Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: MarketSpice
Product Description:
Our standard chai spice blend with Rooibos, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander, Ginger, Nutmeg, Orange Peel and Vanilla flavoring. High in anti-oxidants and naturally caffeine free.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve had my share of rooibos chai teas in the past: some good, some not so good. This one is one of the best that I’ve tried. The spices are robust, and I like the touch of orange and vanilla and even the nutmeg that’s been added to some of the “usual suspects” of masala chai. It is the strength of the spices that kicks this tisane “up a notch” for me because these delicious spices replace (or mask) that unappealing aftertaste of the rooibos.
In fact, there really is very little of the rooibos that I taste here. I do taste the nutty character of the rooibos, and it is accented well with the nutty flavor of the nutmeg.
What I do taste in this cup is a delicious blend of warm spices. These spices have a nice balance, because the tisane doesn’t taste overly ginger-y, or overly cinnamon-y. It just tastes warm and spicy without being too over-the-top in spices. The vanilla offers a deliciously sweet, creamy touch to the cup, while the orange perks up the flavors, adding a bright little citrus-y taste to the tisane while enhancing the rooibos natural fruity tones that are so often missed.
The rooibos leaves in this blend seem to be a bit smaller (finer?) than I usually see in rooibos blends, so I recommend steeping this tisane in a tea-bag type product such as these Tea Pockets to help keep the spent leaves out of your beverage.
This tisane doesn’t need any sweetener, although I don’t think the addition of some honey or turbinado sugar would hurt anything. It would also make a tasty, caffeine free latte.
This is not only one of the best (if not the best) chai rooibos blends I’ve tasted, it is also one of the best rooibos blends I’ve had. Period. It’s awesome!
Spiced Cider Black Tea from MarketSpice
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: MarketSpice
Product Description:
A tea version of a classic winter drink. Contains Chinese Hunan black tea, Apple black tea, Cinnamon flavoring and mulling spices.
Taster’s Review:
When I first opened the package of this tea, I got very excited. It smelled very much like the spicy, cinnamon-y, orange-y MarketSpice signature blend which I absolutely love. That tea is a bit on the extreme side, but I think that is one of the things that I love about it.
This tea … is different. The flavors are not quite as extreme as the MarketSpice signature blend, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less tasty. The cinnamon here is softer, and instead of orange, this has a distinct apple-y flavor to it. The apple seems to act as a softer presence, providing a mellow sweetness that seems to tame the strength of the cinnamon. The mulling spices are also not aggressive; I am finding them quite soothing actually.
What this tastes like is spiced apple cider and black tea. And based upon the above description from MarketSpice, I think that’s what they were going for. Well, they nailed it!
The tea and flavors seem to meet halfway here; they aren’t really competing for the spotlight. They are all working together very harmoniously. The black tea is strong. The apple is sweet with a barely-there hint of tartness in the background. That tartness presents itself more prominently in the aftertaste, but it is never a particularly strong note. The spices are deliciously warm and comforting with just a hint of spicy heat peeking its way through.
This is a tea that I would be happy to keep in my tea cupboard as autumn approaches. It is a perfect autumn tea!
Pumpkin Pie Tea from MarketSpice
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: MarketSpice
Product Description:
A holiday favorite, this tea combines Chinese Hunan black tea, Pumpkin Pie flavoring, Cinnamon and Ginger.
Taster’s Review:
Autumn is coming! Autumn is coming!
As I write this, it is one of the warmest, muggiest days of the summer, but, as I sip this tea, my thoughts turn to autumn. The cool, crisp air and the colors… I want autumn to be here now!
This tea delivers autumn in a teacup. It has a lightly spiced tone with its hints of cinnamon and ginger. While these two spices can sometimes be strong and overwhelming, here they provide only a warm, gentle kick.
The black tea is a strong Chinese Hunan tea. It is a deliciously bright tea with an astringent finish. It is bold enough to get one going in the morning and provides a solid, robust background for the other flavors of the blend.
The pumpkin flavor seemed a bit lost when I started sipping on this tea, however, as the tea cooled slightly, the pumpkin flavors started to come into focus. It doesn’t present itself as an overly pumpkin-y taste, but I like the way the pumpkin seems to smoothly glide throughout the sip, offering hints of flavor here and there.
Overall, a very pleasant pumpkin tea. This is one that you’ll be proud to serve your guests during the upcoming holiday season!
Sunset in Seattle from MarketSpice
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: MarketSpice
Product Description:
One of our sweetest and most popular herbal teas, Sunset in Seattle is a blend utilizing a myriad of herbs that are soothing and mellow. Ingredients: Rosehips, Vanilla, Chamomile, Spearmint, Raspberry, Lemon Grass, Hyssop and herbs. Contains no sugar and is caffeine free.
Taster’s Review:
Have you ever gotten a tea, and just put off trying it because you were uncertain of it? And when you finally get around to trying it, you love it and can’t help but wonder what took you so long to actually try it? Well, I am there now with this tea. I’ve had this tea for a little while now, but never tried it until tonight. And now that I’m trying it, I am kicking myself for not having tried it sooner! I am really enjoying it!
I guess it’s that herbal thing again. I am hesitant to try herbal teas because I worry that they’re going to taste… well, herbal-y. You know… medicinal. But, while this does have a herbaceous taste to it, I wouldn’t call it a medicinal-tasting tea.
This delicious blend of herbs has a very strong vanilla essence. The vanilla is creamy and sweet, while the other ingredients help to build a mild background. The spearmint is not strong, but the flavor is melding nicely with the vanilla tones. The raspberry provides a light, tangy berry taste in the background, while the lemongrass offers a hint of citrus-y undertones.
This is one of the nicest herbal teas that I’ve come across in a long time. It is a very soothing, calming tea… you don’t have to be here in the Pacific Northwest to enjoy a taste of our beautiful sunsets! All you need is a cup of this relaxing tisane.
Spicy Seattle Chai from MarketSpice
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: MarketSpice
Product Description:
Our spiciest chai, with plenty of Pepper, Ginger and Cardamom. Add milk and sugar to taste. Ingredients: Black tea, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Tellicherry Peppercorns, Ginger and Cloves.
Taster’s Review:
This chai is AWESOME!
As most of you probably know (because I’ve said it enough!) I am very discriminating when it comes to chai – because I truly believe that I created the best chai blend ever. However, that doesn’t mean that I cannot appreciate other chai blends, and this is definitely one for which I have tremendous appreciation!
It is SPICY! The pepper and ginger are prominent, and I can actually feel it hit my throat in the finish – like a spicy, peppery blanket that warms my palate, then radiates down my throat and warms my entire body right down to the tips of my toes!
In fact, after my initial sip, I had to check the MarketSpice website to see if this chai had chili pepper in it, because the heat from the pepper is that kind of heat. The website does not indicate that there is chili pepper of any kind in this – so I suspect that it is the rather fine grind of black Tellicherry peppercorns that brings the heat, as well as the ginger.
But, while the heat from these two ingredients is rather dominant, they do not overwhelm the palate so much that the other ingredients – cinnamon, cardamom and cloves – cannot be tasted. The flavor of the black tea is even quite present in the sip – it is rich and bold and offers a tasty base for these zesty spices.
I really like this chai. I have tried it several times now. The first time I tasted it, I drank it with no additions, the second time, with just a drizzle of honey. I found that the honey brought out some of the other spices very nicely and softened the edge from the tea, ginger and pepper just a little. For an extra special treat, try it with brown sugar – the molasses in the brown sugar will be delightful with this spicy chai!
The third time, I broke down and made myself a chai latte by steeping the tea extra strong (using a little extra leaf and a little less water) and adding honey and some warmed 2% milk and frothing it.
When served as a latte – the spices present themselves a little differently. It is still spicy, but the creaminess of the latte softens the spices and creates a warm, comforting cup that puts the coffee house chai lattes to shame! The chai latte was absolutely delightful and my favorite way of serving this, although I quite enjoyed the other preparations as well.
An excellent chai – perfect for those who like their chai on the spicy side!