Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kusmi Tea
Product Description:
Black tea from China flavored with natural essences of chocolate and spices.
Taster’s Review:
I am so happy to be able to try this tea. It is one that I’ve wanted to try for a long time, and it seems like every time that I am tea shopping, this tea is sold out! Fortunately, my SororiTea Sister, TeaEqualsBliss, sent me a sampling of it! Thank you Jennifer!
And the verdict?
I love it!
The chocolate level is nice. Of course, it would be better with more chocolate, but that’s the chocoholic in me. It has a nice amount of chocolate and it is in a pleasing balance with the spices here. It tastes like a good quality dark chocolate.
Kusmi Tea does not specify what kind of spices they use in this blend (although I am sure that if I had the tin I could read the ingredients, provided they aren’t written in French!) but to me it tastes like ginger and perhaps a little cinnamon. Maybe some cardamom?
The level of spice is not what I would classify as “spicy,” that is, I don’t find this to be overwhelmingly hot or spicy. But that isn’t a bad thing, because I think that if it were spicier in this particular blend, it would overthrow the balance of flavors that I’m experiencing, and that WOULD be a bad thing. I like it just the way it is.
The black tea base is a strong one and can be tasted with the other strong profiles. There is a good deal of astringency to this tea, it clears the palate very well, leaving only a faint note of pepper and of chocolate in the aftertaste.
It is not bitter, although I suspect it could be that way if it were steeped too long. I steeped my cup for 3 1/2 minutes and it produced a delicious cup. It doesn’t need sweetener, but, I found that a small amount of agave nectar helped bring out some of the sweeter notes of the chocolate.
This one is really good, folks!
Wild Forest Black from Choice Organic Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Choice Organic Teas
Product Description:
Awaken your senses with this rare tea, rich in flavor and history, from ancient tea trees growing deep in the forests of Southeast Asia. Generations of local people have climbed these wild tea trees to pluck their leaves. Now you can enjoy this refreshing cup that’s smooth, yet hearty. Drink in its enduring energy.
Taster’s Review:
Robust! This tea has got real spirit to it – and the strength to enliven even the sleepiest of sleepy-heads!
The aroma is inviting. It has a warm, wake-up kind of smell to it – if that makes sense! Almost a baked kind of fragrance that translates into the flavor. It’s the kind of scent you WANT to wake up to!
The flavor is equally as warm and inviting. As I said in the previous paragraph, there is a bake-y kind of flavor to it that rests in the background and beckons my palate to keep sipping so that it can savor that delicious flavor. It is a bold tea – very strong – with a nice malty flavor to it. It reminds me very much of an Assam! But there is also an intriguing, fruity wine-like note in the distance that is reminiscent of a Keemun tea too.
It is a tasty tea that offers a very pleasant wake-up call!
Wild Forest Black tea is also one of five new teas from Choice Organic Teas that have been created to help support the Jane Goodall Institute. Hmm… great tea and a good cause … I like it when a tea can accomplish so much!
Yerba Maté Mint from Choice Organic Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Choice Organic Teas
Product Description:
Perk up with this refreshing twist on the traditional. Renowned for its natural kick, yerba maté grows in subtropical South America and has been enjoyed by gauchos for generations. We blend ours with peppermint, spearmint and a hint of lemongrass for a bright tea that’s light, cool and exhilarating. [contains caffeine]
Taster’s Review:
Exhilarating is right! The yerba maté is energizing, while the peppermint and spearmint is crisp and refreshing. Put these ingredients together and you’ve got one very exhilarating beverage, indeed!
This tisane is nicely balanced. It is minty, but not too minty. The yerba maté is slightly earthy but the mint offsets it enough so that it is easy to drink and not too earthy or vegetative. The lemongrass offers just a hint of citrus tones to the cup and adds an interesting dimension to the cup. There’s even a light tangy note from the citrus right at the finish that remains in the aftertaste.
And I really like the company. It is one that I really feel good about supporting, because not only are they organic and committed to the protection of our environment, but they also are involved with really good causes, such as the Jane Goodall Institute, a non-profit organization that is committed to the preservation of the lives and habitat of primates.
It is a very good tea and a tea I can feel good about!