Sensiblyscript’s Take on Lapsang Chai by Bluebird Tea Company. . . .

by Sensiblyscript

Steeping specs: One teaspoon at 212 degrees for 4 minutes in 1 cup of water.

This was an exciting idea for a tea. I’ve tried actual lapsang souchong once and couldn’t get through my mugful (maybe it was a bad idea to add milk, but I couldn’t stand it without milk either so I figured it couldn’t hurt anything). It’s not because I don’t like smoky flavors, either. I love smoked meat (I mean, BACON, right?), and I love campfires although it’s true I don’t eat them. But combining smoky tea with other strong spices that I know I like sounds like a very clever idea. I only wish I’d had it. In fact, I think I might have the rest of that sample packet of Lapsang somewhere; maybe I should go experiment with mixing it with various chais.

But I digress. . . .

After steeping for four minutes I took a good whiff–it smells tantalizingly smoky. This could be either a good thing or a problem, as mentioned above. The color is amber-ish–on the light side for a chai, I think (and I do have the unfortunate tendency to judge my tea’s strength by its color! I’ve been known to waaaaay over-steep my tea just because it didn’t look dark enough to me). A few crumbs of leaf have escaped my basket, so maybe I’ll use the finer mesh next time I steep this. What’s really exciting is that although the smell is smoky, I can smell spices too! Cinnamon, ginger, and possibly clove, I think.

First taste: it’s definitely not tasting like liquid smoke here, which is good! The flavor combo is hard to describe, though. The smoky tang and the warmth from the spices hit me at approximately the same time with each sip, which means it really has a kick! It’s not a super spicy chai, though, so if you’re sensitive to spice that probably won’t be a problem (depending on just how sensitive you are, of course. Some people manage to complain of spiciness in foods that taste basically bland to me).

The smokiness combines especially well with the ginger notes for some reason. Does ginger have a smoky component normally? I don’t know. I just know that this tastes really, really good. The smoke lingers a bit after each sip, but like I said, it’s not overpowering.

I also tried this tea with milk and sugar and found it still enjoyable, although less unique. That could just be due to the fact that I have a tendency to put milk and sugar in all my tea, though the milk does seem to muffle the brightness of the spice notes a bit too.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea
Where to Buy:  Bluebird Tea Co.
Description

We like to do things a bit differently at Bluebird. Our latest infusion is a thoughtful blend of Lapsang Souchong, malty Assam + aromatic masala chai spices. A BREWtiful blend of tea + culture alike!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sensiblyscript

Hi! My name is Tabitha and I'm an uprooted PNW native living in the South with my husband and my cocker spaniel. My favorite teas are usually dark and strong and go well with milk and sugar. I like to combine tea-drinking with all of my favorite activities, such as listening to music, reading YA fiction, knitting, and writing blog and website content for businesses. Because I'm a well-rounded person, I also have other interests, such as wearing mismatched socks and pretending to be ambidextrous.

This post was posted in Black Tea, Bluebird Tea Co

Get a Boost with Green Tea +C Citrus Ginger

by MrsPremise

Green Tea + C Citrus Ginger from Sencha Naturals is an effervescent drink mix made with green tea, ginger, and orange flavoring.  Like other immune-system-boosting fizzy drinks, this powder bubbles and hisses when mixed with water, like seltzer tablets.  The powder and the drink smell super spicy with ginger and tangerine citrus.  Drinking this beverage, there is a tart bite of citric acid, like the sourness in chewable vitamin C tablets.  The ginger heat comes through in the aftertaste, bringing a warm and buzzy mouthfeel.

As a green tea, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this product.  The green tea base is lost among the orange tartness and slight chalky consistency of the powder.  However, I would recommend trying this out an alternative to fizzy, immune-boosting drinks.  Green Tea +C is unique in that it is the first effervescent drink mix I’ve used that includes green tea in the ingredients.
At the end of a weekend, when I’m tired and facing another week, I sometimes feel like I need a boost, both mental and physical.  That’s the time of day that I’d reach for something like Green Tea +C.  The bubbles and tart orange flavor are energizing and zesty and I like the idea that I’m powering myself up with some Vitamin C, ready to face another Monday.

 

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Green tea powder
Where to Buy: Sencha Naturals
Description: We believe that nutrition should come from whole food ingredients, versus synthetic vitamins. Whole leaf green tea, acerola cherry, coconut water, and supporting herbs to help you stay well. Serve hot for a gingery warm and citrus-y bright cup of tea.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

MrsPremise

Growing up, I drank herbal teas like fresh ginger tea during New England's harsh winters and iced blueberry tea during its humid summers. Over time, I was tempted into trying a wider variety of loose leaf teas by the fandom-themed blends available online. I have since gone on to design my own blends, and I greatly enjoy drafting up flavor ideas and drawing tea labels. When I'm not thinking about tea I can be found reading novels and comic books, playing video games, or watching movies; my favorite genres being history, humor, sci-fi, and fantasy. Generally, I prefer bold teas: spicy chais, rich black teas, even smoky lapsang souchong on occasion. But I have also dabbled in herbal rooibos, flavored oolongs, and traditional matcha. I'm glad to be expanding my palette by tasting and reviewing new teas and blends. Find me on Steepster: http://steepster.com/A2shedsjackson Fandom blends: http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/list.html?userId=292149

This post was posted in Green Tea, Sen Cha Naturals

Turmeric Lemon Ginger from Yerba Buena Tea Co. . . . .

by Hillary

I try to incorporate turmeric in my diet everyday for all of the amazing health benefits, so I was so happy to try this tea. And in my opinion ginger makes everything better so I had a feeling I would love this blend.

The first thing I noticed is the beautiful yellow color right away. They aren’t shy with the turmeric. As soon as i poured the hot water over the tea, I got the most wonderful smell. I could smell the lemon and the ginger and it was very soothing. This blend also has lemongrass and whole black peppercorns which are two of my favorite ingredients in tea.

This is an herbal blend, so no caffeine, but yet i still felt energized and uplifted from it.It also has licorice root which I don’t always love in teas, but luckily for me I couldn’t really taste it. Everything balanced out, and it just tastes like a lovely cup of lemon ginger tea with a little something extra.

I usually start my day with a caffeinated tea like green or yerba mate, but yesterday I started my day with this, and i didn’t feel like I needed caffeine at all! As someone who has relied on caffeine for MANY years, that is quite the feat!

Turmeric is so good for the body it’s nice to have it in such a delicious and uplifting way. This is definitely one of my new favorite teas, and I can’t recommend it enough!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Herbal
Where to Buy:  Yerba Buena Tea Co.
Description

For thousands of years the Siddhars of India have touted the healing effects of turmeric. We love it for its incredible color and taste. Our perfected fusion includes this ancient herb, lemongrass, ginger, licorice root and whole black pepper corns to soothe your mind, body and soul.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Hillary

Book reading, cat loving, tea sipping vegan.

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane, Yerba Buena Tea Co.

Aria blend from The Jasmine Pearl Tea Co.

by Sensiblyscript

Immediately evident in the dry leaves are whole cloves and some seed pods that I thought at first were anise but, after looking at the ingredients, I decided must be fennel. The attractive-looking combination also includes bits of licorice and marshmallow root as well as orange peel and peppermint plus cinnamon and ginger.

I used a heaping teaspoon of the tea leaves in a cup of water at approximately boiling temperature and then watched it steep for about the next four minutes. It smelled all nice and licorice-y while steeping and became a nice light yellow color, which reminded me a bit of a medium-strong green tea.
When I sipped it, I noticed right away the very present flavor of anise (licorice). It reminds me of the “throat coat” tea I grew up drinking whenever I had a cold, except that it’s a bit more delicate and refined in how it presents the licorice flavor. The licorice still manages to overpower the other flavors in the cup, though. I tried really hard and detected a hint of tingly spiciness from the cloves (I think. Or was I just making that up? I may have been just making that up), but I didn’t detect a noticeable presence from any of the other components. This was a little surprising as I’d seen citrus peel in the cup and that’s generally pretty strongly flavored. Fortunately, the licorice flavor itself was quite pleasing.
The effect of the tea is definitely soothing and relaxing to the throat. It’s a bit viscous as if it had lots of honey in it (likely because of the marshmallow root), which makes it even more soothing. It’s also caffeine free, which means it’s non-stimulating. This can be important when your throat is irritated and you’re trying to relax-soothe it, and it’s also good for singers in general especially near a performance because, according to some experts, caffeine can have a detrimental effect on the voice (the vocal cords, that is).

 

I’d say this tea would probably great for reducing throat irritation/scratchiness/etc, whether you have a cold or allergies or have just overused or abused your voice recently. (Which I haven’t. But I’ll be sure to use this tea next time my throat is feeling under the weather!) It probably can’t work miracles, like if you have laryngitis and are hoping to still go on stage or something, but it does have a markedly soothing effect. Also, this tea can be re-steeped! So you can use it over and over again, although I personally didn’t test to see how many cups of tea it will make so I can’t give a figure. I’d recommend this tea for not only singers but anyone who might sometimes overuse their voice or who might have to use their voice while sick, like teachers (can’t stop teaching just cause you have a cold!).

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: The Jasmine Pearl Tea Company
Description

A singer’s best friend! This herbal blend was originally designed for Portland’s very own Hampton Opera Center. Licorice, marshmallow root, cinnamon and mint are some of the ingredients used in this blend to provide relief and aid to the throat. Aria satisfies, soothes and warms.

Caffeine-Free.

Licorice Root*, Fennel*, Clove*, Cinnamon*, Orange Peel*, Ginger*, Peppermint*, and Marshmallow Root.

*Organically Grown.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Sensiblyscript

Hi! My name is Tabitha and I'm an uprooted PNW native living in the South with my husband and my cocker spaniel. My favorite teas are usually dark and strong and go well with milk and sugar. I like to combine tea-drinking with all of my favorite activities, such as listening to music, reading YA fiction, knitting, and writing blog and website content for businesses. Because I'm a well-rounded person, I also have other interests, such as wearing mismatched socks and pretending to be ambidextrous.

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane, The Jasmine Pearl

Ginger Lemongrass from Tea Forte. . . . . .

by Hillary

I was gifted this adorable box of Tea Forte silken infusers tea. There are several flavors but I just can’t stop drinking the ginger lemongrass. Ginger and lemongrass are two of my favorite flavors. I’ve also been a fan of drinking ginger tea for awhile now.

Combining the two flavors is absolutely brilliant in my opinion. Everything is balanced in this blend. I can taste and smell both the ginger and the lemongrass. The ingredients include lemon peel, which complements the lemongrass. It also has spearmint leaves, so it has a very, very subtle taste of mint.

Everything about this tea is soothing. The smell is invigorating and calming, and the taste is fresh, soothing, and very calming. This is a tea you drink when you have a little bit of a stomach ache as ginger and mint are very helpful for that.

I also should mention the adorable tea bags are actually cylinders, and there is a little leaf at the end of the string that happily bobs around as your tea is brewing.

Everything about this tea is absolutely wonderful. I can’t wait to try the other flavors, maybe once I’ve had all the ginger lemongrass!

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Tea Forte
Description

Ginger Lemongrass is a soothing, multi-layered blend radiating with sunny citrus notes enlivened with the tingle of ginger. A fruity, bright cup with a sweet lingering aftertaste.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Hillary

Book reading, cat loving, tea sipping vegan.

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane, Tea Forté