Sugar and Spice Black and Rooibos tea

Black and rooibos blend
Amoda Tea

All organic ingredients: Ceylon, rooibos, orange peel, cardamom, cinnamon, all-spice, elderberries, peppercorn, ginger, licorice root, vanilla, brown sugar extract, orange extract.



I stumbled across Amoda Tea on Twitter when they were working on a monthly subscription package. Now, I've gotten a preview with their all-organic November Tasting Box!



It's a slim little box, nicely packaged with four tea blends of different caffeine levels, biodegradable tea filters, and tasting notes.



 
Included are Amoda Tea's new blends: Sugar & Spice, Oolong Gone, Lime Green with Envy, and a Spring Clean herbal.

Since it's the Christmas season, I had to start with the spiced tea. I've never tried a black/rooibos blend before. We have an air stagnation warning and burn ban here south of Seattle, and the dense, low fog is making me crave warmth.



The dry tea smell just leaps from the bag. It takes a couple sniffs to identify orange peel and vanilla as that extra punch to the brown cinnamon. It's deliciously sweet but with cardamom and elderberries to keep it rooted. The ginger and licorice, which is often too strong in blends, are supporting undertones and not overpowering.



I'm brewing the Sugar & Spice in my small Brown Betty. The steeping directions call for freshly boiled water at 4-5 minutes, so I'll go with 5 min. I've pre-warmed my teapot to appease the Welsh tea gods, and my iPhone timer is at the ready. I like my tea strong, so I'm using 2 Tbsp and about 10 oz of water.

Toasted aspects come out in the liquor smell, like cardamom and peppercorn, with cinnamon following. There's a licorice root influence when the tea cools down. It's deep red like rust.



The first taste reminds me that this has rooibos. I had expected a bolder black tea flavor. Orange wafts from the cup. The wet leaves have some visible squares of unfurled black tea, plus the expanded spices and orange bits. It's sweeter tea than I normally drink, so I'd reserve this for after a holiday dinner.

The November Tasting Box is a lot of fun. I'd use it to try new flavors just for fun, or then commit to larger volumes of tea with the free shipping currently offered to subscribers.

This tea was provided by Amoda Tea.

Seattle Chai

Flavored black tea
Perennial Tea Room

Story: "Developed by former Seattle tea blender Frank Miller based on his tea experiences in India as a Peace Corps Volunteer. This blend of tea and spices warms the room with its aroma and flavor."



Tucked into Post Alley in Seattle is the cozy Perennial Tea Room. Teas named "Seattle" got first try since I'm new to the area and loving it.

Two days after Halloween, I'm accepting the Christmas decorations that manifested inside Target. So, this tea came to me at the right time. The dry tea smell leads with ginger and sweet clove. Translation: smells like Christmas.

I dropped 2 tsp into my single-cup Brown Betty teapot. The liquor mouthfeel is less weighty and looks redder/orange-r than I thought it would. It tastes like a light mulled cider. A bit of milk smooths out the spices.

Seattle tea, Seattle plaid and fleece. Yes.

It's a thinner-tasting tea, not black-tea-heavy, and nice if you want something light in the afternoon. I'll add another teaspoon next time to experiment. I'm going to think of this as my Seattle Christmas chai.

If anyone knows of a "Seattle" tea I need to try, let me know here or on Twitter (@TeaNoCrumpets). Seattle: I freaking love it here.

Coconut French Toast with Cardamom Maple Syrup Black tea

Black tea blend
52Teas

All organic ingredients: Black teas, crushed cardamom pods, dried coconut flakes and natural flavors.

Is it possible for two breakfast flavors, one tropical flavor, and one spice to work together in a tea? YES. And 52Teas can do it.



I'm skeptical of coconut in tea, but the perfectly proportioned coconut shreds enhance the french toast flavor. The tea has a round mouthfeel and almost a little astringency at the finish.

 

Breakfast in a cup! It's like a warm home. Another surprising flavor combination from 52Teas. They should be called 5 million teas.

Pipers Chai

Pipers Tea and Coffee
Flavored black tea

Ingredients: Black tea infused with black pepper, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, and vanilla and orange flavor.



Strong on the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, this chai is practically a Scandinavian magic Christmas dust.

 

It's impossible to steep this tea poorly. With sturdy leaves, its robust black tea backs up the spice, making it drink incredibly smoothly with a round finish.

Chai is well-loved during colder weather for its warmth of flavor, but I think the hottest day of summer is also the perfect time.

Use code ALLTEA10 for 10% off your order at www.cupofpipers.com. 

Nepalese Himalayan Masala (#56)

Spiced black tea
Nepali Tea Traders

Ingredients: "Black tea lightly spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and other spices traditional in Nepal."

Here is the 2-teabag sampler from Nepali Tea Traders! Sign up for their newsletter and get yours.



I love the warm smell of clove from this. It steeps a beautiful honey brown color. It is light-bodied with a subtle but pleasant spice. It does have something about it that sets it apart from a standard chai. It must be the cinnamon and "other spices traditional in Nepal" the website mentions. 



I need to go to Nepal. For a pretend trip, do these two things:

A) Drink this tea from Nepali Tea Traders.

B) Read this book: Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal, by Conor Grennan.

I hope to try more of their tea!

Next I will tell you about the Level 2 tea class at Margaret's Fine Imports I attended.

Organic Masala Chai (#39)

Flavored black tea
Mighty Leaf Tea

Ingredients: Organic black tea, organic ginger, organic cardamom, organic cinnamon, organic flavoring.

I'm very happy with this chai! The flavors are balanced.

It leads with cinnamon. The cardamom is present but not overpowering. The ginger is a nice touch. I see why masala is so popular!

The spice blend has personality and works great with the black tea. The steeped tea has a nice strong color.

Organic ingredients make me feel so much healthier. You can feel that kind of thing, right?

I'm drinking it for the second time today. The first time I was too shy and didn't make it strong enough. Give me the flavor!

Next time I'll tell you about the Level 1 tea class!

Cozy Hibiscus (#38)

Black/herbal
Gryphon's Tea

Ingredients: Organic single estate Ceylon tea (decaf), hibiscus, cassia, orange peel, clove, rose hips, star anise, mint, lavender.

Cozy, indeed! A special combination of decaf black tea, hibiscus, and lavender. Very good with honey and fresh lemon juice.

I had it with a chocolate-drizzled caramel. Christmas was a while back, but the office still has treats.

Gryphon's Tea is organic with no flavoring. See the Food Babe's explanation about the perils of flavoring here.

Remember that lavender can become bitter easily, so don't oversteep this one.

My coworker is just coming around to tea in general, and this Cozy Hibiscus won his heart today.

 
Cozy Hibiscus has the warmth of hibiscus with the familiarity of black tea. The clove makes it great for winter or any night you want to stay warm.

 

A rich red cup even though it has black tea.


I had this wonderful conversation with a Gryphon's Tea member (Gryphon's mom!) about the blend:

"The Cozy Hibiscus is one of Gryphon's blends. He tends to make complex chemistry. This is a single estate Ceylon tea with lots of hibiscus. To make it warm and tart he balances cassia, orange peel, cloves, rose hips and star anise. For the aromatics there is mint and a touch of lavender. We are glad you like it! - and it is all organic also - no flavoring."

Next time I'll show you an organic chai from California.

Kashmiri Green Chai review (#35)

Flavored green tea

Prestogeorge

$5.25/4 oz

Ingredients: Green tea, cinnamon chips, almonds, cloves, crushed green cardamom, cardamom seeds with almond and cinnamon flavor.

Chai spice with green tea sounded like a strange combination, but the almond pulls it together!

The dry tea smells strongly of almond and cardamom. The green tea takes a back seat, but it does contribute an earthy flavor that works with the spice.

I prefer chai black teas to this green... but it's still fun. I just have to remember that it is, in fact, green tea, and not to oversteep!

Huge almond slices and cloves.

The pretty glass bottle is from Penzey's Spices, near Prestogeorge in the Strip.

The leaves open up well.

Next time I'll review an earl grey named for a classic novel.

Classic Chai review (#32)

Flavored black tea
Margaret's Fine Imports
www.pittsburghcuppa.com 
$2.99/2 oz

Ingredients: Indian black tea, ginger root, cinnamon, green cardamom, vanilla flavor.

Whew! Hello cloves!

Ginger is most noticeable in the dry tea, but the steeped tea tastes mostly of cloves. A few friends and I have declared the dry tea smells like chocolate, but that just might be a combination of ginger and clove.

This chai doesn't have the pepper that many chai teas do, making it more Christmas spice/sweet.

I'll still be on the lookout for The Best Chai Ever award, but this is a great holiday spiced tea to enjoy over Christmas. I might try adding more cinnamon to it next time.

Also, did you know that cloves are the unopened buds from a clove evergreen tree? Mind. Blown.

 

Christmas packaging at Margaret's! (Tissue paper my own.)

Tomorrow I'm going to Dobra Tea for birfday/Xmas Eve!

 

Chocolate chai black tea review (#24)

Flavored black tea
Prestogeorge
www.prestogeorge.com
$2.05/2 oz

Ingredients: Black tea, ginger root, green cardamom, chocolate chips, chocolate flavor.

This chai is awesome! The chocolate is perfect. Not too much that it overwhelms the other flavors, but just enough to make the tea sweet and smooth. No sugar needed.

For some spice, there are full cardamom pods that add some interest to the flavor. I came across these same cardamom pods in a chicken masala dish recently! Don't eat the pod whole... just try it in tea.

This tea is very fragrant. The rain outside is falling sideways, and it's turning to snowy sleet over fall leaves near the Point of Pittsburgh, but I'm fine inside with my heated pad and chocolate chai. I really want to try Prestogeorge's other chais... in my quest for the perfect chai!

Whole chocolate chips and cardamom.

Foam while steeping.

 

Amazing price. You can see how far along the kitchen is, which is not enough.

Come back next time for a fun flowering tea!

What do you think of chocolate in tea?

Cinnamon Tempest tea review

Flavored black tea
Trader Joe's
www.traderjoes.com


Ingredients: Black tea, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, natural flavor. 

It's Spice Week during The 23 Teas of October!

A real tempest! But a polite one. The cinnamon and cloves are inviting. I know everyone says "inviting," but it's true. The orange makes it great for Christmas, too.

It has a smooth black tea flavor with a bold cinnamon scent and aftertaste. I don't even bring this one to work anymore because the scent is so disruptive!

Great tin!

Cinnamon dust lines the tin.

Large mesh tea bags.

Tempest in a teacup.

 

The assistants got curious.

Come back Monday for Fruit Week!

 

 

(Win tea! Rules here http://allteanocrumpets.blogspot.com/2014/09/tea-giveaway.html) 

 

 

Can a person have too much cinnamon?

Pumpkin Spice tea review (02)

Flavored black tea
Prestogeorge
www.prestogeorge.com
$3.60/4 oz (now on sale for $2.75!)

Ingredients: Black tea, pumpkin flavor, real cinnamon sticks.

This is my favorite morning tea for fall! Huge cinnamon chunks in the tea give it warm spice. It's just like the spices you'd put into a pumpkin pie. The pumpkin flavor isn't too noticeable, though, so this tea could easily be marketed as a Christmas holiday drink. It tastes like cloves, giving the tea a bold but smooth flavor. The caffeine is present but not overwhelming. A very special blend from Prestogeorge.

Gorgeous fall color!
 

Huge pieces of cinnamon!

Also for fall: Trader Joe's pumpkin butter! And a dog.

 

So affordable for such a great tea!

Come back tomorrow for a tempestuous Friday spice. 

(Win tea! Rules here http://allteanocrumpets.blogspot.com/2014/09/tea-giveaway.html) 

What do you think, is pumpkin spice without pumpkin a lie?

Organic Cinnamon Spiced red tea review

Flavored rooibos
Prestogeorge
www.prestogeorge.com
$5/4oz

Ingredients: South African rooibos, cinnamon, cloves, natural spice oils.

It's Spice Week during The 23 Teas of October!

Wow, the cinnamon flavor in this is STRONG. You can see the large chunks of cinnamon in it. It has a thick body after steeping, too. There's some kind of flavor backing up the cinnamon--my husband guesses vanilla or peppermint? But it's probably the earthiness of the red tea and cloves.

It tastes similar to the herbal Good Earth tea, but better because of the smooth rooibos. It is so cool that rooibos is not a tea plant, but a South African redbush plant. This will be my husband's designated tea, because he's crazy about cinnamon and this is just SO much cinnamon. I'll probably mix it with my Autumn Apple black tea.

Drink this hot if you're sick or need some real comfort. Under no circumstance should you add sugar. None!

Update: I just tried this tea with 1.5oz instead of 2oz. I can stand to drink it now! It's thinner and lighter. Whew.

Small rooibos pieces and big cinnamon chunks.

 

Glass jar from Trader Joe's salsa. I used baking soda, vinegar, and bleach to get the smell out of the plastic rim in the lid. Pretty result!

A very deep red color!

 

Pretty in the cup!

Come back tomorrow for another try at fall's favorite flavor.

(Win tea! Rules here http://allteanocrumpets.blogspot.com/2014/09/tea-giveaway.html)

What's your favorite food with cinnamon?

Pumpkin Spice tea review

Flavored black tea
Margaret's Fine Imports
www.pittsburghcuppa.com
$5.99/4 oz

Ingredients: Black tea, cinnamon bark, cloves, ginger root, cardamom, marigold flowers, natural pumpkin spice flavor.

It's Spice Week during The 23 Teas of October!

Everyone loves pumpkin. But while this tea has a very sweet, inviting fragrance, after the first sip I realized I was really drinking some kind of banana bread tea!

It's like when beer or candy can taste just a bit too yellowy sweet, and once you think "banana" you can't get it out of your head. If a sweet, spiced banana bread flavor is appealing to you, try it! I love sweetness but I got tired of the flavor too soon.

The taste is similar whether iced or hot. I'm demoting it to a mixer for other teas that need a little sweetness. Alone, its personality is too strong. However, my husband tried it iced and he likes it. (I didn't mention "pumpkin" or "banana" at all.)

Rich dark tea with bright yellow bits, cinnamon pieces, and some whole cloves.

 

Cute little cloves!

Come back tomorrow for a walk on the red side.

(Win tea! Rules here http://allteanocrumpets.blogspot.com/2014/09/tea-giveaway.html)

Do you love or hate banana? There is no in between.

Chai Spice tea review

Flavored black tea
Nicholas Coffee Co.
www.nicholascoffee.net
$4/4 oz

Ingredients: Black tea, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, flavoring.

It's Spice Week during The 23 Teas of October!

This is a special blend made in-house at Nicholas Coffee Co. It tastes unusual for a chai. Normally I'd expect a heavier bodied, cinnamon flavor. This chai is lighter and must have a lot of just one of the spices, I'm guessing nutmeg. Unfortunately, it reminds me of soap.

This chai could use more cinnamon or maybe some vanilla--something sweet to give it a heavier body. Because of my aversion to what I believe is the nutmeg, I usually add a bit of some other tea to it, such as the smoky Dragon's Breath Game of Thrones tea from Margaret's Fine Imports, or any spiced fall tea. Cinnamon would be great to try with it.

Alone, the tea has a very similar taste whether hot or iced. For steeping, I use a little more tea than usual because of its light taste. It has a noticeable but not overwhelming amount of caffeine.

Long, thin pieces of tea!

Looks adorable in this wooden box, which originally held bags of Canadian Ice Wine tea by The Metropolitan Tea Company.

Come back tomorrow for fall's favorite flavor... or is it?

(Win tea! Rules here http://allteanocrumpets.blogspot.com/2014/09/tea-giveaway.html)

What's your favorite brand of chai?