Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: The Spice and Tea Exchange
Tea Description:
A pu-erh chai tea with creamy vanilla, bright peppermint, and a touch of cinnamon. A rich smooth tea that adds a refreshing minty twist to the traditional chai tea flavors. Contains: organic green pu-erh tea, organic peppermint, organic cinnamon, organic vanilla bean, organic licorice root.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is an enjoyable pu-erh blend but I don’t know if I’d call it a “chai.” The only ingredient in this blend that is common in a masala chai blend is cinnamon. There is no ginger, no clove, no cardamom … none of the other “usual” ingredients in this “chai.”
Oh, sure, there’s licorice root and I’m enjoying the sassy flavor that it adds to the cup, but licorice root is not a common ingredient in a chai blend.
But whether or not I’d consider it a chai, it is a tasty blend.
To brew it, I used my Kati tumbler and heated the water to 190°F. I added a heaping bamboo scoop of loose leaf tea to the basket of the tumbler and then I added 12 ounces of heated water. I waited for 15 seconds and then drained off the liquid, discarding it (the rinse). Then I filled the tumbler again with another 12 ounces of heated water and steeped it for 3 minutes.
The pu-erh base is earthy and smooth. No bitterness or astringency to speak of. Just smooth, mellow flavor. The earthiness is complemented by the cinnamon and licorice root. The peppermint adds a burst of fresh flavor while the vanilla adds a hint of creaminess. (No need for dairy to make this a latte! It’s a little bit like a latte without the addition.)
An enjoyable tea that tastes just like the holidays! A great tea for this time of year!
Kyoto Rice Green Tea Blend from The Spice and Tea Exchange
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Spice and Tea Exchange
Tea Description:
(Genmaicha Tea) Kyoto green tea leaves are blended with popped and roasted rice, to make this a brothy infusion with a unique appeal. Moderate Caffeine.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I drink a Genmaicha tea, I want that sweet, roasty-toasty flavor. And that’s just what I’m getting from this Kyoto Rice Green Tea Blend from The Spice and Tea Exchange!
This is a good quality Genmaicha, with the lush, green tea flavor combined with the sweet, toasted rice flavor. It has a nice, medium body to it: smooth and brothy (just like the description above implies).
I don’t know that I’d stop in to my local Spice and Tea Exchange just to pick up some of this Kyoto Rice tea, because there are a lot of companies out there that offer good quality Genmaicha like this one … but, since they do carry some other blends that usually always interest me, if I’m low on Genmaicha I might pick up some from them. It’s a good one, and I always like to have some Genmaicha on hand!
Holiday Crumb Cake Tea from The Tea and Spice Exchange
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where To Buy: The Tea and Spice Exchange
Tea Description:
Come home to the Holidays! Indulge and wrap your senses around this cozy cup of tea. Orange,raspberry, ginger, and cinnamon combined with black tea creates a flavor worth celebrating! Contains Black Tea, Orange Peels, Ginger, Cinnamon, Raspberry Leaves,Cranberries, Safflowers, Natural Cranberry and Chestnut Flavors.Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is one of three teas that I received in my holiday stocking. Granted, I had to buy these teas myself to stuff in my own stocking, but, my husband DID take me to The Tea and Spice Exchange knowing full well that I had teas on my shopping list, including this Holiday Crumb Cake flavored black tea.
What can I say? I’m a sucker for limited edition teas! I think this has something to do with the fact that I’d categorize myself as a “taster” … I like to try teas, but, I rarely find a tea that I’d want to drink every day. I might like a tea … even love it, but, there are so many teas out there to try, and who knows what I might discover next! There have been some teas that I have enjoyed enough to want to keep stocked in my cupboard … but this is a rare occurrence.
This tea is really good! It’s a really tasty spin on the classic cranberry orange cinnamon holiday blend. The addition of chestnut flavors gives this tea a real cake-y kind of taste: warm, nutty, and sweet. The cranberry is tart and offers a nice contrast to the sweeter flavors. The cinnamon gives the tea the delicious warmth of spice, and the orange – as well as the raspberry leaves! – give this tea a burst of brightness. It’s a really nicely rounded cup of tea.
And what I like best here is that the black tea is not overwhelmed by all that’s going on. It is a sturdy black tea, robust, and even has a hint of smoke to it, which sort of plays to the idea of crumb cake … that browned crumb topping that tastes of caramelized sugars. There is some astringency to this tea, I’d classify it as a moderate to medium amount of astringency – nothing overwhelming.
A very enjoyable blend – around for just a limited time!
Mango Green Tea (Decaffeinated) from Spice & Tea Exchange
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Decaffeinated)
Where to Buy: Spice & Tea Exchange
Tea Description:
Chinese green tea leaves are combined with flowers & natural mango for a nice fruity flavor. This is a naturally decaffeinated green tea that is great hot or iced. Contains: organic green tea, safflower & marigold petals, natural mango and citrus pieces & flavoring.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
From the moment that I took a sip, there was something a little different about this. I could tell it was decaffeinated, although I did not put my finger on that right away. It wasn’t until I read the above description that I said “ah… that’s it, it’s decaffeinated.”
That’s not to say that it tastes bad. It doesn’t even have the chemical-y taste that some decaffeinated teas have, nor is it terribly thin the way some decaffeinated teas can be. It is slightly thinner than a typical Chinese green, but, it is not an obvious thinness.
But I do notice a slight metallic twinge toward the end of the sip, a twinge that lingers into the aftertaste. It isn’t a disturbing twinge, but it’s there, and it tells me that this is, indeed, a decaffeinated green.
It is still a tasty tea, though. The green tea is sweet and vegetative, and the mango has a sweet, tropical flavor that evokes thoughts of warm summer breezes which is kind of a nice thought as it is very cold outside! I like the level of flavor here, it isn’t strong or artificial tasting, it tastes like real mango. I can also taste a very subtle note of citrus, which brightens the cup, but I think it also accentuates the metallic tone.
A tasty decaffeinated tea, nice for when you’ve had more than enough caffeine for one day but you’re not ready to switch to a caffeine free tisane, a decaffeinated tea like this one makes a nice alternative.