I was so excited to try this tea. I love love love Chai tea. I love Chai green tea especially since I’m working on cutting back on caffeine.
And doing some Googling I discovered that Houjicha is green tea that has been roasted. The roasting process cuts down on the earthiness of green tea, making it more caramel like in flavor, and also cuts down on the caffeine. This makes it a nice tea to serve in the evening.
Bonus!!
As soon as I opened the packet, I could smell cardamom, which excited me because with a lot of Chai tea the cinnamon and nutmeg kind of take center stage, which is fine but it’s nice to let other flavors play a role.
This blend also has pepper and long pepper, so it is nice and warming. I wouldn’t say spicy, but it is nice and zesty and flavorful. It has a perfect balance of flavors. As I read the ingredients, I noticed that I could taste every single ingredient, including ginger which often gets lost in the mix.
This is one of the best Chai teas I’ve had, and at this point I’ve had a lot. I really enjoy the flavor of roasted green tea, it goes very well with all the Chai spices. I had mine with a little bit of raw sugar and a splash of coconut milk. It was a wonderful thing to have first thing in the morning, especially on this grey winter day. It made me feel warm and cozy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
As I sit here, tasting this, it’s just a couple of days past the first day of FALL – my favorite time of year! There are a couple of reasons why it’s my favorite time of year. First, I love the change in temperature. The change of color outside with all the beautiful orange, red and yellow leaves is wonderfully inspiring but the main reason fall is my favorite season is the change in temperature. That cool, crisp air of autumn is certainly a welcome respite from the heat of summer (and in August around here, it usually gets down-right unbearable!) And the cooler temperatures not only mean it’s time to start wearing warm, fluffy sweaters and cozy wool socks but hot tea is much more enjoyable this time of year – and especially “chai” teas. (Yes, I know that “chai” translates simply to “tea” and means all tea types but around here when I think “chai” I think of a nicely spiced tea.)
If I had to narrow my ‘flavored’ tea choices to just three or four favorites, chai would certainly make that list (as well as Earl Grey and probably chocolate – or possibly vanilla?) Fortunately, here at 52Teas – we don’t have to narrow our choices when it comes to tea! We’re all about celebration of flavor here! But that doesn’t diminish my adoration for a well-spiced chai!
I decided for my first ‘official’ chai of this fall season, I’d make a Houjicha based chai! I started with an organic, roasted green tea (aka Houjicha) and added cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, black pepper and a little bit of long pepper.
Mmm! The toasty flavor of the Houjicha adds a delightfully warm, nutty flavor to the cup and it is beautifully matched with the warmth of the spices. Not a hot spice – but comfortably warm. The kind of tea you want to curl up with while cuddling up under a a soft blanket and a good book.
Large size is approximately 50g.
organic ingredients: roasted green tea, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, long pepper and natural flavors.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Krampus Brew from Handmade Tea. . . . .
An awesome friend signed me up for a few monthly subscription packages from Handmade Tea. This is a company I had not heard of before so I was very excited to see what they had to offer. This past week the first month’s package arrived and it was bigger than the monthly subscription packages I have received from other companies such as Amoda and TeaTaxi. So, when I opened the package to find just one tea, I was certainly surprised.
Before me was 3 oz of Krampus Brew along with a beautifully wax-sealed envelope containing a note from the tea maker, brewing instructions and tasting notes. The tasting notes were an interesting touch because it seemed as if it were a guide telling me what I should be tasting.
I am told by the tasting notes that the base is similar to a light oolong, smooth but with a hint of smokiness. In fairness, that is pretty accurate. I am also told that the cherries sweeten the brew with a bright honey-like flavor and add a tart finish. I suppose that there is a sweetness here but I don’t know if I would describe it quite as a “bright honey-like flavor” and I certainly am not detecting a tart finish. Finally, the tasting note suggests that the cloves and cinnamon provide the classic spice taste and adds boldness to the mouthfeel. Like the description of the base, that is also pretty accurate.
All in all, it seems the tasting note I was provided is fairly spot-on. However, I am left wondering if I am detecting these things because I feel I should or if I am tasting them because they are actually there. Next month I will drink the tea first and then compare notes. As it is, this tea is mostly a sweet and spiced gunpowder tea. Pleasant enough albeit just a little boring. I expected more cherry from the big pieces in the mix but it seems they are mostly just contributing the fruity/sweet component that is hiding just beneath the base.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Handmade Tea
Description
This tea is no longer on the site but check below for what teas are and to learn about Handmade Tea’s monthly subscription plan.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lively Rose Blend from Plum Deluxe. . . . . .
As the days get shorter and the dark stretches longer, unsurprisingly I’ve been looking for comfort. For me, that looks like the typical things– a warm bath, a cozy blanket, a cup of tea (duh. :)), a burning candle, twinkle lights, good food, my favorite book, and the list goes on and on.
A few years ago, I learned that this innate need for coziness and comfort that always pokes its head out during this time of year has a name! And an entire nation of people who are experts at practicing it! Who knew? This Danish concept, hygge, is the idea that when it gets darker and colder, rather than feel despair, we need to treat ourselves extra kindly, do extra-good for ourselves and others, and really take impeccable care of ourselves.
This tea, (a delightful blend of black tea, rooibos, rose and almond) has become my new favorite for sipping when I’m channeling my own inner hygge these past few weeks. A collaboration between one of my favorite podcasters, Jess Lively, and one of my favorite tea companies, Plum Deluxe, this tea perfectly touches on light, delicate flavors while still remaining a balanced blend of hearty black and rooibos tea.
Which, let’s talk about that for a second– I think black/rooibos blends are quickly becoming a new favorite of mine. The nutty earthiness of rooibos in this blend in particular is a match made in heaven for the black tea base. No astringency or acidity present, just a hearty-but-delicate, floral-but-nutty hug in a cup. I’ve found this one pairs equally well with quiet mornings reading under a blanket in the sunlight as it does with afternoon self-care pick-me-ups.
As a latte, the rose and almond really shine, but even brewed straight with a dash of coconut milk, it’s exactly the kind of embodiment of cozy hygge that I’ve been looking for this season.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black/Rooibos
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below to see what black teas are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
A Handblended Detox Tea for 2017! Let’s Detox from The NecessiTeas
Detox – also known as – Let’s Detox from The NecessiTeas is an interesting blend. The blended base is Honeybush and Rooibos. But it also has Lemon Myrtle, Lemon Peel, Star Anise, Ginger, Licorice Root, Juniper Berries, Lemongrass, Marigold, Stevia, Birch Leaves, and Willow Bark.
My favorite part of this mix of ingredients is the ratios of ingredients which are all done nicely. Nothing is overdone. Everything blends well. The Lemon Myrtle, Peel, and Grass really shine but also play well with the Licorice which initially scared me but after sipping on this cuppa my fears were completely calmed. The Licorice wasn’t prominent, overdone, or interrupting any of the other flavors.
Another thing I was a bit frightened about was the Stevia. Many companies tend to over do it with the Stevia…that isn’t the case here, thankfully. I really appreciate the addition of the Juniper Berries, Birch Leaves, and Willow Bark as I’ve learned about them from my local herb lady and find them to be fascinatingly powerful for the heart, body, and soul. Of course I am not making any health claims here but I really do LOVE many of the contents of this loose mix.
Detox from The NecessiTeas or Let’s Detox from The NecessiTeas is thoughtfully put together and tasty on the tongue while soul warming and day unwinding!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
This wellness blend will make you feel good from the inside out. This antioxidant rich blend of organic honeybush and rooibos is combined with marigold, birch leaves and juniper berries to promote a healthy immune system and cleanse away the effects of harmful toxins.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mango Pineapple Habanero Black Tea from 52Teas. . . . .
I didn’t drink this sample for a while because the habanero struck fear into my heart. What if it was fiery? What if this made me cry? That’d make a funny post, but it wouldn’t make for a good life experience.
Luckily, the primary thing about this tea is the tropical fruit (mostly the pineapple). Pineapple is my favorite, so I’m all about it.
If you hadn’t told me about the habanero, I might have thought the tingling was schizophrenia. It sneaks up on you, getting more intense as you drink down. (Does it, like sink? Scientists?) The first time I drank this, I thought I was going crazy.
Or drinking the tea too hot.
Which I always do. I want to drink my tea the instant it comes out of the steeper. I do not want to wait. I want it in my face immediately. So I’m constantly singeing the roof of my mouth. Then probing the destroyed tissue with my tongue, thwarting the healing process.
You’d think this is a n00b move. Maybe I just started drinking tea, like, yesterday.
No. I have been hard-drinking tea (2+ cups a day on workdays) for at least a year. And I’m STILL tossing scalding water down my gullet like it ain’t no thang.
Maybe I secretly think I’m an X-Man (X-Woman?). Like I’ll mutate to accommodate heat. My mouth will, like, toughen up. It’ll culminate in my ability to drink lava. I could take my act on the road. Pay off my mortgage.
So anyway, this tea is delicious. Maybe, if your mouth is not severely damaged by your own stupidity, you’ll appreciate some tingling! It’s a fun feature for a tea to have.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
This tea is no longer available but check out the Mad Musings surrounding this tea here!
Be sure to check out 52Teas if you missed out on the 12 Teas of Christmas promo. Limited quantities of those teas will be available soon!
