Republic of Tea is having a Cyber Monday deal - buy over $30 of tea and get a free tin of British Breakfast black tea.
I highly recommend their Comfort and Joy tea as a good holiday black, or their Downtown Abbey Christmas tea.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Tea tasting: David's Tea's Spiced Apple
After checking and double-checking the ingredients list to be sure that "spiced" didn't mean it was going to kill me (capsaicin is of the Devil), I bought a sample package of David's Tea's Spiced Apple tisane. I'm glad that I did. It's really quite good and definitely several steps above the Celestial Seasonings version of spiced apple.
As a "spiced" tea should be, it's made spicy with cloves and cardamom. The tisane also contains apple pieces (duh), figs, star anise, chircory, and black pepper(?!). Apparently one can't have a David's Tea tisane without at least one ingredient that makes you go WTF?? The apple, fig and star anise pieces are large, making it nearly impossible to brew this tea in a small tea ball. Fortunately I have a few large brewing baskets that allowed to me fit the ingredients.
The aroma is amazing -- a heady fall day full of apples and chai. The flavor has a tartness to it, like a Granny Smith apple. It's not an apple pie tea. It's an apple cider tea. If that makes any sense.
Combining the hot tea half and half with hot apple cider was an amazing success. The tartness of the tea blends the sweetness of the cider quite nicely. It adds all of the spicy qualities of mulling the cider without the hard work.
As a "spiced" tea should be, it's made spicy with cloves and cardamom. The tisane also contains apple pieces (duh), figs, star anise, chircory, and black pepper(?!). Apparently one can't have a David's Tea tisane without at least one ingredient that makes you go WTF?? The apple, fig and star anise pieces are large, making it nearly impossible to brew this tea in a small tea ball. Fortunately I have a few large brewing baskets that allowed to me fit the ingredients.
The aroma is amazing -- a heady fall day full of apples and chai. The flavor has a tartness to it, like a Granny Smith apple. It's not an apple pie tea. It's an apple cider tea. If that makes any sense.
Combining the hot tea half and half with hot apple cider was an amazing success. The tartness of the tea blends the sweetness of the cider quite nicely. It adds all of the spicy qualities of mulling the cider without the hard work.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Tea Tasting: Mighty Leaf's Chamomile Citrus Herbal Tea
This has been a weekend of teas that are gentle to my stomach. I realized that I haven't reviewed Mighty Leaf's Chamomile Citrus tea, even though it is one of my dependable soothers. So here we go.
This tisane is made from rosehips, orange peels, chamomile flowers, lemon grass, lemon myrtle, nana mint, hibiscus flowers and natural citrus flowers. I hadn't realized there was hibiscus in this tea until I read the ingredients -- there's none of the usual tart tang I associate with hibiscus.
I love this tea. The aroma is lemony and very slightly grassy. It's comfortable and soothing like chamomile should be, yet the citrus elements prevent the flavor from becoming bland and insipid. The citrus becomes stronger the longer it is brewed. I like a good 5-8 minute brew time for this tea. It's a good late-night palate cleanser, and excellent with a dash of honey.
This tisane is made from rosehips, orange peels, chamomile flowers, lemon grass, lemon myrtle, nana mint, hibiscus flowers and natural citrus flowers. I hadn't realized there was hibiscus in this tea until I read the ingredients -- there's none of the usual tart tang I associate with hibiscus.
I love this tea. The aroma is lemony and very slightly grassy. It's comfortable and soothing like chamomile should be, yet the citrus elements prevent the flavor from becoming bland and insipid. The citrus becomes stronger the longer it is brewed. I like a good 5-8 minute brew time for this tea. It's a good late-night palate cleanser, and excellent with a dash of honey.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Tea Tasting: Tea Forté's Moroccan Mint Green Tea
I'm quite fond of the flavor balances achieved by nearly all Tea Forté teas, and their Moroccan Mint Green is no exception. The green tea here is a gunpowder green, with a smoky tone rather than a grassy one. It pairs well with a subtle and subdued mint flavor. It's more refreshing than soothing, but it's a good drink nonetheless.
I'm not sure what makes this tea "Moroccan," though.
If you want a really minty mint tea, this one is not for you. For that sort of tea, I would recommend Twinings Pure Peppermint, my go-to tea for settling upset stomachs.
I'm not sure what makes this tea "Moroccan," though.
If you want a really minty mint tea, this one is not for you. For that sort of tea, I would recommend Twinings Pure Peppermint, my go-to tea for settling upset stomachs.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Tea tasting: David's Teas Spiced Pumpkin Herbal
When in Quebec City this weekend, I picked up a same of David's Pumpkin Spice herbal tea. Yes, I know I'd said I was breaking up with David's Teas, but it was right there, calling to me. And I double-checked the ingredient list four times to make sure it wasn't going to kill me.
It's a very gentle pumpkin spice flavor, lightly cinnamon with a slight fruity quality. There's a tiny bit of maple in there, which surprised me because I generally don't like maple. It's not really sweet at all, but I bet some honey would enhance it nicely. This is a nice fall tea that I didn't expect to like.
It's a very gentle pumpkin spice flavor, lightly cinnamon with a slight fruity quality. There's a tiny bit of maple in there, which surprised me because I generally don't like maple. It's not really sweet at all, but I bet some honey would enhance it nicely. This is a nice fall tea that I didn't expect to like.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Tea tasting: Mighty Leaf's Orange Dulce
I discovered Mighty Leaf tea in general, and Mighty Leaf's Orange Dulce black tea in particular, during a particular grueling year of traveling for work, when I spent more time in hotels than in my own home. A number of the hotels on the West coast carried Mighty Leaf teas. The brand has since become a favorite, particularly now that it has migrated into the more upscale grocery stores on the East coast.
Orange Dulce is a tea that is a tea you're either going to love or hate. I happen to love it. But, if you don't like Earl Grey or its lighter cousin Lady Grey, don't bother even trying Orange Dulce.
Orange Dulce is a blend of Ceylon and China black teas, flavored with bergamot, orange, vanilla and jasmine blossoms. The aroma is wonderful. It's soothing and refreshing, like a warm orange scone.
In both flavor and armoa, the orange is the strongest note, with bergamot playing close second. The vanilla acts as a mellowing agent, soothing the flavor from sharp citrus into something more gentle. The orange-vanilla notes linger longest as you taste it. That all being said, this is not an orange herbal tea. It still tastes like tea undernearth, although very subtly.
It is essential to watch the brewing time closely. Brewed for too long, it becomes a hot, tea-flavored creamsicle, which is more off-putting than it sounds. Orange Dulce should be brewed closer to the 3 or 4 minute mark than not.
This tea also doesn't ice well. The flavor mix needs warmth to work. Icing it turns it cloying.
Orange Dulce is a tea that is a tea you're either going to love or hate. I happen to love it. But, if you don't like Earl Grey or its lighter cousin Lady Grey, don't bother even trying Orange Dulce.
Orange Dulce is a blend of Ceylon and China black teas, flavored with bergamot, orange, vanilla and jasmine blossoms. The aroma is wonderful. It's soothing and refreshing, like a warm orange scone.
In both flavor and armoa, the orange is the strongest note, with bergamot playing close second. The vanilla acts as a mellowing agent, soothing the flavor from sharp citrus into something more gentle. The orange-vanilla notes linger longest as you taste it. That all being said, this is not an orange herbal tea. It still tastes like tea undernearth, although very subtly.
It is essential to watch the brewing time closely. Brewed for too long, it becomes a hot, tea-flavored creamsicle, which is more off-putting than it sounds. Orange Dulce should be brewed closer to the 3 or 4 minute mark than not.
This tea also doesn't ice well. The flavor mix needs warmth to work. Icing it turns it cloying.
Monday, October 5, 2015
NY Times Summarizes Current Studies on the Health Benefits of Tea
The full article can be found here: http://nyti.ms/1Q0is3O
In brief:
Tea drinking is associated with a lower risk of multiple liver diseases, including a type of liver cancer.
Tea drinking is associated with a lower risk of depression.
Tea drinking is associated with reduction in risk of stroke, cardiac disease, and diabetes.
Drinking green tea, but not black tea, is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer.
There have been other health claims for tea, but those are not supported by current studies.
Unfortunately, most of these studies have been done in Asia, where daily tea-drinking far outstrips anything in the U.S. Many of these studies do not have a good study of the dose-response rate (i.e., how much tea do you have to drink before these health benefits occur?) And, of course, even strong correlation (which is all these studies have tracked so far) does not prove causation.
But, I think we can safely conclude that drinking real tea certainly isn't bad for you. I withhold judgment on Lipton. :-)
In brief:
Tea drinking is associated with a lower risk of multiple liver diseases, including a type of liver cancer.
Tea drinking is associated with a lower risk of depression.
Tea drinking is associated with reduction in risk of stroke, cardiac disease, and diabetes.
Drinking green tea, but not black tea, is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer.
There have been other health claims for tea, but those are not supported by current studies.
Unfortunately, most of these studies have been done in Asia, where daily tea-drinking far outstrips anything in the U.S. Many of these studies do not have a good study of the dose-response rate (i.e., how much tea do you have to drink before these health benefits occur?) And, of course, even strong correlation (which is all these studies have tracked so far) does not prove causation.
But, I think we can safely conclude that drinking real tea certainly isn't bad for you. I withhold judgment on Lipton. :-)
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