Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teapigs
Product Description:
Every vendor, in every city, in every region of India, offers their own version of Chai Masala, the aromatic, spiced, milky tea that has been the Indian drink of choice for hundreds of years. Here’s our version: a rich, malty Assam tea blended with cardamom pods, cinnamon, ginger and cassia. A satisfying, healthy drink that captures the vibrancy and colour of India in a cup.
Taster’s Review:
Ah … a steamy cup of spiced chai on a cold afternoon. A picture perfect autumn afternoon, in my opinion!
This chai has all the “usual” suspects: Assam base, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves. A relatively straight forward chai, delicious and well-spiced.
The Assam is a little surprising to me, in that it tastes a little thinner than I am used to when it comes to Assam. That is not to say it is not tasty, it is very flavorful. It just doesn’t have that rich, thick texture and taste that I’d expect from an Assam. It still has a significant punch to it, though, and it is providing a pleasant background of flavor for the spices.
And when it comes to Assam, it usually is all about the spice, am I right? The blending here is pleasant, I’m not finding it to be overwhelmingly spicy, but it is not mild either. The cinnamon is the strongest flavor, and the cardamom comes through nicely too. Not a lot of peppery impact from the ginger, but just enough so that you can taste it without it overpowering the other spices.
Overall, a very pleasing cup of chai. As always, I recommend taking chai with a sweetener, and honey is preferred. I love the way it enhances the flavor of the spice, giving it a pleasing spicy-sweet contrast. Nice and creamy when you add milk to make a latte, but I like it quite fine without the milk.
Yerba Maté from Teapigs
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Teapigs
Product Description:
We’re not going to lie to you – no one it seems is indifferent to this tea. You’ll either love it or hate it. Yerba Mate (pronounced yerba mah-tey) is native to South America, where it is drunk as a natural stimulant to increase focus and alertness while helping with detoxing and weight loss. And it does all this, allegedly, without any side effects. So one for our celebrity customers then. (We’re also working on a Mate Vanilla, so that mate haters can get the health benefits without enduring the taste.)
Taster’s Review:
I don’t know that I necessarily love Yerba Maté, but I certainly don’t hate it. I enjoy a cup of Maté every once in a while. I don’t know if that makes me indifferent, or something else?
Anyway, I am enjoying this Maté quite a bit. It has a pleasant, rustic taste to it. While it does possess the earthy, vegetative taste that I typically get from Yerba Maté, I am not finding this particular Maté to be overwhelmingly earthy or vegetative. It is a robust cup, but it doesn’t have any bitter taste to it (the key is to pull the kettle just before it reaches a full boil, use “almost boiling” water rather than boiling).
Another thing that I really like about Maté is that it is an amazing stimulant. It is more stimulating than most teas, but it doesn’t affect me with the ill side effects that I get from coffee. I get the alertness I would normally get from a cup of coffee, but without the nervous jitters or the sick feeling afterward. In a sense, it is the best of both worlds in one teacup!
Organic Silver Tips White Tea from Teapigs
Tea Type: White Tea
Where To Buy: Teapigs
Product Description:
For two hours in the morning, for two weeks of the year in the Chinese Fujian province where white tea is grown, the pluckers are in the fields at first light to catch the early morning shoots. These are then withered naturally in the sun and sent to people who appreciate this kind of thing (i.e. teapigs). Possibly the most exclusive tea we stock.
naturally contains caffeine
Compare the large leaf in our tea temples to the dust in your regular tea bag; whole leaf is best.
Taste:
Refreshing, light and aromatic. Peaches and apricots. Very pure. We have chosen to bring you genuine white rather than green tea masquerading as white tea. If your white tea looks green in the cup, then it is green tea – watch out for fakes.Try it:
Simply pure. Adding anything would be like drawing glasses on the Mona Lisa.Good if you’re feeling:
Impure of thought, word or deed. Forget the rosary and the Hail Marys – redeem yourself with a cup of this gorgeous white tea, crammed full of antioxidants.To buy our silver tips white tea online, select the quantity of loose leaf tea or tea temples you would like and then add to basket.
Ingredients:
Silver tips white tea from the Fujian Province, China.Brewing Instructions:
One tea temple per person. Use water just off the boil and infuse for at least 3 minutes. Don’t rush – just relax and watch the leaves unfurl.
Tasters Review:
I just have to say I have always LOVED the name of this tea company! It very much describes myself! I’m a complete pig when it comes to tea! I’m not ashamed to say it either!
As for Organic Silver Tips White Tea from Teapigs…I had this a while back and I had it in a bag which was a silky see-thru type tea bag. This is a very good tasting bagged white tea!
It’s Light, Sweet, thirst-quenching, semi-fruity tasting, and aromatic…and those are just a few words to describe this tea.
I have found many companies who have tried to do a white bagged tea and have failed. Teapigs is right on the money! Nice Job!
English Breakfast aka Morning Glory from Teapigs
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teapigs
Company Description:
About this tea:
For those of you who have bought our morning glory tea before, this is the same great blend except we’ve added even more tea to our temple. We renamed it english breakfast as some people didn’t recognise that this is our everyday blend of tea.
Our signature blend – the teapigs version of builders’ tea, if you will. Far from ordinary, it’s a skilful balancing act between three glorious teas: a gutsy Assam, a mellow little Ceylon and a powerful newcomer from Rwanda. (Learn more about life on the Pfunda estate here)
Taster’s Review:
Since Teapigs is a English tea company, I’d expect nothing less but excellence from their English breakfast blend – and I am not disappointed. This tea is wonderfully brisk. BOLD!
It is an intriguing blend of three types of black tea leaves: Ceylon, Assam and Rwandan. You’re probably quite familiar with Ceylon and Assam teas and what they might deliver to a cup, but, maybe not so much with a Rwandan tea. If you’re interested, you can click on the Pfunda Estate link above to learn more!
I have previously reviewed this tea on The Tea Review Blog, and my opinion hasn’t really changed much since my first tasting. It is still every bit as pleasant. It is delicious without any addition, but I like it with a little bit of honey to bring out some of the sweeter low tones. It also takes the addition of milk well if you choose to add it – it will make this a very creamy delight!
Super Fruit Tea from TeaPigs
Tea Type: Herbal
Where To Buy: TeaPigs
Product Description:
We can’t get enough of our blueberries and cranberries since we were told they’re packed full of super powers. To get more of your daily antioxidants, try this blend of real berry pieces, which deliver a punchy, fruity taste unlike any fruit tea you’ve tasted before. Again, we’ve looked after the berries, not crushed them.
Compare our whole berries in our tea temples to the crushed up bits in your regular tea bag; whole is best.
Taste:
Super fruity, this cheeky drink is a little tart.Try it:
With honey, if you like your fruit sweeter. Or cream.Good if you’re feeling:
Slow and lifeless. The antioxidants in our super fruits will help stave off “Squashed Hedgehog Syndrome” (i.e. “feeling run down” – get it? Sorry).To buy our super fruit herbal tea packed with berries online, select the quantity of loose leaf tea, temple teas or sample tins you would like and then add to basket.
Ingredients:
Hibiscus, elderberry, blackcurrant, raisin, flavouring, lingonberry, blueberry.Brewing Instructions:
One tea temple per person, infused in boiling water for at least 3 minutes. Don’t rush – just relax and watch the berries swirl.Average Customer Reviews
based on 34 reviews
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Tasters Review:
Well, Colored Me Surprised!
I’m not sure what made me think of that phrase…maybe it was me reminiscing of a friends cat the other day…her name was COLOR ME RAINBOW…anyhow…on to the tea review, eh!?
I really thought this was going to be pure hibiscus! I’m glad I was wrong!
I could taste mostly elderberries and currants and then the blueberries sneaked their way in! THEN there was the slightest hint of cranberries towards the end of the sip! VERY interesting!
The website said this has raisins in it but the wrapping doesn’t mention it…just for the record I cannot taste raisins. The Hibiscus is accompanying the berries but really isn’t much of a tangy and/or tart factor in the taste. It’s more fruity and berry like than hibiscus…thankfully!
This was very good! And it totally surprised me! Nicely done TeaPigs!