Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Damn Fine Tea
Tea Description:
The shrill cry you hear when you see a bird of prey onscreen is almost always that of a Red-Tailed Hawk. It is this cry that, when heard while alone and in the wilderness, reminds you that you are indeed alone and in the wilderness.
The Red-Tailed Hawk is a blend of bright, delicious teas from the mountains of India.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is another tea that I purchased along with the Spring Keemun on the 4th of July (free shipping day!) It was the only other tea that Damn Fine Tea currently offers that I’ve not yet tried, and I’ve been wanting to.
The brewing parameters on the Damn Fine Tea website suggest brewing this less than 3 minutes for a “smooth, fragrant brew,” and a little longer for more briskness. My first pot of this tea, I brewed for 2 1/2 minutes in my Breville One-Touch, and that made for a brisk cuppa. For my second pot of tea, I decided to drop the steep time to 2 minutes to see how this changed the flavor.
The two minute steep time produced a pot that was much more to my liking. I still enjoyed the 2 1/2 minute pot of tea, but the 2 minute pot of tea was as promised: smooth and fragrant.
The description of this tea on the Damn Fine Tea website does not go into detail about what teas are used to craft this blend, only that it is a blend of “delicious teas from the mountains of India.” If I had to guess, I would say that there is probably some Assam in this blend given the tannic tones I experienced with the 2 1/2 minute pot of tea. (Don’t let that scare you off, though, as I mentioned before, just cut back on the steep time and you’ll have a really smooth, delicious pot of tea.)
This is a well-rounded blend: full-bodied and richly flavored. It has a nice malty tone to it with a delicious caramel undertone. Beyond a rich, earthy flavor, I notice hints of fruit in the distance. It’s a robust cup of tea, but when steeped for 2 minutes in my Breville One-Touch, it’s not overly astringent nor is it bitter. I wouldn’t even call it tannic at this point. It’s just … really, really tasty!
It makes for a lovely breakfast tea. It’s got some gusto to it and it makes a great tea for dipping biscotti or perhaps some cookies that you might have purchased at the bakery, thinking they were going to be soft cookies, only they turned out to be crunchy and hard. These types of cookies work out well for dipping into tea, and this tea seems to have improved the flavor of “toothsome” cookies.
And of course, I must mention the packaging of this tea. The label is GORGEOUS! This is a tea that I would have purchased for the tin alone, but I’m very happy to have a great tasting tea inside the beautifully labeled tin. And of course, Andrews & Dunham have included a “free gift” with this tea: a round coaster that matches the tin. Maybe not the most clever of gifts, but I personally love it because the artwork on this tin is so beautiful … I love having a coaster to match!
Chai Cacao Tea from Tisano
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tisano
Tea Description:
In India tea has it’s roots in Ayurveda, a wholestic approach to medicine focusing on food and lifestyle. From there, India’s most popular beverage – Masala Chai, “Spiced Tea,” was born. Tisano takes this 5,000 year old tradition into the 21st Century – we source estate grown Assam Black Tea leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and other spices to create a unique sweet and spicy chocolate Chai Cacao Tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was so excited when this tea was offered on sale on the Tisano website recently, because I’ve been wanting to try it ever since I heard that it had been added to the Tisano line of teas and tisanes. I’m really fond of Tisano’s original cacao tea which I reviewed previously (and plan to review again for this site soon!) That moment when I first sampled the original was my first introduction to cacao shells (rather than nibs) as a source for chocolate-y infused drinks. And seriously, there’s nothing better to infuse than cacao shells to get a rich, true, chocolate-y flavor!
When I visited the Tisano website to start prepping for this review, I learned that this wasn’t just a simple blend of cacao shells with spices like I first thought it was! No! This is actually a tea with camellia sinensis leaves, as well as cacao shells and spices.
Mmm! This is so yummy! The chocolate note is rich and prominent. It’s the first note that I taste when I take a sip. Decadent, rich, delicious chocolate! Just beneath the chocolate-y surface is a satisfyingly smooth, malty note of Assam. Then I pick up on the spices.
The spices here are not strong or “spicy.” The spice notes are warm and I love the dimension that the spices add to this cup. There is a really nice balance of the spices. No one spice takes center stage, it is a well-rounded collection of spices that add warmth to the cup without overpowering the cacao. Instead, the spices elevate the earthy notes of the cacao.
The cacao shells are the perfect representation of chocolate. It’s rich and intensely flavorful. It tastes like true chocolate much more so than any chocolate flavoring that I’ve experienced with flavored teas, and it’s also a better chocolate-y representation than cacao nibs. This tastes like a deep, dark, rich chocolate with notes of bitter and sweet. It tastes amazing as a latte too. Perfect!
This is THE CHAI for chocolate lovers. If you love chocolate, you really must try this tea!
Just Awesome Assam Black Tea from Just.Organic.Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Just.Organic.Tea
Tea Description:
A bold, malty black tea. Looking for a stronger black? You’ve found it. A great breakfast tea with a caffeine kick that won’t leave you groggy. Our Assam tea is sourced from the famous Banaspaty estate in India. Fair trade & organic certified.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea was Just.Exactly.What.I.Needed.Today! OK, yeah, that was corny. Sorry. But, corny or not, the sentiment is true. I needed a good Assam kick and this tea delivers!
The description above pretty much nails it. This is a bold, malty black tea. The kind of tea you want for that first cup of the day. The kind of tea that helps you shake the sleepies, and gets you moving!
Because it is an Assam, I recommend steeping it with some care. I bring the water to a boil and I steep it for just 2 1/2 minutes. I find that if I go any longer than that, the tea starts to hint at becoming bitter, and the longer it steeps, the more bitter it tastes. Assam is one of those “persnickety” type of teas but it’s worth the extra effort because it delivers a really solid, hefty flavor that is malty, sweet and delicious when brewed properly.
And this tea is all those things: malty, sweet, and delicious! It’s got a solid, hefty flavor that would take the additions of milk and honey well if you like to add those to your morning tea. It also tastes great straight up. When I encounter a lovely Assam like this, I sometimes indulge and add a drizzle of real maple syrup to the cup and Mmmmm! Heaven!
I’m not only loving this tea, but I’m also loving that it’s organic and fair trade certified. And I really love that Just.Organic.Tea. focuses on these things. This is a company I feel really good about supporting!
Just Pure Green Tea from Just.Organic.Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Just.Organic.Tea
Tea Description:
A light and flavorful green tea, bio-dynamically produced in South India. Full of antioxidants. Plays well with honey. Tastes great hot or iced. Organic certified.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a mighty fine pure green tea. Most of the green teas that I encounter are either Japanese or Chinese, so I’m really happy when I come across a green tea that’s grown in another country. This Just Pure Green Tea from Just.Organic.Tea was produced – organically! – in South India.
And there is a notable difference in flavor. It has that fresh and exhilarating “green” flavor, but it’s not quite as buttery. Still sweet and vegetal, but this has more of an invigorating flavor. The finish is clean and the aftertaste is more subdued.
The texture is broth-y, reminiscent of a light, nourishing soup. The flavor is smooth and nicely round and as the sip nears the finish I start to pick up on lively citrus notes that perk up the palate. It’s a very bright and refreshing taste and a nice way to end the sip! There is a moderate astringency at the tail.
Another wonderful, organic cuppa from Just.Organic.Tea. I’ve been pretty pleased with what I’ve tried from them thus far!
Just Blissful Black Oothu Tea from Just.Organic.Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Just.Organic.Tea
Tea Description:
A smooth, balanced black tea with a long leaf. Blends perfectly with milk and sugar, but flavorful enough to stand alone. Also makes a great iced tea. Our Oothu tea is bio-dynamically produced in South India. Fair trade & organic certified.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Just.Organic.Tea has impressed me with their vision of being a socially responsible company. I appreciate that their teas are all organic and that they only select fair trade certified teas. And I really like that their teas – like this Black Oothu – is really GOOD tea too!
The flavor is really smooth and even-tempered, and nicely round. It’s got a rich, malty flavor but it’s not an overly aggressive or robust tea. It has a pleasing, medium body that would take the addition of milk and honey well, but I’m quite enjoying it with no additions. It’s got a hint of fruit and floral sweetness in the background, and a nice, earthy taste that’s satisfying when I find myself wanting a smooth black tea.
It’s also one of those very “adaptable” type of teas. It would be ideal to serve at an afternoon tea party, and would also work nicely as an iced tea, perhaps with a thin slice of lemon or lime. It’s moderately astringent and there is a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste.
This is Just.A.Really.Lovely.Tea. OK … that was kind of corny, right? Sorry. But it is really nice, and just what I need on an afternoon when I want to sit back and relax for a few moments and not worry about everything else that’s going on around me. It’s the good stuff.