Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Byron Bay Tea Company
Product Description:
A wicked tea to entice the licorice lovers. Combining the refreshing properties of peppermint with the tasty treats of licorice and aniseed myrtle, this specialty blend will linger long on the palate. Particularly beneficial after meals to settle the tummy or satisfy your sweet tooth.
Taster’s Review:
I have to be honest – I didn’t really like this blend too much at first. I found that I needed to add a little bit of honey to it to make it palatable for me, otherwise the flavors were just too harsh for me. But with a little sweetening, this becomes a very delicious cup!
The licorice flavor is strong, to the point of being quite sharp without the honey. But with the honey, I find that the licorice is softened just enough to taste a bit like a good old fashioned licorice.
The mint is not quite as strong as the licorice flavor, and in the competition, the licorice wins out at the start of the race. However, the mint perseveres, and there is a crisp, clean minty aftertaste.
One thing I wanted to mention about this tisane. I was experiencing some heartburn before I started drinking this tea… notice, I said WAS. The heartburn is gone now, and I’m only about halfway through my cup! For this reason, I recommend keeping this tisane on hand. It tastes way better than those chalky antacids, and based upon this experience, I think it also works better than the antacids do.
A very strong herbal blend that is for those licorice lovers out there!
Indian Chai from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Product Description:
This chai is grown in South India and contains cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and pepper for an exotic flavor that has a hint of earthiness.
Taster’s Review:
This is a delicious chai blend that has a very smooth, rich taste to it.
The aroma of the dry leaf is very pleasant … it smells like a spice shop! The cinnamon and ginger are most prevalent, but the cardamom and cloves make their presence known too. The pepper is not quite as strong, but, it’s there too!
The flavor of the fine CTC black tea base is vibrant. BOLD! It definitely has an edge to it. Not bitter (but would become bitter, I imagine, if left to steep too long), but certainly strong and stout. There is some malty tones to the tea as well, which makes me think that this is an Assam base, or at least a blend that includes Assam. It might also be a Nilgiri, but, it tastes a bit more like Assam to me. Either way, it is a delicious, hefty base with some real gusto!
And that gusto is necessary with a blend of spices like this tea has. The spices are robust. The ginger really shines through, while the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves seem to even things out a bit so that the ginger doesn’t become too overwhelming. The pepper adds a delightful kick to the cup.
I brewed this my traditional method, which is: steeped strong (using extra leaf) with boiling water, in my teapot for 4 minutes and then I strain it. I served it with steamed, frothed milk and honey to make a delicious, satisfying latte.
I think that this blend would do equally well (or perhaps even better) using the stovetop method with milk or a milk/water combination. Of course, you can just serve it straight, but, what fun is that? Chai is meant to latte!
This is the first tea that I’ve tried from Butiki Teas and it is a good one! I recommend it to all the chai fans out there – you may just find a new staple for your tea shelf!
Product Review: Pumpkin Spice Scone Mix from Sticky Fingers Bakeries
Where to Buy: Sticky Scones Bakeries
Product Description:
Pumpkin pie flavor in just minutes! Rich in premium quality spices and pumpkin flakes. Sure to be a favorite throughout the Holiday Season!
Taster’s Review:
I love scones! And nothing seems to complete tea time quite like freshly baked scones. But one thing I don’t really like about scones is what has to go into the baking process – measuring ingredients, kneading the dough… etc. I want to be able to just add water, stir, drop by the spoonful and bake.
There are a lot of scone mixes out there, and many of them offer you the convenience of the process I just described. The only problem is that many of them taste like you just added water, stirred, dropped by the spoonful and baked. In other words, they don’t taste great.
There seems to be just a handful of companies out there that do scone mix right – and Sticky Fingers Bakeries is one of them. And, they offer so many flavor choices! I’ve tried several of their flavors, and I haven’t been disappointed yet. I received this particular package as a gift from a friend – and it was a most welcome gift, indeed.
And the flavor is absolutely DELISH! These taste a lot like pumpkin pie – in scone form! I highly recommend eating these with clotted cream – it really elevates the flavor to a whole new level. Another way to change this one up, should you want to, is to add a handful of chocolate chips.
The texture is so nice with these – they are somewhere between a biscuit and a cake. Soft, moist, and absolutely yummy. And they reheat nicely – just pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds and you have a nice, warm scone! YUM!
Holiday Delight from Souvia
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Souvia
Product Description:
Spiced tea with zip! This tea is a great pick me up, nicely spiced in a robust black tea blend.
Ingredients: black tea, apple pcs, cinnamon, cardamom, cardamom pods, coriander, flavoring, orange slices, pink pepper cloves
Product of Germany
Tasters Review:
Happy Holidays from SororiTEA Sisters! You will hear that a lot from us thru out this month as we continue to feature seasonal and holiday teas as well as new releases from many tea companies!
This Holiday Delight from Souvia sure does live up to it’s name!
It’s Orange Spice…But TRUE Orange Spice! There is a little bit of the juicy-goodness from the orange but it’s more orange zest than juice if you know what I mean!
I usually like my teas STRONG so I tend to add more loose leaf to my infusion right off the bat. And that’s what I did with this but I think I am going to try it again with the normal amount because it is VERY strong and I am thinking it will be JUST RIGHT for me with the normal amount instead of the up to double amount I usually use.
The peppercorns really come thru on this. It smells awesome and it’s very potent in both aroma and taste!
I did enjoy my “double shot” of this but I wanted to mention it isn’t needed to go over board with this loose leaf…a little goes a long way!
Another great tea from our friends at Souvia!
Indian Mocha Chai from EnjoyingTea.com
Tea Type: Chai Tea (Black Tea)
Where To Buy: EnjoyingTea.com
Product Description:
This Sri Lankan Chai is made from Indian spices and high-grown Ceylon tea with natural cherry and chocolate flavors. The combination of ingredients gives this tea the depth and character of those served in Chai stands prevalent in India and Sri Lanka. This tea has a superb body with mellow Indian spice notes and overtones of mocha. When brewed this chai is coppery and bright in color and is wonderful served with milk.
Tasters Review:
I was pleasantly surprised with this one…it was mellower that I expected and I am grateful for that. I was thinking it was going to be all-spice…and nothing more but it was part cocoa and and partially spicy-E but full and a nice black chai.
I have spent 3 nice sit-downs with this chai and it is one that has made it to my favorites list. Mostly because it is different than most of the chai I have tasted thus far.
Another reason I like this is because it’s from EnjoyingTea.com and I have tried several of their teas and think this is one of the many that have stood out to me. Another reason I like EnjoyingTea.com is because their shipping is extremely reasonable – it’s a flat rate shipping fee of just $3.98 and if you buy $60 or more…it’s FREE. They will also send you some free tea with the purchase of a tea pot or tea set! AND they will even send you a FREE Tea Cup with the purchase of loose leaf tea(s) over $80!
They are a very giving company and have a nice selection as well as offer some unique tastes that I haven’t found elsewhere!