splash of milk (the creaminess of the dairy together with the malt would be outstanding).
A really lovely tea.
Pumpkin Spice Chai from The Tea Spot
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Tea Description:
Our NEW seasonal Pumpkin Spice Chai may soon become your favorite tea to look forward to each Fall! This chai blend boasts a perfectly-balanced full leaf Assam black tea base with cinnamon, clove, cardamom, allspice, and pumpkin flavor to get you warmed up for Fall. This tea makes an amazing pumpkin latte with the simple addition of steamed milk. This seasonal treat will have you jumping in piles of rainbow-colored leaves in no time!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This year (at least this time of the year this year) seems like it’s been the year of the pumpkin chai! I’ve reviewed quite a few different pumpkin chai teas this year! I’ve enjoyed most of what I’ve tried (nothing comes to mind immediately that I did not enjoy, but some I definitely enjoyed more than others), but I think I’m saving the best for last! This one – this! This is one of the very best pumpkin chai teas that I’ve ever tasted.
The first thing that really impressed me when I opened the pouch of this tea is the aroma! Wow! I can really smell the pumpkin! It is a distinct pumpkin-y fragrance. It smells like the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning when the pies are baking! I smell notes of spice and black tea too, but the pumpkin notes are prominent!
The aromatic pumpkin notes are there in the brewed tea too. The fragrance wafting out of my teacup right now are scrumptious! To brew this, I used my Kati Tumbler and measured 1 heaping bamboo scoop of tea into the basket. I like to use just a little more leaf when I’m brewing a chai! This is especially important if you plan on going latte, because you want to accommodate for the heavier flavor of the dairy – or whatever product you’re using to make it a latte.
I brought 12 ounces of water to boiling and poured it into the tumbler and let this tea steep for 3 1/2 minutes. I usually stop at 3 minutes with a black tea (and especially an Assam, which this is!) but because of the spices, I wanted to give them a little more time to develop so I crossed my fingers and hoped that the Assam would let me steep it a little longer!
Fortunately, the Assam didn’t seem to mind the slightly longer steep.
This is a really delicious pumpkin chai. The pumpkin notes are distinct. They are THERE. There’s no mistaking the pumpkin here! This isn’t a pumpkin pie spice type chai where you’re tasting the spices of a pumpkin pie but no pumpkin flavor. This is PUMPKIN!
And even though the pumpkin flavor is strong, it is a true-to-the-squash type of flavor. It doesn’t taste artificial. It tastes like someone liquefied pumpkin puree and added it to my teacup.
The spices are nice. They’re good and strong – flavorful – without pushing it to the spicy level! It’s a distinct, spiced blend. Not just warmly spiced, but not quite “spicy” either. It’s somewhere between. Consider the amount of spice that you’d find in the typical pumpkin pie. Let’s call that mild spice. And then there’s the super zesty, spicy level … this is somewhere in between. This tastes like a chai that is also a pumpkin tea.
And I like that the spices are so thoughtfully balanced. I like that this tastes like a chai! I taste each of the spices: cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger. I am also tasting the allspice which is nice (and not always something that’s added to chai!) It’s warm, it’s cozy, but it’s also got a certain zippy invigorating quality that I get from a well-spiced chai.
You might think that with all that pumpkin and spice, that the tea winds up on the short end of the stick. But no! This is an Assam tea and it’s got some gusto! It is a rich, malty tea and the sweet, caramel-y notes together with the malt really play nicely with the flavors of pumpkin and spice.
For the purposes of this review, I didn’t go latte with this chai. I wanted to experience the tea straight up, with just a little bit of raw sugar added to enhance the spices a little. (This would also be amazing with honey!) After I finished writing my thoughts about the non-latte chai, I decided to add some steamed milk and it’s awesome like that too! So rich and creamy and yum! Better than what you’d find in the local coffee stop!
This is a very clever, well-crafted pumpkin chai. This is the best of the pumpkin patch!
Ginger Cream Black Tea from Aromatica Fine Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Tea Information:
Rich, malty, full-bodied Assam black tea makes this a bold tea, but the delicious cream flavour really smoothes it out. If you’ve never experienced ginger and cream together, you’re in for a treat. Spicy, yet sweet, this tea is heavenly.
This tea is available from Amoda Tea.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yum!
As I’m sitting here, marveling over the amazing flavor of this tea, I’m trying to recall ever trying another “ginger creme” tea like this. No, I can’t say that I have … or if I have, it’s not a tea that I remember. And if it tasted anything like this, I’d like to think I would have remembered it because this is delightful!
Really delightful!
The flavors all come together in a very pleasing way. The richness of the malty Assam tea, the sweet, creamy notes of the vanilla and the hint of peppery warmth from the ginger. It’s a well-crafted combination of flavors that unite in a seamless way – tasting less like “individual” flavors and more like a delicious harmony of tastes.
The black tea base is a second flush Assam. It’s a robust, smooth, and sweet tasting tea with lots of malt. There are Assam teas that are “wine-y” and there are Assam teas that are “malty” and then there are some Assam teas that are somewhere between. This Assam is MALTY! Rich and sweet with caramel-esque notes. It has a strong, hefty quality to it – this has plenty of gusto and would make a good tea for that first cup of the day.
And what a delicious way to start the day this tea would be!
The malty notes of the Assam marry with the vanilla notes in a very luscious way. The vanilla enhances the caramel-y tones of the Assam while those smooth, rich notes of the Assam perfectly complement the vanilla.
Then there is the ginger! How the ginger was added to this blend is key to it’s success as a flavor. Too much ginger would have ruined the delightfully melodious flavor that the Assam and vanilla have created. There is just enough ginger to add a hint of spice to the cup. Just a hint. It’s a little warm but not overly zesty. There’s just enough ginger to keep the cup interesting.
I LOVE this tea. It’s warm and cozy and fluffy – like a favorite blanket on a cold winter’s day. An awesome choice for this month’s Amoda Tea box!
24 Days of Tea Holiday Countdown – Day 14 from Teanzo 1856
Today is Day 14 in this lovely holiday countdown. I love counting down with tea. I’m sure I’ve probably mentioned that already. But … tea is one of my very favorite things about life itself so I’ll probably end up saying it again before this countdown is over!
For today’s artistic inspiration, I chose one of my very favorite ornaments from what I believe is one of the very earliest 12 Days of Christmas mail art swaps that I was involved in and if I remember correctly, this is one that I actually hosted.
The artist’s name is Betsey. I wish I could remember her last name. (I’m so sorry Betsey!) I do remember that she lives somewhere in Washington State, I just don’t recall her name.
Anyway, Betsey made this amazing little metal bird for our 12 Days of Christmas Swap. Isn’t it adorable? It adds a little charm and whimsy to my tree, and I’m always happy to see it as I’m unwrapping all the ornaments to put on the tree each year (I wrap all my ornaments in tissue paper because most are delicate. This one isn’t so much delicate as I just don’t want it to shift to the bottom of the box and possibly get lost, so it’s better to have it tucked in a bit of tissue paper with the other ornies!
Breakfast Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
You will love this loose leaf breakfast tea! It has a rich aroma and bold flavor with a smooth finish. The young leaf tea buds also known as golden tips in this Assam, add to the complex flavors of the leaf tea, with a hint of maltiness. Drink this iced or hot to get going with your day, or as a quick perk up throughout the day. Buy this loose leaf breakfast tea online today!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was excited to flip over packet #14 and find that today’s tea would be Teanzo’s Breakfast Tea. I am always eager to try a rich, delicious breakfast tea – whether it be a blend or just one type of tea like this one (this is an Assam tea with golden tips), the term “breakfast tea” to me means a robust cup of tea with plenty of that go-get-’em kind of gusto that I need to energize me.
That’s something that I love about tea: there is such a rich, diverse world of tea that you can find teas that will invigorate you as well as other teas that will soothe and relax you. There’s always something out there in the world of tea to help you with whatever you’re going through.
And I wanted something strong and bold today – and this tea filled the bill … to a TEA! (Ha ha … punny. OK, maybe not.)
This Breakfast Tea is wonderful! I had finished about half the cup before I started writing this because I was enjoying it so much that I almost forgot that I needed to write about the tea!
It’s everything I want in a “breakfast tea.” The gold tipped Assam leaves produced a delightful cup that’s rich and full-flavored. It’s energizing, yes. Malty, check! It’s got an amazing, caramel-y undertone, yep! And there are even notes of chocolate in the layers of flavor.
I’ve consumed a lot of Assam over the years, and while I’ve enjoyed many (perhaps most!) of what I’ve tried. It would be difficult for me to say this one or that one is the best that I’ve ever tried because I’ve tried a lot! So, what I can tell you is that this one is really good. And what stands out about me most about this particular Assam is the sweetness. It’s really delightfully sweet.
It’s got a flavor to it that keeps me sipping and not wanting to put the cup down long enough to start typing. That’s the sign of a good tea to me. And this one is good, because I finished the cup before I finished writing! Bonus points!
9 Spice Chai Black Tea from M&K’s Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: M&K’s Tea Company on Etsy
Tea Description:
Could it be? A perfectly balanced chai tea? Yes, we know chai means tea and we are saying tea tea. But we like tea tea. Anyway. 9 Spice Chai is a smooth, deep, and complex black tea with just enough spiced flavor to penetrate the Indian and Sri Lankan black teas. Finally, a cup of chai that isn’t literally a cup of cloves or a cup of cinnamon nutmeg! Rejoice! This blend is part of the Original 20 M&K’s Blends.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
If you’ve read many of my reviews, you know by now that I love a good chai! So, I looked forward to trying this 9 Spice Chai from M&K’s Tea Company. After reading the description, it would seem that M&K’s is promising me a good chai here, so I am eagerly anticipating that!
And I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the humor in M&K’s description. I know that ‘Chai’ means tea and when I say “Chai,” I am more often than not – 99 times out of 100 – referring to a spiced tea blend. But I also often find myself worrying about those purists out there that might read one of my post titles that say “chai tea” and they’re snickering about me saying “tea tea.” I like that M&K’s addresses this “confusing” subject with humor. Thank you.
Anyway … let’s move on to the chai tea that sits in front of me, tempting me with it’s lovely aroma. It smells warm and spicy, like the kitchen during the holidays when there are lots of tasty things being baked.
Especially when I was a kid in my gramma’s kitchen … not so much now because if tasty things were being baked in the kitchen, that would mean that I was baking them and doing all the work. Things smell a lot better when I’m not the one doing the work. I think that’s why the childhood memories of pies, cakes, cookies and other yummies “smelled” so much better than when I make those things.
I’m just full of tangent today, aren’t I?
As I was saying, this chai smells good. It has a lovely, warmly spiced fragrance. And, I’m happy to say that it tastes as good as it smells! The spices are nicely balanced (as promised in the above description), I taste gentle notes of cinnamon and cardamom and clove. Hints of nutmeg and vanilla. The pepper and ginger are zesty. The allspice and coriander round out the flavors. The spices have been carefully considered here to create a pleasing, round flavor that warms you from the inside out without coming across as too spicy.
It has a flavor that is reminiscent of a homemade spice cookie. It isn’t too strongly spiced – but it isn’t subtle either. It’s somewhere in between a very strong, spicy chai and a more softly spiced chai. The spices aren’t competing with one another and there isn’t one spice that overpowers the others. This isn’t all about the cinnamon or ginger or clove. I get a little bit of each spice in each sip and that’s what I mean by a nice balance of spice.
The black tea base is a blend of Ceylon and Assam, and these two teas provide a solid background of flavor. It’s robust and holds its own against the strong spices so that I’m not just tasting spices in each sip, I’m also tasting tea. The teas don’t taste bitter but there is some dryness toward the tail – a slightly astringent sensation – but it isn’t unpleasant. I like the way the dryness allows the spice notes (a contrast between spicy and sweet) to come through in the aftertaste.
I really am enjoying this chai. I think if I’m to offer any kind of criticism about it at all, it would be that I think I’d like just a tad more vanilla to this. The vanilla here is rather subdued, perhaps because it’s in the presence of so many other spices but I think I’d like to experience a little more of the sweet, creamy notes of vanilla here. A little more vanilla and you wouldn’t need to add dairy to make this a latte – it would be like a latte in a cup without the dairy!