Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Pelican Tea
Tea Description:
Firewater is the original recipe by Pelican Tea and remains our favorite to this day. Premium Orange Pekoe black tea and home-toasted brown rice produce an earthy blend that’s as comforting as it is spicy. Good around a campfire or mixed with your favorite spirit (silver tequila being our spirit of choice).
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
OK! I’ve got to tell you … this Firewater Black Tea Blend from Pelican Tea scared me! I don’t do a whole lot of cooking (or anything else) with the habanero pepper, because even though I do appreciate a zesty, spicy tea every so often, I can’t say that I’ve been really jumping out of my seat to try a habanero pepper infused tea. I mean, hey, we’re talking one of the hottest peppers out there, and right on the package of this tea, it says this:
Exceptionally Spicy, Habanero Infused
But, I’m thinking … I’ve tried a jalapeno tea, and I’ve tried some really SPICY teas, so I decided to pluck up the courage and brew myself a cup of this tea. Upon opening the package, I expected there to be a stronger aroma. I guess I envisioned the hairs in my nostrils feeling the singe of the heat from the habanero. But that didn’t happen. OK … this is a good thing!
The fragrance of the brewed tea is slightly spicy/peppery with notes of black tea with a slightly stronger, top note of toasted rice. The smell is promising.
And the sip? I took a very careful, timid sip. I tasted the notes of sweet, toasted rice and the smooth, brisk black tea. The first couple of sips were warm and spicy, but not ah-chi-cha spicy. (Yeah … that’s just what came to my head while thinking of a way to say tongue blisteringly spicy.) After the third sip, I started to notice the warmth develop toward the back of my throat.
After four or five sips, the flavor becomes increasingly more spicy. By mid-sip, the heat creeps in and warms the palate. The heat in the back of my throat is warm but not searing hot. Make no mistake, this is exceptionally spicy, as promised on the label of the package. But, it’s not uncomfortably, blisteringly, searingly hot. I’m not feeling the urge to run to the kitchen for something to temper the heat. I might be thinking “ah-chi-cha” but, it’s in a very good way!
This is what I’d call a very GOOD burn. It’s hot and spicy and I can feel myself starting to break a bit of a sweat, but, I like the flavor that my palate is experiencing. I appreciate that Pelican Tea has turned up the heat but they haven’t started a blazing inferno in my mouth.
And what I like best about that is that I’m able to experience the other flavors in this tea. I can taste that light sweetness from the toasted rice. I like that I’m tasting the flavor of the black tea and there’s a nice contrast between the sweet and the spicy … and while the spicy does reign over the sweet in this cup, I can taste these other notes and I like that.
This is the kind of tea I’d want to have on hand when I’m feeling under the weather because you know how when you’re feeling sick, your taste buds feel like they’ve been covered with cotton or something? Like somebody wove a tongue coat of cotton that buffers your ability to taste … anything? You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Well, with this tea, I have no doubt in my mind that I’d be able to taste it, and it would warm me up from the inside out, and that would be an added bonus.
It’s a great tea for those of you who appreciate a walk on the spicy side of life.
PRODUCT REVIEW: Spicy Tortilla Green Tea Infused Sipping Broth from Millie’s Savory Teas
Product Information:
Leaf Type: Green
About This Product:
A zesty blend of chipotle pepper, spices and green tea. The flavor and spice of a Mexican Sopa.
To Learn more about this Millie’s Savory Teas, click here.
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Taster’s Review:
I was excited to try this savory “tea” because I’ve enjoyed the other green tea infused sipping broths that I’ve tried from Millie’s Savory Teas. I felt confident that I’d also enjoy this Spicy Tortilla.
I could smell the spices of this tea the moment I opened the package! It smells like Mexican Food! YUM!
Oh, this is tasty! As I’ve mentioned in the first paragraph, I’ve tried a couple of other tea infused sipping broths from Millie’s – you can read my review for the Indian Spice sipping broth here, and for the Tomato Basil sipping broth here. If you were to ask me before tasting them which of these three I think I’d prefer, without a moment’s hesitation, I would have said the Tomato Basil. But as it turns out, the Tomato Basil is my least favorite of the three. This one might just be my favorite thus far.
It has a nice amount of spice to it, but this isn’t so spicy that it has me running to the kitchen for a glass of water to cool my tongue. It’s zesty, warm and delicious, much like a tortilla soup that I might order at my favorite Mexican Food restaurant. I can taste notes of chipotle, garlic, tomato and onion. All that’s missing, really, is strips of tortilla chips!
Oh … and the green tea is missing, too. As I’ve mentioned in my reviews of the other savory teas, the green tea is difficult to detect in these sipping broths. Of the three, I think I tasted more green tea in the Indian Spice. There isn’t a whole lot of green tea flavor to this.
That is my one big complaint about these blends. I find myself wishing there was more green tea so that I can actually think of it as a “tea.” It’s a bit like adding a little bit of tea to my soup … I’m still eating soup, not drinking tea. That’s what’s happening here too. I’m sipping broth, not tea.
It’s still really tasty, though, and something I’d sip again.
White Chrysanthemum Tea from Teasenz
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Flower
Where to Buy: Teasenz
Tisane Description:
Soothing, calming and refreshing. You may have sampled chrysanthemum tea in Chinese restaurants. Now, Teasenz brings you the highest grade of chrysanthemum tea available in China. Our white chrysanthemum tea is a truly lovely flower tea that just can’t be resisted.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
The picture above shows you exactly what I saw when I opened the package of this White Chrysanthemum Tea from Teasenz. Lots of big, dry white chrysanthemum blossoms! They’re whole blossoms, not dust or particles, and they range in size from about the size of a dime to the size of a quarter in diameter.
The aroma isn’t as pleasant to my nose as say, a jasmine or a rose tea. Then again, I’d much rather smell a bouquet of fresh roses or jasmine flowers to a bouquet of chrysanthemums. I just happen to prefer the fragrance of roses and/or jasmine blossoms.
But the tea produced from steeping these chrysanthemums is absolutely lovely! It’s a pale yellow-ish color liquid, and the flavor is quite pleasant. It has a sweet taste, almost honey-esque in flavor. It’s quite soothing to sip. The flavor is (obviously!) floral, but it’s kind of an herbaceous flowery taste. If I were to compare it to more “popular’ flower teas, I would say that this tastes more like a chamomile tea than a rose tea.
That said, I’d much prefer to sip a chrysanthemum tea over a chamomile, as I do find the flavor of the chrysanthemum more to my liking. The herbaceous tones remind me vaguely of straw. Like dried straw. And there is a slight earthiness that goes along with the straw-like flavor.
Overall, I found this to be a very refreshing, tasty cup of tea. A really pleasant change of pace!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Steep & Go from The Tea Spot
Product Information:
Where To Buy: The Tea Spot
*And to save 15% on this product now through August 19th, read the review, and then use the coupon code which is featured at the end of the review!
Product Description:
Steep & Go is designed for the health conscious person on-the-go. It pairs with disposable water bottles and loose leaf teas to make cold-brewed tea on-the-go. With no heat added, in just 10 minutes you’ll brew fresh iced tea packed with antioxidants and great flavor. And with no added sugar or preservatives, you can feel confident knowing exactly what you’re drinking – fresh tea! Simply add more water for multiple infusions, and make this reusable infuser even more economical and eco-friendly. And when cold brewing, tea doesn’t oversteep or get bitter. Steep & Go will transform the way you stay hydrated!
Learn more about this teaware here.
What an awesome little invention, this Steep & Go! It’s a great way to bring a good, healthy drink with you, so that you’ll avoid those temptations of sweet, not-so-healthy beverages when you’re on the go.
I’ve got a confession to make. The first time I used this product, I did it wrong. I did not read the instructions. I just used it the way I thought it was supposed to work… and FAIL!
You see, this device has a nifty little tube that extends into the water bottle, and it has very tiny holes in it, and I thought that this was the infuser, when actually it is the strainer. So I put the tea leaves into the little tube, and let it infuse for about an hour, and then started drinking. It tasted wonderful … except that I was getting tea leaves in every sip. And, I don’t want to drink tea leaves. Unless I’m drinking Matcha … and that’s something different entirely, now isn’t it?
But, the tube that extends into the water bottle IS NOT an infuser, it is a strainer. You put the tea leaves directly into the water bottle, screw on the Steep & Go … and well, go. Let the tea leaves steep for 10 minutes (I do recommend allowing them to steep a little longer for more flavor: flavor was there, but only barely at 5 minutes, more flavor at 10 minutes, but wonderfully delicious after about 15 minutes) and you have your favorite iced tea so that you won’t be tempted by sugary drinks.
I was lucky enough to have a Dasani 16.9 oz. bottle here at home, and so I haven’t tried anything else. However, I do know that TeaEqualsBliss – my SororiTea Sister! – has tried other bottles and they did not work as well, so I do recommend getting your hands on a Dasani bottle, and then just keep re-using it! It’s a great way to reuse the bottle – saving you money and saving the planet at the same time – and offers you a delicious, flavorful alternative to bottled water, and a healthy alternative to soda or other sugar-laden drinks.
The Tea Spot has a nice variety of teas that would work nicely with the Steep & Go. Right now, I’m using it with the Bolder Blues tea (which I’ll be reviewing a little later on!) and it is delicious! Of course, you can use it with any your favorite loose leaf teas that you’d normally enjoy as cold-brewed tea.
When used properly – yeah, don’t add the leaves to the tube like I did! – this is a very economical and EASY way to enjoy fresh and delicious iced tea any time, any where! And now through August 19, 2012, you can save 15% on this cool little device! Just enter the coupon code gosistergo in the coupon field at checkout to take advantage of this discount.
Southern Boys Teas Series, Part 4: RadioactiviTEA from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Premium blend of assam CTC black teas. An extra bold blend of hearty teas for those who prefer an iced tea with substance.
Learn more about Southern Boy Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
Of the eight different varieties of iced tea offered under the Southern Boy Teas label, this was the one I was contemplating not ordering. Why? Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Assam tea, however, I usually consider Assam to be a tea that is better served hot rather than iced. I thought I’d be happier drinking the flavored teas rather than this pure blend of Assam CTC teas.
But, I am so glad that I decided at the last minute to add this to my order at the last minute. This is so good! As I eluded to in the last paragraph, I usually prefer to drink my Assam tea hot, but, this is so deliciously flavorful iced. Rich and remarkably smooth.
Like the other teas from Southern Boy Teas, I steeped this using the cold-brew method: 2 quarts of cool, freshly drawn and filtered water in my glass pitcher, toss in the extra-large teabag, seal the pitcher and stash it in the fridge overnight. The next morning the tea is brewed – just remove the teabag. I’ve been stashing the used teabag in a covered container and putting it in the fridge to resteep using the hot-brew method when I need to refill the iced tea pitcher.
And the cold-brew method did not let me down. This is, as I said, very smooth. No bitterness at all. No astringency either! Just really delicious, rich tasting tea with notes of fruit and a delectable malty character. Interestingly enough, as much as I’ve been enjoying the flavored teas from Southern Boy Teas, I am enjoying this tea just as much – if not more so!
And for those who might be a bit shy of the name – no worries! I drank this later in the evening last night and it did not keep me stirring. It is strong, but not overstimulating! At least … not in it’s cold-brewed, iced tea form!