Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tiger Spring Tea
Tea Description:
Our Spice Blend is a blend of ceylon tea, orange peel, cloves, cinnamon bark, ginger and fennel seeds. It is a spicy, comforting brew with or without milk, and can be sweetened with sugar or honey if preferred.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Even though Tiger Spring Tea did not indicate this as a “chai” on their website, the ingredients are very chai-like, which is why I categorized it as a chai. As I taste it, though, I find it to be a little less like a chai and a bit more like a Christmas Spice tea. The spices are warm and soothing, but they maintain a nice balance with the black tea base – in this case, a strong Ceylon tea – and the orange notes from the orange peel. It’s very holiday-ish, and it has me looking forward to the upcoming holiday season.
The overall cup is pleasantly spiced. Not what I’d call hot or spicy, but, it is zesty and warm, like a good mulled cider. The orange brightens up the cup considerably, and the Ceylon here is a very good quality Ceylon that is on the stronger side (no wimpy Ceylon here!) and holds its own in the midst of the spices. Of the spices, I find my palate focusing primarily on the clove – with the cinnamon and ginger playing more of a background note and the fennel offering more of an accent note.
And even though it is a bit more holiday-ish than chai-ish, it does still strike a familiar “chai” chord too. It’s very warming, very comforting, just like a good, well-spiced chai, and it would make a nice latte if you happen to be in the mood for a chai latte!
As for me, I find this to be delicious without the milk … and while it doesn’t really NEED it, the spices really perked up when I added about a half a teaspoon of turbinado sugar to my cup. It tastes good straight up, but the spices really seem to SING with the little bit of sugar that I added to the cup, so I would recommend adding just a little bit of sweetener to this to enhance the flavor of the spices.
A really warm, pleasant Spice Blend from Tiger Spring Tea. It is a wonderful way to welcome autumn – my favorite time of year.
Moroccan Mint Green Blend from Tiger Spring Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tiger Spring Tea
Tea Description:
Our blend of real Moroccan ‘Nana’ mint (Mentha spicata) and green tea is delicious either hot or cold! Although this tea is traditionally drunk very sweet, it tastes very pleasant without any sweetening because of the natural sweet aroma of this extraordinary mint. Suitable for anyone who loves spearmint and is looking for a natural drink full of freshness.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
What a delightful Moroccan Mint blend!
Typically, a Moroccan Mint is a gunpowder green tea and dried mint leaves combination. This particular Moroccan Mint is gunpowder green and spearmint leaves. It seems like such a simple combination, which is why it really amazes me how some Moroccan Mint blends really stand out above others that I’ve tried.
I mean, you’d think they’d all taste pretty much the same. But this one – somehow – manages to really stand out! Maybe it’s the freshness of the ingredients. Maybe it’s just expertly blended to have just the right ratio of green tea to mint leaves. I don’t know exactly how Tiger Spring Tea has managed to accomplish this, but, I’m really glad that I have this opportunity to try it and have it impress me so!
I know I’ve mentioned this more than once before, but typically, I prefer peppermint to spearmint, but, I’m finding that I really like the spearmint in this Moroccan Mint. It tastes crisp and cool, and even has a slight spiciness to it that I find quite intriguing.
The gunpowder green tea is smooth and buttery, providing a very pleasing base for the spearmint to deliver its zingy taste. The green tea is lightly vegetative, sweet and has a soft, silky mouthfeel that is an interesting contrast to the invigoratingly fresh taste of the mint.
I brewed my first cup of this and served it hot, and found it to be vibrant tasting as well as quite soothing, especially after my spicy meal! I enjoyed it so much that I decided I wanted a full pitcher of this chilled for the following day’s iced tea sipping, so I brewed a pitcher (and I infused the leaves three times!) and found that the iced tea was also exceptional. The leaves stood up to the multiple infusions without losing their flavor, and the iced tea was thirst-quenching.
This one is a winner!
Real Earl Grey from Tiger Spring Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tiger Spring Tea
Tea Description:
Bergamot oil from the citrus fruit grown in the Calabria district in Italy had become popular in the 18th and 19th centuries as a flavouring for gin and snuff. It was brought to Joseph Banks attention who is known to have experimented with flavourings. He is credited with adding it to tea, and it was most likely given the name Earl Grey, since he was the popular Prime Minister of the time. Our Real Earl Grey is scented using natural bergamot oil, rather than the synthetic scents commonly used. As a result it has a more citrusy nose and palate.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As most of our regular readers are probably well aware of by now, I am a HUGE fan of Earl Grey. So whenever I get a new Earl Grey to try, I’m excited. And whenever I find an Earl Grey that I absolutely love … I find myself not only elated, but also somewhat confused. Why? Because I have a few “favorite” Earl Grey teas, and it seems that this list of favorites is expanding at a continual rate!
This Real Earl Grey from Tiger Spring Tea has earned a spot in my ever-growing list of favorite Earl Grey teas. From what I can glean from the Tiger Spring Tea website, the tea seems to be one that was grown in Kenya, which explains the robust black tea flavor that I taste. It is rich and well-rounded, providing a taste that is strong and smooth, with hints of smokiness in the background that offer an interesting dimension to the overall cup.
But as with any Earl Grey, the important factor is not the tea (although a high quality black tea base IS essential, and Tiger Spring certainly has not overlooked this) but the BERGAMOT. Here, the bergamot tastes very natural. There is a freshness to it, like freshly squeezed citrus juice. It is sweet … it seems to be sweeter than I usually notice with bergamot, and this sweetness offers a pleasing contrast with the tangy notes of the Italian fruit. I also notice that the natural floral notes of the bergamot are different here too.
I usually also notice floral notes with bergamot as well, and I do taste them here too, but, again, it’s different with this Earl Grey. The floral tones are not as noteworthy during the sip, which seems to focus on the sweet yet sour notes of the fruit, but in the aftertaste, which has a lingering floral note that is quite lovely. No soapy/perfume-y tastes here, just vibrant bergamot flavor.
Another favorite for the list!