Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Harney & Sons
Tea Description:
While looking for the best teas in Changsha, we found this organic green tea. Not every occasion demands the best tea, so this is a nice one to drink more often.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mao Jian has become one of my favourite green tea varieties over the last year or so, and I’m always pleased to try one that’s new to me. This Hunan Mao Jian from Harney and Sons looks pretty much as I’d expect – thin, wiry leaves that are a little curly and twisted, a fairly uniform dark green in colour, and pretty long (most around 2cm, but some more like 5-6cm). Dry, it doesn’t seem to have a great deal of scent. I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 2.5 minutes in water cooled to around 170 degrees.
Jungle Fire Assam from Condundrum Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Conundrum Tea
Tea Description:
This Orthodox (whole leaf) Assam tea is a lot different from your typical Assam. The tea leaves are hand-picked and hand-processed. This results in a bold, flavorful, and complex tea. It tastes malty and woody with hints of honey. The brewed tea has a nice sunset orange color and it smells of a subtle campfire.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Ever had a tea that made you appreciate the little moments life? I swear this tea just did that to m
Conundrum Tea is a new tea company to me but I’ve heard rave reviews about them. After trying this tea, I can see why. This tea is like heaven in a cup!
Jungle Fire Assam doesn’t have the same flavor notes and profiles like other Assams I’ve had in the past. This tea has a malty sweetness that you pick up from the very first sniff of the package and keeps on going right until that last drop. The honey like flavor is remarkable and really something memorable. The woodsy flavor is present but more in the background. No astringent factors at all. Just a smoothness that I’m devouring.
I can honestly say this is one of the best Assams I’ve ever had and it will be one I’ll be visiting and wanting again and again.
I think I found my new best friend in a tea!
St. Nick’s From Simpson & Vail
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Tea Description:
“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there….”Add St. Nick’s Tea to your holiday wish list because this blend is Nutty & Nice! Black teas are enhanced with the flavors of chocolate and roasted nuts with a hint of maple. The tea brews to an amber cup with a smooth, nutty, slightly sweet taste. It’s the perfect blend to enjoy on winter nights while you’re sitting by the fire. A definite crowd pleaser!
Ingredients: Black teas, almonds, organic cacao nibs, vanilla beans, flavoring and orange blossoms. Contains Tree Nuts.
Brew tea at 212º – steep for 3 minutes. Certified Kosher
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I adore Simpson & Vail. They are a great company. Fantastic customer service and a great line of teas, you really want for nothing when you shop with them. I was fortunate to be able to review some of their holiday teas and this one I’ve been quite excited about. Almonds, chocolate, vanilla bean, orange blossoms. . This tea just sounds like a festive sweet treat!
I brewed this up at work with water I prepped at 212F and allowed the tea to steep for about 3 minutes. This is a black tea and I wasn’t sure how forgiving the tea would be if I oversteeped. I didn’t want to ruin any of this holiday goodness!
After three minutes, my entire desk had this wonderful aroma of chocolate. Yum! I’m not a huge chocolate fan but even this tea was getting my attention. Like all other Simpson & Vail teas, this tea doesn’t disappoint!
In each sip, you can taste all the different flavors. The nuttiness, the citrus twist, the sweet creamy vanilla, and the rich lush chocolate. All in one sip. The flavors mingle so well together and really give you a tea that makes you sit back and saw “Wow”. I think my favorite part of this tea is the black tea base that creates a smoothness that all the other flavors can play off nicely. This tea would for sure make an amazing latte so I’m keeping the remainder of my sample to do just that later tonight.
If you are a fan of chocolate teas, check this one out. It even impressed a non chocolate eater like myself!
Gingybread Tea from Geeky Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Tea Description:
A new seasonal favorite is here in the form of a gingerbread tea! Natural gingerbread flavor is layered with cinnamon bark, ginger root and orange peels on a black tea base. Mmmmm… tasty!
“Eat me! I mean, drink me!” -Gingy
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Who doesn’t love Gingy from Shrek? That lovable little character always makes me giggle. So it seems that Geeky Teas picked the perfect character to create a holiday tea around.
To be honest, I’m not the biggest ginger fan so I was a little worried about how I would feel about this tea, but I have to say, this tea is a delight! Brewed up like a black tea with water prepped at 212F and steeped for about 3 minutes, this tea is a sweet take on a gingerbread tea. The first note you get is the gingerbread flavor with a hint of cinnamon. The orange peel gives off a nice citrus twist. There is a sweetness in there that I can’t place at the moment.
Such a lovely tea and it has such a nice feel to it. Warm, cozy, soothing. . .this tea has it all! This tea really does remind you of a gingerbread cookie. I mean, can you ask for a better holiday tea?
Cranberry Immune Booster by Tea Drift
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Tea Drift
Tea Description:
This tea has just as pleasing of an aroma as it does flavor. Delightful over ice, the fruity and bright flavors are sure to tickle the tastebuds of any tea drinker. Enjoy it all day long, as it is free from caffeine.
Ingredients: Pineapple, papaya, peach, passion fruit, mango, hibiscus, cranberry and apricot.
Health Benefits:
- High in antioxidants
- Can help lower blood pressure
- Promotes relaxation
- Contains no caffeine
- Aids in digestion
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
‘Tis the season… The cold season. The flu season. The never-enough-tissues-in-the-house season. For those days when a warm blanket, a nice bowl of chicken soup, and a comforting cup of tea are are called for it’s nice to have an herbal tea like this waiting in the cupboard.
Cranberry Immune Booster is a fruity herbal with a slightly tart bite from the hibiscus and cranberry. This actually taste more like a tropical tea. The pineapple is the main flavor while the papaya, mango, and passion fruit mix together in a delicious tropical punch flavor that I think kids of all ages would enjoy. I can smell the peach note in the dry leaf and infused tea, but I don’t taste it. The hibiscus shows up at the end of the sip. Now to be fair, I am not a big fan of hibiscus. I find that teas with hibiscus can turn into a bitter mess in a hot minute. This is especially true the closer hibiscus is to the top of the ingredient list. Thankfully it’s pretty far down on the list for this tea, so while there is some tartness it’s not too bad. Adding sugar would lessen the tart flavor, but I didn’t find that necessary here.
I am not qualified to write about the possible health benefits of this tea, so I’ll leave that for the experts. I will say that tea is always a comfort to me. When I’m feeling under the weather I appreciate a nice cup of tea even more. A caffeine free herbal tea is nothing short of a gift on those days when I need to rest so I can get better. It’s like a little hug in a cup, and who couldn’t use that now and then?
If you’re looking for an herbal tea that’s full of tropical flavors then this is a nice tea to try. It’s delicious and worth a sip whether or not you’re looking to fight off the latest cold virus of the season.
